AOL.com to Showcase TBS 'Earth to America!' Comedy Special Free and On-Demand Beginning Monday, November 21

Business Wire, Nov 18, 2005

DULLES, Va. -- America Online, Inc.:

Special to Star Larry David, Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Ferrell, Tom
  Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, Steve Martin, Ray Romano, Martin Short, Ben
                           Stiller and More

   Star-Studded Event to be Taped at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace
  During First Annual The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas, Presented by
                           HBO and AEG Live

AOL will air a special on-demand presentation of "Earth to America!" - a comedy event of global proportions on TBS featuring top Hollywood talent in an evening of comedy to raise awareness for environmental issues - free on the AOL.com portal (http://www.aol.com). Created by Laurie David, "Earth to America!" will feature stand-up comedy, videotaped vignettes and comedy sketches, including appearances and performances by Jason Alexander, Jack Black, Blue Man Group, Cedric "The Entertainer," Rob Corddry, Larry David, Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Ferrell, Al Franken, Tom Hanks, Faith Hill, Dustin Hoffman, Eric Idle, Jenifer Lewis, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bill Maher, Steve Martin, Tim McGraw, Kevin Nealon, Conan O'Brien, Ray Romano, Martin Short, Ben Stiller, Wanda Sykes, Jeffrey Tambor, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Robin Williams and the cast from Avenue Q. The special, taped at The Comedy Festival at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on November 17, will premiere on TBS on November 20 at 8/7c and will be available for on-demand viewing at http://www.aol.com/comedy beginning November 21 through the end of 2005.

The exclusive online broadcast of "Earth to America!" on AOL.com will include additional material not seen on television. Additionally, the online version will be made available in chapters, so that AOL.com users will have the choice of watching the entire show or just the comedians and performances that they choose. AOL.com will also provide on-demand performances and other highlights from The Comedy Festival.

"We're always seeking unique and engaging video content to bring to the AOL.com audience, and we feel that 'Earth to America!' fits that description perfectly," said Jim Bankoff, Executive Vice President, Programming and Products, America Online. "We will leverage the power of the online medium to present this historic comedy event in a whole new way--allowing viewers to enjoy the performances how they want and when they want--along with additional footage they can't see anywhere else."

"We're delighted to team with AOL for this special on-demand presentation of 'Earth to America!' on AOL.com," said, Tricia Melton, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Advertising, TBS. "By tapping into AOL.com's large and engaged audience, we can bring this event and its message to largest possible number of people--allowing comedy fans to enjoy it well beyond its broadcast airing."

"We are excited to be trying new things with AOL by providing comedy content from TCF on a year-round basis," said Bob Crestani, CEO of The Comedy Festival. "'Earth to America!' is a great way to kick off our relationship. We hope it will also help spread the word about the important issues raised in the show."

In addition to the comedy performances, "Earth to America!" will feature environmental advocates including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a special appearance by mayors from across America. "Earth to America!" was created in 2000 by Laurie David as a fundraiser in Los Angeles for the Natural Resources Defense Council. Titled "Earth to LA!," it has raised over $5 million since it began.

HBO and AEG Live's inaugural The Comedy Festival, sponsored by TBS, is "Everything Comedy," featuring over 50 shows in three days in live stand-up, sketch comedy and film, as well as special events and screenings at Caesars Palace and the Flamingo Las Vegas. Previously announced TCF highlights include performances by Dave Chappelle, Jon Stewart, George Lopez, Dennis Miller and Bill Maher as well as a special tribute to Jerry Seinfeld who will be honored with the first annual The Comedian award.

The Comedy Festival is also sponsored by AOL, Sierra Mist, Verizon Wireless, Wendy's, American Express, NetJets, Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter and PURE Nightclub at Caesars Palace and Dell.

About HBO

Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television-programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., providing two 24-hour premium television services, HBO and Cinemax. Together, both networks reach approximately 39 million subscribers in the United States via cable and satellite delivery. Home Box Office's international joint ventures bring HBO branded services to more than 50 countries around the globe.

About AEG Live

AEG LIVE, the live-entertainment division of L.A.-based AEG, is a collection of companies dedicated to the presentation of live contemporary music performance and touring for a variety of programming and multi-media production. The nation's second largest concert promotion and touring company, AEG Live is comprised of five regional offices and several stand-alone affiliate divisions including: AEG LIVE Events, AEG-TV, AEG LIVE Exhibitions, which recently announced "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs," an international tour of the artifacts of King Tut, and AEG LIVE Tours & Special Events, which has promoted concert tours for artists such as Prince, Usher, Kenny Chesney, Paul McCartney and Dixie Chicks, and is currently producing Celine Dion's A New Day... Presented by Chrysler at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.