ACME Communications to Acquire WHPN-TV in Madison, Wis.

Will Increase Portfolio to 11 TV Stations in 10 Markets

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- April 1, 2002 -- ACME Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:ACME), the nation's third largest affiliate group of the WB Television Network, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the broadcasting assets of WHPN-TV, the current UPN affiliate serving Madison, Wisconsin, for $5.6 million in cash through a bankruptcy auction. Madison is the nation's 85th largest market comprising approximately 339,000 households.

ACME begins managing WHPN-TV under an interim local marketing agreement today. Closing is subject to FCC approval and other conditions the Company expects to be met. Shortly following the close of this transaction, the Company will affiliate WHPN with The WB Television Network. In addition, after the closing, the Company expects to begin making capital expenditures for analog upgrades and for required digital transmission conversion.

Doug Gealy, ACME's President and Chief Operating Officer, commented, "We are pleased to add our 10th WB affiliate to our station portfolio. Madison is a great market for ACME -- it's the state capital and a dynamic market with young demographics. Bolstered by the presence of The University of Wisconsin, 27% of the market's population is under 20-years-old. This is a unique opportunity to rebuild this distressed asset by leveraging the strength of the WB Network and ACME's sales and marketing resources."

About ACME Communications

ACME Communications, Inc. currently owns and operates ten television stations serving nine markets covering 5.4% of the nation's television households, making the Company the third largest affiliate group of The WB Television Network. The Company's stations are KPLR-TV, St. Louis MO; KWBP-TV, Portland, OR; KUWB-TV, Salt Lake City, UT; KWBQ-TV and KASY-TV, Albuquerque-Santa Fe, NM; WBDT-TV, Dayton, OH; WBXX-TV, Knoxville, TN; WIWB-TV, Green Bay-Appleton, WI; WBUI-TV, Champaign-Springfield-Decatur, IL; WTVK-TV, Ft. Myers-Naples, FL. All of the Company's stations, except KASY-TV, a UPN affiliate, are WB Network affiliates. ACME's shares are traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol: ACME.

Forward-Looking Statements:

The matters discussed in this press release include forward-looking statements. In addition, when used in this press release, the words "will" and "expects" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results in the future could differ materially and adversely from those described in the forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including (but not limited to) the inability to close the Madison acquisition, the impact of changes in national and regional economies, including advertising demand, pricing fluctuations in local and national advertising, potential pre-emptions of regular programming for national news events and the other risk factors set forth in the Company's Form S-1 Registration Statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on September 29, 1999, pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933 and in the Company's 2001 Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 1, 2002. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect any future events or circumstances.

Contacts:

Tom Allen
(714) 245-9499

Brainerd Communicators Inc.
Chris Plunkett or Todd St. Onge
(212) 986-6667