AMERICAN IDOL to Kick Off 'Idol Across America' Relay, 3/1

American Idol will kick off IDOL ACROSS AMERICA, a cross-country relay of the IDOL microphone, traveling from New York City to the IDOL stage in Los Angeles. Sponsored by Ford, Coca-Cola and AT&T, the "mic" will start its journey in New York City on Friday, March 1, when host Ryan Seacrest will launch the two-week, 5,000-mile trek to the IDOL stage. The "mic" will arrive just in time for the Top 10 live performance show on Wednesday, March 13 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.

Register to Become Part of the IDOL Relay Team at americanidol.com

Track the Route Online at americanidol.com

From New York, the Epic journey continues on to Boston, MA (March 2); Philadelphia, PA (March 3); Washington, D.C. (March 4); Atlanta, GA (March 5); Nashville, TN (March 6); Detroit, MI (March 7); Chicago, IL (March 8); Oklahoma City, OK (March 9); Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (March 10); Phoenix, AZ (March 11); Las Vegas, NV (March 12); and Los Angeles, CA (March 13). The relay will take the IDOL "mic" to iconic American landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty, Fenway Park, the Liberty Bell, the Washington Monument, the Grand Ole Opry, the Grand Canyon, the Las Vegas Strip and finally, the American Idol stage.

Beginning, Tuesday, Feb. 19, fans interested in joining the IDOL Relay Team should visit americanidol.com.Also on the IDOL site, fans can follow the "mic" and the Relay Team in real time via an interactive map as they make their way across the country. Throughout the trek, exclusive videos, photos and updates will be available on americanidol.com, as well as on Facebook (facebook.com/AmericanIdol), Instagram (instagram.com/americanidol) and Twitter (@AmericanIdol). Join the conversation using #IDOLusa.

IDOL ACROSS AMERICA will pass through The Following cities on its trek to the IDOL stage in Los Angeles. Check out americanidol.com for additional details and locations.

City Date

New York, NY Friday, March 1

Boston, MA Saturday, March 2

Philadelphia, PA Sunday, March 3

Washington D.C. Monday, March 4

Atlanta, GA Tuesday, March 5

Nashville, TN Wednesday, March 6

Detroit, MI Thursday, March 7

Chicago, IL Friday, March 8

Oklahoma City, OK Saturday, March 9

Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX Sunday, March 10

Phoenix, AZ Monday, March 11

Las Vegas, NV Tuesday, March 12

Los Angeles, CA Wednesday, March 13

Tune in to American Idol tonight Thursday, Feb. 14 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), when, at the end of the final "Hollywood Round," only the Top 40 contestants - 20 males and 20 females - will remain.

American Idol is produced by 19 Entertainment, a division of Core Media Group, and FremantleMedia North America. The series is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, CEO, XIX Entertainment. Cecile Frot-Coutaz, FremantleMedia, Trish Kinane, FremantleMedia North America; Ken Warwick, FremantleMedia North America; and Nigel Lythgoe, CEO, Nigel Lythgoe Productions also serve as executive producers. "Like" American Idol on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmericanIdol. Follow the series on Twitter @AmericanIdol and join the discussion at #idol. Follow host Ryan Seacrest at @RyanSeacrest, and follow the judges: @MariahCarey; @yo_randyjackson; @nickiminaj; and @keithurban.

About FremantleMedia North America

FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) is the U.S. production division of global media giant FremantleMedia. Based in Burbank, CA, FMNA produces entertaining and innovative programs for network, cable, Syndicated and online platforms, including the Emmy-nominated musical/reality phenomenon American Idol (FOX), The X Factor (FOX), "America's Got Talent" (NBC), "The Price Is Right" (CBS), "Let's Make A Deal" (CBS), "Family Feud" (SYN), "Total Blackout" (Syfy), "Wedding Band" (TBS), "The Pet Collective" (YouTube) and two upcoming series, "Perfect Score" (The CW) and "Married to Medicine" (Bravo).

About 19 Entertainment/CORE Media Group, Inc.

19 Entertainment is a division of CORE Media Group. Home to legendary icons like Elvis Presley and Muhammad Ali to enduring properties of the future like American Idol and SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, CORE Media Group, Inc. was launched in May 2012, as a newly-branded version of the company formerly known as CKx. CORE Media Group's portfolio of world-class brands and properties reaches across virtually every aspect of the entertainment industry. 19 Entertainment's recording and management groups have relationships with some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Phillip Phillips, Jessica Sanchez, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry, Scotty McCreery, Jordin Sparks and Haley Reinhart. For more information about CORE Media Group, Inc. and 19 Entertainment, visit www.coremediagroup.com.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, MI, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 171,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visithttp://corporate.ford.com.

About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 16 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of more than1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journeyat www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo or check out our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's largest 4G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse and AT&T ?DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

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