Popular CBS Daytime Drama Characters to Interact With TV Viewers At Home

Popular CBS Daytime Drama Characters to Interact With TV Viewers At Home

Daytime Dollars(TM) Watch-And-Win Program Awards Cash, Other Prizes to Loyal Viewers of 'Guiding Light' and 'As The World Turns'

CHICAGO, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- There's always extraordinary drama in the lives of the close-knit families of daytime TV's popular "Guiding Light" and "As The World Turns." Now, in a new twist, that drama will spill over and directly impact the lives of avid viewers at home.

Starting March 13, between scenes of revealed suspicions, bared emotions and shared confessions, a multi-digit numerical code will appear on "Guiding Light" and "As The World Turns." At home, one lucky viewer will recognize that code as her own unique number, and just for watching her favorite show she becomes the jubilant winner of $500. That same scenario will be played out every weekday for the next six-and-a-half months on both "Guiding Light" and "As The World Turns."

Titled DaytimeDollars.com, the unique watch-and-win program is the latest innovation from pioneering daytime drama producer Procter & Gamble Productions Inc. (PGP).

"We love creating stories of drama, suspense, romance and hope for the characters who inhabit our shows. We're excited that those same characters will now communicate directly with millions of daytime drama fans through DaytimeDollars.com," says Brian T. Cahill, Vice President, Director of Operations and Strategic Initiatives for TeleVest Daytime Programs Inc., which produces PGP's daytime dramas. "We value the daily commitment our viewers make to 'Guiding Light' and 'As The World Turns,' and we see DaytimeDollars.com as an innovative and exciting way to reward those viewers for their loyalty and to invite them to become part of the experience of the shows."

DaytimeDollars.com is a new form of branded entertainment unique to "Guiding Light" and "As The World Turns." The program complements the soap operas and offers compelling ways for viewers to engage with the shows and their stars, Cahill explained.

The first DaytimeDollars.com prizes will be awarded March 13. The giveaway program will run through Sept. 29, 2006.

Simple Program, Easy Money

Any U.S. resident, age 18 or older, can participate in DaytimeDollars.com by registering for free at http://www.daytimedollars.com/ . Registrants receive daily e-mails containing their personal DaytimeDollars.com official code numbers. Two separate winning code numbers will be revealed each weekday, one each during broadcasts of "Guiding Light" and "As The World Turns" on CBS stations. The code numbers will be revealed at varying times each day by different "Guiding Light" and "As The World Turns" characters in 10-second break-aways from the programs' scripted action.

Prizes are $500 per claimed code number. Two numbers are revealed each day, one each on "Guiding Light" and "As The World Turns." Registrants must log into their personal accounts on DaytimeDollars.com to claim their prizes. Each winner must validate her or his personal code number, as well as report the program on which the number was revealed and the character who revealed the number.

All prizes must be claimed by 8 a.m. EST the day following the on-air reveal. Unclaimed cash prizes will be "rolled" over and awarded as bonus cash prizes during future DaytimeDollars.com broadcasts.

In addition to the daily $500 prizes, on special designated days the program also may award cash prizes in excess of $2,500, trips to the April 28 Daytime Emmy Awards show in Los Angeles, an "As The World Turns" 50th anniversary prize package, and "As The World Turns" 50th anniversary trips to New York City.

DaytimeDollars.com is being promoted through online advertising, 10-second TV Tune-In-Ads, Tell-a-Friend Web page links and word-of-mouth/interactive communications on blogs and online message boards.

Setting the Standard for Daytime TV Innovation

DaytimeDollars.com is the latest in a long line of daytime drama innovations for PGP, which often is credited for introducing the "soap opera" style of provocative storytelling. Beginning with one of America's first daily dramatic serials, "Oxydol's Own Ma Perkins" in 1933, PGP's programs have encouraged audience loyalty and dedication to the products sponsoring the show. For PGP, the successful teaming of Procter & Gamble soap products with its serial dramas created the "soap opera" genre.

PGP originally premiered "Guiding Light" as a 15-minute radio serial in 1937, before moving it to CBS television in 1952. It is the only radio-to-television drama still in production. Recognized by the "Guinness Book of World Records" as the "Longest Running TV Drama" (more than 14,800 episodes), "Guiding Light" also is the only daytime drama inducted into the Soap Opera Hall of Fame.

PGP also took "Guiding Light" to another level last year when it became the first television program to podcast entire audio episodes available for download from cbs.com/netcast and iTunes.com. Today, "As The World Turns" episodes also are available for podcast download.

The Emmy Award-winning "As The World Turns" represents another PGP landmark as the first-ever half-hour long soap opera when it premiered April 2, 1956. Ranked as the No. 1 daytime drama from 1959 to 1971, "As The World Turns" also was the first soap opera to spin off a prime time series, "Our Private World."

"As The World Turns" and "Guiding Light" both are nominated for Outstanding Daytime Drama at this year's Daytime Emmy Awards, which airs April 28. "Guiding Light" and "As The World Turns" received a total of 14 and 12 nominations, respectively.

About Procter & Gamble Productions Inc.

Incorporated in 1949, PGP is America's foremost producer of high-quality dramatic serial programming. Its mission is to produce or acquire compelling, educational, platform-neutral content of superior quality that creates value for the consumer and for PGP. PGP focuses on creating relevant context for marketers and brands to communicate and build relationships with consumers.

Daytime Dollars(TM) is a trademark of Procter & Gamble Productions Inc.

Source: Procter & Gamble Productions Inc.

CONTACT: David O'Dowd, +1-312-861-5216, david.odowd@mslpr.com or Randy
Labuzinski, +1-312-861-5215, randy.labuzinski@mslpr.com, both of Manning
Selvage & Lee for Procter & Gamble Productions Inc.

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

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