Louis Gossett, Jr. Added to NAMIC Vision Awards Line-Up

Louis Gossett, Jr. Added to NAMIC Vision Awards Line-Up

Stars Lend Their Support for One-of-a-Kind Awards Ceremony Honoring the Cable Industry's Commitment to Programming Diversity

LOS ANGELES, April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Oscar winning actor Louis Gossett, Jr. has been added to the list of presenters for the 12th Annual NAMIC Vision Awards. Gina M. Holland, CEO of Ruby Red, Inc., the show's executive producer confirmed Gossett's appearance at the April 18, 2006 ceremony.

The NAMIC Vision Awards is the only awards program recognizing the cable industry's commitment to creating original, multi-ethnic content that represents the diverse spectrum of its viewers.

The recipient of multiple acting accolades, including Golden Globes, Emmys, and People's Choice Awards, Gossett stars in USA Network's science fiction series, "Stargate SG-1." Currently, Gossett is developing a nonprofit foundation aimed at creating entertainment that promotes education and awareness of issues relating to racism, ignorance and societal apathy.

"I'm honored to work with people, like Lou Gossett who recognize the importance of diversity in the cable industry and are lending their time by participating in this charitable event, said Holland, "The Vision Awards is a show that's about inclusion and I salute the talent, cable operators and networks for their commitment to diversity."

Additional presenters confirmed to date include Irene Bedard, Robert Gossett, Ernie Hudson, Justina Machado, Kyle Massey, Zahn McClarnon, Carlos Mencia, Cesar Milan, Shelly Morrison, Arthel Neville, Gina Ravera, Corey Reynolds, Ashley Tisdale and Kym Whitley. Comedian D.L. Hughley will host the ceremony, which takes place at Beverly Hills' Regent Beverly Wilshire. Emmy winning casting director and producer Robi Reed of Robi Reed Entertainment serves as Honorary Chair.

A record thirty networks are vying for NAMIC Vision Awards, which are presented in 11 programming categories. Additionally, NAMIC's most coveted honors, the Legacy, North Star and Quasar Awards will be presented to Vision Awards founder, Kyle Bowser (Lifetime's "For One Night"), Tony Award winning actor and filmmaker, Ruben Santiago-Hudson (HBO's "Lackawanna Blues") and Turner Broadcasting System Inc. respectively. DiversityInc ranked Turner Broadcasting System at #2 on the magazine's 2005 Top 50 Company's for Diversity list.

Warner Bros. is the lead sponsor of the 12th Annual NAMIC Vision Awards presented in partnership by the NAMIC Foundation and NAMIC -- Southern California.

For more information on the NAMIC Vision Awards, log onto www.namic.com, or contact the NAMIC national headquarters at 212-594-5985.

About NAMIC

NAMIC (National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications) is the premier organization focusing on ethnic diversity in the communications industry. Founded in 1980 as a nonprofit trade association, today NAMIC is comprised of nearly 2,000 professionals belonging to a network of chapters nationwide. Through initiatives that focus on education, advocacy and empowerment, NAMIC champions equity and inclusion in the workforce, with special attention given to ensuring that the leadership cadres of our nation's communications industry giants reflect the multi-ethnic richness of the populations they serve.

Source: NAMIC

CONTACT: Charmaine Chapman of BTB Communications, +1-310-242-8407, or
char@btbcommunications.com

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

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