VH1 Receives Esteemed Joel A. Berger Award For Outstanding AIDS Awareness Campaign at The Annual CTPAA Gala

VH1 Receives Esteemed Joel A. Berger Award For Outstanding AIDS Awareness Campaign at The Annual CTPAA Gala

VH1 Also Wins Two Beacon Awards for Excellence in Public Affairs

NEW YORK, March 23 /PRNewswire/ -- VH1 was presented the prestigious Joel A. Berger Award at the 73rd Annual Beacon Awards held at the JW Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. The Awards ceremony, held on March 21 is one of the highlights of the Cable Television Public Affairs Association's (CTPAA) annual 2006 conference.

The award was presented to VH1 for their partnership with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria designed to raise awareness and inspire action in the fight against global AIDS. The Joel A. Berger Award was named after the former publisher of Cablevision Magazine and annually recognizes an outstanding public affairs initiative that creates AIDS awareness in local communities.

VH1 also took home two Beacon Awards, one for Full Campaign/Series honoring VH1's partnership with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The second award was given for Programming/Single Program for "VH1 News Presents: Tracking The Monster: Ashley Judd and India. Arie Confront AIDS in Africa." The documentary follows India. Arie and Ashley Judd in Africa as they volunteer with two HIV/AIDS projects funded by The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

"In 2003 it became clear to us at VH1 that most American adults would acknowledge that AIDS was decimating the third world but had no idea who to reach out to if they wanted to help," said Tom Calderone, General Manager, VH1. Because of this we sought out a partner to educate viewers and get them involved. We couldn't have imagined a more perfect partner then the Global Fund. We are so appreciative of these awards which solidify even more VH1's commitment to AIDS/HIV awareness."

"VH1's remarkable leadership and creativity have motivated so many Americans to join the Global Fund in its fight to save lives around the world," said Jack Valenti, President of Friends of the Global Fight, a U.S. based advocacy group committed to ending the global burdens of AIDS, TB and Malaria.

"We are very proud of the successful and unique partnership between VH1 and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and honored by receiving these awards last night," said Natasha Bilimoria, Executive Director of Friends. "The success of this partnership should be a reminder to all of us that when we work together, we can make Americans around this country a part of the battle to end AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Because in the end, it will take all of us."

In July 2004, VH1 teamed up with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to create an unprecedented collaborative public education campaign to fight global AIDS. Working on the premise that the Global Fund is the world's "war chest" in the fight against the spread and devastation of HIV/AIDS in developing nations, VH1 created a series of provocative awareness spots. These public service announcements were part of a larger campaign, which continued in 2005 and included online resources and programming to educate viewers about the growing concerns currently surrounding this global pandemic.

The Beacon Awards honor excellence in public affairs throughout the cable industry, recognizing achievements in the areas of public relations, community outreach, customer service, education and government affairs.

To learn more about the VH1 and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria partnership and how you can help log onto www.vh1.com\AIDS or www.theglobalfund.org.

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 88 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital services including VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul, VH Uno and VH1 Country. Connect with VH1 at www.VH1.com.

VH1 is a registered trademark of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom International Inc. MTV Networks also operates and offers joint ventures, licensing agreements and syndication deals whereby its programming can be seen worldwide.

Contact:
Maura Wozniak/VH1
212-846-7325

Source: VH1

CONTACT: Maura Wozniak of VH1, +1-212-846-7325

Web site: http://www.vh1.com/

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