In the coming weeks, the USO will distribute the phone cards to troops who are serving throughout Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, South Korea, Japan and Europe. Each donated phone card will provide 20 free minutes of talk time from Iraq to the U.S.

"As we celebrate one of the most patriotic holidays of the year," said Glenn Lurie, president, national distribution, AT&T, "we also remember those who are separated because family members are serving active military duty away from home. We hope to connect the families who are making such tremendous sacrifices every day."

The donation builds on AT&T's commitment to help keep military families connected: In the past two years, AT&T has donated prepaid phone cards with a retail value of over $4 million to help support U.S. military members and their families. In the past 20 years, AT&T has contributed tens of millions of dollars to the USO in support of the Operation USO Care Package and USO Operation Phone Home(R) programs as well as USO entertainment tours; and has helped the USO boost troop morale through funding regional operations in Europe, Southwest Asia and the Pacific.

AT&T DONATES PREPAID CARDS FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY/ADD ONE

Since 1941, the USO has provided morale, welfare and recreation-type programs and services to enhance the quality of life for military personnel and their families around the world. The USO currently operates more than 130 centers, including 10 mobile canteens, offering free Internet and e-mail access, prepaid international phone cards, entertainment and lounge areas, libraries, travel assistance and refreshments. USO entertainment tours bring celebrity volunteers to entertain and lift the morale of troops and to express the gratitude and support of the American people.

For more than 85 years, AT&T has remained dedicated to supporting active military personnel, their families and veterans through charitable contributions, sponsorships, the hiring of military veterans and maintaining policies that support reservists who are called to duty. Since 2000, AT&T has donated free prepaid phone cards with a retail value of nearly $8 million to military members and has provided nearly $6 million in grants that support military members and related nonprofit organizations. The company has also built 70 calling centers for military members stationed in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan, so that they may stay in touch with their families.

About the USO

The USO (United Service Organizations) provides morale, welfare and recreational services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, Blackwater Worldwide, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Gallery Furniture, S & K Sales Co., and TriWest Healthcare Alliance. Other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381), have joined thousands of individual donors to support the USO. For more information, please visit our Web site at http://www.uso.org.

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. In 2008, AT&T again ranked No. 1 on Fortune magazine's World's Most Admired Telecommunications Company list and No. 1 on America's Most Admired Telecommunications Company list. 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.

Note: This AT&T news release and other announcements are available as part of an RSS feed at http://www.att.com/rss. For more information, please review this announcement in the AT&T newsroom at http://www.att.com/newsroom.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.

http://www.att.com

"This is a terrific, ground-breaking new program for military families," said Edward A. Powell, President and CEO of USO World Headquarters. "Our partnership with Sesame Workshop on Talk, Listen, Connect has been a great success and The Sesame Street Experience is a creative new way to deliver even more morale-boosting services and programs to our troops and their families."

TOUR SCHEDULE:

           Base                       City, State            Date(s)
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MCAGCC 29 Palms              Twentynine Palms, CA          Jul 8
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Davis-Monthan AFB            Tucson, AZ                    Jul 10
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MCB Camp Pendleton           Oceanside, CA                 Jul 13
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MCAS Miramar                 San Diego, CA                 Jul 14-15
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NS San Diego                 San Diego, CA                 Jul 18
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NB Ventura County            Ventura, CA                   Jul 19
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Beale AFB                    Yuba City, CA                 Jul 22
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McChord AFB                  Tacoma, WA                    Jul 24-25
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NAS Whidbey Island           Oak Harbor ,WA                July 26
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NB Kitsap                    Oak Harbor, WA                July 27
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Mountain Home AFB            Mountain Home, ID             July 30
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Hill AFB                     Ogden, UT                     Aug 1
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Ft Carson                    Colorado Springs, CO          Aug 3-4
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Ft Bliss                     El Paso, TX                   Aug 7-8
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Ft Sam Houston               San Antonio, TX               Aug 10-11
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Ft Hood                      Killeen, TX                   Aug 13-14
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Ft Sill                      Lawton, OK                    Aug 16-17
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Ft Riley                     Junction City, KS             Aug 20-21
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Offutt AFB                   Bellevue, NE                  Aug 23-24
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Ft Leonard Wood              Fort Leonard Wood, MO         Aug 27-28
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Ft Campbell                  Oak Grove, KY                 Aug 30-31
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Keesler AFB                  Biloxi, MS                    Sept 3-4
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NAS Whiting Field            Milton, FL                    Sept 6-7
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NAS Pensacola                Pensacola, FL                 Sept 9
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Hurlburt Field & Eglin AFB   Fort Walton Beach, FL         Sep 10-11
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MacDill AFB                  Tampa, FL                     Sep 13
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NS Mayport                   Jacksonville, FL              Sep 17-18
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NAS Jacksonville             Jacksonville, FL              Sep 19-20
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Charleston AFB               Charleston, SC                Sep 25
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MCB Camp Lejeune             Jacksonville, NC              Sep 27
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Ft Bragg                     Fayetteville, NC              Oct 1-2
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NS Norfolk                   Norfolk, VA                   Oct 4
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NAS Oceana                   Norfolk, VA                   Oct 5
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Ft Eustis                    Beechmont, VA                 Oct 7
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Ft Stewart                   Hinesville, GA                Oct 10-11
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Ft Belvoir                   Alexandria, VA                Oct 14-15
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Andrews AFB                  Camp Springs, MD              Oct 16-17
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Ft Dix                       Fort Dix, NJ                  Oct 18
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Wright-Patterson AFB         Dayton, OH                    Oct 23-24
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Pittsburgh JARS              Pittsburgh, PA                Oct 26
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Ft Drum                      Watertown, NY                 Oct 28-29
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Camp Ripley                  Little Falls, MN              Nov 2
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Tour dates subject to change. Please visit www.sesamestreet.org/tlc for the most up-to-date tour information.

Outreach materials for The Sesame Street Experience for Military Families are being provided by: Sesame Workshop, the USO, Military OneSource, TriWest Healthcare Alliance, Military Child Education Coalition and the National Military Family Association. Additionally, Worlds of Discovery (SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Sesame Place) and Beaches Luxury Included(R) Family Resorts will be offering special discounts for promotional rates for military families.

Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments, Homecomings, Changes, is a bilingual (English/Spanish) multimedia outreach kit that features the Muppets from Sesame Street and consists of DVDs and print materials for children, parents and caregivers; and American Greetings postcards for families to stay connected. Sesame Workshop has produced and is distributing 500,000 kits at no cost to individual families, schools, child care programs, family support programs, hospitals, rehabilitation centers and other organizations serving the needs of military families. The kits are being distributed with the help of Military OneSource, the New York State Office of Mental Health (NYSOMH), the USO, the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) and other partners. Special emphasis of distribution is on reaching families of the National Guard and Reserves. The kit materials are available online at www.sesamestreet.org/tlc, where streaming video is being provided by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy, allowing families everywhere to view the videos and download the information.

Major support for Talk, Listen, Connect provided in part by: Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Military OneSource, Wal-Mart Foundation and American Greetings Corporation; and additional support from the New York State Office of Mental Health (NYSOMH), the USO, Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) and Joseph Drown Foundation.

About Sesame Workshop:

Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization that changed television forever with the legendary Sesame Street. As the single largest informal educator of young children, local Sesame Street programs produced in countries as diverse as South Africa, Bangladesh and India are making a difference in over 120 nations. Using proprietary research to create engaging and enriching content, Sesame Workshop produces programs such as Dragon Tales and Pinky Dinky Doo. In addition, multimedia needs-driven initiatives provide families tools for addressing such issues as children's health, military deployment and emergency preparedness. As a nonprofit, product proceeds and philanthropic donations support Sesame Workshop's educational research and creative content for children around the world. Learn more at www.sesameworkshop.org.

About the USO

The USO (United Service Organizations) provides morale, welfare and recreational services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, Blackwater Worldwide, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Gallery Furniture, S & K Sales Co., and TriWest Healthcare Alliance. Other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381), have joined thousands of individual donors to support the USO. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.uso.org.

SOURCE: Sesame Workshop

Sesame Workshop
Pam Hacker, 212-875-6225
pam.hacker@sesameworkshop.org
or Karen Hart, 202-492-6492
karenjo_hart@yahoo.com

"Movies and games are popular with the troops because they provide a break from intense daily realities and a way to fill downtime when away from loved ones," said Larcine Bland, vice-president, community affairs, Blockbuster Inc. "This DVD and game drive is a way for Blockbuster and the American public to make life a little better for our U.S. service men and women when they're so far away from home."

Blockbuster is also committed to raising $100,000 for the USO during this campaign. To that end, customers are invited to purchase an American Flag Antenna Ball/Pencil Topper at participating BLOCKBUSTER stores. Blockbuster will donate 100% of the money collected from the sale of the antenna balls to the USO to continue to serve America's heroes and their families. Blockbuster customers are also encouraged to learn more by visiting http://www.uso.org/blockbuster.

"We are excited to work with Blockbuster to continue to boost the morale of our men and women in uniform and their families around the world," said Edward A. Powell, USO president and CEO. "In advance, I want to thank Blockbuster and its customers on the success of this campaign."

Shipping from Blockbuster to the USO centers will be provided by DHL, the world's premier global delivery network serving 220 countries and territories.

Over the last 10 years, Blockbuster has regularly provided entertainment for military personnel by donating movies, games and home entertainment equipment to the USO.

About Blockbuster

Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI, BBI.B) is a leading global provider of in-home movie and game entertainment, with more than 7,700 stores throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. The company may be accessed worldwide at http://www.blockbuster.com.

About USO

The USO (United Service Organizations) provides morale, welfare and recreational services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, Blackwater Worldwide, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Gallery Furniture, S & K Sales Co., and TriWest Healthcare Alliance. Other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381), have joined thousands of individual donors to support the USO. For more information, please visit our Web site at http://www.uso.org.

SOURCE Blockbuster Inc.

http://www.blockbuster.com

While in the past, military personnel have been able to write letters, email and send audio cassettes, the United Through Reading Military Program offers children a chance to actually see their parent's face, listen to their voice and read along as their parent reads them a children's story. Through this program, which is available directly through military commands and at numerous USOs located throughout the world, deployed parents get the opportunity to share their love and support with their children by reading books aloud on DVD.

Starting this Father's Day, Spike TV's True Dads will begin sending camera kits to military units in Iraq and Afghanistan and other remote deployed locations that will enable thousands of service members to read a book and connect with their children back home. Each of the donated kits includes a video camera, tripod, DVDs, packaging and mailing materials. A comprehensive training package and a library of books are sent in advance, so that the reading will be personal and interactive. The completed DVDs are then sent home for the families to enjoy and to ease children's fears and anxiety about their parent's absence.

"Spike TV's True Dads campaign is committed to supporting men in their quest to be active and involved fathers," says Kelleigh Dulany, vice president of public responsibility for Spike TV. "Reading is a wonderful way to bond with a child and this program is an excellent way for deployed parents to connect with their children from afar and provide them with an emotional connection to help ease the stress of separation."

Spike TV viewers are encouraged to visit spiketruedads.com starting on Father's Day to learn more about the United Through Reading Military Program and the USO, and to pledge direct financial support to these outreach efforts. While online, viewers are also invited to send personalized notes and letters to US service members serving abroad to bolster their spirits and reinforce the support they have back home.

"United Through Reading founded this program in 1990 to help service members deployed in the Gulf War and their children," said Sally Ann Zoll, Ed.D., chief executive of United Through Reading. "Since that time our program has benefited more than 290,000 children and parents through the participation of individual military commands and through our partnership with the USO which extends our outreach at participating USOs worldwide."

"We are excited to partner with Spike TV to continue helping deployed troops stay connected to the children in their lives," said Edward A. Powell, USO president and CEO. "What a perfect opportunity to honor the sacrifice and service of fathers in uniform and military families worldwide."

Spike TV's True Dads initiative celebrates and highlights fathers who take an active role in their children's lives, demonstrating that it is both a rewarding and fulfilling experience. The initiative is designed to encourage responsible fathering and provide the tools and resources to fathers to improve their parenting skills, such as how to talk with their kids, how to balance work and family and ideas of activities to spend more time with their children. The network supports True Dads with a multi-platform campaign that includes PSAs featuring both celebrity and everyday dads, local community outreach events, including events with several Minor League Baseball teams, an enhanced digital media site located at spiketruedads.com (http://www.spike.com/promos/truedads/), national promotions/sweepstakes and strategic partnerships with National Fatherhood Initiative, ParentsConnect.com and GoCityKids.com, among others.

About United Through Reading(R)

Developed during the Persian Gulf War in 1990, the United Through Reading Military Program is available to all Carrier Strike Groups, Expeditionary Strike Groups, Construction Battalions, Marine Corps Expeditionary Units, Brigade Combat Teams and to deploying National Guard, Reserve and Air Force Units upon request. More than 290,000 military parents, spouses and children have benefited from the program since its inception. Founded in 1989, United Through Reading was the nation's first nonprofit to promote the read-aloud experience for separated families. Research shows that the read-aloud experience is a way for children to experience the joy of reading and gain critical learning and communication skills. More than 345,000 parents, spouses and children have benefited from the nationally acclaimed United Through Reading programs. For more information, visit www.unitedthroughreading.org or call 858-481-7323.

About the USO

The USO (United Service Organizations) provides morale, welfare and recreational services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, Blackwater Worldwide, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Gallery Furniture, S & K Sales Co., and TriWest Healthcare Alliance. Other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381), have joined thousands of individual donors to support the USO. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.uso.org.

About Spike TV

Spike TV is available in 96.1 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com.

SOURCE Spike TV

http://www.spike.com