mtvU Unveils Fall '07 Programming Slate

mtvU Unveils Fall '07 Programming Slate

Greenlights New Series "Sex Cred with Dr. Ruth" and Student-Produced "How Do I Say This?: I'm Gay"

Ludacris, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Annie Lennox to Surprise College Students as "mtvU Stand In" Professors

John Ashbery Named Inaugural mtvU Poet Laureate; mtvU and National Poetry Series Join Forces to Discover Best College Poet in America

NEW YORK, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- mtvU, MTV's 24-hour college network, today unveiled its on-air, online and on campus programming for Fall 2007. This semester's slate places a special focus on harnessing the limitless creativity of the national college audience and serving up new, one-of-a-kind opportunities to help launch students' careers. mtvU will continue to revolve around the emerging artists and music college students live their lives to, and amplify the efforts of those working to effect positive change on campus and around the globe. Select mtvU programs and events on tap for Fall '07 include:

-- "SEX CRED WITH DR. RUTH" - mtvU, renowned "sexpert" Dr. Ruth Westheimer and the nation's leading student sex columnists are teaming up for a new series tackling sex questions burning on college campuses. Each episode will feature Dr. Ruth - a current adjunct professor at Yale, Princeton and NYU, and two-time "College Lecturer of the Year" - doling out wisdom and her trademark brand of humor, as she responds to student questions uploaded via mtvU.com. Top student sex columnists from mtvU's College Media Network, an online network of over 500 college newspapers, will share the spotlight with Dr. Ruth each week, as they report on the most pressing sex issues on their campuses. All of the content will be archived on mtvU.com, where viewers can browse topics and find answers to questions they or "a friend" might have. The series' premiere examines abstinence on college campuses and debuts September 3rd at 6pm ET on mtvU and mtvU.com.

-- "STAND IN" - Ludacris, Annie Lennox and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf - President of Liberia, and Africa's first elected female head of state - are among the cultural icons set to surprise college classrooms this fall, serving as guest professors for the day on upcoming episodes of Emmy-nominated series "Stand In." With mtvU cameras following, these and other major national figures will appear unannounced on campus in the months ahead, taking students out of their books for a chance to learn from those making history today. "Stand In: Annie Lennox," finds the legendary performer dropping in on a women's studies class at Cal State Long Beach and premieres on mtvU and mtvU.com October 1st. Past "Stand In"s have included Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, Madonna, Senators John McCain and Sam Brownback, Sting, Marilyn Manson, Rawandan President Paul Kagame, Larry David and Kanye West.

-- "INAUGURAL mtvU POET LAUREATE & NATIONAL POETRY SERIES PARTNERSHIP" - This semester, mtvU introduces two new landmark initiatives to help inspire the next generation of great poets and poetry readers. First, the network is honored to name John Ashbery - one of the most vital and acclaimed American poets of the 20th century - as the first-ever mtvU Poet Laureate. Throughout the fall and spring semesters, mtvU will place poetry from Mr. Ashbery's storied career, along with new poems, front and center on the channel, exposing his work to millions of students who may not already know it. The first in a series of eighteen promo spots, with excerpts from standout books including "Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror," "Where Shall I Wander?" and "Can You Hear, Bird?" begins airing on mtvU today. Each spot directs viewers to mtvU.com, where they can read more of Mr. Ashbery's work and share it with their friends.

Today mtvU also unveils a first-of-its-kind opportunity for a top college poet to be published by HarperCollins as part of the prestigious National Poetry Series (NPS). For nearly 30 years the NPS has held an annual competition to find and expose the best emerging and standout poets in the country, and next year, for the first time, one of the series' five published titles will be designated as a book-length manuscript composed by a college student. Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa will judge submissions for the National Poetry Series mtvU Prize, and the winning student will interview Mr. Komunyakaa for an episode of mtvU's series "My Shot With..." Submissions will be accepted beginning later this fall, and the winning manuscript will be published in 2008 as part of the NPS' 30th anniversary series.

mtvU is committing the equivalent of at least $750,000 of airtime to showcasing Mr. Ashbery's poetry and promoting the National Poetry Series mtvU prize during the 07-08 school year.

-- "HOW DO I SAY THIS?" - Developed and produced by a group of college students from UCLA, "How Do I Say This?" is an interactive, Web-based advice Wiki where an online community helps script and create videos for users with something important to say, but at a loss for words. The site was launched a year ago with funding from mtvU and Cisco - as part of the mtvU "Digital Incubator" program to find, fund and launch the best student-developed new media projects - and now it's been greenlighted as an mtvU series. Season one, entitled "How Do I Say This?: I'm Gay," premieres in October on mtvU and mtvU.com. The series combines audience feedback from HowDoISayThis.com with original production from the site's student creators in the form of weekly, short-form episodes, building to a special season finale in December.

-- "HALF OF US" - Launched nearly a year ago, "Half of Us" is a mental health campaign from mtvU and The Jed Foundation designed to reduce the student suicide rate, fight the stigma of mental health on college campuses and connect students to the help they need. Building on a semester where Mary J. Blige, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy and Max Bemis of Say Anything sat down with mtvU to document their personal mental health struggles, this fall underground hip hop emcee Cage will explain how he has channeled his experiences in a psychiatric hospital into his music, and actress Brittany Snow ("Hairspray," "John Tucker Must Die") will reveal how casual dieting turned into an all-consuming eating disorder. Both will describe their lowest points in grappling with mental health-related issues and encourage college students facing the same issues to seek help. The interviews will air on mtvU and be showcased on HalfofUs.com, alongside a series of impactful mental health PSAs, an action center offering ways to become involved in mental health awareness, and an anonymous self-evaluator screening tool that customizes feedback based on a student's school and available resources.

-- "BREAKING THE VIDEO: THE SHINS & MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK" - "Breaking the Video" has already given college students the chance make music videos for now established acts including Cartel, O.A.R. and Trail of the Dead, and this semester it's going to connect promising student filmmakers with The Shins and Motion City Soundtrack. First up is The Shins' new music video "Sleeping Lessons," which had its worldwide debut this morning on mtvU and mtvU.com, and was entirely created by NYU senior Antonio Campos. Antonio is a Cannes Film Festival Cinefondation 1st place winner, past mtvU development deal recipient and now adds experience as both a producer and director for The Shins to his rapidly expanding resume.

In mid-September, mtvU and Epitaph records will offer up the series' next huge opportunity, asking students to pitch concepts for Motion City Soundtrack's upcoming video, "It Had to Be You." Submissions for "Breaking The Video: Motion City Soundtrack" will be accepted via BestFilmonCampus.com - mtvU's career-launching online film hub for top student filmmakers - and the winner will get a budget and cash prize of approximately $10,000, plus the privilege of working with this red-hot band to make their next video. The contest will kick off in mid-September.

-- "'THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK' CAMPUS SCREENINGS" - A documentary the New York Times reviewed as "Brutal, urgent, devastating ... [it] demands to be seen as soon as possible and by as many viewers as possible," "The Devil Came on Horseback" exposes the genocide in Darfur through the eyes of Brian Steidle, a former Marine who has returned to the US from Sudan to take action. As part of the network's three year-long, student-led, Emmy-winning Sudan campaign, mtvU will host free screenings of the film on campuses around the country, beginning September 12th at the University of South Florida. Long time mtvU partners STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition will also be on hand for several of the screenings, helping host panel discussions after the film and offering up more information on how students can take action. For more information on the screenings or to become involved in ending the genocide in Darfur, visit mtvU.com/uconnect/devilcameonhorseback/.

-- "mtvU PRESENTS: MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK & THE ACADEMY IS ... " - A brand new mtvU tour series kicks off in Fall '07 with two outstanding bands college students helped launch to national fame: The Academy Is ... and Motion City Soundtrack. The Academy Is ... has been one of the most popular acts on mtvU the past two years, logging several mtvU Woodie Award nominations, playing to screaming students at mtvU Spring Break and achieving some of the most- streamed video premieres in mtvU.com history. They will kick off their "mtvU Presents" tour September 5th in Milwaukee, WI, and hit nearly 60 cities across the country, accompanied by up-and-comers Armor For Sleep, The Rocket Summer and Sherwood. The Academy Is ... recently wrapped up a monster global tour along side fellow mtvU Woodies alumni Fall Out Boy, and played several major international summer music festivals. The band's sophomore album, "SANTI," is in stores now.

The next "mtvU Presents" tour will feature mtvU fan favorites Motion City Soundtrack, who will headline a 40-city tour along with emerging acts Mae, Anberlin and Metro Station, kicking off October 17th in Grand Rapids, MI. Motion City Soundtrack is hot off a sold-out summer tour and show-stopping performance at Lollapalooza, and gearing up for the highly anticipated release of "Even If It Kills Me," their new LP out September 18th on Epitaph. The band has a long, successful history with mtvU, winning the "The Breaking Woodie" (Best Emerging Artist) award at the 2005 mtvU Woodie Awards and headlining mtvU's "Campus Invasion '06 Tour," which sold-out college campuses across the country. For more information on both tours and to buy tickets, please visit tours.mtvU.com.

-- "QUAD SQUADS: MICHIGAN VS. OHIO STATE" - mtvU reality series "Quad Squads" pits college rivals against each other in the business arena, and this semester the show brings the University of Michigan's Stephen M. Ross School of Business and The Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business together in a Big Ten grudge match. Each school will soon send a team of its top business students into battle, where they'll showcase their marketing skills in a national job audition - competing for bragging rights, a prize pack worth up to $5,000 each and a shot at interning for Ford Motor Company. The new season will kick off on mtvU and mtvU.com the week of October 1st. Past installments of the series have featured students from Indiana and the University of Illinois competing to "out-market" MSN Live Search on college campuses, as well as students at Auburn and the University of Alabama battling it out to develop the best college-centric "Snickers Satisfies" marketing campaign.

-- "mtvU FRESHMEN FIVE - Every semester, the mtvU "Freshman Five" names five on-the-verge artists poised to walk in the footsteps of recent alumni like Gym Class Heroes, Amy Winehouse and the Silversun Pickups - all of which have gone from obscure to buzz-worthy with the backing of mtvU's national college audience. The "Freshmen Five" take over all of mtvU's platforms each semester, with exclusive video premieres, behind-the-scenes interviews, album leaks, live performances and more. The enrolling class for Fall 2007 is:

-- Calvin Harris - Upbeat, glitzy, re-invented disco that's storming the
UK and about to land stateside.
-- The Cool Kids - Stripped-down, synth-driven hip hop that sounds one
part class of '88, one part class of '08.
-- Emily King - Up-and-coming, genre-busting songstress uniquely blending
rock, soul and hip hop.
-- Paulson - Neo-prog-dance-indie-punk set to pulse through dorm rooms
this semester and beyond.
-- White Rabbits - Playful, vibrant Midwest-bred six-piece with an indie
rock sound resonating on campus.

-- "FIRST-EVER FULBRIGHT-mtvU FELLOWS' REPORTS" - Last semester, the Fulbright Program, America's flagship international educational program supported by Congress and sponsored by the Department of State, and mtvU set out to find four college students to travel abroad for a year and study how music can serve as a global force for mutual understanding. Amazing proposals poured in from across the US, the four best were selected, and now the first- ever Fulbright-mtvU Fellows are set to begin their travels. Beginning in September, and throughout the coming year, these Fellows will beam back multimedia reports to mtvU and mtvU.com from Panama, Cambodia, South Africa and Jerusalem. Their projects address everything from how joint musical performances can help break down barriers between Israelis and Palestinians, to how post-Khmer Rouge Cambodians are rediscovering their lost cultural roots through music; the mtvU reports will enable every college student in the country to accompany the Fellows' on their remarkable cultural expeditions. Additionally, mtvU and the Fulbright program are now accepting applications for the next Fulbright-mtvU Fellowships. The deadline is October 19th and more information is available at www.mtvU.com/uconnect/fulbright/.

-- "mtvU ROAD TRIP" - mtvU is on campus more than 500 times a year, but it's not often we bring our whole studio and all our shows with us. That all changes when "mtvU Road Trip" debuts this semester, hitting 10 campuses around the country with student favorites including "The Freshmen, with VJ Kim Stolz," "Dean's List," "Best Music on Campus" and "Best Film on Campus." Each school's student body will take over these shows when mtvU hits the quad, as we also audition the best student musicians and filmmakers, and search for our next VJ. More details on schools and dates will be posted to mtvU.com in the weeks ahead.

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 fall semester includes: The 2007 "mtvU Woodie Awards," the only awards honoring the music voted best by the college audience, now in their fourth year; "House Band," a bi-weekly series on mtvU.com compiling exclusive performance footage, video premieres and interviews, this fall spotlighting Gym Class Heroes, Tegan & Sara and Kanye West; "Backstage Pass," where questions submitted on mtvU.com are answered by college favorites every Thursday, including Against Me, 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 Rilo Kiley, The Academy Is ... and others. 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

Broadcast to more than 750 colleges across the country, with a combined enrollment of nearly 7.5 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. The network is simulcast and available on demand at mtvU.com 24/7, 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 514 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 1.5 million college students each month, via the site's more than 6.6 million student-generated ratings of over 1,000,000 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.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

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.mtv.com/

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