ROBERT MORTON TAPPED TO PRODUCE OSCAR'S RED CARPET

Robert Morton to Executive Produce Oscar’s Red Carpet Show

Beverly Hills, CA — Robert Morton will executive produce the 30-minute “Oscar’s Red Carpet 2009” show for the 81st Academy Awards®, producer Laurence Mark and executive producer Bill Condon announced today. The show will air on the ABC Television Network at 5 p.m. PT, immediately preceding the Oscar® telecast. This will be Morton’s first stint as executive producer for the Oscar pre-show.

“Robert Morton is a highly regarded expert in live television with truly impressive credits,” said Mark and Condon. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to have him running the pre-show this year, and we’ve encouraged him to have some fun with it.”

Morton has received 10 Emmy® nominations, and in 1994 he took home the award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series for “Late Show with David Letterman.” He also won a Peabody Award in 1991 for his work on “Late Show with David Letterman.” Morton spent 14 years working with Letterman and Worldwide Pants before he started his own company, Panamort Television.

Under Panamort, Morton currently executive produces “Chocolate News with David Alan Grier” and just completed his fourth season of “Mind of Mencia.” Morton’s other recent credits include “Cheech & Chong Roasted,” and he has produced shows for Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, Demetri Martin, John Leguizamo and Drew Carey.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.