Agreement Signed with Telewest Digital TV

Smith (W.H.) Group PLC
21 December 1999


WHSmith signs on to Telewest digital TV

Telewest Communications has signed an agreement for WHSmith to join
its forthcoming interactive TV service, 'Active Digital'.  The high
speed service will be launched in the first quarter of 2000 and will
be available to more than four million homes by the end of next
year, alongside Telewest's 150-channel digital TV service launched
in October 1999.  Interactive TV will offer Telewest's digital
viewers access to books, music, financial services, groceries,
holidays, software and a wide variety of other goods and information
services.

WHSmith will sell its full range of products including books, CDs,
videos and stationery through Telewest's shopping facilities.  It
will also provide bespoke content for Telewest's Education channel.

Telewest's high bandwidth, fibre-optic network will allow retailers
to develop richer and more dynamic interactive experiences for their
customers, incorporating full motion video, stereo sound and
animation alongside more familiar text and graphic information.

The move to retail on Telewest Active Digital is a further
development in WHSmith's plans to become the UK's dominant online
retailer of books and entertainment products.  In October, WH Smith
Group Chief Executive, Richard Handover, announced the Company's
intention to claim 30 per cent of the online books market within
three years.

Of the latest e-commerce deal, Mr. Handover said:  'Our goal is to
increase our overall market share by offering our customers the
opportunity to purchase from us wherever and whenever they prefer.
Joining Telewest gives us access to an estimated 500,000 new
customers over the next year - many of whom may wish to shop without
leaving home.'

Tony Illsley, Chief Executive of Telewest sees WHSmith as a key
addition to Active Digital's interactive TV service.  'WHSmith is
one of the most trusted and recognised brand names in the country
and a very important endorsement of our online interactive TV
service.  We now have more than 15 leading retailers signed up to
provide content for our forthcoming service and we are well on our
way to reaching our target of 40 retailers by launch before April
next year.'

WHSmith expects to go live on Telewest within the first three months
of next year, using the backbone of its internet service at WHSmith
Online to provide ordering and fulfilment facilities.

WHSmith already sells on the Open TV channel.  Since Open's launch
in October, sales are well ahead of expectations.  WHSmith
anticipates similar success with the Telewest service.  Its high
speed, broadband capabilities will allow customers faster access to
the Internet with a greater degree of interactivity.


Enquiries:

Tim Blythe     WH Smith Group PLC       0171 409 3222
Director of Corporate Affairs

Tim Brill      Telewest Communications  01483 251520
PR Director