AT&T Invites 'American Idol' Fans to Pick Up Their Wireless Phones and Text Their Votes This Season

AT&T Invites 'American Idol' Fans to Pick Up Their Wireless Phones and Text Their Votes This Season

AT&T Returns as the Official Wireless Sponsor of 'American Idol' With a Host of Exciting Offers

SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Now that the top 24 "American Idol" contestants have been selected, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) announced today that it's time for Idol fans across this great nation to let their voices be heard and exercise their right to vote - for the next "American Idol."

For the past few weeks, television audiences have eagerly watched to see who the "American Idol" judges would select as the top 24 contestants competing this season. Well, the suspense is finally over, and tonight the decision is in the hands of the American television audience.

"AT&T is pleased to once again offer text messaging as an easy and convenient way to connect people to America's favorite show," said Mark Collins, vice president of Consumer Data for AT&T's wireless unit. "Throughout the years, we have been thrilled that our customers who are fans of the show have embraced all of our Idol-related offerings. This season promises to be just as exciting, so be sure to watch and text your vote."

Customers can enjoy outrageous tones and videos featuring actual audition performances and, beginning with the top 12 finalists, will be able to personalize their wireless phones with Live Idol Tones - ringtones and Answer Tones(TM) of their performances.

In addition, customers can stay connected to their favorite contestants through a host of messaging-based offerings, including Text Voting, Hosted Idol Chat, Idol Trivia and a sweepstakes in which the grand-prize winner will win $50,000 and a trip to the show finale in Los Angeles. Standard text- messaging rates apply.

So whether you want to experience Idol through text messages, tones or video, AT&T offers something for just about everyone this season:

Text Voting - Send the word VOTE to your favorite contestant's
four-digit number. You can vote for as many contestants as you want,
as often as you like, during the voting window after each show.

Vote Reminder - To receive text messages listing all the contestants and
their codes on your wireless phone each week, just send JOIN to 3003.

Idol Trivia - To sign up for weekly Idol trivia, send PLAY to 5005.

Idol TXT Chats - Once the show is narrowed to the top 12, AT&T wireless
customers will have the opportunity to chat each week with the Idol
contestant who was eliminated from the previous night's show. Fans
will post questions, as part of a group chat, to the contestant during
a designated time and then will receive a text message with the
contestant's response. To sign up, send the word CHAT to 7007.

TXT-n-Win Sweepstakes - One Idol fan will walk away with $50,000 cash and
a trip for two to the "American Idol" finale in Los Angeles. Once you
register, every text, picture or instant message you send counts as
another entry to win. To register to win the TXT-n-Win Sweepstakes,
just text the word IDOL to 4004; all messages you send to friends and
family will offer another chance to win.

Live Idol Tones - Beginning with the top 12 contestants, "American Idol"
fans can get ringtones and Answer Tones of the contestants' live
performances. To make it easy for customers to purchase a tone of
their favorite performance each week, AT&T allows customers to reserve
songs the night they are performed for purchase the following day.
Overnight, the performance songs, subject to music clearances, are
created as Live Idol Tones ringtones and Answer Tones. The next day,
you receive a text message on your phone to purchase and download your
reserved selection.

Outrageous Tones and Video - "American Idol" viewers can watch selected
outrageous Idol audition videos as much as they want with CV on
compatible AT&T phones. The same outrageous auditions can be
downloaded as ringtones and Answer Tones.

Live Idol Tones and Outrageous Tones are available nationwide for $2.49 a ringtone. The charge for each Live Idol Tone or Outrageous Tone Answer Tone purchase is $1.99, in addition to a monthly service charge of $0.99. For more information on Answer Tones, visit http://www.answertones.wireless.att.com/.

To watch this season's outrageous videos:

-- Select CV from your phone's main menu.
-- Choose Entertainment.
-- Select American Idol.
-- Watch selected outrageous videos!

AT&T recommends selecting a MEdia Max bundle, which provides unlimited access to streaming video, basic content and mobile Web-browsing with MEdia Net. The MEdia Max bundle is $19.99 a month and includes 200 text messages.

Text Voting Is as Easy as 1, 2, 3!

If you're an "American Idol" fan but have never picked up your new AT&T wireless phone to vote, you just need to follow these three simple steps:

1. On your AT&T wireless phone, select Menu, and start a new message from
the Text Messaging option.
2. Type in the word VOTE, then select Options and Send.
3. Enter the four-digit number of the contestant(s) for whom you want to
vote, then select OK. (Contestant numbers are listed during each voting
show.)

AT&T offers two easy ways to send a text message:

-- Pay as you go (automatically included with your service - 15 cents a
message).
-- Select a messaging package for as low as $5 month. Messaging packages
include text, picture, video and instant messages.

Most AT&T wireless phones support text messaging. Do you have an older phone and are not sure whether it is enabled for text messaging? Visit http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/messaging-internet/compatible-phones.jsp, or dial 611 from your wireless phone to find out whether your phone is compatible.

Fans can visit AT&T stores or go online at http://www.att.com/americanidol for more details on AT&T's "American Idol"-related content and features this season.

Note: This AT&T news release and other announcements are available as part of an RSS feed at http://www.att.com/rss.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com/.

(C) 2008 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. For more information and detailed disclaimer information, please review this announcement in the AT&T newsroom at http://www.att.com/newsroom.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: rolf.gatlin@fleishman.com

Source: AT&T Inc.

CONTACT: Lauren Butler of AT&T, +1-404-236-6152, lbutler@attnews.us

Web site:

http://www.att.com/

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