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                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

                  This Employment Agreement (the "Agreement") is made and
entered into effective as of the 20th day of March, 1999, by and between
NetZero, Inc., a California corporation (the "Company"), with principal
corporate offices at 31416 Agoura Road #150, Westlake Village, CA 91362, and
Frederic A. Randall, Jr., whose address is ___________________, California
________ ("Employee").

1.       EMPLOYMENT.

         1.1      The Company hereby agrees to employ Employee, and Employee
                  hereby accepts such employment, on the terms and conditions
                  set forth herein, commencing March 20, 1999 (the "Effective
                  Date"), and continuing through March 20, 2003 (the "Term"),
                  unless such employment is terminated earlier as provided in
                  Section 4 below.

2.       DUTIES OF EMPLOYEE.

         2.1      Employee shall serve as Senior Vice President and General
                  Counsel of the Company. In this capacity, Employee shall
                  perform such customary, appropriate and reasonable executive
                  duties as are usually performed by the General Counsel,
                  including such duties as are delegated to him from time to
                  time by the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board").
                  Employee shall report directly to the Company's Chief
                  Executive Officer.

         2.2      Employee agrees to devote Employee's full time, attention,
                  skill and efforts to the performance of his duties for the
                  Company during the Term.

3.       COMPENSATION AND OTHER BENEFITS.

         3.1      BASE SALARY. During the Term, the Company shall pay to
                  Employee a base salary of One Hundred Thirty-Five Thousand
                  Dollars ($135,000) per fiscal year (the "Base Salary"),
                  payable at the rate of Eleven Thousand Two Hundred Fifty
                  Dollars ($11,250.00) per month, with payments to be made in
                  accordance with the Company's standard payment policy and
                  subject to such withholding as may be required by law.

         3.2      BONUS. During the Term, the Employee shall also be eligible to
                  receive an annual cash bonus of up to 50% of Employee's base
                  salary for each fiscal year (the "Annual Bonus"), less
                  withholding required by law, based on performance criteria
                  established by the Board. Employee shall not be eligible to
                  receive any unpaid Annual Bonus if his employment hereunder is
                  terminated pursuant to either Section 4.1, or if Employee
                  voluntarily resigns.

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         3.3      VACATION.  Employee shall be entitled to four (4) weeks
                  paid vacation in accordance with the Company's standard
                  vacation policies.

         3.4      OTHER BENEFITS. Employee shall be eligible to participate, as
                  of the date of Employee's employment, in all group life,
                  health, medical, dental or disability insurance or other
                  employee, health and welfare benefits made available generally
                  to other executives of the Company. If Employee elects to
                  participate in any of such plans, Employee's portion of the
                  premium(s) will be deducted from Employee's paycheck.

         3.5      BUSINESS EXPENSES. The Company shall promptly reimburse
                  Employee for all reasonable and necessary business expenses
                  incurred by Employee in connection with the business of the
                  Company and the performance of his duties under this
                  Agreement, subject to Employee providing the Company with
                  reasonable documentation thereof.

         3.6      OPTION GRANT. Employee shall be granted an immediately
                  exercisable, non-qualified stock option (the "1999 Option")
                  under the Company's 1999 Stock Option/Stock Incentive Plan for
                  72,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock, and an
                  immediately exercisable, non-qualified stock option (the "1998
                  Option") under the Company's 1998 Stock Option/Stock Incentive
                  Plan for 628,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock. The
                  1998 Option and the 1999 Option shall each have an exercise
                  price of $0.15 per share and shall be herein collectively
                  referred to as the "Option." Employee shall acquire a vested
                  interest in twenty-five percent of the Option shares upon the
                  first-year anniversary of the commencement of Employee's
                  employment with the Company and in the remaining seventy-five
                  percent of the Option shares in thirty-six (36) equal monthly
                  installments, beginning one month following such first-year
                  anniversary. The Option shall also be subject to accelerated
                  vesting as set forth below.

4.       TERMINATION.

         4.1      TERMINATION FOR CAUSE.

                  (a)      Termination "for cause" is defined as follows: the
                           Company terminates Employee's employment with the
                           Company (1) if Employee is convicted of a felony
                           or commits an act of moral turpitude, in either
                           case which adversely impacts the Company, (2) if
                           Employee materially breaches the Company's
                           Confidentiality and Proprietary Agreement, or (3)
                           if Employee fails, after receipt of detailed
                           written notice and after receiving a period of at
                           least thirty (30) days following such notice to
                           cure such failure,  to use his reasonable good
                           faith efforts to follow the direction of the
                           Company's Board of Directors and to perform his
                           obligations hereunder.

                  (b)      The Company may terminate this Agreement for any
                           of the reasons stated in Section 4.1(a) by giving
                           written notice to Employee without prejudice

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                           to any other remedy to which the Company may be
                           entitled.  The notice of termination shall specify
                           the grounds for termination.  If Employee's
                           employment hereunder is terminated "for cause"
                           pursuant to this Section 4.1, Employee shall be
                           entitled to receive hereunder his accrued but
                           unpaid Base Salary and vacation pay through the
                           date of termination, and reimbursement for any
                           expenses as set forth in Section 3.5, through the
                           date of termination, but shall not be entitled to
                           receive any unpaid portion of the Annual Bonus or
                           any other amount.

         4.2      TERMINATION WITHOUT CAUSE. If Employee's employment is
                  terminated without "cause" as defined in Section 4.1(a), or if
                  Employee is Involuntarily Terminated (as defined below), the
                  Company (or its successor, as the case may be) shall pay to
                  Employee (i) any accrued but unpaid Base Salary and vacation
                  through the date of termination, (ii) reimbursement for any
                  expenses as set forth in Section 3.5, through the date of
                  termination, (iii) Employee's Annual Bonus, prorated through
                  the date of termination, and (iv) a severance payment in an
                  amount equal to Two Hundred Seventy Thousand Dollars
                  ($270,000.00), payable in one lump sum, subject to withholding
                  as may be required by law. In addition, if Employee's
                  employment is terminated without cause (other than if Employee
                  is Involuntarily Terminated) or if Employee's employment is
                  terminated due to death or permanent disability, Employee will
                  be credited with an additional twelve (12) months of service
                  toward vesting in the Option shares in addition to the service
                  he has accrued toward vesting through the date of termination.
                  If Employee is Involuntarily Terminated, vesting of the Option
                  shares will be accelerated in full; provided, however,
                  Employee will only vest in 75% of the Option shares if the
                  Corporate Transaction takes place in the first nine months
                  following the date of commencement of Employee's employment.

                  As used in this Section 4.2, Employee shall be deemed
                  "Involuntarily Terminated" if (i) the Company or any successor
                  to the Company terminates Employee's employment without cause
                  in connection with or following a Corporate Transaction (as
                  defined in the Company's stock option plan); or (ii) in
                  connection with or following a Corporate Transaction there is
                  (a) a decrease in Employee's title or responsibilities (it
                  being deemed to be a decrease in title and/or responsibilities
                  if Employee is not offered the position of Senior Vice
                  President and General Counsel of the Company or its successor
                  as well as the acquiring and ultimate parent entity, if any,
                  following the Corporate Transaction), (b) a decrease in pay
                  and/or benefits from those provided by the Company immediately
                  prior to the Corporate Transaction or (c) a requirement that
                  Employee re-locate out of the greater Los Angeles metropolitan
                  area.

5.                ASSIGNMENT. Neither the Company nor Employee may assign this
                  Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder. This
                  Agreement will be binding upon the Company and its successors
                  and assigns. In the event of a Corporate Transaction,

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                  the Company shall cause this Agreement to be assumed by the
                  Company's successor as well as any acquiring or ultimate
                  parent entity, if any, following any Corporate Transaction.

6.       MISCELLANEOUS.

         6.1      This Agreement supersedes any and all other agreements, either
                  oral or in writing, between the parties hereto with respect to
                  the employment of Employee by the Company, other than the
                  Confidentiality and Proprietary Agreement, and constitutes the
                  entire agreement between the Company and the Employee with
                  respect to its subject matter.

         6.2      This Agreement may not be amended, supplemented, modified or
                  extended, except by written agreement which expressly refers
                  to this Agreement, which is signed by each of the parties
                  hereto and which is authorized by the Company's Board of
                  Directors.

         6.3      This Agreement is made in and shall be governed by the laws of
                  California, without giving effect to its conflicts-of-law
                  principles.

         6.4      In the event that any provision of this Agreement is
                  determined to be illegal, invalid or void for any reason, the
                  remaining provisions hereof shall continue in full force and
                  effect.

         6.5      Employee represents and warrants to the Company that there is
                  no restriction or limitation, by reason of any agreement or
                  otherwise, upon Employee's right or ability to enter into this
                  Agreement and fulfill his obligations under this Agreement.

         6.6      All notices and other communications required or permitted
                  hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed by
                  first-class mail, postage prepaid, registered or certified, or
                  delivered either by hand, by messenger or by overnight courier
                  service, and addressed to the receiving party at the
                  respective address set forth in the heading of this Agreement,
                  or at such other address as such party shall have furnished to
                  the other party in accordance with this Section 6.6 prior to
                  the giving of such notice or other communication.

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                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this
Agreement as of the first date written above.

                                       NETZERO, INC.

                                       By: /s/ MARK GOLDSTON
                                          ---------------------------------
                                             Mark Goldston, Chief Executive
                                             Officer
                                       /s/ FREDERIC A. RANDALL, JR.
                                       ------------------------------------
                                       Frederic A. Randall, Jr.

                                        5Prepared by MERRILL CORPORATION

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EXHIBIT 10.15  

 
 

AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT    
  

    This Amendment to Employment Agreement (the "Amendment") is made and entered into effective as of the 9th day of February, 2001, by and between
NetZero, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), with principal corporate offices at 2555 Townsgate Road, Westlake Village, CA 91361, and Frederic A. Randall, Jr., whose address is 432
Isabella Terrace, Corona del Mar, California 92625 ("Employee"). All capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in that certain Employment Agreement
by and between the Company and Employee dated March 20, 1999 (the "Agreement" or the "Employment Agreement"). 

    WHEREAS,
the Company and Employee desire to modify certain terms of the Employment Agreement. 

    NOW,
THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows: 

	1.
	The
Term of the Employment Agreement is hereby extended through February 9, 2005.

	2.
	Employee's
Base Salary and Annual Bonus, as defined in the Employment Agreement, shall be increased to include any increases to Employee's base salary and annual bonus as approved
by the Board.

	3.
	Section 4.2
shall be replaced with the following: 

    4.2  Termination Without Cause.  If Employee's employment is terminated without "cause" as defined in
Section 4.1(a), or if Employee is Involuntarily Terminated (as defined below), the Company (or its successor, as the case may be) shall pay to Employee (i) any accrued but unpaid Base
Salary and vacation through the date of termination, (ii) reimbursement for any expenses as set forth in Section 3.5, through the date of termination and (iii) a severance payment
in an amount equal to four times Employee's Base Salary and Annual Bonus, payable in one lump sum on the date of termination,
subject to withholding as may be required by law. In addition, if Employee's employment is terminated without cause (other than if Employee is Involuntarily Terminated) or if Employee's employment is
terminated due to death or permanent disability, Employee will be credited with an additional twelve (12) months of service toward vesting in the Option shares in addition to the service he has
accrued toward vesting through the date of termination. If Employee is Involuntarily Terminated, vesting of all options to purchase shares of the Company's Common Stock and all restricted stock grants
(subject to any vesting deferrals provided in any restricted stock grant) will be accelerated in full and all such options shall remain in effect for a one (1) year period following the date of
termination. As used in this Section 4.2, Employee shall be deemed "Involuntarily Terminated" if (i) the Company or any successor to the Company terminates Employee's employment without
cause in connection with or following a Corporate Transaction or Change of Control (as defined in the Company's 1999 Stock Incentive Plan); or (ii) in connection with or following a Corporate
Transaction or Change of Control there is (a) a decrease in Employee's title or responsibilities (it being deemed to be a decrease in title and/or responsibilities if Employee is not offered
the position of Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the Company or its successor as well as the acquiring and ultimate parent entity, if any, following the Corporate Transaction or Change of
Control), (b) a decrease in pay and/or benefits from those provided by the Company immediately prior to the Corporate Transaction or (c) a requirement that Employee re-locate
out of the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. 

	4.
	For
the eighteen (18) month period following the termination of Employee's employment with the Company (the "Noncompetition Period"), Employee shall not directly engage in,
or manage or direct persons engaged in, a Competitive Business Activity (as defined below) 

anywhere
in the Restricted Territory (as defined below); provided, that the Noncompetition Period shall terminate if the Company terminates operations or if the Company no longer engages in any
Competitive Business Activity. The term "Competitive Business Activity" shall mean the business of providing consumers with dial-up Internet access services (free or pay). The term
"Restricted Territory" shall mean each and every county, city or other political subdivision of the United States in which the Company is engaged in business or providing its services.
  The Company agrees that providing services to a company or entity that is involved in a Competitive Business Activity but which services are unrelated to the Competitive Business
Activity shall not be deemed a violation of this Amendment. 

	5.
	Company
and Employee agree that, for the purposes of damages to the Company with respect to any breach of Section 4 above, the value of Employee's obligations to the Company
under Section 4 equal 37.5% of the severance payment in paragraph 3 above. In the event that any amounts, benefits, and rights payable to Employee upon a termination of employment under
Section 4 (CIC Benefits) would be deemed under Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) to constitute parachute payments, then the Employee's CIC Benefits shall be payable either
(a) in full, or (b) as to such lesser amount which would result in no portion of such CIC Benefits being subject to excise tax under Section 4999 of the Code, whichever of the
foregoing amounts, taking into account the applicable federal, state and local income taxes and the excise tax imposed by Section 4999, results in the receipt by Employee on an
after-tax basis, of the greatest amount of benefits under Section 4 notwithstanding that all or some portion of such benefits may be taxable under Section 4999 of the Code.
The determination as to whether and to what extent payments under Section 4 are required to be reduced in accordance with the preceding sentence shall be made at the Company's expense by
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP or by
such other nationally recognized certified public accounting firm, law firm, or benefits consulting firm as the Compensation Committee of the Company's Board of Directors may designate, subject to the
reasonable approval of Employee. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (or such other firm as may have been designated in accordance with the preceding sentence) shall have the right to engage any service
provider of their choosing to provide any assistance or services necessary in making such determination.

	6.
	If
any provision of this Agreement is held by an arbitrator or a court of competent jurisdiction to conflict with any federal, state or local law, or to be otherwise invalid or
unenforceable, such provision shall be construed in a manner so as to maximize its enforceability while giving the greatest effect as possible to the parties' intent. To the extent any provision
cannot be construed to be enforceable, such provision shall be deemed to be eliminated from this Agreement and of no force or effect and the remainder of this Agreement shall otherwise remain in full
force and effect and be construed as if such portion had not been included in this Agreement.

	7.
	This
Amendment shall be deemed incorporated into the Agreement and, except as specifically modified by this Amendment, the Agreement shall remain unchanged and in full force and
effect. The Agreement shall be binding upon successors and assigns. 

    In
witness whereof, the parties have executed this Amendment to be effective as of the first date written above. 

	

 	
 	

 	
 	

 
	 	 	NETZERO, INC.
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

 
	 	 	By:	 	/s/ MARK R. GOLDSTON   
 Mark R. Goldston

Chief Executive Officer
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

 
	 	 	EMPLOYEE
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

/s/ FREDERIC A. RANDALL, JR.   
 Frederic A. Randall, Jr.

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AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

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