MTV Launches Biggest Ever Global Competition for the MTV Video Music Awards, 'Global MTV VMA'06 Video Diary Competition'

MTV Launches Biggest Ever Global Competition for the MTV Video Music Awards, 'Global MTV VMA'06 Video Diary Competition'

Competition Winners from Around the World to Film Their Own Video Diaries of Their VMA Experience for Broadcast on MTV's Broadband Services & Web Sites

NEW YORK and LONDON, July 24 /PRNewswire/ -- MTV: Music Television today announced the launch of an unprecedented global competition for the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards (VMA), the hottest ticket of the summer honoring the best in music videos. Alongside the competitions running in the United States, MTV will broadcast internationally a "Global MTV VMA'06 Video Diary Competition" on-air and online starting July 26 across 25 MTV channels reaching 90 countries from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. The competition will give 25 pairs of winners the ultimate experience at the 2006 VMAs, marking the biggest ever competition around the VMA franchise on a global scale. The 23rd annual awards show will take place on Thursday, August 31 at 8PM ET/PT from Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

MTV viewers worldwide can enter the competition through www.mtv.tv/vma by describing their ultimate New York experience and why they are the best fan to win this amazing opportunity. The competition winners and their guests will receive VIP tickets to the 2006 VMAs; roundtrip flights to New York City, courtesy of American Airlines; three night hotel accommodations at the Chelsea Savoy Hotel; an excursion at the new "Top of the Rock" observation deck at Rockefeller Center; dinner at Tony's DiNapoli Times Square Restaurant; a tour of The Museum of Modern Art; all on-the-ground transportation; and $300 spending money.

In addition, while in New York, all 25 pairs of winners will be charged with the task of filming their own video diaries of their VMA experience. The footage that they shoot (camera and microphone will be provided) will then be used on local MTV Web sites and broadband services so that viewers everywhere can check out the winners' video journal entries.

"It is great to be able to promote our network's flagship event through our many channels around the world," said Kathy Flynn, Senior Vice President, Production Events, MTV and VH1. "The MTV Video Music Awards is the world's biggest end of summer bash, and to run a competition of this caliber is the perfect way to invite our international fans to get in on the action."

"We are always looking for new ways to give our viewers a multi-screen experience," said Cristian Jofre, Senior Vice President, Creative and Marketing, MTV Networks International. "In this case, 25 lucky pairs of winners will receive VIP treatment at the VMAs. They'll be able to capture their experiences via video diary, and then share it with the rest of the world through our global network of Web sites and broadband services."

The "Global MTV VMA'06 Video Diary Competition" winners will be chosen from the following participating regions: Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Russia, Serbia & Montenegro, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

For complete details and competition rules, log on to www.mtv.tv/vma.

For more information on the competition prizes, log on to American Airlines (www.aa.com), the Chelsea Savoy Hotel (www.chelseasavoy.com), Top of the Rock (www.topoftherocknyc.com), The Museum of Modern Art (www.moma.org), and Tony's DiNapoli Times Square Restaurant (www.tonysnyc.com).

The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards will be available to a potential viewing audience of more than 1.3 billion people via MTV's global network of 50 channels reaching 481.5 million households around the world as well as through syndication. Its convergent and original online programming will reach the entire interactive community, via MTV's 43 Web sites around the world.

The return of the VMAs to New York marks the 13th time that the star- studded music awards show will be held in the city and the 10th time at the Radio City Music Hall. Host, performers, nominees and presenters for the 2006 VMAs will be announced soon.

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:VIA.B), is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. MTV Networks, with 129 channels worldwide, owns and operates the following television programming services -- MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, VH1, mtvU, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN, VH1 CLASSIC, LOGO, MTVN INTERNATIONAL and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 13 digital services, all of these through its robust consumer products businesses and its more than 122 interactive properties worldwide, including online, broadband, wireless and interactive television services and also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide.

Source: MTV

CONTACT: Mark Serrano of MTV International, +1-212-846-7163,
mark.serrano@mtvn.com, Jennifer DeGuzman of MTV, +1-212-846-7175,
jennifer.deguzman@mtvstaff.com

Web site: http://www.mtv.com/
http://www.aa.com/
http://www.topoftherocknyc.com/
http://www.chelseasavoy.com/
http://www.moma.org/
http://www.tonysnyc.com/

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