AC/DC's Highly-Anticipated Back Catalog Debuts on V CAST Music From Verizon Wireless; Group's Full-Album Digital Downloads Available for First Time

AC/DC's Highly-Anticipated Back Catalog Debuts on V CAST Music From Verizon Wireless; Group's Full-Album Digital Downloads Available for First Time

Multi-tiered Relationship will Encourage Fans to Interact in New Ways with their Mobile Music

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Aug. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless today announced an exclusive and multi-tiered relationship with classic rock legends AC/DC, as the company's V CAST Music service becomes the first digital music service to deliver AC/DC's entire back catalog digitally. Respecting the band's reputation for delivering a full-album experience, Verizon Wireless is making AC/DC's music available in full-album downloads. AC/DC's catalog consists of 18 classic albums, and for many music enthusiasts, the AC/DC catalog has been one of the most highly-anticipated digital releases to date. The multi-tiered relationship includes AC/DC's entire back catalog -- of which Verizon Wireless is the exclusive mobile music provider through March 2008 -- plus exclusive performance footage on V CAST Video and a special V CAST Mobile TV program.

Formed in Sydney, Australia in 1973 by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young (still the most formidable electric guitar team in rock), AC/DC released its first album, "High Voltage," in 1975. The group has gone on to sell more than 63 million albums in the U.S., making AC/DC one of the five best-selling bands in American music history. The "Back In Black" album has achieved RIAA "Double Diamond" status, for sales in excess of 21 million copies in the U.S., and is the U.S.'s fifth largest-selling album ever. AC/DC was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.

"Verizon Wireless and V CAST offer a fantastic new high-tech platform for the long-awaited digital release of AC/DC's music and video catalogs," said Steve Barnett, chairman, Columbia Records. "Through Verizon's cellular phone and mobile television technology, new and established generations of AC/DC fans will find fresh and innovative ways to enjoy the sights and sounds of the world's most electrifying rock and roll band."

"AC/DC's back catalog is hot and fans nationwide have been filling chatrooms and bulletin boards for years speculating about the digital release of their albums. We are proud that Verizon Wireless customers will be the first to load up on their fill of classic AC/DC," said John Harrobin, senior vice president of digital media for Verizon. "By respecting and preserving the full AC/DC album experience through full-album digital downloads and mobile video, we will ensure that the group's classic rock is understood, embraced and here to stay."

AC/DC "Shakes Up" Mobile Music with Full-Album Downloads on V CAST Music

This new relationship will encourage new digital behaviors as Verizon Wireless customers will have the ability to purchase music as full-album downloads of AC/DC's entire back catalog. By visiting the V CAST Music online store at www.verizonwireless.com/music fans will be able to download any of AC/DC's full albums to their PCs and then sync them to their phones with V CAST Music Manager. "You Shook Me All Night Long" will be the only single available as an individual full-song download over-the-air, and will be used to promote full-album downloads of AC/DC's catalog in ongoing marketing campaigns. Fans can also get the sounds of their favorite classic rock band with AC/DC Ringtones and Ringback tones from Verizon Wireless.

AC/DC on V CAST Mobile TV Coming Soon

In an effort to educate new generations of music fans on the breadth of their enormous body of work, AC/DC will soon deliver AC/DC TV on the new V CAST Mobile TV. AC/DC will present footage from the infamous Live at Donnington extravaganza and other performances so fans can access and watch, directly on their Verizon Wireless mobile phones.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 62.1 million customers. The largest U.S. wireless company and largest wireless data provider, based on revenues, Verizon Wireless is headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 67,000 employees nationwide. The company is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at http://www.verizonwireless.com/. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Verizon Wireless

CONTACT: Brenda Boyd Raney of Verizon Wireless, +1-908-559-7518,
Brenda.Raney@verizonwireless.com; or Benny Tarantini of Columbia Records,
+1-212-833-5858, Benny.Tarantini@sonybmg.com

Web site: http://www.verizonwireless.com/
http://verizonwireless.com/music

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Profile: International Entertainment