For Immediate Release - February 19, 1998

SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA - CALIFORNIA MICROWAVE, INC. (Nasdaq National Market:CMIC) announced today that its Microwave Radio Communications (MRC) division has received orders for digital video studio-to-transmitter links (STLs) from two stations of the A.H. Belo Corporation. The stations, WFAA in Dallas and KHOU in Houston, will use the new 7-GHz digital microwave systems to transport compressed digital video signals from their studios to their new digital television transmitters, as well as to their existing analog TV transmitters. WFAA and KHOU have announced their intentions to begin digital television broadcasts in November 1998. The MRC STLs, including microwave radios, MPEG-2 video codecs, multiplexers, protection equipment, and antennas, will be a critical part of their digital television distribution chain. The Belo stations use microwave systems to interconnect their studios with remote transmitter sites, as do many of the 1600 TV stations starting the transition to digital television. While existing television stations have the opportunity to operate two over-the-air broadcast systems during the transition period from analog to digital broadcasting, no additional spectrum has been allocated for the microwave STL. To provide additional program distribution capability, Microwave Radio Communications designed the DAR45 digital video microwave system to accommodate a DS3 signal, with a data rate of 45 Megabits per second, within a single STL channel. By compressing the traditional analog signal and combining it with the new DTV signal, television stations can now place two program channels on a single STL, overcoming the spectrum scarcity issues. MRC's Leadership in Digital Video Microwave Systems Microwave Radio Communications has pioneered in the development and deployment of specialized microwave radio systems for digital video transport requirements, such as digital STLs. In April 1992, MRC demonstrated the first microwave link to transport high definition television signals in a joint presentation with General Instrument Corporation. To help the television industry with its transition to digital, MRC established in 1995 a digital video initiative aimed at ensuring the successful application of digital video microwave systems. As part of that initiative, MRC has integrated video compression systems from many of the industry's leaders, including ABL, Digital Vision, General Instrument, and Leitch, in live demonstrations at leading broadcasting conferences. MRC's Field-Proven Digital Video Studio-to-Transmitter Links In May 1997, MRC installed a hot-standby DAR45 digital video STL at WCBS-HD in New York City and recently placed a DAR45 system as a two channel, HDTV/NTSC intercity relay between the Model HDTV Station in Washington, DC and the PBS Network headquarters in Alexandria, VA. California Microwave's Digital Video Initiative At this year's National Association of Broadcaster's Convention in Las Vegas, April 6-9, MRC and California Microwave's EF Data division will introduce an enlarged initiative: "Digital Video Transport Solutions." From news gathering systems and program contribution links to distribution links, MRC and EF Data will demonstrate the television industry's broadest range of satellite and terrestrial microwave systems for digital video applications. While many of the equipment elements in the total DTV production and transmission chain are still being developed, MRC and EF Data are delivering proven products for digital video transport applications. Belo is one of the nation's largest media companies with a diversified group of television broadcasting, newspaper publishing, cable news network and electronic media assets. The company's television group currently reaches 14.2 percent of U.S. television households, including three stations in the top 12 television markets: WFAA-TV (ABC) in Dallas-Fort Worth; KHOU-TV (CBS) in Houston; and KING-TV (NBC) in Seattle-Tacoma. Belo has seven stations in the top 30 markets, 12 stations in the top 50 markets, and network-affiliation as follows: four ABC affiliates, six CBS affiliates, five NBC affiliates and two FOX affiliates. In addition, the company manages four television stations through local marketing agreements, owns three local or regional cable news channels and owns Belo Productions, Inc. Belo Publishing Division is headed by The Dallas Morning News (dallasnews.com), which has the country's eighth largest Sunday circulation and ninth largest daily circulation, and the Providence Journal-Bulletin (projo.com), the leading newspaper in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Belo also owns The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California; the Messenger-Inquirer in Owensboro, Kentucky; The Eagle in Bryan-College Station, Texas; the Arlington Morning News in Arlington, Texas; and The Gleaner in Henderson, Kentucky. The Microwave Radio Communications division of California Microwave, Inc. is the leading US provider of analog and digital microwave systems for video transport applications. The EF Data division is a pioneer in advanced satellite modem techniques, resulting in the higher data rates and higher link availability required for digital video applications. California Microwave, Inc. is a leading U.S. supplier of satellite earth station and microwave radio infrastructure products and information and collection systems. For more information, contact:

Stephanie M. Day Vice President Corporate Communications (415) 596-6629

Investor Information Line: (Toll-free) 1-888-225-6789 http://www.calmike.com.

Deborah Passik William Dunk Partners, Inc. (919) 929-4100

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