2005_02_01_archive

agreement with Jon Stewart to finance the "Daily Show" host's

production company, Busboy Productions. Inc. in return for a

first-look arrangement for all of the company's television projects,

it was announced today by Doug Herzog, president, COMEDY CENTRAL.

Based in New York City, Busboy Productions will be fronted by Stewart

and "The Daily Show" executive producer Ben Karlin. Richard Korson

will head up development with Chris McShane working with him to

identify talent and projects that the company will develop.

"Jon Stewart is the preeminent voice in comedy today," said Herzog.

"As evidenced by the incredible success of America (The Book), Jon and

Ben have much more than a nightly TV show's worth of comedy in them

and we're incredibly excited about the possibility of making more

television with this exceptionally talented group of artists."

Stewart, considered one of America's top social and comedic voices,

has served as host, writer and executive producer of COMEDY CENTRAL's

"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" since January 1999. Since his

arrival the series has been nominated for 11 Emmy Awards, winning

five, including the last two Emmys for Outstanding Variety, Music or

Comedy Series.

His latest literary endeavor, AMERICA (THE BOOK): A Citizen's Guide to

Democracy Inaction (Warner Books), which was co-written with Karlin

and David Javerbaum along with the writers from "The Daily Show,"

immediately topped The New York Times Best Seller List and stayed

there for 15 consecutive weeks. It was also ranked #1 on the

best-seller lists in The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times,

USA Today and San Francisco Chronicle and was named "Book of the Year"

for 2004 by Publisher's Weekly.

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Ben Karlin joined "The Daily Show" as head writer in 1999 and has

served as an executive producer for the series since 2003. During his

time with the show he has received four Emmy Awards. In addition,

Karlin and the series were awarded a Peabody Award for its

"razor-sharp coverage of the 2000 presidential campaign." Prior to his

work at "The Daily Show," Karlin was an editor of The Onion, a

satirical weekly newspaper that he joined while still in college at

the University of Wisconsin.

Richard Korson currently serves as the Executive in Charge of

Production for "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart." He was also the

executive producer for "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn" during the

2003-2004 season. Prior to that he was the director of development at

COMEDY CENTRAL where he helped develop "Tough Crowd" along with

"Insomniac with Dave Attell" and Robert Smigel's "TV Funhouse," among

others.

Stewart and Korson are represented by James Dixon of Dixon Talent,

Inc. Stewart's attorney is Tom Hansen of Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.

Karlin is represented by United Talent Agency, 3 Arts Entertainment

and attorney Cliff Gilbert-Lurie.

COMEDY CENTRAL, the only all-comedy network, currently is seen in more

than 86 million homes nationwide. COMEDY CENTRAL is owned by Comedy