It’s the perfect time of year for customers to replace their cable with DIRECTV(R) service

ATLANTA, /PRNewswire/ BellSouth (NYSE: BLS — News) announced today that residential customers who sign up for new DIRECTV® service from BellSouth and subscribe to HBO® and Cinemax® with a one-year commitment to any qualifying programming package between Oct. 31, 2004 and Feb. 28, 2005, will receive three free months of HBO® and Cinemax®. (1)

Customers will receive seven channels of HBO®, which brings viewers original programming and hits such as The Sopranos®, Carnivale® and Six Feet Under®, feature movies like «Master & Commander: The Far Side Of The World» and «Mystic River» and sporting events including World Championship Boxing. Movie-lovers can turn to Cinemax® for first-run theatrical and exclusive Hollywood premieres and the largest variety of top box office releases, like «Matrix Revolutions» and «Big Fish». Together, these channels provide big screen entertainment your entire family will enjoy. In the fourth month, customers’ HBO® and Cinemax® subscriptions will automatically roll to payable monthly charges.

«The addition of DIRECTV service to our portfolio has placed BellSouth in the unique position of being able to bundle communications and entertainment services with the ultimate goal of saving customers time and money,» said Jim Rozier, senior director of BellSouth Video Services. «For customers who have been waiting for the right time to sign up for DIRECTV service from BellSouth, the time has arrived.»

Through Jan. 9, 2004, new residential DIRECTV customers who purchase a DIRECTV® DVR for a one-time payment of $99 and sign up for DIRECTV® DVR with TiVo® service for only $4.99 per month will receive a $50 rebate coupon in their first month’s DIRECTV bill. The monthly service fee is waived for TOTAL CHOICE® PREMIER customers. With DIRECTV® DVR with TiVo®, customers can enjoy all of the benefits of DVR service such as pausing live TV and recording up to 35 hours of their favorite programming. (Actual recording capacity depends on type of programming being recorded.) With the DIRECTV DVR service, subscribers watch TV how they want to and on their own schedule.

Depending on BellSouth Answers bundle eligibility, customers can save up to an additional $10 off their bundle of services when they add DIRECTV service to their BellSouth Answers package. BellSouth customers are able to get all DIRECTV programming packages that are available to any DIRECTV customer within a given service area. For more information or to order DIRECTV from BellSouth, visit www.bellsouth.com/consumer/directv or call 1–877–267–9377.

About BellSouth Corporation

BellSouth Corporation is a Fortune 100 communications company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and a parent company of Cingular Wireless, the nation’s second largest wireless voice and data provider.

Backed by award winning customer service, BellSouth offers the most comprehensive and innovative package of voice and data services available in the market. Through BellSouth Answers®, residential and small business customers can bundle their local and long distance service with dial up and high speed DSL Internet access, satellite television and Cingular® Wireless service. For businesses, BellSouth provides secure, reliable local and long distance voice and data networking solutions. BellSouth also offers online and directory advertising through BellSouth® RealPages.com® and The Real Yellow Pages®.

More information about BellSouth can be found at www.bellsouth.com .

About DIRECTV

DIRECTV is the nation’s leading digital multichannel television service provider with more than 13 million customers. DIRECTV, the Cyclone Design logo and TOTAL CHOICE are registered trademarks of DIRECTV, Inc., a unit of The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (NYSE: DTV — News). The DIRECTV Group is a world-leading provider of digital multichannel television entertainment and broadband satellite networks and services. The DIRECTV Group is 34 percent owned by Fox Entertainment Group, which is approximately 82 percent owned by News Corporation Ltd.

(1) ACTIVATION OF PROGRAMMING MAY BE SUBJECT TO CREDIT APPROVAL AND REQUIRES VALID SERVICE ADDRESS, SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER AND/OR MAJOR CREDIT CARD. DEPOSIT/PREPAYMENT MAY BE REQUIRED. Offers available to new residential customers between 10/31/04 and 2/28/05 who subscribe to 12 consecutive months of any DIRECTV TOTAL CHOICE programming package ($36.99/mo. or above), DIRECTV PARA TODOS programming package ($26.99/mo. or above) or qualifying international services bundle, plus activate HBO® and Cinemax® within 30 days of equipment purchase. In the fourth month, customer’s HBO® and Cinemax® services will roll to the regular payable monthly charges ($12/mo. or less, each). The DIRECTV System has a feature which allows restricted access to or blocking of entire channels. FAILURE TO ACTIVATE THE DIRECTV SYSTEM WITHIN 30 DAYS OF PURCHASE MAY RESULT IN. A. CHARGE OF $150.00 U. S. DOLLARS PER DIRECTV RECEIVER NOT ACTIVATED. IF YOU FAIL TO MAINTAIN AN ANNUAL PROGRAMMING COMMITMENT, DIRECTV MAY CHARGE. A. PRORATED FEE OF UP TO $150.00. IN LIEU OF PAYMENT, YOU HAVE AN OPTION TO SEND YOUR DIRECTV SYSTEM EQUIPMENT TO DIRECTV. VISIT DIRECTV.COM OR CALL 1–800-DIRECTV FOR DETAILS. Programming, pricing, terms and conditions subject to change. Taxes not included. Equipment specifications and programming options may vary in AK or HI. DIRECTV services not provided outside the U. S. Receipt of DIRECTV programming is subject to the terms of the DIRECTV Customer Agreement; a copy is provided at DIRECTV.com and in your first bill. HBO® and Cinemax® are registered service marks of Home Box Office, Inc. DIRECTV and the Cyclone Design logo, TOTAL CHOICE and DIRECTV PARA TODOS are registered trademarks of DIRECTV, Inc. All BellSouth marks contained herein are owned by BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation.