NEW YORK, NY -- February 22, 2006 -- The Online Publishers Association (OPA) today announced today its executive officers for 2006 and the addition of several new member companies.

Debora Wilson, president of The Weather Channel, Inc, was named chairman of the OPA. Wilson has been a visionary leader in online publishing, having served as president and CEO of weather.com, which she launched in 1995, and chief operating officer of The Weather Channel and TWCi. She was recently named company president, where she oversees both The Weather Channel Networks and The Weather Channel Interactive.

In addition to announcing Wilson's new appointment, the OPA said that Caroline Little, CEO and publisher of Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive, will serve as vice chair, and Michael Zimbalist, who was recently the president of the OPA and is now vice president, research & development operations at The New York Times Company, will serve as treasurer. At large executive committee members announced today are: Barry Briggs, president & COO of CNET Networks, Inc.; Larry Kramer, outgoing OPA chair and president of CBS Digital; Doug McCormick, chairman and CEO of iVillage; Martin Nisenholtz, senior vice president, digital operations at The New York Times Company and founding chairman of the OPA, and David Payne, senior vice president & general manager of CNN.com.

"Debora Wilson brings tremendous insight and experience to the OPA," said Pam Horan, vice president, Online Publishers Association. "At the Weather Channel, she went from leading the interactive side of the business to being president of the entire organization. Her experience reflects the increasingly vital role that quality online publishers are playing in the overall media landscape. Along with the staff and entire executive team of the OPA, she will be essential in guiding the organization through what will be an important year ahead."

"For five years, the OPA has led the way as quality content sites have grown more important and more successful," Wilson commented. "I am thrilled to build upon the organization's mission of advocating for the Web's most trusted and valued sites. With the collective skill and wisdom of our entire team, we will address the dramatic growth in online advertising, new delivery platforms, opportunities with audio and video and much more."

The OPA today also announced that it has added several new quality content providers as Members, bringing the total membership to 45 companies. The new members are: AllBusiness.com, Choice Media, Discovery Communications, Fast Company/Inc.com, Media General, Rodale, and Walt Disney Internet Group. LookSmart and Vibrant Media both joined the OPA as Supporters.

About the Online Publishers Association

Founded in June 2001, the Online Publishers Association (OPA) is an industry trade organization whose mission is to advance the interests of high-quality online publishers before the advertising community, the press, the government and the public. Members of OPA represent the standards in Internet publishing with respect to editorial quality and integrity, credibility and accountability. OPA member sites have a combined, unduplicated reach of 109.2 million visitors, or 73 percent of the total U.S. Internet audience (Source: comScore Media Metrix, September 2003 combined home/work/university data). For more information about the Online Publishers Association, visit www.online-publishers.org.

Source: OPA

Source: Wired News