SPECIALLY PRODUCED MOBISODES OF TYLER PERRY’S HOUSE OF PAYNE NOW AVAILABLE ON V CAST FROM VERIZON WIRELESS

10/18/2007

BASKING RIDGE, NJ, and ATLANTA — Tyler Perry’s HOUSE OF PAYNE, the breakout TBS sitcom hit, is coming to Verizon Wireless V CAST Video phones as a series of short mobisodes. Between one and three minutes in length, the specially produced mobisodes are available in the TBS Very Funny channel, which launched in July on Verizon Wireless’ V CAST Video service. To date, TBS has created 10 HOUSE OF PAYNE mobisodes, all directed by Tyler Perry himself.

In addition to the HOUSE OF PAYNE mobisodes, comedy fans can also access video clips from TBS’s line-up of top-rated contemporary comedy series through Verizon Wireless’ V CAST Video service, including Seinfeld, King of Queens, Family Guy and Everybody Loves Raymond. The channel will also occasionally offer sneak peeks of upcoming TBS programming, such as TBS’s upcoming late-night series Frank TV.

“Offering original content like the HOUSE OF PAYNE mobisodes through Verizon Wireless is a unique way to continue to serve the fan base of this very popular show,” said Jeff Gregor, chief marketing officer for TBS, TNT and TCM. “Original content like these mobisodes, combined with clips from our hall of fame sitcoms and previews of upcoming TBS shows, allow us to expand the reach of the TBS Very Funny brand into the mobile world.”

Ryan Hughes, vice president of digital media programming for Verizon, noted, “HOUSE OF PAYNE on V CAST is an example of great snack-sized programming for our on-the-go customers, delivering entertainment they crave on their mobile phones.”

HOUSE OF PAYNE was created by wunderkind Tyler Perry (Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Madea’s Family Reunion), who also directs every episode. Set in Atlanta, the series features LaVan Davis as fireman Curtis “Pops” Payne, a man who believes his house should be his castle, he the king and his wife, Ella (Cassi Davis), the queen. Unfortunately, their castle has turned into Grand Central Station thanks to frequent visits from their son, Calvin (Lance Gross), a college student whose lack of funds keeps him returning to his parents’ table, as well as from their nephew CJ (Allen Payne) and CJ’s family: wife Janine (Demetria McKinney) and children Malik (Larramie Doc Shaw) and Jazmine (China McCain). Pops is forced to give up even more of his precious privacy when CJ’s house burns down and Ella offers to take in the entire family.

HOUSE OF PAYNE, which comes to TBS from Debmar-Mercury, premiered with ad-supported cable’s #1 sitcom telecast of all time among key adult demos, households and viewers. Airing currently with back-to-back episodes Wednesdays beginning at 9 p.m. (ET/PT), the show ranks as ad-supported cable’s #1 sitcom among adults 18-49 and television’s #1 program among African-American adults 18-49.

The HOUSE OF PAYNE mobisodes feature short vignettes of family life among the Paynes. In one mobisode, Malik and Jazmine attempt to hustle Curtis with a card trick, but their plans are thwarted when they try to pull the same trick on Calvin. Another has Curtis mourning the loss of a “friend” that turns out to be nothing more than a household object. And still another has the family conducting an intervention for Calvin over his aimless lifestyle.

Customers with select V CAST-enabled phones can check out V CAST whenever they want for just $3.00 for 24-hour use or by signing up for the $15.00 V CAST VPak monthly subscription, which also includes Verizon Wireless’ ESPN MVP service, Get It Now^{®} and Mobile Web 2.0^SM. Customers get unlimited basic video – including the HOUSE OF PAYNE mobisodes – but application download fees apply for 3D games and premium video. There are no airtime charges to download, stream or watch V CAST content.

For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com [1].

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving more than 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 www.verizonwireless.com [1]. 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 www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia [2].

About TBS
TBS, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is television’s top-rated comedy network. It serves as home to such original comedy series as My Boys, The Bill Engvall Show, Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, 10 Items or Less and Frank TV; hot contemporary comedies like The Office, Sex and the City, Everybody Loves Raymond, Family Guy, King of Queens, Seinfeld and Friends, with My Name Is Earl joining the line-up in 2008; specials and special events, such as Funniest Commercials of the Year and The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas; blockbuster movies; and hosted movie showcases. TBS’s home on the Web is at tbs.com [3].

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and a leading provider of programming for the television industry.