Viacom's MTV Networks Creates MTVN Mobile Media

Viacom's MTV Networks Creates MTVN Mobile Media

New Unit to Grow MTVN Wireless Entertainment Business Across Company's Brands

NEW YORK, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Building upon the success of its wireless initiatives and its lead in creating original content for mobile, Viacom's (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:VIA.B) MTV Networks (MTVN) today announced it has created MTVN Mobile Media, a new unit dedicated to growing the company's mobile entertainment business. MTVN Mobile Media will be responsible for managing mobile partnerships and content distribution for the company, and will support the teams at the individual MTVN brands in developing a wide portfolio of mobile content and applications -- including personalization, entertainment, information and messaging products. The unit will be led by Greg Clayman, who has been promoted to Senior Vice President of MTVN Mobile Media. MTVN Mobile Media reports into MTVN Global Digital Media, led by Mika Salmi, President; and MTVN Affiliate Sales and Marketing, led by Nicole Browning, President.

"Connecting with our consumers on every platform they love is at the heart of our digital strategy," said Judy McGrath, Chairman and CEO, MTV Networks. "MTVN Mobile Media will help our brands take it even further in distribution and product development, and it will expand our global wireless footprint even more, so the communities around our brands can access our content anywhere."

"Our audiences lead an on-demand lifestyle and our brands deliver the best pop-culture, music, comedy and entertainment programming on the handset," said Salmi. "With MTVN Mobile Media, we're poised to deliver even more compelling mobile content and further deepen our connection with our viewers."

As the world's leading provider of video programming for the handset, MTVN publishes more than 600 clips and 30 hours of video per month in the United States alone, across all major carriers and leading MVNOs. Globally, the company has partnerships with 68 carriers and connections with more than one billion subscribers, making MTVN the largest wireless content provider of any entertainment company.

Added Browning, "We're clearly primed to take our programming to the next level, and as we build on our fast-growing mobile video business and add more channels, more content, and more distribution around the world, we will continue to focus on mobile games, personalization products such as ringtones and graphics, and mobile web site development."

The MTVN mobile programming spanning every genre of entertainment and engaging nearly every demographic includes:

* Original made-for-mobile programs, including MTV's popular "Sway's Hip
Hop Owner's Manual", CMT's "Road Hammers", COMEDY CENTRAL's "Clip
Joint", and VH1's "Celebhead";
* Extensions from such television franchises as COMEDY CENTRAL's Peabody
and Emmy Award-winning "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"; MTV's "Laguna
Beach"; Nickelodeon's "SpongeBob SquarePants"; VH1's "Best Week Ever";
Logo's "Noah's Arc"; and CMT's "Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders" series;
* Original animation, such as "Usavitch" and "Lightman" from Flux in Japan
and MTV International's "Wulffmorgenthaler";
* Innovative "making of," behind-the-scenes and after-shows developed
exclusively for the wireless medium;
* MTV, VH1 and CMT music video premieres and exclusive music performances
from such franchises as VH1's Live@VH1.com and CMT's "Studio 330
Sessions", and simulcasts of tentpoles like "The MTV Europe Music
Awards";
* Content highlighting social issues important to MTVN audiences, such as
MTVN International's HIV/AIDS prevention campaign, "Staying Alive";
* The largest selection of stand-up comedy on mobile, made available by
COMEDY CENTRAL.

MTVN also has forged new ground with a number of notable industry firsts: Nickelodeon was the first kids' television network to offer text messaging promoted on-air. Spike TV Mobile, in partnership with Amp'd Mobile, was the first network to stream a sporting event live on the handset. VH1 is defining the standard for television/mobile integration with Mobile Junk 20, an extension of the "Web Junk 20" television show that seamlessly migrates viewers from the television set, to the handset and back to the television. And Neopets introduced the first entertainment-based web-to-wireless application of its kind, letting Neopets members engage with their Neopets characters, stories and activities on their handsets just as they would online.

In addition to Clayman, MTVN announced promotions for two other mobile executives. Alice Kim, now Vice President of Carrier Relations and Wireless Distribution, will cultivate the company's existing distribution partnerships for all MTVN brands and will also direct distribution, marketing and business development relationships with carriers. Jeremiah Zinn, now Vice President, Mobile Operations and Product Development, will work with the teams at each individual brand to manage the full lifecycle of wireless products and for forging relationships with leading service and technology companies. Zinn and Kim will continue reporting to Clayman.

Working closely with the company's Music, Logo and Films Group; Kids and Family Group; Entertainment Group; and MTVN International, MTV Networks' Mobile Media delivers a diverse array of video programming, ringtones, graphics and other content from its CMT, COMEDY CENTRAL, Logo, MTV, Nickelodeon, The N, Spike and VH1 brands. MTVN's mobile efforts reflects the company's overarching commitment to developing content for all screens, from television to broadband and wireless, and the company's video programming consistently ranks among the most viewed every month on major carriers and MVNOs.

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 more than 135 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/THE N, VH1 CLASSIC, LOGO, MTVN INTERNATIONAL and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 13 digital services, all of these networks trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks connects with its audiences through its robust consumer products businesses and its more than 200 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.

Viacom is a leading global entertainment content company, with prominent and respected brands in focused demographics. Engaging its audiences through television, motion pictures and digital platforms, Viacom reaches its audiences wherever they consume content. Viacom's leading brands include the multiplatform properties of MTV Networks, including MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, COMEDY CENTRAL, CMT: Country Music Television, Spike TV, TV Land, Logo and more than 135 networks around the world, as well as digital assets such as Neopets, Xfire and Atom Entertainment; BET Networks; Paramount Pictures; Paramount Home Entertainment; DreamWorks; and Famous Music. More information about Viacom and its businesses is available at http://www.viacom.com/.

Source: MTV Networks

CONTACT: David Bittler of MTVN, +1-212/846-5263

Web site: http://www.mtv.com/
http://www.viacom.com/

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