mtvU & ROO Partner to Bring On-Demand Video to Network of Over 500 Online College Newspapers

mtvU & ROO Partner to Bring On-Demand Video to Network of Over 500 Online College Newspapers

Online Video Application and Customizable Video Channels Now Available to Nation's Largest Network of Online Campus Publications

NEW YORK, April 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- mtvU, MTV's 24-hour college network and a division of Viacom Inc.'s (NYSE: VIA; VIA.B) MTV Networks, and Internet video specialist ROO (BULLETIN BOARD: RGRP) , today announced a partnership to offer a best-in-breed video player and customizable video channels to the more than 500 online college newspapers in mtvU's College Publisher network.

Each of the network's student-run publications will now have free access to a customizable, private-label video player and a wide variety of on-demand content channels -- including news, sports and entertainment from leading providers such as The Associated Press, Reuters and many other leading brands. The ROO content team will work closely with mtvU to develop and secure new original video exclusively for this growing network. The ROO player will also enable the online student papers to distribute their own video content, or to partner with a university's TV station to make its programming available worldwide.

The video players will be individually branded to reflect the look and feel of each college newspaper site, integrate seamlessly with a paper's online edition and be powered by the ROO Video Exchange (VX) platform. Publications that install the plug-and-play applications will also be able to capitalize on a new video advertising revenue stream. With the addition of online video, and several other recently introduced multi-media features, today mtvU also announces the re-naming of College Publisher to the College Media Network.

"Partnering with ROO reflects our commitment to empower student publications with cutting-edge digital tools that benefit their readers, business and staff," said Stephen Friedman, GM, mtvU. "This video platform unlocks new creative possibilities and sources of revenue for our affiliates and will enable them to continue inventing the newsroom of tomorrow - with the College Media Network as their laboratory."

"College students are probably the most discriminating, demanding and sophisticated consumers of video in the market today," said Robert Petty, CEO of ROO. "They watch online video more than any other group and their expectations for content and technical quality are extraordinarily high. Our vast, ever expanding content library and our unique technology platform ensure that the College Media Network will be able to offer up video channels of the most dynamic content that will draw even more students around the country to the newspaper sites."

While the name of mtvU's online college newspaper network will be new, the content management solution used by campus publications nationwide will keep the College Publisher title. The College Publisher platform is the only online publishing system designed specifically for college newspapers. The Web-based suite of tools allows multiple users to control all facets of digital publishing, including content management, multimedia administration and online advertising.

In August 2006, mtvU acquired Y2M: Youth Media & Marketing Networks, the parent company of College Publisher. Since the acquisition, the network has grown from 450 campus publications to 510, and now serves institutions with a combined enrollment of over 5.5 million students, reaching an average of 5 million unique users each month.

About ROO

ROO Group Inc. (OTCBB: RGRP) through its 100% subsidiary ROO Media Corporation, is the online video solutions company focused on meeting the specific needs of large enterprise companies globally. The company's proprietary platform, the ROO Video Exchange, simultaneously services multiple video channels, audience segments and advertisers and, as such, has become a leading platform in content aggregation, distribution and targeted advertising. ROO's unique ability to offer a "many-to-many" service has helped secure its position as the Internet broadcast company of choice for companies seeking effective strategies for monetizing online video.

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.

In September 2005, mtvU became the first MTV Networks channel to also be distributed in its entirety online. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, mtvU is simulcast and available on demand at mtvU.com, featuring all of network's on-air content plus exclusive new music, original series and student-produced programming for college students and music fans everywhere.

mtvU also owns and operates the College Media Network, 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 Media Network comprises over 510 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, reaching an average of 5 million unique users each month. RateMyProfessors.com reaches approximately 10 million college students each year, via the site's more than 6.6 million student-generated ratings of over 1,000,000 college professors.

About MTV Networks

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 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.

FCMN Contact: erossi@kwitco.com

Source: mtvU

CONTACT: Jason Rzepka of mtvU, +1-212-654-7198,
jason.rzepka@mtvstaff.com; David French of MTV, +1-212-846-6406,
david.french@mtvstaff.com; Ellie Jones Rossi, +1-646-747-7151,
erossi@kwitco.com, for ROO

Web site:

http://www.mtvu.com/
http://www.roo.com/

-------
Profile: intent