Viacom Names David A. Sutphen Senior Vice President, Government Relations

Viacom Names David A. Sutphen Senior Vice President, Government Relations

NEW YORK, Jan. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:and)(NYSE:VIA.B) today announced the appointment of David A. Sutphen to the post of Senior Vice President, Government Relations. Mr. Sutphen, who previously served as Vice President of Government Relations and Legislative Counsel for Viacom, will continue to be based in Washington, D.C., and report to DeDe Lea, Viacom's Executive Vice President of Government Relations.

In this new role, Mr. Sutphen will focus on cultivating and enhancing the Company's relationships with key third-party constituency organizations. In addition, he will continue to assist in the development and advocacy of the Company's public policy positions and will serve as Ms. Lea's deputy in the day-to-day activities of the government relations function.

"David has been a key member of our team for the past four years," said Ms. Lea. "With his legislative expertise and strong advocacy skills, he has played a central role in advancing Viacom's position on a variety of important issues. I look forward to working closely with him as we expand our advocacy outreach efforts and strengthen our relationships with the communities we serve."

Mr. Sutphen joined Viacom's Washington office in mid-2004 from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), where he served as Senior Vice President, Government and Industry Relations. At the RIAA, he advocated on behalf of the record industry before Congress and the Federal Government on copyright, first amendment and technology-related issues.

Prior to joining the RIAA, Mr. Sutphen served as General Counsel to U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy on the Senate Judiciary Committee. In previous years, he worked as the Chief of Staff for former Congressman Harold Ford and as an associate at Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C. He started his career as a law clerk to the Honorable Timothy K. Lewis of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Mr. Sutphen earned a B.A. cum laude from Amherst College and a J.D. from the University of Michigan School of Law, where he served on the editorial board of the Law Review. He is a member of the New York Bar.

About Viacom

Viacom, consisting of BET Networks, MTV Networks and Paramount Pictures, is the world's leading entertainment content company. It engages audiences on television, motion picture and digital platforms through many of the world's best known entertainment brands, including MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Noggin, Nick at Nite, AddictingGames, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike TV, TV Land, AtomFilms, Gametrailers, BET, Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks and Paramount Vantage. Viacom's global reach includes approximately 145 channels and 300 online properties in 160 countries and territories. For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: james.bombassei@viacom.com

Source: Viacom Inc.

CONTACT: Kelly McAndrew of Viacom Inc., +1-212-846-7455,
Kelly.mcandrew@viacom.com

Web site:

http://www.viacom.com/

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