Nancy Hawthorne Elected Chairman of Avid's Board of Directors; Avid also names wireless industry pioneer George H. Billings to its boardTEWKSBURY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 16, 2004--Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID) today announced that Nancy Hawthorne has been elected as the chairman of its board of directors, effective May 26, 2004. Hawthorne, who has served on Avid's board since October 1997, succeeds Robert Halperin, who is transitioning from the chairman post but will remain on the company's board.

Avid's president and chief executive officer, David Krall, said, "Over the past several years, Avid has evolved from a developer of standalone products for film, video, and audio postproduction to a provider of integrated solutions that serve all of the industries that make, manage, and move media. We simply couldn't have made this transition without the support of Bob Halperin and the rest of our board of directors. As Bob passes along the mantle of chairman, we're privileged to have someone with Nancy's deep business insights and bold leadership step into the chairman's role. It's been a pleasure working with Nancy for the past seven years, and we're looking forward to continuing to tap her expertise in her new role."

Hawthorne - who is an independent member of Avid's board - also serves as the chief executive officer of Clerestory LLC, a financial advisory and investment firm. Previously, Hawthorne was the chief financial officer of Continental Cablevision, Inc. Following Continental's merger with US West Inc., she became the executive vice president of the merged company, MediaOne. Hawthorne graduated from Wellesley College in 1973 and received a master of business administration degree from the Harvard Business School in 1977.

In addition to Hawthorne's election to the chairman's post, Avid also announced that George H. Billings has joined the company's board of directors. A pioneer of the wireless communications industry, Billings is the president of Billings & Co., a management consulting firm specializing in strategic and operating services for hi-tech companies that are experiencing major growth opportunities. Prior to joining the telecommunications industry, Billings held executive and consulting positions for companies in the broadcast satellite, banking, and consumer electronics industries. Billings graduated from Brown University and received a master of business administration degree from the Harvard Business School.

Commenting on Billings' election, Krall said, "George has guided some of the world's top wireless communications companies through periods of rapid expansion. As we continue on our own growth path, we expect to draw on his expertise."

Billings succeeds Charles Brumback, who recently retired from Avid's board of directors. The other members of Avid's board - Krall, John Guttag, Pamela Lenehan, and Avid's founder, William Warner - will remain in their current roles.

About Avid Technology, Inc.

Avid Technology, Inc. is the world leader in digital nonlinear media creation, management, and distribution solutions, enabling film, video, audio, animation, games, and broadcast professionals to work more efficiently, productively, and creatively. For more information about the company's Oscar^®, Grammy^®, and Emmy^® award-winning products and services, please visit: www.avid.com.

^© 2004 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice. Avid, Digidesign, Film Composer, Make, Manage and Move Media, and Pro Tools are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Avid received an Oscar statuette representing the 1998 Scientific and Technical Award for the concept, design, and engineering of the Avid^® Film Composer^® system for motion picture editing. Digidesign, Avid's audio division, received an Oscar statuette representing the 2003 Scientific and Technical Award for the design, development, and implementation of its Pro Tools^® digital audio workstation. Oscar is a trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Emmy is a registered trademark of ATAS/NATAS. Grammy is a trademark of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Inc. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

    CONTACT: Avid Technology, Inc.
             Press:
             Carter Holland, 978-640-3172
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             dean_ridlon@avid.com

    SOURCE: Avid Technology, Inc.