New Lifetime Pulse Poll, Conducted By Roper Poll, Reveals Violence Against Women Emerging as Important 2006 Election Issue For Both Women and Men

New Lifetime Pulse Poll, Conducted By Roper Poll, Reveals Violence Against Women Emerging as Important 2006 Election Issue For Both Women and Men

- Launching National Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Lifetime's New 2006 Campaign to 'Stop Violence Against Women,' Network Unites Advocates, Celebrities and Bipartisan Political Leaders in Nation's Capital for Special Week of Events, Including Actress Gabrielle Union Testifying About Her Experience -

- 'Desperate Housewives' Star, Ricardo Antonio Chavira, Hosts Specially Themed Weekend of Anti-Violence Programming on Lifetime -

NEW YORK, March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new "Lifetime Women's Pulse Poll," conducted for the network by Roper Poll, when women and men vote in the mid-term elections this fall, expected issues such as homeland security, jobs and the economy and the war in Iraq will be very important, but an issue that receives far less attention -- preventing violence against women and girls -- will be just as, if not more, important to them. This and other poll results demonstrating the growing prevalence and importance of the issue of gender violence come as Lifetime Television launches its 2006 public education and advocacy campaign, Our Lifetime Commitment: Stop Violence Against Women.

The Emmy(R)-winning initiative commences with the Network's annual "Stop Violence Against Women Week" in Washington, DC, April 3-7 (complete schedule of events available) during which Lifetime joins with thousands of advocates, survivors, business and bipartisan political leaders and celebrities, such as Gabrielle Union ("Bad Boys 2" and "Deliver Us From Eva") and filmmaker, survivor and activist Angela Shelton, for special events to encourage greater attention for and increased action to address all forms of gender violence, including domestic abuse, sexual assault, stalking and sex trafficking.

In addition, throughout April, National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Lifetime Networks will offer powerful original programming and PSAs, including a special weekend of anti-violence-themed movies and series, hosted by "Desperate Housewives" star Ricardo Antonio Chavira and his real-life father, Family Court Judge Juan Antonio Chavira, and punctuated by the April 22nd television premiere of the documentary "Searching for Angela Shelton." The initiative also incorporates extensive online content, community outreach and legislative activity.

The "Lifetime Women's Pulse Poll" -- "Lifetime Women's Pulse Poll" is the largest women's multi-platform research project ever undertaken by a television network, and throughout the year, explores a wide range of areas examining women's lives, from consumer behavior and spending habits, usage of new technologies, impressions of pop culture and positions on key public policy issues. Highlights of the new nationally representative pulse poll of women and men 18+ on violence against women include:

* Violence Against Women Is Seen as Key Election Issue: Nearly all women
(97%) feel that the issue of domestic violence and sexual assault
against women and girls is important and will impact who they vote for
in the 2006 mid-term elections.

* Violence Against Women of Equal or Greater Importance to Voters than
Expected Top Issues Like Homeland Security, Jobs and the Economy, the
War in Iraq and the Environment: Nearly eight out of ten (77%) women
and men said that preventing violence against women was of paramount
importance to them as an election issue -- more so than or on par with
issues that receive much greater attention such as jobs and the economy
(79%), health care (79%), education (80%), homeland security (68%), the
war in Iraq (65%) and the environment (63%).

* Violence Against Women Perceived as an Increasing Problem: Six out of
ten (59%) Americans feel violence against women is worse today than it
was ten years ago. Sixty-one percent personally know a woman who has
been the victim of violence.

* Sexual Assault and Dating Violence on College Campuses a Bigger Fear
than Binge Drinking or Hazing: Approximately nine out of ten (87%)
Americans would encourage their daughter to reconsider enrolling in a
school that had a high incidence of sexual assault or dating violence -
even more than for binge drinking (77%) and hazing (74%).

* Celebrity Voices Make a Difference: Teri Hatcher, "Desperate
Housewives" star, recently revealed she was a victim of sexual abuse as
a child. Seven in ten Americans (72%) think that such celebrity
revelations do help reduce acceptance of violence against women.

* Americans Are Starting to Take Action: Three in four parents (73%) say
they have explicitly talked to their children about violence against
women being wrong. Among those who knew a friend or family member was
being abused, an overwhelming 87% said to have intervened in some way
to help the victim, including reaching out beyond their immediate
circle to police (46%), local shelters (35%), the internet (28%) and
hotlines (24%).

"As we head to Washington, D.C., for the fifth year-in-a-row, we are encouraged that this poll suggests that violence against women is top of mind and that women and men are taking action to stop it," said Meredith Wagner, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs, Lifetime Entertainment Services. "Lifetime is proud to build on the incredible momentum of our partners who work on the front lines every day to ensure that these critical issues continue to be heard and addressed at every level."

Week in Washington - From April 3-7, Lifetime, advocates, political and business leaders and celebrities will join in Washington for the 5th annual "Stop Violence Against Women Week," which includes events such as:

* Premiere advance screening of Lifetime documentary, "Searching for
Angela Shelton," at the Library of Congress with filmmaker and activist
Angela Shelton, the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues and leading
advocates. The film showcases Angela's journey across America to find
women with her same name, and her discovery that more than half of the
Angela Shelton's she met had been raped, abused or molested--and her
hopeful and inspiring message of courage, strength and survival.

* Congressional Briefings focusing on the newly passed Violence Against
Women Act (VAWA), improving the economic situation of domestic violence
survivors and creating innovative programs to help survivors and
victims of sexual assault, where actress/activist Gabrielle Union ("Bad
Boys 2" and "Deliver Us From Eva") will testify about her sexual
assault while in college.

Our Lifetime Commitment: Stop Violence Against Women - Lifetime's Emmy(R)- winning campaign includes:

On-Air Programming

* "Desperate Housewives" star, Ricardo Antonio Chavira, and his real-life
father, Family Court Judge Juan Antonio Chavira, lend their voices to
the anti-violence movement on Saturday, April 22nd during a special
programming weekend which will feature: original public service
announcements; the powerful new documentary, "Searching for Angela
Shelton"; an encore of Lifetime's groundbreaking miniseries, "Human
Trafficking"; and thought-provoking movies and specially themed
episodes of the Network's original dramas. The day is part of a
special weekend of programming dedicated to the stop violence message.

* PSAs, emphasizing that women and men need to work together to prevent
violence against women. PSAs will air throughout April and at the end
of all dedicated anti-violence programming, directing viewers to life-
saving resources from organizations such as the National Domestic
Violence Hotline (800-799-SAFE) and National Sexual Assault Hotline,
operated by RAINN (800-656-HOPE).

Online Resources

* Advice from experts and links to Lifetime's campaign partners.
* A map that will drive visitors to local resources and shelters.
* An "action center" where women and men, families, community members and
employers can get involved and support efforts to stop violence against
women in their own communities.

Community Outreach
In communities across the nation, Lifetime and its partners will:

* Distribute thousands of new brochures highlighting the message that
violence against women is a community issue that affects all of us and,
therefore, takes all of us -- men and women, parents and siblings,
educators and religious leaders, law enforcement and employers -- to
prevent, address and stop it.

* Encourage viewers to "wear their support" with specially created "Stop
Violence Against Women" bandanas and (temporary) tattoos.

* Hold college campus special events, screenings and discussions of
"Searching for Angela Shelton."

Legislative Advocacy

* Lifetime will continue to join with anti-violence advocates and
bipartisan political leaders to push for the passage of legislation
addressing prevention of domestic abuse, sexual assault, stalking and
human trafficking. Lifetime and its partners have already been
instrumental in getting five pieces of legislation passed and signed
into law to stop violence, including: the Violence Against Women Act
2005 (VAWA); the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act
(TVPRA - H.R. 972); the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act
(IMBRA); the Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology Act of 2004; and
the Video Voyeurism Protection Act of 2004.

"Stop Violence Against Women" Campaign Partners:

Lifetime's campaign is informed by and is in partnership with leading experts, advocates, corporations and organizations, including: Alianza: National Latino Alliance for the Elimination of Domestic Violence; American Bar Association; American Domestic Violence Crisis Line; Amnesty International; Asian and Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence; New York Asian Women's Center; Avon Foundation; Battered Women's Justice Project; Break the Cycle; Communities Against Violence Network (CAVNET); Childhelp USA; Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence; The CTIA Wireless Foundation; Darkness to Light; Day One; The Department of Justice: Office of Violence Against Women; Equality Now; Family Violence Prevention Fund; Feminist Majority Foundation; HADASSAH - The Women's Zionist Organization of America; Help USA; H-E-A-R-T, Inc. (Hope Exists After Rape Trauma); Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community; International Justice Mission; It Happened to Alexa Foundation; Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation; Legal Momentum; Men Can Stop Rape; Mending the Sacred Hoop; Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) Program; Michael Bolton Charities; Ms. Foundation; MVP Strategies; National Alliance to End Sexual Violence; National Center for Victims of Crime; National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence; National Coalition Against Domestic Violence; National Council of Women's Organizations; National Domestic Violence Hotline; National Domestic Violence Hotline: Texas Council on Family Violence; National Institute on Media and the Family; National Network to End Domestic Violence; National Resource Center on Child Custody and Protection; National Sexual Violence Resource Center; National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women; NOW - National Organization for Women; NYC Mayor's Office to Combat Domestic Violence; Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape; Polaris Project; RAINN - Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network; Sacred Circle: National Resource Center to End Violence Against Native Women; Safe Horizon; Sakhi: For South Asian Women; Sanctuary for Families; Searching for Angela Shelton; Second Chance Employment Services; Sheila Wellstone Institute (Wellstone Action); Sisters of Color Ending Sexual Assault; Sports Leadership Institute; Stop It Now; StopFamilyViolence.org; Stop the Silence: Stop Child Sexual Abuse; Tahirih Justice Center; The Body Shop; The Miles Foundation; United Nations Development Fund for Women; V-Day; Vital Voices; WITNESS; Women's EDGE; WomensLaw.org; YWCA USA.

Campaign sponsors: Verizon Wireless and Whirlpool.

LIFETIME is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, LIFETIME is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. LIFETIME Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women, Lifetime Home Entertainment and Lifetime Online are part of LIFETIME Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of The Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

Survey Methodology: The findings presented are the results of a telephone study conducted March 17-19, 2006, by Roper Poll - a part of GfK NOP - among a nationally representative sample of 1008 adult Americans ages 18 or older. Data was weighted using US Census data to accurately represent the population of adult Americans. The margin of error for the total sample is +/- 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The margin of error for subgroups is higher. Complete tables available upon request.

Source: LIFETIME Television

CONTACT: Geralyn Lucas, lucas@lifetimetv.com, +1-212-424-7066, or
Jessica Watson, watson@a2pr.com, +1-202-544-7881, both for LIFETIME
Television

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

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