Top Brands Microsoft, Microsoft XBox, Verizon Wireless, Def Jam, U.S. Air Force and Sierra Mist Join BET's 2009 Black College Tour

Top Brands Microsoft, Microsoft XBox, Verizon Wireless, Def Jam, U.S. Air Force and Sierra Mist Join BET's 2009 Black College Tour

NEW YORK, Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- BET Networks announced it has secured several partners in support of their award-winning 2009 Black College Tour, including such high-profile brands as Microsoft, Microsoft XBox, Verizon Wireless, Def Jam, U.S. Air Force, and Sierra Mist. The 2009 BET Black College Tour, the largest and only tour of its kind, returns to 14 historically Black college and university campuses across the country for the eighth consecutive year. Together with its key marketing partners, BET will bring a day of entertainment, games, contests, product samples and consumer information exclusively for college students.

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"The BET Black College Tour is a highly impactful initiative on college campuses," said Michelle Garner, Vice President of BET Consumer Engagement. "This year, we've expanded the range of partners and opportunities we'll be presenting to the students to provide them with an even more engaging, relevant and lively school event."

The partnerships in support of the 2009 Black College Tour include:

-- Microsoft

In their Tech Tent, first-time sponsor Microsoft will have a Tech Trends representative onsite to distribute free software, specifically their Dream Spark and IT Academy Student Pass e-learning courses. The Microsoft representative will also be available to discuss career opportunities and internships with students.

-- Microsoft XBox

Also, the Microsoft XBox business division will hold a Video Skills Challenge at each campus, where the winner will receive an XBox 360 game console.

-- Verizon Wireless

Longtime sponsor Verizon Wireless will continue to host the popular 3-point shoot-out basketball contest.

-- Def Jam Recordings

Def Jam will present a concert with up-and-coming artists, including Lil Ru, Ace Hood, Triple C's, Lil Scrappy and Playaz Circle.

-- U.S. Air Force

The U.S. Air Force returns to host the exciting, action-packed, 2-on-2 basketball competition.

-- Sierra Mist

Sierra Mist will sponsor a Freestyle Flow rap battle. Sierra Mist is part of the Pepsi family, which has sponsored the Black College Tour since 2002.

In addition to the sponsored activities, BET Digital will engage the students in "Digital Karaoke," BET Off-Channel Marketing will have a game tent to promote BET's fall programming slate, and BET's pro-social initiative Rap-It-Up will be onsite to provide free testing for HIV/AIDS. Inroads will be onsite to speak with students about internship opportunities at major companies.

2009 Black College Tour Schedule

Miles College Wednesday, September 2
Delaware State University Wednesday September 9
Morgan State University Friday, September 11
North Carolina A&T State University Friday, September 18
Alabama A&M University Friday, September 25
Jackson State University Friday, October 2
Fayetteville State University Wednesday, October 7
Winston-Salem State University Friday, October 16
Florida A&M University Wednesday, October 21
Grambling State University Friday, October 30
Xavier University Wednesday, November 4
Southern University Friday, November 6
Texas Southern University Wednesday, November 11
Prairie View A&M University Friday, November 13

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 98 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET Digital Networks - BET J, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

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Source: BET Networks

CONTACT: Danielle Spigner, +1-212-205-3028, danielle.spigner@bet.net, or
Crystal Thomas, +1-310-481-3779, crystal.thomas@bet.net, both of BET Networks

Web Site: http://www.bet.com/

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