Fans Can Now Own Melrose Place Memories and Benefit Two Great Charities, Courtesy of Spelling Television, ARTISTdirect, and Amazon.com Auctions

SEATTLE, May 18-With the series finale of Melrose Place less than one week away, wardrobe, props, and furnishings used in the hit FOX Broadcasting Corporation television show, produced by Spelling Television, are now open for bidding at Amazon.com Auctions (NASDAQ: AMZN), the exclusive auction site for this unique online charity auction of memorabilia from a major television series.

The items up for bid include furniture and props from Amanda Woodward's bedroom and office, Lexi Sterling's lingerie, Billy Campbell's blue bomber jacket, the wedding dress Alison Parker wore when she skipped out on Billy, and many other original items from the set of Melrose Place. Fans can go to www.amazon.com/auctions to place bids on hundreds of items.

Melrose Place completes its seventh and final season on FOX on May 24, 1999 (8:00 to 9:00 p.m. PDT/EDT). The auction is part of the series' farewell celebration that includes Melrose Place parties at regional Planet Hollywood restaurants nationwide. Net proceeds of the 10-day online charity auction will benefit the American Cancer Society and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

"We hope all of our fans get something, whether it's big or small, so they can keep a piece of Melrose Place," Aaron Spelling, executive producer, said. "And most of all, they will help the two charities that will benefit from this auction."

"It's easy and fun for everyone to bid on and even win something they'll cherish forever," said Joel Spiegel, general manager, Amazon.com Auctions. "This is a unique opportunity for Melrose fans worldwide to come on line and bid to own a piece of television history."

Visitors to the Melrose auction site can also click to www.melroseplace.com to register to win the original Melrose Place apartment complex sign and other exciting prizes.

Bidding for most items will conclude on May 24 and 25. Immediately after the series finale comes to a surprise ending, a special auction, including items from the final episode, will become available for bidding (after 9:00 p.m. PDT/12:00 a.m. EDT) and will close on May 27, 1999.

The auction is a collaboration among Amazon.com Auctions; Spelling Television and its merchandising division, Hamilton Projects; and ARTISTdirect. FOX and Planet Hollywood are celebrating the series finale with special parties at regional Planet Hollywood locations across the country. In addition, many Melrose Place auction items will be on display at each Planet Hollywood leading up to the series finale.

About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), the Internet's No. 1 music, No. 1 video, and No. 1 book retailer, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995. Today, the Amazon.com store has expanded to offer online auctions, free electronic greeting cards, and more than 4.7 million book, music-CD, video, DVD, computer-game, and other titles, plus secure credit-card payment, personalized recommendations, and streamlined ordering through 1-ClickSM technology.

Amazon.com operates two international Web sites: www.amazon.co.uk in the United Kingdom and www.amazon.de in Germany. Amazon.com also operates PlanetAll (www.planetall.com), a Web-based address book, calendar, and reminder service. It also operates the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com), the Web's comprehensive and authoritative source of information on more than 150,000 movies and entertainment programs and 500,000 cast and crew members dating from the birth of film in 1892 to the present.

This announcement contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, Amazon.com's limited operating history, anticipated losses, unpredictability of future revenues, potential fluctuations in quarterly operating results, seasonality, consumer trends, competition, risks of system interruption, management of potential growth, risks related to auction services, and risks of new business areas, international expansion, business combinations, and strategic alliances. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 1999.

Amazon.com, Amazon.com Auctions, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Internet Movie Database, PlanetAll, and 1-Click are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. All other names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

About Melrose Place and Spelling Television
Melrose Place is produced by Spelling Television, Inc. Aaron Spelling, E. Duke Vincent, Charles Pratt Jr., and Carol Mendelsohn are the executive producers. James Kahn is the coexecutive producer. Peter Dunne is the supervising producer and Heather Locklear is the coproducer.

Spelling Television is a division of Spelling Entertainment Group, Inc. (NYSE, PE: SP), a leading producer and distributor of television and film entertainment. In addition to Spelling Television, the company comprises Big Ticket Television, Worldvision Enterprises, and Hamilton Projects. The company has 11 series in production for the 1998/99 season and, through its combined libraries, controls approximately 10,000 hours of programming for worldwide distribution. Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIAb) owns approximately 80 percent of Spelling's common stock.

About ARTISTdirect
ARTISTdirect (www.artistdirect.com) has pioneered the development of official online stores in partnership with superstar artists, including the Beastie Boys (www.beastieboysdirect.com), Beck (www.beckdirect.com), Korn (www.korndirect.com), the Rolling Stones (www.stonesdirect.com), Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (www.tompettydirect.com), and many others. ARTISTdirect Entertainment Division has pioneered the development of official online stores in partnership with DreamWorks, MGM Studios USA, Spelling Entertainment Group, Inc., and others. The ARTISTdirect network, the ultimate music destination on the Web, comprises UBL.com (the Ultimate Band List), the only music-specific search engine; iMusic, the premier music-community site on the Web; and ARTISTdirect Superstores, retail centers for leading brands and entertainment properties.

About Planet Hollywood
Planet Hollywood is a creator and worldwide developer of consumer brands that capitalize on the universal appeal of movies, sports, music, and other leisure-time activities. The Company's worldwide operations offer products and services in the retail, leisure, entertainment, and lodging sectors. Planet Hollywood International, Inc.'s Class A common stock is listed under the symbol "PHL" on the New York Stock Exchange.