BET's COLLEGE HILL Transfers to Virginia State University

BET's COLLEGE HILL Transfers to Virginia State University

Multicultural Cast Highlights the Show's Junior Year, Premiering Thursday, March 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT; BET Rolls Out Multi-Platform Content and Marketing Strategy to Launch Third Season

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- After spending its first two seasons exploring the scene at Southern University in Baton Rouge and Langston University in Oklahoma, BET's wildly popular reality series, COLLEGE HILL -- the #1 original series in BET history -- moves east to Virginia State University. The new season of COLLEGE HILL debuts on Thursday, March 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT with a special one-hour premiere.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060228/DCTU066 )

"COLLEGE HILL has always been a hit show on BET," says BET President of Entertainment Reginald Hudlin. "This season we're going all out. It's a great looking show with a hilarious cast and storylines that will shock, amuse and touch viewers."

VSU is a small state-supported university of 5,000 students located in Petersburg, Va. The cast of COLLEGE HILL 3 spent three months trying to co- exist in a "banging" off-campus mansion, equipped with a pool table, a Jacuzzi and enough drama to fill every square inch of their home away from the dorm. The roommates enjoy temporary housing in the historic Ragland Mansion in Petersburg, Va., a 10,000 sq. ft. landmark built in the 1850's and recently restored. Ragland offers a ballroom, twin parlors, a solarium, a library and nine suites/master bedrooms, all with private bath and period marble fireplaces. However, none of the COLLEGE HILL 3 roommates ventured beyond the second floor, as the attic is rumored to be haunted!

While exploring the familiar themes of the black college experience and boy/girl relationships, the new cast of season three turns up the heat at VSU. Tempers fly, tears flow, and secrets are revealed as eight college students struggle to live under one roof. The No. 1 house rule: "No sex on the couch!" From the camaraderie of Homecoming celebrations and sexy hot tub scenes, to break-ups and an emotional visit to Rosa Parks' funeral -- emotions and conflicts are at an all-time high.

Although the previous casts included a plethora of colorful personalities, the VSU students take it to another level. Among the elite eight selected to participate in the show are a white male and a Puerto Rican female. "There definitely are not a lot of white people at Virginia State University," says one of the housemates. "I believe that will give a different view of what a white person sees when he goes to a historically black college." Time can only tell how that will play out!

BET partnered again with Edmonds Entertainment to produce this season's 13-episode run and nearly doubled COLLEGE HILL's production budget, allowing producers to offer a more expansive view of collegiate life at an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities).

"We gave the producers more resources than ever this year and it's sexier, edgier, and funnier," added Hudlin.

Executive producer Tracey Edmonds said her enthusiasm for the show increases with each installment. "We had the full cooperation of Virginia State, so we had a chance to delve a lot more into some of the academic issues and things going on on-campus," said Edmonds. "There are a lot of great story lines this season."

Like their predecessors, the COLLEGE HILL cast keeps it real and raw when the cameras are rolling. Especially when they're in the hot tub playing 'truth or dare' or hosting unwanted visitors, such as the 47-year-old frat brother who never quite learned when to leave the party. They aren't household names -- just yet. But by the time the series concludes, their antics will surely have earned them a multitude of new followers.

Among this year's cast members are:

Deirdra, 21, is a senior mass communications major from Hartford, CT. She's a career cheerleader who thinks that a lot of women on campus are jealous of her because she's one of the "woo-woo" girls. "They're just mad because we look good."

Audrina, 21, is a junior economic/finance major from Poughkeepsie, NY. She is working her way through college. She's friendly, smart and confident, but tough -- she's definitely not someone you'd ever want to cross. "Girls who wear heels need Jesus."

Rodney, 23, is a senior sports management major from Newport News, VA. He considers himself one of the more popular guys on campus, claiming that the ladies fight for his shirtless delight. He's a frat boy and a member of the basketball team who always "keeps it funky."

Arlando, 21, is a junior business management major from Portsmouth, VA. He's describes himself as a cool cat with a tendency to get wild when the situation calls for it. He's also a frat boy who gets a lot of attention from his female co-eds.

Ray, 23, is a senior mass communications major from Richmond, VA. When Ray's not in class or writing his newspaper column, he morphs into Mr. Trojan, the school's mascot. Ray has an alternative lifestyle which he tries to keep low-key.

Bianca, 22, is Puerto Rican and is a freshman from Virginia Beach, VA who is just starting college. She's a little dilly, but not necessarily naive. She thinks of herself as fun and flirtatious. "I'm a lot smarter than people think I am."

Anya, 21, is a senior mass communications major from Portsmouth, VA. She's outspoken, big on family and feels it's perfectly acceptable to date three or four guys at the same time, but "it's one at a time with the sexual thing."

Will, 18, is a white freshman from Lynchburg, VA, majoring in mass communications. His one goal in life is to play in the NFL. He's not the only white guy attending VSU, but he's probably the only one who imitates Paul Wall and openly admits that he "likes the black females."

With this delightfully eclectic mix of personalities and cultures, combined with the proven track record of ratings success, COLLEGE HILL viewers are guaranteed a well-rounded education on what life at an HBCU is really like!

BET will supplement the launch of COLLEGE HILL 3 with a multi-platform content strategy, including exclusive features on BET.com, the number 1 Internet portal serving African Americans; expanded broadband content via BET Nexis; and BET Mobile, the source for COLLEGE HILL-themed ring tones. BET.com content includes weekly chats with cast members, a virtual tour of the COLLEGE HILL mansion, audition footage, polls and interactive games. Viewers have convenient access to exclusive COLLEGE HILL content with BET Nexis, the site's new broadband service, which offers specially-produced webisodes and BET's Video On Demand service providing 24/7 episode availability.

Supporting the overall show launch is a substantial multi-media advertising and grassroots campaign leveraging television spots on Oxygen and Spike TV; radio ads in ten major markets; premiere parties and screenings in Philadelphia, New York and Richmond; street campaigns distributing branded promotional merchandise in the top five African-American markets and on college campuses; a new BET College Rep program; ads in college newspapers and Black College Today magazine; and various outdoor billboard, bus shelter and street displays.

ABOUT BET

BET, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA; VIA.B), is the nation's leading television network providing quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs programming for the African-American audience. The BET Network reaches more than 80 million households according to Nielsen media research, and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET is a dominant consumer brand in the urban marketplace with a diverse group of branded businesses: BET.com, the Number 1 Internet portal for African Americans; BET Digital Networks - BET Jazz, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Event Productions, specializing in a full range of event production services, including event management, venue selection, talent recruitment, sound, lighting and stage production.

ABOUT EDMONDS ENTERTAINMENT

Established by R&B superstar Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and his then wife Tracey, Edmonds Entertainment Group has soared like a shooting star to the ranks of Hollywood's elite entertainment companies. Its major subsidiaries include Edmonds Record Group, creators of many of the world's most-recognized song titles; Edmonds Entertainment, producers of award-winning film and television projects; Edmonds Management, representing impressive artist clientele in film, television and music ventures; Edmonds Music Publishing, owners of an impressive library of original and acquired musical works; and the TracKen Place Recording Studio, offering state-of-the-art recording and production technology. Some of company's most noteworthy works include the critically-acclaimed Soul Food feature film, winner of five NAACP Image Awards; and the popular Soul Food cable television series, recipient of six NAACP Image Awards.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060228/DCTU066
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: BET (Black Entertainment Television)

CONTACT: Tosha Whitten-Griggs, +1-818-655-6712,
Tosha.whitten-griggs@bet.net, or Zabrina Horton, +1-818-655-6737,
Zabrina.horton@bet.net, both of BET

Web site: http://www.bet.com/

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