Cingular Wireless Debuts the Latest 'American Idol' Star, Live Idol Ringtones: Another Cingular Exclusive

Cingular Wireless Debuts the Latest 'American Idol' Star, Live Idol Ringtones: Another Cingular Exclusive

Only Cingular Customers Can Relive the Live Performances of Their Favorite Idol Contestants on Their Wireless Phones

ATLANTA, March 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Cingular Wireless, the Official Telecommunications Sponsor of "American Idol," today announced it is now offering its 54 million customers the opportunity to enjoy the talents of their favorite "American Idol" contestants over and over again with Live Idol Ringtones. Now for the first time in history, many of the actual live performances of "Idol" finalists will be available as ringtones, exclusively to Cingular customers. For any contestant whose song may not have received publisher clearance that week, Cingular will release a new ringtone of a song performed by that contestant in an earlier round of the show.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/cingular/23872/

In previous seasons, customers have been able to purchase ringtones of the "American Idol" theme song and many of the songs featured on the show by the original artists. With Live Idol Ringtones, however, this is the first time Cingular customers are able to purchase ringtones of the songs actually sung by the contestants themselves. And, if that isn't cool enough, Cingular customers will be able to purchase and download ringtones of selected songs performed live on Tuesday night's performance show the very next day.* Typically, it takes traditional recorded music months to go from recording to distribution. With Live Idol Ringtones, Cingular is breaking new ground by turning live recorded music into ringtones in less than 24 hours.

"One of the reasons 'American Idol' is the number one show in television is because it showcases people making great music," said John Burbank, vice president, marketing, Cingular Wireless. "Live Idol Ringtones allow Cingular customers to show their support for their favorite contestants while taking that great music with them wherever they go."

How Live Idol Ringtones Work

Beginning tonight, and during each subsequent "American Idol" performance show this season, a high-quality recording of the remaining finalists' songs will be digitally remastered into a ringtone overnight, pending publisher clearance. The songs cleared and recorded will be available the very next day as ringtones for purchase and download. To make it even easier for customers to purchase a ringtone of their favorite Idol's performance each week, Cingular allows customers to reserve songs performed that night. The next day, a text message is sent to the customer's phone at which time he or she can purchase and download the cleared songs as Live Idol Ringtones.

Cingular provides three easy ways for customers to purchase Live Idol Ringtones:

1. Text "IDOL" to 8008 for a direct link to the latest finalist Live Idol
Ringtones

2. Go to MEdia Net on your Cingular phone, choose Ringtones, and then
"American Idol"

3. Go online to http://www.cingularsource.com/idol/tones

Live Idol Ringtones are available nationwide for $2.49 per ringtone. As the weeks progress, customers will also be able to browse and buy Live Idol Ringtones from past performances for this season. Additionally, customers can sign up for weekly text alerts that inform them when Live Idol Ringtones become available.

For more information on Live Idol Ringtones, visit http://www.cingularsource.com/idol/tones.

* All songs performed on "American Idol" are subject to publisher clearance and may not be available as Live Idol Ringtones.

About FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide, Americas:

FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide, Americas (FLW, Americas) is the licensing arm of FremantleMedia for North and South America. FremantleMedia one of the largest international creators and producers of program brands in the world, with leading prime time drama, serial drama, entertainment and factual entertainment programming in over 40 territories. FLW, Americas exploits FremantleMedia's many strong brands, including the award winning, American Idol, the world's longest running gameshow The Price Is Right, the ever-popular Family Feud, and other classic gameshows, across multiple off- screen platforms including merchandising campaigns, live events, sponsorship, interactive and wireless support, home entertainment and music publishing. FLW, Americas is also responsible for additional business diversification initiatives including 'Thumbdance', a pioneering wireless channel delivering original made-for-mobile video content on demand.

FLW, Americas is part of FremantleMedia North America (FMNA). FMNA is on the leading edge of global broadcast production, developing some of television's most innovative and watched new programming. Based in Santa Monica and with offices in New York, FMNA has produced such genre-bending shows as the musical/reality phenomenon American Idol. In 2005, FremantleMedia programs garnered 16 Emmy nominations, including six for American Idol. Other credits include The Price Is Right (CBS), the longest-running gameshow in television history, the daily syndicated gameshow Family Feud, the hotly debated reality series The Swan (Fox), the breakout hit lifestyle show How Clean Is Your House? (Lifetime), Distraction (Comedy Central), Property Ladder (TLC) and the upcoming American Inventor (ABC) and Gameshow Marathon (CBS).

FremantleMedia is the production arm of the RTL Group, Europe's largest television and radio broadcast company. With interests in 34 television channels and 30 radio stations in 10 countries, RTL Group is a division of leading integrated media and entertainment company Bertelsmann AG. For further information, visit http://www.fremantlemedia.com/.

About American Idol:

Fourteen-time Emmy-nominated AMERICAN IDOL is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, founder of 19 Entertainment, Ltd.; and executive-produced by Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.; Nigel Lythgoe, President, 19 Television; and Ken Warwick, Executive Producer, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.

About 19 Entertainment:

19 Entertainment, Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of CKX, Inc. (NASDAQ:CKXE), was founded by Simon Fuller 21 years ago and acquired by CKX in March 2005. The company is recognized as a leading creator, provider and promoter of globally successful, music-based entertainment, or "Entertainment Brands."

Simon Fuller, who serves as Chief Executive Officer of 19 Entertainment, is the creator of AMERICAN IDOL in the United States, "Pop Idol" in the UK, as well as versions of the IDOL format in more than 30 countries around the world. Fuller is also the co-creator of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, which aired in the U.S. on FOX during summer 2005 and was the top-rated television show in its time slot.

Fuller has made music history in the UK and the U.S.A., producing a stream of No. 1 hits and managing multi-platinum-selling acts. Fuller recently became the world's most successful manager -- breaking a record set by the Beatles' manager Brian Epstein in the 1960s -- when three of his artists occupied the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 positions on the U.S. single chart as well as the No. 1 position on the album chart.

19 Entertainment has been involved in the creation of 109 No. 1 singles and 87 No. 1 albums in the UK alone, with an impressive tally of 296 Top-40 albums and 465 Top-40 singles.

Video: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/cingular/23872
Source: Cingular Wireless

CONTACT: Jennifer Bowcock, +1-404-236-6319,
jennifer.bowcock@cingular.com, or Kelleigh Scott Beal, +1-404-236-6321,
kelleigh.scott@cingular.com, both of Cingular Wireless

Web site: http://www.cingularsource.com/idol/tones
http://www.fremantlemedia.com/

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