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Yahoo! Australia & NZ, TEN and Grundy bring Australian Idol to the Web   SYDNEY, 20 May 2003 - Yahoo! Australia & NZ (www.yahoo.com.au) today announced it has entered into a strategic relationship with Network Ten and Grundy Television to design, build, host, maintain and commercialise the official web site for TEN's upcoming series, Australian Idol. It's the first time these three companies have worked together. A key component of the relationship is the integrated multi-platform sponsorship packages that will be offered to sponsors of Australian Idol. The partners will jointly sell integrated TV, online and brand licensing packages that advertisers will able to use to reach their customers on multiple levels. The website will be built in three stages. Phase one went live on May 9 at australianidol.yahoo.com.au, providing general information for prospective contestants, including audition dates and venues. Phase two, coinciding with the series launch in the second half of the year, will be a fully functional site including contestant profiles, site registration, streaming video, photos, chat, mobile services (such as Australian Idol - branded ring-tones, alerts and premium content downloads), newsletter, shopping, polls and advertiser-sponsored sections. Phase three will build on phase two with an extra focus on the final 40 contestants, along with exclusive streaming video and music content. "TEN and Grundy make great TV, and Yahoo! creates great web experiences, so it's a powerful combination of our core competencies," said Cliff Rosenberg, managing director, Yahoo! Australia & NZ. "There's already a great spirit of innovation, teamwork and enthusiasm amongst the group, and from that we're creating a site that will be an essential part of the Australian Idol experience. We plan for it to strike a chord with fans and marketers alike. "The TEN and Yahoo! brands share many similar qualities, and with a reach of 64% of online 16-39 year olds each month (Nielsen NetRatings, Feb 2003), Yahoo! is the perfect fit for TEN's core demographic." Brian Gallagher, TEN's network sales strategy and development manager, said: "This is an exciting new format, and the partnership behind it allows our clients to maximise the value of their association with Australian Idol, with opportunities spanning television, web and into retail and direct marketing." Grundy's Jon Penn, business development manager, licensing, said: "the web site will be a major component of the overall Australian Idol experience, and we are pleased to be partnering with a company with the knowledge and international experience of Yahoo!." About Australian Idol No television format is bigger than IDOL, which has already been enjoyed by more than 68 million viewers in ten countries. American Idol was the highest rated show on the US FOX network last season, with 22.8million viewers. Series two premiered with an audience of 26.5 million. In Australian Idol, viewers decide the outcome of the search for a new national pop superstar. Previous winners have gone straight to the top of the charts with record-breaking music sales. Network Ten will air Australian Idol in the second half of 2003. You'll find the website at australianidol.yahoo.com.au -ENDS- About Yahoo! Australia & NZ Yahoo! Australia & NZ (www.yahoo.com.au) is one of the most recognised Internet brands in the region. www.yahoo.com.au and the online auction site SOLD.com.au are part of the global network of Yahoo! sites. By working with leading local companies, Yahoo! Australia & NZ provides comprehensive online products and services to over four million Australians and New Zealand consumers and businesses each month. About Ten Network Ten is one of Australia's three national commercial free to air television networks, with stations in the five main capital cities: Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Through an affiliate agreement with Southern Cross Broadcasting, TEN programming reaches viewers in regional Queensland, regional New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, regional Victoria and Tasmania. TEN targets viewers aged 16 to 39 and has won the ratings year in that that demographic for the past two consecutive years. About Grundy Grundy Television has been producing a wide range of drama, entertainment and factual television programmes in Australia for over 40 years. Grundy is part of FremantleMedia, an international television production company which produces more than 260 programmes in over 39 countries and territories a year. Anna Featherstone PR Manager Yahoo! Australia & NZ annaf@au.yahoo-inc.com (02) 8925 0100 Margaret Fearn Corporate Communications Manager Network Ten mfearn@networkten.com.au (02) 9650 1658 Copyright © 1994-2003 Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved.