mtvU Announces Spring '07 Programming Slate

mtvU Announces Spring '07 Programming Slate

New 'Best Film on Campus' Online Farm System Offers MTV Films Development Deal, Tribeca Film Festival Showcase and Appearance at MTV Movie Awards to Top Student Filmmakers

Mary J. Blige, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, Nelly Furtado to Reveal Personal Mental Health Struggles in 'Half of Us' Specials

Fiona Apple, Common & James Mercer of The Shins to Help Pick First-Ever Fulbright-mtvU Fellows

NEW YORK, Feb. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- mtvU, MTV's 24-hour college network, today unveiled its on-air, online, mobile and on campus programming for Spring 2007. The semester's lineup will be fueled by the amazing work college students are submitting to mtvU daily, provide exclusive access to the best emerging artists and music, and offer students new tools to effect real world change. mtvU is now available on more than eighty percent of four-year universities nationwide and welcomes the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Nebraska Lincoln and the University of Akron as the network's newest affiliates. Some of the mtvU programs and events debuting this spring include:

* "BEST FILM ON CAMPUS" -- Today mtvU officially launches "Best Film On
Campus" (BFOC), a new online farm system for top student filmmakers.
BestFilmOnCampus.com will offer unparalleled weekly, monthly and yearly
opportunities for students to showcase their work, connect with their
peers and launch their careers. Those that register on the site can
build profiles, upload short films and become eligible for exclusive
prizes, including:

-- "Best Filmmaker on Campus" Award -- The best student filmmaker in the
system will receive a development deal with MTV Films and national
recognition at the 2007 MTV MOVIE AWARDS.
-- Tribeca Film Festival Showcase -- The Tribeca Film Festival, a
supporter of emerging talent and student filmmakers since its
inception in 2001, will provide a showcase for the five finalists in
contention for the "Best Filmmaker on Campus" Award. The filmmakers
will be flown to New York and have their work featured at the 6th
annual Tribeca Film Festival, taking place April 25th to May 6th,
2007. The top twenty-five student filmmakers in the system will
begin competing for this coveted opportunity in April, with student
voting playing a key role in determining who makes the final five.
-- Film of the Week -- Every Friday, mtvU and mtvU.com will debut a new
short film from one of the most talented student filmmakers in the
system. "Film of the Week" winners will receive national exposure,
automatically be entered in the "Best Filmmaker on Campus" Award
competition and get a Maxell prize pack including Maxell noise-
cancelling headphones, tons of Maxell blank digital media and other
essentials for aspiring filmmakers. Maxell is official semester-long
sponsor of BFOC.

* "HALF OF US MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALS: MARY J, PETE WENTZ, NELLY FURTADO,
MAX BEMIS" -- Mary J. Blige, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, Nelly Furtado
and Max Bemis of Say Anything recently sat down with mtvU to document
their personal struggles with serious mental health issues -- including
depression, bipolar disorder and suicidal thoughts. These titans of
music describe their pain, lowest point, and advice for college students
struggling with the same issues in a series of poignant episodes -- two
of which are directed by acclaimed filmmaker Joel Schumacher -- debuting
throughout the semester on mtvU and mtvU.com. The artist interviews
will serve as the framework for commercial free half-hour episodes that
also include topical, mental health-related music videos, student-
submitted testimonials and more information on how college students can
access help. The specials, as well as a series of PSAs born from the
candid sessions, are part of mtvU and The Jed Foundation's "Half of Us"
(www.HalfofUs.com) campaign, designed to reduce the student suicide
rate, fight the stigma of mental health on college campuses and connect
students to the help they need.

* "FULBRIGHT-mtvU FELLOWSHIPS WITH JUDGES FIONA APPLE, COMMON & JAMES
MERCER OF THE SHINS" -- The Fulbright Program, America's flagship
international educational program supported by Congress and sponsored by
the Department of State, and mtvU today began their search for the first
Fulbright-mtvU Fellows -- up to four college students sponsored to
travel abroad for a year and study how music can serve as a global force
for mutual understanding. The fellows will be selected by the Fulbright
Program and mtvU -- with input from Fiona Apple, Common, James Mercer of
The Shins and other top artists -- and be mtvU's international eyes and
ears for the 2007-08 academic year, beaming back reports that will air
on mtvU and mtvU.com. This marks the first time in its more than 60
year history the prestigious Fulbright Program, which aims to increase
mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other
countries, has held a co-sponsored worldwide U.S. student competition.
The deadline for applications is March 23, 2007 and more information is
available at http://www.mtvu.com/uconnect/fulbright/.

* "THE RONNIE DAY PROJECT" -- mtvU, in partnership with Epic Records,
today greenlighted a pioneering new series inspired by the music of
up-and-coming singer-songwriter Ronnie Day. A team of LA-based film
students will craft a visual narrative of Ronnie's debut album, a
striking and painfully honest collection of songs about his three-year
love affair -- and eventual betrayal -- by his girlfriend. "The Ronnie
Day Project" will be entirely shot, directed and produced by college
students and tell The Album's intimate story via a series of short-form
episodes that premiere on mtvU, mtvU.com and mtvU mobile.

* "mtvU FRESHMEN FIVE" -- Speaking through mtvU, college students have
championed and helped propel once emerging acts like Fall Out Boy, the
Killers, Franz Ferdinand and Matisyahu to superstardom. Every semester,
the mtvU "Freshman Five" names the five on-the-verge artists poised to
walk in these acts' footsteps, jumping from college favorites to
household names. The "Freshmen Five" get top billing on mtvU, taking
over all of the network's platforms with exclusive video premieres,
behind-the-scenes interviews, album leaks, live performances and more.
Recent alumni including Gym Class Heroes, Lady Sovereign and Silversun
Pickups have all graduated to MTV2 and MTV after being "Freshmen Five"
artists; the enrolling class for Spring 2007 is:

-- Amy Winehouse -- Acclaimed North London songstress who uniquely melds
soul, R&B and jazz on her upcoming US debut, "Back to Black."
-- Cold War Kids -- Stripped down, blues-influenced four piece indie
rock act bubbling on the college music scene with hot new single,
"Hang Me Up to Dry."
-- Elvis Perkins -- Folk-rock singer-songwriter with a melancholy sound
that's seeping into pensive moments on campuses nationwide.
-- Kidz in the Hall -- Chicago-bred emcee Naledge and Jersey-born
producer DoubleO bringing "true school" hip hop back to the quad and
leading the Rawkus resurrection.
-- Tech N9ne -- Kansas City, Mo-based hardcore rapper who tours
relentlessly and is gaining major traction with current single, "Bout
Ta' Bubble."

* "BEST MUSIC ON CAMPUS" -- mtvU's BestMusicOnCampus.com, an online music
destination offering unsigned college acts unparalleled weekly, monthly
and yearly opportunities to launch their careers, continues to gain
momentum this semester, building towards the college "Artist of the
Year" competition kicking off in late March. Rapper/producer Danny! of
Savannah College of Art and Design has already won an EP deal and
single/video collaboration with Mr. Lif; voting is live now on the top 5
college artists competing to win an EP, performance and video deal from
Epitaph Records; and acts registered on the site can now "opt in" to be
considered for the Drive Thru Records EP and video deal competition
beginning February 27th.

The first yearly cycle of "Best Music on Campus" will culminate at the
end of the semester with the best college band or solo artist winning a
promotion, video, tour and record deal from mtvU and Epic Records worth
up to $1.5 million. The first-ever mtvU college "Artist of the Year"
will be unveiled and debut with a live performance on "Late Night with
Conan O'Brien" in May.

* "mtvU STUDENT DEVELOPMENT DEALS" -- Every semester, mtvU awards
development deals to stand out students who have submitted for any of
mtvU's student-produced series or competitions. One of the students
receiving an mtvU development deal for Spring '07 is Mark Leung of
Babson College. His clip "Mark Leung's Crazy Computer Bug" has been
viewed over 6.8 million times on YouTube, ranking as one of the site's
top 20 all-time most popular videos, and his film "College Saga," about
three suburban college students' "quest to end vegetarian supremacy,"
has enjoyed similar online success.

* "LEAK WEEK" -- The week of March 12th, mtvU.com will debut its first-
ever "Leak Week," offering an exclusive first chance to hear upcoming,
highly-anticipated releases from El-P ("I'll Sleep When You're Dead"),
Ted Leo + the Pharmacists ("Living With the Living"), J Dilla ("Ruff
Draft") and more. During the week, mtvU and mtvU.com will also unleash
a barrage of music video premieres and other new music treats for
college students bracing for midterm exams.

mtvU is the only place where college students can see new music videos, exclusive live performances and more from many of their favorite emerging artists every week of the year. New music programming on tap for the spring semester includes: "mtvU Live Leak: The Academy Is ... ," an exclusive first look-and-listen of the band's forthcoming release "SANTI" on mtvU.com, which will premiere a new live performance of a track off the record each day from March 27th until it drops on April 3rd; "House Band," a bi-weekly series on mtvU.com compiling exclusive performance footage, video premieres and interviews, this fall spotlighting Fall Out Boy, The Shins and The Game; "Backstage Pass," where questions submitted on mtvU.com are answered by college favorites every Thursday, including Bloc Party, Bright Eyes, Tokyo Police Club, K-OS, Paolo Nuitini, and all of this semester's "Freshmen Five" artists; and "Dean's List," the definitive top ten college music countdown hosted by a different college student each week and this semester guest-hosted by Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst, Lily Allen and many more. In addition, every Monday, mtvU and mtvU.com premiere a new episode of "The Freshmen" -- hosted by VJ Kim Stolz -- spotlighting five new videos from up-and-coming acts and giving college students the power to vote their favorite into rotation on mtvU.

Other student favorites back with new episodes for spring include "Fresh Produce," which every Wednesday profiles handpicked batches of student- produced programming uploaded to mtvU.com from campuses across the country; "The Opening," giving upcoming grads the down low on what to expect from their first job and the opportunity to apply for similar jobs on mtvU.com, plus "My Shot With ... ," offering college students the chance to interview their heroes and some of today's biggest stars, including Will Ferrell, Beck, The Game, Orlando Bloom, John Legend and Jessica Alba.

About mtvU

Broadcasting to 750 colleges across the country, with a combined enrollment of over 7.2 million, mtvU is the largest, most comprehensive television network just for college students. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, mtvU can be seen in the dining areas, fitness centers, student lounges and dorm rooms of campuses throughout the U.S. mtvU is dedicated to every aspect of college life, reaching students everywhere they are, through a three pronged approach -- on-air, online and on campus. mtvU focuses on content including music videos from emerging artists which can't be seen anywhere else, news, student life features, events and pro-social initiatives. mtvU is always on campus, with more than 500 events per year, including exclusive concerts, giveaways, shooting mtvU series and more. For more information about mtvU, and for a complete programming schedule, visit www.mtvU.com.

mtvU.com makes mtvU the first MTV Networks channel distributed in its entirety via broadband, streaming 24/7 and on demand, featuring all of mtvU plus exclusive new music, original series and student-produced programming for college students and music fans everywhere.

mtvU also owns and operates College Publisher, the largest interactive network of online college newspapers in the US, and RateMyProfessors.com, the Internet's largest listing of collegiate professor ratings. The College Publisher Network comprises over 500 campus publications that serve institutions including Brown University, the University of Illinois, the University of Southern California, the University of Texas at Austin and Duke University, with a combined enrollment of over 5.5 million students and a subscriber base of 2.1 million. RateMyProfessors.com reaches approximately 10 million college students each year, via the site's more than 6.6 million student-generated ratings of over 900,000 college professors.

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 120 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, with all of these networks trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks connects with its audiences through its robust consumer products businesses and its more than 100 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: mtvU

CONTACT: Jason Rzepka of mtvU, +1-212-654-7198,
jason.rzepka@mtvstaff.com; or David French of MTV, +1-212-846-6406,
david.french@mtvstaff.com

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

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