'The Colbert Report' Names Tom Purcell Co-Executive Producer

'The Colbert Report' Names Tom Purcell Co-Executive Producer

NEW YORK, April 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Tom Purcell has been promoted to co-executive producer of "The Colbert Report," it was announced today by Stephen Colbert, executive producer, writer and host of the program. Purcell had previously served as supervising producer and head writer. He is flanked by Meredith Bennett and Richard Dahm, also co-exec producers, in this new role.

"I've known Tom since 1989, but we didn't start working together until 2005. It shows you what a poor judge of talent I am that it took me 16 years to realize he was this brilliant," Colbert said.

Purcell has been with "The Colbert Report" since its launch on October 17, 2005. Last fall, he and his writing team won the show's first Emmy for Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program. The series has been nominated in four major categories for three years in a row and last spring, "The Colbert Report" won a sought-after Peabody(R) Award for Excellence in Broadcasting. Also during his tenure at the show, he has received a Writer's Guild Award in 2008.

Purcell is a Chicagoland native and a graduate of Loyola University Chicago. He has performed comedy at the Second City, IO Chicago, and has written for "Cosby," "Grounded for Life," and "The Colbert Report."

"The Colbert Report" is produced by Jon Stewart's Busboy Productions, Inc. in association with Spartina Productions, Inc. Stewart, Colbert and Allison Silverman are the executive producers with Meredith Bennett, Richard Dahm and Purcell as co-executive producers. Jim Hoskinson is the director. Dan Powell is the executive in charge of production for COMEDY CENTRAL.

COMEDY CENTRAL, the only all-comedy network, currently is seen in more than 95 million homes nationwide. COMEDY CENTRAL is owned by, and is a registered trademark of, Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned division of VIACOM Inc.'s (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:and)(NYSE:VIA.B) MTV Networks. COMEDY CENTRAL's Internet address is www.comedycentral.com. For up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs visit Press Central, COMEDY CENTRAL's press Web site at www.comedycentral.com/press.

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:VIA.B), is one of the world's leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products. The company's portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 350 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Noggin, The N, AddictingGames, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike TV, TV Land, Atom, Gametrailers and Xfire.

Source: COMEDY CENTRAL Corporate Communications

CONTACT: Renata Luczak, +1-212-767-8661,
renata.luczak@comedycentral.com

Web Site: http://www.comedycentral.com/press
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