[05.29.08 - 11:10 AM]
RIDING THE WAVE OF CULTURAL HITS MTV ANNOUNCES DIVERSE SLATE OF PROGRAMMING FOR SUMMER AND FALL 2008
Released by MTV

[NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by the aforementioned network and/or company. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.]

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RIDING THE WAVE OF CULTURAL HITS MTV ANNOUNCES DIVERSE SLATE OF PROGRAMMING FOR SUMMER AND FALL 2008

Over Past Nine Months, P12-34 Average Viewership Up 35% in 10 Spot Line-up and 16% in Primetime

Santa Monica, CA (May 29, 2008)Coming out of Q1 2008 with a diversity of hits including the #1 and #2 P12-34 cable telecasts of the quarter with "The Hills" and "Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew," and three out of the top 10 P12-34 rated Ad-supported cable series for the quarter, including "The Challenges: Gauntlet III," "Making the Band 4," and "Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew," MTV announced the next wave of greenlights for series and development. Today's news follows the network's recent new series announcements including the Untitled TI Project, "The Phone," executive produced by Justin Timberlake and "Paris Hilton's: My New BFF." Over the past nine months, MTV's average impressions have soared 35% in the 10 Spot line-up and up 16% in Primetime, speaking to the network's redefined programming model, diversity of content and music vision.

"The MTV programming team is laser focused on seeking out, developing, and launching breakthrough content in a variety of genres and formats. This allows us to continue evolving, and offering our audience an exciting roster of hits all year round," said Tony DiSanto, Executive Vice President, Programming and Series Development. "We are committed to keeping the pipeline of ideas flowing, expanding into new creative territories and feeding every day part with programming concepts that reinvent, and the incredible MTV series development machine is firing on all cylinders."

"I am extremely excited about this development slate," said Liz Gateley, Senior Vice President, Series Development. "MTV serves a tremendously diverse audience with varying tastes, and this slate reflects our continual effort to develop a wide range of projects, from star-driven reality and scripted projects like 50 Cent and "Baby Dolls" to projects like "Busted" that reflect the everyday lives of our audience, to the MTV brand-builders like "Buzzin" and "Hollarado" with strong comedic male characters as the stars."

The sweeping successes speak to several key programming strategies as laid out by MTV programming head, Tony DiSanto one year ago including:

Revamping the Production Development & Programming Model

Tapping into the "Culture of Live"

Loud Electric One Liners

Capitalizing on MTV Hits with Spinoffs

Experimenting, Diversifying & Genre Busting

Winning with Music

by delivering a broad universe of immersive music experiences for artists that no one else can provide from "Making the Band 4," whose featured groups Danity Kane and Day 26 entering the charts with their self-titled debut albums at #1. with new formats such as the critically acclaimed, "Human Giant." from "Laguna Beach: The Real OC" to "The Hills," from "My Super Sweet 16" to recently announced series, "Exiled," from "The Legally Blonde on Broadway" event special to "Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search For Elle Woods." with big name talent attached such as Jamie Foxx's "From G's To Gents" and Paris Hilton's "Paris Hilton's: My New BFF." with DVR proof shows that must be seen in premiere or the viewer misses out such as "Randy Jackson Presents: American's Best Dance Crew" or reality competition like "A Shot of Love with Tila Tequila." by eliminating pilot seasons and quotas, re-organizing the development team into one unit, shortening the road to air by ordering straight-to-series development for certain formats, microwaving production to reduce the downtime between seasons of hit shows, approaching '60 as the new 30' with expansions of key formats like "Making The Band," "Real World" and "Challenges," branching out to new genres of programming such as multi-camera life events and innovative specials like "Legally Blonde on Broadway" and "24-hours of Jackass," eventizing series launches and finales, and supersizing orders of hit franchises like "The Hills."

In order to continue this upward trajectory and ensure that the MTV audience has original, fresh content constantly on tap, the series development team, headed by Liz Gateley, continues to fuel our successes and feed the pipeline of future hits. Liz Gateley has announced the following greenlights for series and development:

MTV SERIES GREENLIGHTS

UNTITLED 50 CENT PROJECT (Working Title)

: 50 Cent is a platinum-selling rap artist, but he is also perhaps the most successful hip-hop businessman around, having parlayed his musical skills into a merchandizing and branding empire worth more than nine figures. His ventures include a G-Unit sneaker deal with Reebok, a G-Unit clothing line, a record label, Pure 50 RGX Body Spray, a condom line, and, most famously, a Vitamin Water drink called Formula 50. Last year, Coca-Cola purchased Vitamin Water for $4.1 billion, cashing out 50 Cent to the tune of more than $100 million, according to Forbes. 50 is currently working with author Robert Greene ("The 48 Laws of Power") on a new book, "The 50th Law," that lays out the principles of the hustle that 50 used to achieve his unprecedented success.

In this new elimination reality show, MTV will follow 16 young men and women as they compete to learn and master the skills that took 50 from the streets to the top of corporate America. The winner will receive a full scholarship to an undergraduate or graduate business program, depending on his or her academic status and accomplishments. The contenders will live and work together as they challenge themselves and each other. Challenges will test savvy, street smarts, manipulation, power and the art of winning. Contestants will live together and work together toward one common goal that may change their lives forever. Each week, 50 Cent will narrow down his search, test the candidate's knowledge and push them to the limit. The finalist who possesses the business flair, strength, fearlessness and guts will win the scholarship that may bring them to ultimate mogul status.

UNTITLED 50 CENT PROJECT (working title) is executive produced by Michael Hirschorn, Stella Stolper, and Chris Choun for Ish Entertainment; 50 Cent; and Chris Lighty for Violator Management; Liz Gateley and George McTeague are the MTV executives overseeing production.

"BUZZIN'"

: As their first single, "Buzzin,'" starts to climb the charts, musical artist Shwayze (self-described as, "the only black kid in Malibu"), his best friend, producer and musical partner, Cisco Adler, and their friend/tour manager, Warren, get into comic misadventures as they try to navigate their way to stardom in the music industry. Trying to keep them on track is their tough manager and label honcho, Jordan Schur, of Suretone Records, who has taken artists like Ashley Simpson and Limp Bizkit all the way to the top. Together, this crew is taking a very long, windy and crazy trip to fame.

"Buzzin'" is produced by Suretone Entertainment and Hoosick Falls Productions; Jordan Schur of Suretone Entertainment and George Verschoor of Hoosick Falls Productions will serve as executive producers; Mike Powers will serve as executive producer; Liz Gateley and Valerie Elustondo are the MTV executives overseeing production. Steve Bilchik is the MTV talent executive overseeing the project.

"BUSTED"

: In this action-packed, high stakes, 1/2 hour reality series, MTV will show you what happens when kids take things too far and end up breaking the law. Taking it one step further, viewers will also hear why these rebels thought they could get away with committing these crimes, the cops perspectives and the serious consequences they will have to face now that they are busted!

Liz Gateley and George McTeague are the MTV executives overseeing production.

"MAKING THE ROCK BAND"

: Building on MTV's hit series, "Making The Band," the evolution continues as Diddy steps out of his comfort zone and into the rock arena as he looks to form the next big rock-n-roll band to take over the charts and dominate the music industry. Expect to see Diddy working with a roster of top rock-n-roll artists and producers.

Liz Gateley and Jackie French are the MTV executives overseeing production.

MTV SERIES IN DEVELOPMENT

"BABY DOLLS"

: "Baby Dolls" is a half-hour scripted comedy series set in the pop-culture phenomenon of celebrity worship as told through the eyes of a nave and jaded personal assistant to a young actress. The faux-documentary style series takes the voice of the abused but all-knowing assistant who is in over her head, drowning in the celebrity-making machine, getting stepped on by stiletto-clad feet, but at the end of the day comes out the hero. Young people all across America dream of being an assistant to a celebrity, but for our star it's her nightmare.

"Baby Dolls" is executive produced by Chris Peterson & Bryan Moore; Wilmer Valderrama is executive producer; Ross Breitenbach and Danny Villa are co-executive producers; Wilmer Valderrama is repped by UTA, Rigberg Entertainment Group and attorney Michael Gendler; Liz Gateley and Maira Suro are the MTV executives overseeing development.

"TEEN DREAM"

Teen Dream is executive produced by Ken Mok of 10x10 Entertainment; Don Weiner is executive producer; Liz Gateley, Maira Suro and Heather Olander are the MTV executives overseeing development.

"HOLLARADO"

Austin & Julie Reading of Liquid Theory are executive producers; Mike Powers is executive producer; George McTeague is the MTV executive overseeing development.

"16 AND PREGNANT"

Maira Suro and Lauren Dolgen are the MTV executives overseeing development.

About MTV

MTV is the dynamic, vibrant experiment at the intersection of music, creativity and youth culture. For over 26 years, MTV has evolved, challenged the norm, and detonated boundariesgiving each new generation a creative outlet and voice that entertains, informs and unites on every platform and screen. On-air, MTV has been the number one rated 24 hour ad-supported cable network P12-24 for 16 straight years. Online, MTV.com scored double-digit growth in 2007 and MTV launched 15 dynamic online communities and eight new virtual worlds. On the go, MTV Mobile is the #1 music brand in the wireless space delivering 90% more streams than in 2006. And MTV's successful sibling networks MTV2, mtvU and MTV Tr3s each deliver unprecedented customized content, super-serving music fans, college students and young American Latinos like no one else. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.