Disposal

Pearson PLC
5 September 2001

5 September 2001



PEARSON SELLS FT ENERGY TO PLATTS



Pearson plc, the international media company, has sold FT Energy to Platts,
the global energy information and marketing services business of The
McGraw-Hill Companies. The purchase price is not disclosed.



The sale of FT Energy is the last in a series of disposals that enables the FT
Group to focus on delivering international business and financial news and
analysis and specialist financial information.



FT Energy's products include newsletters Megawatt Daily, Gas Daily and Power
in Europe, and industry conferences including Powermart and Coal Marketing
Days. FT Energy offers consulting services through E Source and RDI, and
databases and analytical tools such as POWERdat, GASdat and POWERmap. The sale
of FT Energy follows the earlier disposals of the FT Group's media and
telecomms, automotive and retail newsletter businesses.



Stephen Hill, Chief Executive of the Financial Times Group, commented:



'This completes our planned series of disposals of non-financial publications
within the FT Group. Our newspapers, magazines and online services are now all
focused on what we do best - providing our customers with the very best
business and financial news, comment, analysis and data.'



                                    -ends-



For further information:   Luke Swanson, Pearson plc [phone]

                           Joanna Manning-Cooper, FT Group: [phone]


Notes to Editors:


FT Energy is one of the world's most comprehensive providers of global energy
industry information. With offices in the USA and UK, FT Energy informs and
educates energy professionals around the world.



The Financial Times Group



1.         The FT Group, one of the world's leading business information
companies, aims to provide a broad range of business information and services
to the growing audience of internationally minded business people.  The
Financial Times newspaper is printed in 18 cities around the world and has one
of the world's fastest growing international readerships.  FT.com, the
newspaper's internet partner, combines agenda-setting editorial with relevant
financial data and discussion groups, as well as a broad range of business
tools including the largest search function on the internet.



2.         The FT Group's pan-European network of national business newspapers
and online services include France's leading business newspaper and website,
Les Echos and lesechos.fr, and Spain's leading business newspaper and website,
expansiondirecto.com.  In February 2000, the FT launched a new German language
newspaper, FT Deutschland, with a fully integrated online business news and
data service.



3.            Through FT Interactive Data, the FT Group is one of the world's
leading sources of securities pricing and specialist financial information to
global institutional, professional and individual investors.



4.         The FT Group also has a joint venture with CBSMarketwatch.com;
FTMarketWatch.com provides free, fast, incisive, real-time financial and
market news to Europe's rapidly growing community of private investors.



5.         FT Business produces specialist information on the retail, personal
and institutional finance industries. It publishes the UK's premier personal
finance magazine, Investors Chronicle, and The Banker, Money Management and
Financial Adviser for professional advisers.



6.         The Financial Times Group also has a stake in a number of
joint ventures, including;



-          FTSE International, a joint venture with the London Stock Exchange;

-          Vedomosti, Russia's leading business newspaper and a partnership
venture with Dow Jones and Independent Media;

-          A 50% stake in BDFM, publishers of South Africa's leading financial
newspapers and website;

-          A 50% stake in The Economist Group, which publishes the world's
leading weekly business and current affairs journal.



7.         The Financial Times Group was advised by The Jordan, Edmiston Group 
Inc in New York.



8.         The Financial Times Group is part of Pearson plc, the
international media company. Pearson also owns Pearson Education, the world's
leading education company; Penguin, one of the world's best-known consumer
publishers; and a 22% stake in RTL Group, Europe's leading broadcasting and
production company.