BET and Cox Take a Stand to Help New Orleans-Based Universities Ravaged by Hurricane Katrina

BET and Cox Take a Stand to Help New Orleans-Based Universities Ravaged by Hurricane Katrina

'STAND AND DELIVER' Block Party and Rebuilding Fund to Motivate and Inspire Students While Aiding Dillard, Southern and Xavier Universities

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The media attention has died down and the flood waters have receded but much of the damage and pain left by Hurricane Katrina remains. BET and Cox Communications are committed to making a difference to higher education in New Orleans. BET and the Atlanta-based cable provider Cox Communications are partnering on an event that will renew school spirit, restore hope and rebuild historically black colleges and universities in New Orleans -- project STAND AND DELIVER.

On Sunday, February 25, 2007, sixteen months after the disaster, BET and Cox are co-hosting the STAND AND DELIVER BLOCK PARTY, a private concert event offered exclusively for students of Dillard, Southern and Xavier Universities. The concert, hosted by 106 & PARK hosts Rocsi and Terrence, features celebrity performances by hip-hop and R&B artists UNK, Dro, Lloyd, Lil Scrappy and others. The concert begins at 5:00 p.m. and will be held at the legendary Howlin' Wolf (907 South Peters Street in New Orleans). While tickets are not available to the general public, the STAND AND DELIVER BLOCK PARTY will be available for viewing and listening online at http://www.bet.com/, and portions of the concert will be available to Cox Digital Cable subscribers through On Demand.

"The Cox family of companies has a long history of commitment to the communities we serve, dating all the way back to 1913 when Governor James M. Cox helped rebuild Dayton after five days of torrential rain caused surrounding rivers to pour twelve feet of water into downtown Dayton," said Pat Esser, president of Cox Communications. "At Cox Communications, supporting the communities we serve in times of crisis is simply in our blood, and we strive on good days and bad to be the best corporate neighbor we can be."

The purpose of the event is two-fold: emphasizing the importance of remaining committed to education and bringing attention to the STAND AND DELIVER REBUILDING FUND which aims to help restore the beneficiary universities to their pre-Katrina grandeur.

"We commend the students, faculty and administration at each of these universities and are proud to support their efforts to rebuild and continue their legacy of excellence in education," said Debra Lee, Chairman and CEO of BET Networks. "Project STAND AND DELIVER is yet another example of the strength and resilient spirit of our audience."

Donations to the STAND AND DELIVER REBUILDING FUND can be made through http://www.bet.com/.

About COX COMMUNICATIONS

Cox Communications, a Fortune 500 company, is a multi-service broadband communications and entertainment company with more than 6 million total residential and commercial customers. Cox offers an array of advanced digital video, high-speed Internet and telephony services over its own nationwide IP network. Cox Business Services is a full-service, facilities-based provider of communications solutions for commercial customers, providing high-speed Internet, voice and long-distance services, as well as data and video transport services for small to large-sized businesses. Cox Media offers national and local cable advertising in traditional spot and new media formats, along with promotional opportunities and production services. More information about the services of Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at http://www.cox.com/, http://www.coxbusiness.com/, and http://www.coxmedia.com/.

ABOUT STAND AND DELIVER REBUILDING FUND:

Stand and Deliver Rebuilding Fund (SDRF) is not a separate 501(c) (3) organization/charity. SDRF is a special fund established by the BET Foundation, a Washington, DC-based 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. Individuals will go directly to that online donation page, make a donation and the funds collected will be disbursed by BET Foundation to the designated beneficiaries. A processing fee of 4.75% is applied to administer the special fund. Your donation is 100% tax deductible. Individuals wishing to make a check, money order or cash contribution will do so, payable to BET Foundation with a noted memo "Stand & Deliver Rebuilding Fund" and mail to BET Foundation, Attn: "Stand and Deliver Rebuilding Fund", 1235 W Street, NE Washington, DC 20018. BET Foundation will disburse the donated funds to the same designated beneficiaries. For more information about the BET Foundation, visit http://www.bet.com/.

ABOUT BET FOUNDATION

The BET Foundation is a non-profit organization created to raise public awareness to the numerous health-related challenges within African-American communities. Established in 2003, the Foundation takes a pioneering step in addressing one of the leading behavioral-attributed health concerns among African-American women and families, obesity-related health concerns. Through specifically-tailored initiatives and targeted campaigns, the BET Foundation aims to insure that African Americans live longer and healthier lives. The BET Foundation includes public service announcements (PSAs); targeted programming segments; seminars and health forums; health brochure materials; a dedicated toll-free hotline and website; and a nationwide Healthy BET Fitness Challenge contest to provide the tools and knowledge necessary for communities to develop long lasting healthy lifestyle habits. For more information, please visit http://www.ahealthybet.com/.

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:and)(NYSE:VIA.B), is the leading provider of media and entertainment for African Americans and consumers of Black culture on a global basis. The primary BET cable network reaches more than 84 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET Digital Networks -- BET J, BET Gospel, and BET Hip-Hop -- are brands that combine to serve a broader and more diverse audience than the core network. BET.com is the number one internet destination for the target audiences. BET Mobile delivers music, gaming, and video content to the target audiences on wireless devices across virtually all service providers. BET Event Productions is a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe. BET International delivers BET content to the consumers of Black culture around the world. BET Networks inspires its audiences to make a difference in their lives and communities with a broad and impactful pro-social agenda.

Visit Us @ http://www.bet.com/

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: BET Networks

CONTACT: Marcy Polanco, +1-212-975-4048, marcy.polanco@bet.net, or Anne
Williams, +1-202-608-2063, anne.williams@bet.net, or David Grabert,
+1-404-269-7054, David.Grabert@Cox.com, all of BET Networks

Web site: http://www.bet.com/
http://www.ahealthybet.com/
http://www.cox.com/

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