MBN: The Monte Bubbles Network: June 2007 Archives

« May 2007 | Main | July 2007 »

June 29, 2007

Nopi Drift 2007

4th of July

Winner:
1st - Justin Pawlak
2nd - Forrest Wang
3rd - Kenji Yamanaka

Final:
Justin Pawlak vs Forrest Wang

Consolation:
Kenji Yamanaka vs Bill Sherman

Top 4:
Justin Pawlak vs Kenji Yamanaka
Forrest Wang vs Bill Sherman

Top 8:
Alex Pfeiffer vs Forrest Wang
Stephan Papadakis vs Bill Sherman
Justin Pawlak vs Ryan Hampton
Kenji Yamanaka vs Blake Fuller

Top 16:
Alex Pfeiffer vs Andrew Hately
Forrest Wang vs Damien Bagley
Stephan Papadakis vs Hubert Young
Sammy Tiger vs Bill Sherman
Justin Pawlak vs Chelsea Denofa
Ryan Hampton vs Lance Feliciano
Kenji Yamanaka vs Dan Willie
Blake Fuller vs Chris Milano

Top 16 Qualifying:

Alex Pfeiffer
Justin Pawlak
Kenji Yamanaka
Hubert Young
Bill Sherman
Blake Fuller
Lance Feliciano
Forrest Wang
Damien Bagley
Ryan Hampton
Chris Milano
Sammy Tiger
Stephan Papadakis
Dan Willie
Chelsae Denofa
Andy Hately

During the event Dan Pina was mistakenly awarded 16th place qualifying before his position was given to Andy Hately.

June 29

Los Angeles Media preview

Home Depot Center Saturday and Sunday

Nopi Drift 2007 News

Posted by Bill at 08:45 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

What is Green?

August 29

Mohawk Chosen to Help Primetime Emmy(R) Awards Reduce Carbon Footprint

-- FOX and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences have gone "Green with Emmy" by partnering to produce an eco-friendly 59th Primetime Emmy(R) Awards broadcast. This "Green with Emmy" campaign encompasses all Emmy events with the sole purpose of reducing the carbon footprint the Primetime Emmys have on the world's climate.

However, if you tune in at 8:00 pm EDT on September 16, you might not see all of sustainable initiatives that have already been implemented by the Television Academy.

For all the Creative Arts and Primetime Emmy Awards collateral items, such as invitations, tickets, posters programs, press materials and office paper, the Television Academy has used recycled paper manufactured with 100% windpower -- and almost entirely made from post-consumer waste -- with all items made carbon neutral.

By making these choices, the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards saved the equivalent of:

-- 140 trees

-- 60,000 gallons of wastewater

-- 6,600 lbs of solid waste

-- 13,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions

-- Or, not driving 17,000 miles in a passenger car

FOX, the Television Academy and the telecast producers have set ambitious green goals, including the use of recyclable materials and recycling whenever possible; using hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles for transportation; and replacing production golf carts with bicycles.

The goals set also include reducing power requirements and utilizing alternative and eco-friendly energy sources -- including solar power -- for red carpet arrivals, production and Primetime Emmy events. Plus, the production aims to use locally grown and/or organic foods for press and event guests; and incorporate green themes into the televised broadcast.

For more information visit http://www.mohawkpaper.com/ or call 1-800 the mill.

About Mohawk

Recognized for its technical innovation and progressive environmental initiatives, Mohawk Fine Papers Inc. manufactures an impressive range of premium printing, writing and imaging papers. Signature grades include Strathmore(R), Mohawk Superfine(TM), Beckett Concept(R), Beckett Expression(R), BriteHue(R), Via(R), Mohawk Color Copy(R) and patented Inxwell(R) products, Navajo(R) and Options(R). Mohawk engineers its papers to provide optimal performance for sheetfed, web and digital printing. Mohawk papers are used in a wide variety of communications including prestigious annual reports, corporate identity systems, high-end brochures, packaging and everyday communication for businesses of all sizes and types. A leader in environmental stewardship, Mohawk is the first U.S. paper mill to offset 100% of its electricity with renewable windpower and the first U.S. premium paper mill to shift toward carbon neutral production. Many of Mohawk's recycled products are certified to the Forest Stewardship Council's [FSC] standards by SmartWood, a program of the Rainforest Alliance, and/or Green Seal.

FSC certification ensures responsible use of forest resources.

About the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences was founded in 1946 just one month after network television was born. It is a non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of telecommunications arts and sciences and to fostering creative leadership in the telecommunications industry. In addition to recognizing outstanding programming through its Emmy(R) Award, the Television Academy publishes emmy(R) Magazine and stages many industry-related programs, services and year-round events for the television community

Web site: http://www.mohawkpaper.com/

August 14

Golf Courses Going Green
Eco-friendly Greg Norman Design Makes St. Lucia Course a Hole-in-One

How do you make golf course greens even “greener?” The Greg Norman-designed course at Le Paradis St. Lucia Beach, Golf & Marina Resort in Praslin Bay - one of the top new golf courses in the Caribbean - is adding a new state-of-the-art, computer controlled irrigation system that conserves water while promoting lush fairways. Even the system’s pipes are green. High density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes are being used in lieu of standard polyvinyl chloride PVC which have raised concerns among some environmentalists.

“The irrigation system is just one more way we are trying to become a green resort,” says Kierron Dolby, Managing Director of DCG Properties, the resort’s developer and a 30-year construction veteran. DCG’s other conservation efforts include: commissioning one of the country’s most comprehensive environmental studies ever under taken and hiring Peter Ernest, an on-site environmental scientist and St. Lucia native with international training and experience in biodiversity conservation and natural resource management.

Perched on virgin rocky cliffs and set amidst flourishing tropical foliage, the Greg Norman designed championship course offers cliff side tee boxes and oceanfront greens. The course’s signature hole, ‘The Shark’s Bight,’ a play on Norman’s moniker, beckons the bravest of golfers to drive directly into the island’s windward breezes and over the Atlantic Ocean to reach the pin.

“There are few places in the world so pure and untouched. This is one of the most stunning, yet challenging courses I have ever designed,” said Norman, CEO of Great White Shark Enterprises, which encompasses Greg Norman Golf Course Design (GNGCD). Norman has long held an environmentally friendly position throughout the design and construction of his golf courses, adhering to a least-disturbance approach that focuses on every opportunity to incorporate unique existing site feature into the layout of the golf course.

The Le Paradis St. Lucia Beach, Golf & Marina Resort combines the best of both worlds for golf aficionados – world-class golf with the perks of a Caribbean lifestyle. Nestled on 554-acres, Le Paradis is an ultra-exclusive multi-phased luxury residential resort and will feature The Westin Le Paradis St. Lucia Residences, an internationally branded spa, a marina with deepwater berths up to 200 ft., a yacht club, gourmet restaurants, upscale boutique shopping and conference facilities once all phases of construction are completed.

Residential releases start from below US$500,000 to $1.3 million with residential options of one-, two- and three-bedroom condos or home sites around the Greg Norman Course starting at an elevation of 330ft above sea level, with future releases encompassing villas, penthouses, marina homes, slips which would be valued to US$ 4 million. All residential properties will have spectacular ocean, bay or beachfront views with land rising from 0-620ft above sea level.

Phase One of the project is slated to open in 2008. For more information on Le Paradis, visit www.leparadisstlucia.com or call 758.452.3603.

Electron Solar Energy Announces Distributorship with La Casa De La Baterias to Sell Solar Panels Direct from Panama

Electron Solar Energy (OTC:ESRG), an international distributor of alternative energy systems, announced today that it entered into a distribution agreement with La Casa de las Baterias, based in El Dorado, Panama, to sell Electron’s Solar Energy Systems directly to customers throughout Panama. With 9 locations throughout Panama, La Casa de las Baterias is a supplier to both retail and wholesale customers for over 30 years. La Casa de las Baterias is also an existing customer of Electron’s Sealed Rechargeable batteries.

Owner of La Casa de las Baterias, Juan Diaz, said, “We are impressed with Electron Solar Energy’s product offering and increasing expertise in remote and grid tie solar energy generation. We are particularly interested in their ability to reduce total energy and environmental costs. We look forward to marketing Electron’s solar products with excitement. We intend to leverage Electron’s experience in system design and availability of inventory in Miami, together with our existing customer base and retail exposure to bring more alternative energy products to Panama."

President and CEO of Electron Solar Energy Christopher Quinn, said, “We are excited to establish a strategic partner presence in Panama. La Casa de las Baterias is a first class multi-unit operation. They are both a well-financed and long established company that affords us new sales opportunities, including bidding on government contracts, increasing our retail channels, and benefiting from wholesale distribution. We anticipate our mutually beneficial relationship will result in increased total solar energy sales beginning this year.”

About Electron Solar Energy

Electron Solar Energy, based in Miami, Florida, is engaged in the international distribution of alternative energy systems. The Company’s turnkey solutions provide solar and wind energy generation, as well as energy storage systems sold B2B and B2C worldwide. The Company also sells a proprietary line of sealed batteries, inverters, converters, Solar Panels, Related components, and gas and diesel fuel generators. For more information on the Company, visit www.electronsolarenergy.com. For investor relations, visit http://www.otcfn.com/esrg.

This release includes forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and reflects management's current expectations. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. Some of these factors include: general global economic conditions; general industry and market conditions and growth rates; uncertainty as to whether our strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; increasing competition; availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success for new products and technologies; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of products and services; changes in technology; changes in laws and regulations, includes codes and standards, intellectual property rights, and tax matters; the uncertainty of the oil & gas market; including the geopolitical environment not anticipated; our ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships and distribution agreements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

August 13

'GOING Green' Bandwagon Stalls Among Consumers
-- Only a Moderate Concern, Not a Major Issue, Yankelovich Survey Finds --
-- Have Marketers Bet Too Much on Green? --

-- Despite unwavering focus by the media, government and business, "going green" is only of moderate concern to most consumers, according to Yankelovich research. Yankelovich's survey of 2,763 consumers and their environmental attitudes, GOING Green, released today, found that only one-third (34%) of consumers feel much more concerned about environmental issues today than a year ago. And less than one-quarter (22%) of consumers feel they can make a difference when it comes to the environment.

GOING Green, conducted in collaboration with Getty Images, is the first study of its kind to examine how much consumers truly care about green issues.

"Consumers are not drinking the Kool-Aid when it comes to green," said J. Walker Smith, president of Yankelovich. "While they're highly aware of environmental issues due to the glut of media attention, the simple fact is that 'going green' in their everyday life is simply not a big concern or a high priority."

Take Al Gore's book, An Inconvenient Truth. Even though it received widespread acclaim from media and scientists alike, 82% of consumers neither saw the film nor read it. In addition, Mr. Smith asserts that consumers are far more knowledgeable about green than they're generally given credit for. For example, Al Gore's "10 Myths" in An Inconvenient Truth are not considered myths by consumers at all. According to the GOING Green Survey: only 7% of consumers believe Gore's "Myth" that it's already too late to do something about climate change; only 4% believe global warming is a good thing, and only 8% agree that the warming that scientists are recording is just the effect of cities trapping heat rather than anything to do with greenhouse gases.

Despite most consumers' lukewarm attitudes about "going green," Smith says that companies can -- and should -- exploit the "green-ness" of their products. Why? First, while the environment is not a mainstream consumer concern, it does represent a niche opportunity in the marketplace, with just over 30 million Americans (13% of the 234 million people 16+) "strongly concerned" about it.

Second -- and equally important -- if organizations are required to meet strict federal and state environmental regulations -- often at huge expense -- it makes sense to try and leverage the 'new and improved' green product to consumers. The good news for companies is that while the majority of consumers' attitudes towards the environment may be only of moderate concern, it is possible to change consumers' behavior so that the green attributes of a product become a key feature in the buying decision.

"Where companies are currently falling short with their green marketing strategy is that they're failing to establish a personal connection with the consumer, in other words, consumers currently have no knowledge of what green means or has to offer to them," added Smith. The Yankelovich Marketing Action Framework below illustrates the degree to which all consumers -- from "Green- less" to "Green-Enthusiasts" -- are currently likely to buy a product based on its green features.

Green- Green- Green- Green- Green-

less bits steps speaks thusiasts

29% 19% 25% 15% 13%

Lowest Behaviors Moderate Behaviors Highest

Attitudes Higher Than Attitudes Lower Attitudes

& Lowest Lower & Moderate Than High & Highest

Behaviors Attitudes Behaviors Attitudes Behaviors

.......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

Unmoved by Don't care Aware, Talk the talk Environment

environmental but doing a concerned, more than is a

issues & few things taking steps walk the walk passionate

alarms concern

"To make a green marketing strategy successful, organizations must employ behavioral tactics that move consumers up the continuum to greater levels of 'green-ness,'" said Smith. "Marketers who focus on these segments in isolation will not change consumers' green behavior."

About the Study

Yankelovich's GOING Green Perspective surveyed 2,763 nationally represented consumers aged 16+. The data collection phase of this study ran from April 25 through May 7, 2007. References to "Americans," "consumers" or "people" throughout this report refer to the total population of consumers aged 16+ unless otherwise noted.

About Yankelovich, Inc.

Yankelovich delivers measurable breakthroughs in marketing productivity for its clients. For more than 30 years, The Yankelovich MONITOR(R) has tracked and forecasted consumer value and lifestyle trends. Our Insights Integration(sm) solutions directly link our key research findings on why people buy to databases of customers and prospects. The Segmentation Company (TSC) is a full-service custom research and consulting firm that helps clients precisely target their customers through segmentation and brand equity and positioning work. Yankelovich and TSC are headquartered in Chapel Hill, NC.

Source: Yankelovich, Inc.

July 25

Porsche® Reveals Early Stages of New Cayenne® Hybrid
It is targeting a decrease in fuel consumption of about 25 percent, particularly in city traffic

Porsche, a company renowned for its high-performance sports cars and sport utility vehicles (SUV), this week in Stuttgart demonstrated to the media a Cayenne SUV hybrid prototype, providing a glimpse of what the company will offer to consumers by the end of the decade.

Porsche is targeting average fuel consumption figures of 9.8 liters/100 kilometers in the New European Driving Cycle and about 24 miles per gallon in the US FTP cycle for the Cayenne Hybrid, and future developments may allow Porsche engineers to push towards an average fuel consumption figure of 8.9 liters/kilometer (approximately 26 miles per gallon).

The Cayenne Hybrid will feature a full-hybrid design where the hybrid module (clutch and electric motor) is positioned between the combustion engine and the transmission rather than having the hybrid drivetrain branching output along various lines and in various directions via a planetary gearset. Porsche selected this design because the in-line configuration of the hybrid components are more compatible with the existing Cayenne platform, this system in testing is more fuel efficient, and because this configuration is a better fit for Porsche as it will provide improved acceleration and engine flexibility compared to a conventional Cayenne.

Coordinating the car’s three main components – the combustion engine, the electric motor and the battery – is the Hybrid Manager, the heart of the Cayenne Hybrid. The Hybrid Manager, which oversees some 20,000 data parameters as compared to only 6,000 data parameters for a conventional engine, is one of the most powerful technologies found in any hybrid vehicle.

Other unique features of the Cayenne Hybrid designed to decrease fuel consumption include the power steering and vacuum pump for the brakes, as well as the air conditioning, which operate on electric power. Technical components, such as the oil pump in the Cayenne’s automatic transmission, have been replaced by electrically powered units. The Cayenne Hybrid’s electro-hydraulic steering – a first for a vehicle of its kind, will ensure the Cayenne Hybrid drives like a Porsche with predictable and safe handling characteristics and the agility that is expected of a Porsche SUV.

Porsche plans to introduce similar hybrid technology in a version of its Panamera four-door Gran Turismo. The Panamera will debut in 2009, with a hybrid to follow.

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, Ga., and its subsidiary, Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd., are the exclusive importers of Porsche sports cars and Cayenne sport utility vehicles for the United States and Canada. A wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, PCNA employs approximately 300 people who provide Porsche vehicles, parts, service, marketing and training for its 213 U.S. and Canadian dealers. They, in turn, provide Porsche owners with best-in

The Coca-Cola Company Releases Annual Environmental Report
Reductions in Water Use Ratio, Investments in Closed Loop Recycling Plants, and Continued Progress on Sustainable Refrigeration Demonstrate Commitment to Environmental Performance
The Coca-Cola Company today announced the release of its 2006 Environmental Performance report, documenting the Company’s ongoing commitment to sustainability. Results were reported in three principal areas of environmental responsibility: water stewardship, sustainable packaging and energy and climate protection.
he Coca-Cola Company today announced the release of its 2006 Environmental Performance report, documenting the Company’s ongoing commitment to sustainability. Results were reported in three principal areas of environmental responsibility: water stewardship, sustainable packaging and energy and climate protection.

The report includes data gathered from 775 facilities around the world, representing 94 percent of the Coca-Cola system's sales volume in 2006.

“We are pleased to show progress in our efforts to continuously improve our environmental performance,” said Jeff Seabright, vice president, Environment and Water Resources, The Coca-Cola Company. “We know what has sustained our Company for our first 12 decades will not be sufficient for the future, and we recognize our success, and the future of the communities where we operate, are impacted by the actions we take today.”

Highlights of the Company's environmental performance during 2006 as outlined in the report include:

Global Water Stewardship

As sales volume increased 4 percent, the system achieved a 3 percent improvement in water use efficiency. Coca-Cola plants used an average of 2.52 liters of water to make one liter of beverage, as compared to 2.59 liters in 2005 and 2.72 in 2004. Since 2002, the Coca-Cola system has improved water use efficiency by more than 19 percent.

In 2006, 83 percent of Coca-Cola facilities met the Company’s wastewater standard. While water is treated currently to comply with local regulations and standards, the Company has wastewater treatment standards that are more stringent than applicable laws in many parts of the world. The Company has committed to achieve 100 percent compliance by the end of 2010.

Working in partnership with a host of non-governmental organizations and government agencies, Coca-Cola has established nearly 70 community-based water initiatives in 40 countries, such as rainwater harvesting projects in India. The Company also continues to support the Global Water Challenge, an initiative of the United Nations Foundation which supports projects that provide safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene education in the developing world.

Additionally, the Company co-developed a comprehensive water efficiency tool box with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2006 which will be used throughout its global system to benchmark data to set specific water-efficiency goals.

Sustainable Packaging

The Company's efforts in the area of sustainable packaging focus on using less and re-using more. At present, the majority of the Company’s primary packaging is returnable, bulk or made from commonly recycled materials like aluminum, PET, and glass. In 2006, the Coca-Cola system advanced its sustainable design efforts (known as e3) which focus on improving efficiency, lifecycle effectiveness and eco-innovation of the Company’s packaging. These efforts led to a reduction in weight and improvement of the impact resistance of the Company’s most recognizable package – the glass contour bottle. This initiative saved 89,000 metric tons of glass last year alone, the carbon dioxide equivalent of planting more than 13,000 acres of trees.

In late 2006, The Coca-Cola Company and Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. established Coca-Cola Recycling LLC to address the growing opportunities related to recycling in the United States. The Coca-Cola system also recently began building a global online inventory of primary, secondary and transport package systems by sales and weight. This database will allow the Company to measure performance more effectively and assess progress toward longer term goals.

The Coca-Cola system also continued to invest in closed loop recycling plants. In 2006, Coca-Cola Beverages Austria finalized a €15 million investment partnership to build the country’s first bottle-to-bottle recycling plant. The plant, which will begin operations in 2007, will have capacity to provide 6,000 tons of recycled PET plastic material for use in new bottles.

Energy and Climate Protection

The Coca-Cola system's primary energy and climate impact is due to vending machines and coolers, manufacturing and fleet/transport. In 2006, the Coca-Cola system experienced a 10 percent increase in total energy use, due in part to its expanding global operations in less developed nations and the types of beverages produced. Despite this increase and the fact that year-to-year improvements have leveled off, the Company's energy and climate protection performance overall has improved significantly, with a 16 percent improvement in the system’s energy use efficiency since 2002.

The Coca-Cola system has made continual progress in efforts to employ commercially viable HFC-free refrigeration technologies. In 2006, the Company announced it had achieved the conversion to HFC-free insulation for more than 1,300 models of refrigeration equipment, representing over 98 percent of the new equipment the system purchases. The Company also continued to invest in carbon dioxide refrigeration. By the end of 2006, 6,000 units with carbon dioxide refrigeration had been placed in markets throughout the world.

The Company also continued to address energy consumption of refrigeration equipment. By the end of 2006, approximately 200,000 units of a proprietary Energy Management System had been placed in the system. The combined annual energy reduction associated with this technology is estimated to be more than 250 million kilowatt-hours, with a corresponding greenhouse gas reduction of more than 100,000 metric tons.

About the Annual Environmental Report

The report was independently reviewed and verified by environmental auditors BECO Group, following the ISO 19011 general principles of environmental auditing and audit procedures for international standards. The company also applied principles of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the AA1000 assurance framework.

The report, as well as more information and case studies on Coca-Cola's environmental efforts, are available at www.environment.coca-cola.com.

The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest non-alcoholic beverage company. Along with the Coca-Cola® trademark, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company markets four of the world's top five nonalcoholic sparkling beverage brands, including Coca-Cola®, Diet Coke®, Fanta® and Sprite® beverages, and a wide range of other non-alcoholic beverages, including diet and light beverages, waters, juices and juice drinks, teas, coffees, energy and sports drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate exceeding 1.4 billion servings each day. For more information about The Coca-Cola Company, please visit our website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

Children’s Plastic Toys Made from Corn!
Green Toys™ Announces Line of Classic Toys Made from Renewable, Sustainable Resources
Environmentally Friendly Alternative to Traditional Plastic Toys Debuts at SF Gift Fair

Parents looking for toys for their children can now add environmentally friendly toys to their buying options as Green Toys™ Inc. today announced their new line of classic toys. Manufactured in the U.S.A., Green Toys brand toys are made of a new generation of environmentally friendly bioplastic material derived from renewable, sustainable resources like corn. Green Toys will preview their initial line of toys at the San Francisco International Gift Fair, taking place July 28-August 1, at the Moscone Center in North Hall booth #7123.

“We’ve been involved in creating fun and innovative toys for years, but with Green Toys Inc. we feel that we’re doing more than providing children with entertainment. We’re also offering a real alternative for consumers looking for earth-friendly toys,” said Robert von Goeben, co-founder of Green Toys Inc. “Our products are a blast for kids, important to parents, and good for the earth. What could be more fun than that?”

Green Toys Inc. has brought together some of the most advanced materials and technologies in the bioplastics industry. The raw material used to make Green Toys brand toys is produced by Cereplast Inc. (www.cereplast.com), a leading manufacturer of proprietary bio-based plastics. In addition, Green Toys is using biodegradable colorants from PolyOne Corporation (www.polyone.com), a premier global provider of polymer materials, services and solutions. Green Toys Inc. has also extended these efforts into its packaging using only recycled paper products with no traditional plastics or films.

“As the mother of two young children, I understand parents wanting to do their part to improve and preserve our world for our children,” said Laurie Hyman, co-founder of Green Toys Inc. “Additionally, by offering children toys that send a positive message about protecting our planet helps to educate the younger generation about how to make good choices for our environment. It may even create young ambassadors for Mother Nature.”

Green Toys brand toys products will be available in retail stores starting in the Fall 2007, and will include the Green Toys™ Tea Set, Green Toys™ Indoor Gardening Kit, Green Toys™ Cookware and Dinning Set and the Green Toys™ Sand Play Set.

Green Toys™ Inc. was created to provide consumers with an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastic toys while making an effort to improve and preserve the world around us. By marketing sustainable toys for kids and the environment, Green Toys offers classic toys derived from a new generation of environmentally friendly bioplastic material from annually renewable, sustainable resources like corn and other starch materials. Green Toys’ approach will in its own way help to reduce fossil fuel use and CO2 emissions, and increase the overall health and happiness of the planet. More information on Green Toys is available at www.greentoys.com.

July 5

PetroSun, Incorporated announced today the following updates to our algae-to-biofuel operations.

PetroSun BioFuels

PetroSun and Icon Drilling Pty, Ltd have agreed to extend the Letter of Intent until August 11, 2007 to allow for the completion of the due diligence and legal documentation. The parties have also agreed to include Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and China within the geographical area provided by the License Agreement.

Icon Drilling Pty, Ltd is a subsidiary of Icon Energy, Ltd (ICN), a publicly traded company on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).

Algal Oil

PetroSun has been actively engaged in discussions with existing domestic biodiesel producers to provide future delivery of algal oil as a feedstock for their refineries. The Company has recognized that the biodiesel industry must pursue a feedstock that allows for a consistent supply at competitive pricing to petroleum-based transportation fuels to increase the market share of biodiesel. The Board of Directors has directed the biofuels division to focus its operations and capital expenditures on algal oil production, allowing for increased future production and joint venture opportunities with biodiesel refiners.

The Company plans to locate its initial domestic algal oil production plants in Alabama, Louisiana, Arizona and California.

About PetroSun

PetroSun's current oil and gas operations are concentrated in the Ark-La-Tex region with plans to expand into New Mexico, Arizona and Australia in 2007. Algae BioFuels, a wholly owned subsidiary of PetroSun, is an emerging producer of biodiesel derived from the cultivation of algae. PetroSun is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona with field offices in Shreveport, Louisiana and Opelika, Alabama. For more information about PetroSun visit the company's website at http://www.petrosuninc.com.

Except historical matter contained herein, matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties, which may affect the Company's business and prospects and cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements.

U.S. Green Building Council Hits 10,000 Member Mark
Milestone Indicates a Shift in the Green Building Movement

(Washington, DC) – July 5, 2007 – The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) today welcomed its 10,000th member company. The achievement marks a turning point in the building design and construction market.

“This achievement is a significant milestone in the growth and development of the green building movement because it demonstrates a broad conviction that our built environment can improve the health of our planet, our economy, and our communities,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair of the organization.

“At all levels, our members – their vision for a sustainable built environment, their knowledge of building science and practice, and their commitment to results – are why the green building movement has grown exponentially in the last decade and a half,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair. “Thousands of volunteers have contributed tens of thousands of hours to the development of the LEED® green building rating system; chapter leaders all over the country are making transformation happen at the local level; and all of our members are raising the bar for their colleagues throughout the industry.”

Today, the green building industry is worth upwards of $12 billion, whereas a decade ago it was negligible. USGBC was founded in 1993 with a vision of transforming the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment. That vision is shared by Council members – who are the driving force behind the Council, and of the green building movement including builders, designers, legislators, policy-makers, educators, manufacturers, developers, activists and scientists.

“Our members have joined together through USGBC to transform the way we design, build, and operate the structures in which we live our lives, which gives us a powerful voice to use as we continue to advance our transformation of the built environment,” noted Fedrizzi.

About USGBC
The U.S. Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org) is the nation's leading non profit composed of corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations working together to transform the way buildings are designed, built and operated. Green buildings are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Since its founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 10,000 member companies and organizations, a 90-person professional staff, a broad portfolio of LEED® green building products and services, the industry's popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org) and a network of over 70 local chapters, affiliates and organizing groups.

July 3

Gibson Guitar and Live Earth Announce Partnership in the Fight Against Global Warming
Gibson Acoustic Creates 25 Environmentally Friendly Live Earth Guitars

Gibson Guitar, the world's premier musical instrument maker and leader in music technology, announced today a global relationship with Live Earth in the campaign to combat global warming. Gibson Acoustic Guitar has produced 25 exclusive, environmentally-friendly custom guitars with the Live Earth logo emblazoned on the front. These limited-edition acoustic guitars are to be signed by artists performing at the eight official concerts across the globe on July 7, 2007 and, ultimately, auctioned off to benefit the Live Earth concerts and Alliance for Climate Protection.

The Live Earth Guitar is based on the best selling J-45 Gibson Acoustic Guitar. This round shouldered dreadnought design has affectionately been called the "workhorse" by artists since the 1940's. The guitar displays the Live Earth logo and all graphics were placed on the guitar then coated with a nitro-cellulose lacquer. The body and neck of the guitar are constructed using rainforest friendly, FSC Certified Mahogany. With a scale length of 24 3/4-inches, the guitar not only produces a full, rich tone but is considered a pleasure to play by many artists. The Live Earth Gibson Acoustic Guitar also comes with its own hard-shell case and the industry's finest built in pickup and preamp.

"The Gibson custom designed acoustic guitars represent the ultimate combination of music and environmentally conscious practice that is in line with our Live Earth messaging," said Kevin Wall, Founder and Producer of Live Earth. "Music has the universal power to unite cultures and we will focus that energy on July 7th to motivate people all over the world to take action to combat global warming."

Gibson Acoustic is providing the custom made guitars designed for Live Earth incorporating not only FSC certified body and neck but the Live Earth and its SOS campaign design elements. The guitars will be scattered across the country at each of the eight concerts on July 7, 2007. Many of the artists performing at these concerts will sign the guitars as part of their support for the Live Earth event, the SOS campaign and the fight against global warming. At the culmination of the Live Earth events, the guitars will be auctioned off on eBay to raise additional funds for the Alliance for Climate Protection.

"Gibson Guitar finds it a privilege to work with Live Earth to combat global warming as the event's official partner," said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. "Live Earth is a great opportunity for activists, musicians and organizations, alike, to draw attention to the impact of Global Warming. Gibson Guitar, and its philanthropic arm, Gibson Foundation, are dedicated to supporting the cause for climate protection and the creation of these environmentally friendly guitars."

About Gibson

Gibson is known worldwide for producing classic models in every major style of fretted instrument, including acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins and banjos. Gibson's HD .6X-PRO Digital Guitar represents the biggest advance in electric guitar design in over 70 years. Founded in 1894 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and headquartered in Nashville, since 1984, Gibson Guitar Corp.'s family of brands now include Epiphone, Dobro, Maestro, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Echoplex, Electar, Flatiron, Gibson Baldwin Music Education, Slingerland Valley Arts, Oberheim, Sunshine Piano, Take Anywhere Technology, Baldwin, J&C Fischer, Chickering, Hamilton and Wurlitzer. Visit Gibson's website at http://www.gibson.com/ or http://www.gibson.com/press

About Live Earth

Live Earth is a monumental music event that will bring together more than 2 billion people on July 7, 2007 to combat the climate crisis. Live Earth will stage concerts in New York, London, Sydney, Tokyo, Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg, Hamburg and will feature a mix of both legendary music acts like The Police, Genesis, Bon Jovi and Madonna with the latest headliners like Kanye West, Kelly Clarkson, Black Eyed Peas and Jack Johnson.

Live Earth's 24 hours of music across 7 continents will deliver a worldwide call to action and the solutions necessary to answer that call. Live Earth marks the beginning of a multi-year campaign to drive individuals, corporations and governments to take action to solve the climate crisis. Live Earth is partnering with the Alliance for Climate Protection, The Climate Group, Stop Climate Chaos and other international organizations in this ongoing effort. Live Earth was founded by Kevin Wall, a worldwide executive producer of the Live 8 concert series in 2005, and is supported by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.

Source: Gibson

Web site: http://www.gibson.com/

Making Music Biodegradable

Wheatware(TM) Celebrates Live Earth Concerts With Tree-Free Drumsticks, Compostable Guitar Picks

-- July 03, 2007 -- On July 7, 2007, Live Earth, a worldwide music event to combat climate crisis, will make history. To help protect the Earth's virgin forests and reduce global warming, Wheatware.com, exclusive U.S. distributor of Wheatware™ products, has donated biodegradable-compostable drumsticks, guitar picks, clothes hangers and more -- all made using wheat. The company has donated 272 pairs of Wheatware™ Compostable drumsticks, 3,240 Wheatware™ Compostable guitar picks, and 4,100 Wheatware™ Compostable clothes hangers to Live Earth musicians across the world, including London, England; Johannesburg, South Africa; Sydney, Australia; Tokyo, Japan -- and best of all, New York City, America.

Wheatware.com is Making Music Biodegradable at
Live Earth Concert 7-07-07 donating biodegradable-
compostable drumsticks, guitar picks, hangars and more.

The launch of Wheatware™ products is part of Wheatware's Great Switch-Out™ from Wood to Wheat, a campaign to entice people to switch from unsustainable tree products like wood to sustainable, crop-based ones like wheat, thus saving the forests critically needed to halt global warming. The passion of the founders of Wheatware™ is to replace the 45 billion pairs of disposable wood chopsticks produced every year which consume over 25 million virgin forest trees annually. For this reason, Wheatware decided to also include over 664 packages of their chopsticks made from the Wheatware™ BioMass-75 in all the gift bags sent to the Live Earth concerts.

How does saving forests help stop global warming? Forests act as the Earth's built-in air conditioner. Their destruction diminishes Earth's air conditioning ability, contributing to global meltdown. But for Wheatware.com, saving the forests isn't just about the trees. It's also about the creatures that live in these habitats -- the monkeys, Siberian tigers and birds that are threatened or endangered because of deforestation.

Global demand for wood and plastic is increasing, unfortunately. Alternatives to these materials are therefore key to stopping climate change.

Enter Wheatware™ Bio-Compostable Music products. Wheatware™ drumsticks deliver all the performance advantages of wood, yet are made of a sustainable material. The Wheatware™ compostable guitar picks offer an alternative to the millions of plastic picks manufactured each year -- without sacrificing performance.

Far from being fragile, Wheatware™ music products can withstand a musicians' beating. And both products are ultra-functional: the picks come in an easy-to-grip design and the drumsticks are slightly textured to resist slippage.

Affordably priced, Wheatware™ Bio-Compostable drumsticks are available in two sizes: 5A and 5B. Wheatware™ Compostable guitar picks come in three varieties: wedged-light, medium, and heavy. Other Wheatware™ products include Bio-Compostable hangers, multi-use dishes, drink coasters and golf supplies, as well as reusable Wheatware™ Biomass-75 chopsticks, wasabi dishes and disposable flatware.

With so many eco-choices, it just doesn't make sense to use wood and plastic versions of these products anymore.

For more information on Wheatware™ music products, or any of the products distributed by Wheatware.com, please visit www.wheatware.com

July 2

Subaru Celebrates Environmental Milestones
-- Company Marks Three Years of Zero Landfill; Sells 100,000th PZEV Vehicle --

-- Subaru is celebrating its three- year anniversary of zero landfill status at its manufacturing plant, Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA) and the sale of its 100,000th PZEV (Partial Zero Emissions) vehicle.

Both milestones reflect the long-standing commitment Subaru has to safeguarding the environment that so many of its customers avidly enjoy.

"We are pleased to mark these milestones," said Tomohiko Ikeda, Chairman, President and CEO, Subaru of America, Inc. "At Subaru, we are committed to not only maintain an effective environmental management system, but also to integrate sound environmental practices throughout our business."

The Subaru plant in Indiana sends nothing to a landfill. That means, if this press release was printed and not recycled, it would result in more trash sent to landfills than the entire Subaru manufacturing operations. The Subaru plant was the first US auto plant to achieve zero landfill status, with all its waste being either reused, recycled or converted to electricity for the city of Indianapolis.

The Subaru plant is also a designated backyard wildlife habitat. Deer, coyotes, beavers, blue herons, geese, rabbits, squirrels, meadowlarks, ducks and other animals live there in peaceful coexistence with the Subaru plant.

Just last year, Subaru was awarded the U.S. EPA's Gold Achievement Award as a top achiever in the agency's WasteWise program to reduce waste and improve recycling.

Subaru also manufactures PZEV (Partial Zero Emission Vehicles) certified Legacy, Outback and Forester models, available for sale anywhere in the U.S. The PZEV certified, normally aspirated, Subaru Legacy, Outback and Forester models are SmartWay(TM) certified by the EPA. To date, Subaru has sold 100,000 Subaru PZEV vehicles, which have 90 percent cleaner emissions than the average new vehicle.

PZEV vehicles are the cleanest gasoline vehicles available today and they meet emissions standards that are sometimes even cleaner than some hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles. These vehicles have such tight pollution controls, with the burning of fuel so complete, that in very smoggy urban areas, exhaust out of the tailpipe can actually be cleaner than the air outside. For more information visit: http://www.epa.gov/.

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of 600 dealers across the United States. Subaru makes the best-selling All-Wheel Drive car sold in America based on R.L. Polk & Co. new vehicle retail registration statistics. For additional information visit http://www.subaru.com/.

Web site: http://www.subaru.com/
http://www.epa.gov/

June 29

The political term Green, as an adjective, was first applied to supporters of the nascent Green ideology in the late 1970s, as the first local Green parties were founded in various countries. The term political ecology is sometimes used in Europe and in academic circles.

TOP 15 Green Vehicles

	1 additional trim for this model
	2007 Honda Civic Hybrid CVT AT-PZEV w/ Navigation System	86	Hybrid - Electric	51/49 mpg	$24,350

2.		1 additional trim for this model
		2007 Toyota Prius Touring	86	Hybrid - Electric	51/60 mpg	$23,070

3.		No additional trims for this model
		2007 Honda Civic GX NGV 5-Spd AT [Limited Availability]	85	Natural Gas	39/28 mpg	$24,590

4.		No additional trims for this model
		2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid 4-Door Sedan	79	Hybrid - Electric	38/40 mpg	$26,200

5.		1 additional trim for this model
		2008 Ford Escape Hybrid FWD	77	Hybrid - Electric	31/36 mpg	$25,075

6.		1 additional trim for this model
		2007 Ford Escape Hybrid FWD	77	Hybrid - Electric	31/36 mpg	$25,655

7.		2 additional trims for this model
		2007 Toyota Yaris S (with optional engine*)	77	Gasoline	39/34 mpg	$13,525

8.		3 additional trims for this model
		2007 MINI Cooper Base	76	Gasoline	40/32 mpg	$18,050

9.		2 additional trims for this model
		2007 Hyundai Elantra Limited (with optional engine*)	76	Gasoline	36/28 mpg	$16,895

10.		1 additional trim for this model
		2007 Honda Accord Hybrid 5-Spd AT w/ Nav System	76	Hybrid - Electric	35/28 mpg	$33,090

11.		2 additional trims for this model
		2007 Toyota Corolla LE	76	Gasoline	41/32 mpg	$15,515

12.		3 additional trims for this model
		2007 Honda Fit Sport 5-Spd MT	76	Gasoline	38/33 mpg	$15,170

13.		No additional trims for this model
		2007 Kia Rio5 SX	75	Gasoline	35/32 mpg	$13,750

14.		7 additional trims for this model
		2007 Honda Civic Sedan DX 5-Spd AT	75	Gasoline	40/30 mpg	$15,810

15.		7 additional trims for this model
		2007 Honda Civic Coupe EX 5-Spd AT w/ Navigation System	75	Gasoline	40/30 mpg	$21,260

Posted by Bill at 01:01 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

June 28, 2007

Pageant of the Masters

June 28

2007 Pageant of the Masters Where Art Comes To Life!
July 7th - August 31st, 2007, Gala Benefit Saturday, August 25th, 2007

Each night during the summer season at 8:30 the Festival of Arts presents its most famous attraction, the Pageant of the Masters.

What is it?

Ninety minutes of "living pictures" - incredibly faithful art re-creations of classical and contemporary works with real people posing to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces. An outdoor amphitheater, professional orchestra, original score, live narration, intricate sets, sophisticated lighting, expert staff, and hundreds of dedicated volunteers have won recognition for the Pageant as the best presentation of its kind.

MISSION STATEMENT:
Our mission is to promote, produce, and sponsor events and activities that encourage the appreciation, study and performance of the arts.

The 2007 Pageant of the Masters Theme is: Young At Heart

"It takes a long time to become young," observed the modern master Pablo Picasso.

In keeping with the Diamond Jubilee commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Festival of Arts, the theme of the 2007 Pageant of the Masters is Young at Heart. From the carefree games and richly-illustrated fantasies of childhood to the wistful nostalgia of middle age and the imaginative reinventions of our "golden years," this summer’s celebration of "art that lives and breathes" pays tribute to the many ways in which artists in every era and culture have encouraged us to never lose sight of our universal love of creative play. Whatever your age, you and your family will find plenty of fun-filled theatrical magic and inspirational artistry on display in Young at Heart.

Festival of Arts
California's Premier Fine Art Exhibition
July 1st - August 31st, 2007
(Closed July 4th and August 25th)

Open Daily 10:00am - 11:30pm

Festival of Arts Admission
$7 for general admission and $4 for seniors and students. All general admission tickets to The Festival of Arts - California’s Premier Fine Art Exhibition are season passes. Patrons are encouraged to make repeat visits. Laguna Beach residents with ID receive free admission, as do children under the age of 12.

Art Exhibition
California’s finest Summer art event is staged in a six-acre canyon park near the ocean in Laguna Beach. The stars of this summertime tradition, which began here in 1932, are over 140 of the Southland’s most accomplished artists. This is a rigorously juried show, requiring exhibitors to demonstrate and maintain high aesthetic standards. Their work is truly fine art! The artworks on display are for sale and represent a complete spectrum of art media: paintings, sculpture, pastels, drawings, serigraphs, photographs, ceramics, jewelry, etched and stained glass, fiber arts, handcrafted furniture and even scrimshaw. All of the works are original art - another element that distinguishes the Festival of Arts from other shows.The Festival is the perfect place to find affordable and unique works of art to decorate your home or business.

More Festival Festivities
In addition to the art exhibition, the Festival provides a relaxing, entertaining environment with plenty to see and do. Best of all, your ticket to The Festival of Arts or Pageant of the Masters is a season pass to the to the Festival of Arts that's good for admission all summer long. So come back as often as you would like, and enjoy a full palette of exciting things to see and do.

Daily Art Activities, Events and Exhibitions
In addition to the special events, come and enjoy art workshops, daily docent-led tours offering expert insights to the exhibits, musical entertainment and hands-on demonstrations in printmaking, ceramics, painting and paper art. Then, explore the outstanding accomplishments of talented local students at the Junior Art Exhibit, featuring 150 works selected from over 1,500 submissions.

Mission Statement:
Our mission is to promote, produce, and sponsor events and activities that encourage the appreciation, study and performance of the arts.

The Festival of Arts - California’s Premier Fine Art Exhibition will welcome a record turnout this year as visitors from around the world come to celebrate the Festival’s 75th Anniversary. To commemorate this historic year, the Festival is hosting an array of special events and activities for their guests.

Festival of Arts Opening Day
Celebrate with the Art of Disney
July 1, 2007

The Festival of Arts and the Disneyland® Resort come together to celebrate teh Festival's 75th Anniversary! Join the Festival at the unveiling of a special Disney® exhibit featuring artwork by Disney artists and creative works by aspiring junior artists from the Orange County Therapeutic Arts Center. These beautiful renderings will remain on display throughout the summer. Free with Festival admission.

Asian Arts Day
CELEBRATE ASIAN HISTORY AND CULTURE WITH THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS!
Saturday, July 14, 2007
CELEBRATE ASIAN HISTORY AND CULTURE WITH THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS!Saturday, July 14, 2007

he Festival of Arts initiated its special event series many years ago with its first “Asian Arts Days”. Relive history on Saturday, July 14, 2007, from 1pm to 4pm, as the Festival of Arts pulls out all the stops to create an Asian Arts Day like none other. Asian cultures will be explored through dance, live music, art workshops and more! Guests will experience the diversity of Japanese, Korean, Cambodian, Chinese and Indian cultures. This year’s Asian Arts Day is sponsored in part by ConocoPhillips.

You will be fascinated by the caliber of live performances on hand at the Festival during Asian Arts Day. Enjoy an array of traditional musical and dance performances by renowned Asian dance and music troops Northern Shaolim Kung Fu Association and the Korean Classical Music and Dance Company. While the live performances are underway, you can also partake in various Asian Arts activities and classes such as “Asian Brush Strokes”, a painting class taught by Festival artist Hal Lambert and Origami lesson taught by Festival artist Noriho Uriu. There will also be Asian-inspired face painting, Japanese Raku pottery classes and printmaking with Festival artists Monica Dunham and Anne England.

All Asian Arts Day activities are free with Festival admission with the exception of a small materials fee for the Raku Workshop.

FESTIVAL OF ARTS HOSTS ITS FIRST EVER FOOD FIGHT WITH
LAGUNA CULINARY ARTS!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007

Didn’t Mom always tell you not to play with your food? Come and watch us break all the rules! Join the fun on Saturday, July 28, 2007, from 12 noon to 2:30pm, as the Festival of Arts teams up with Laguna Culinary Arts to present two culinary battles entitled Food Fight – Culinary Competitions and Demonstrations on the Festival of Arts grounds.

Similar to the top-rated show “Iron Chef America” on the Food Channel, the Festival will have four individual cooking stations set up in the center of their grounds. These stations will include a fully stocked kitchen with a vast array of foods and spices as well as a complete line of cooking equipment. Eminent guest chefs from “The O.C.” will be given a food challenge with the task of incorporating a “surprise” ingredient that must be used in each dish. At this point, it is up to the creativity and culinary skills of the chefs to prepare the best dishes in the time allotted.

Food Fight will be hosted by Chef Laurant, of Laguna Culinary Arts, who will give play-by-play accounts of each chef’s progress throughout the duration of the event. Event judges include celebrity chef Marcel Vigneron, fan favorite and runner-up on season two of Bravo TV’s TOP CHEF. He’ll be joined by Zov Karamardian of “Zov’s” Restaurant and author of the celebrated cookbook “Recipes and Memories from the Heart.” This group of judges will evaluate each team’s final dishes and choose the winning chef.

Food Fight is free with Festival of Arts general admission.

GET THE LATEST DIRT! CHECK OUT MUDSLINGERS DAY AT THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS IN LAGUNA BEACH
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Saturday, August 4, 2007

Bring the family and join the fun as the Festival of Arts presents Mudslingers Day – A Celebration of Ceramics sponsored in part by AMOCA, Laguna Clay Company and Aardvark Clay & Supplies on Saturday, August 4, 2007, from 11am to 4pm. The day will be filled with ceramic competitions, lessons and professional demonstrations led by Festival of Arts ceramicists Monica Dunham and Scott Young.

Events will include a competition entitled “All Day Aesthetic” where three professional competitors will spend the day each producing a special piece. Enter the Adult “Largest Thrown Pot” competition for amateurs and try out your pot-making skills on one of the many pottery wheels. Or, take a break from the activities and learn about the art of ceramics in contemporary life with special guest lectures from the American Museum of Ceramic Art.

While parents are enjoying these ceramic competitions and demonstrations, the kids will be having their own fun down “Alligator Alley.” On the Festival grounds, a six-foot clay alligator will be stationed for kids to decorate with clay pieces and paint. In addition, anyone can enjoy the paint-a-pot Raku experience that will also be available. Whether you’re an adult or child, a novice at ceramics or a professional artist, Mudslingers Day will be a great event that the whole family can enjoy!

Mudslingers Day is free with Festival of Arts admission.

for more information / schedule. Experience Art Outside the Lines at the Festival of Arts
Presented with Fine Faucets, Kitchens & Bath Showcase
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Saturday, August 18, 2007

What is art? When we walk through a museum we know that what we are viewing is fine art—but what about outside the museum, galleries, and exhibitions? How do we define art that is, in a sense, less defined?

In many ways, art can be considered a reflection of one’s culture and the world around them. It is experienced in the everyday, not just during trips to formal art institutions.

On Saturday, August 18, 2007 come and experience the Festival of Art’s interpretation of art “Outside the Lines,” presented with Fine Faucets, Kitchens & Bath Showcase. This special event will challenge your expectations of what is typically considered fine art. Encounter non-traditional art forms including the prominent street artist (also known as graffiti artist) El Mac in action as he produces an artwork on an 8’ x 20’ wall. Mark Mahoney, owner of the celebrity “hot spot” and tattoo parlor, The Shamrock Social Club, will be on hand to talk about the history of tattooing along with tales of fun and celebrity. Also, check out an extraordinary performance by singer/songwriter/performer Woodrow j. Williamson that is not to be missed, and many more surprises!

Outside the Lines is free with Festival of Arts admission.

JAM OUT TO THE BLUES AT THIS YEAR’S SUNDAY BLUES FEST AT THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS IN LAGUNA BEACH
Sundays, July 8 – August 26, 2007
Sundays, July 8 – August 26, 2007

The blues is one of America’s greatest musical traditions and the Festival of Arts salutes its soulful sounds with its annual Sunday Blues Fest, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. At the Sunday Blues Fest, an array of top-flight performers will dig deep and tap into our rich blues heritage. Designed as one of this year's family entertainment events, the Blues Fest will be held every Sunday from July 8 through August 26.

Patrons arriving earlier between 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm will also enjoy a cooking demonstration by chefs from throughout “The O.C.” They will share some of their favorite recipes for the summer.

Admission is free to the Blues Fest with the purchase of The Festival of Arts ticket. Patrons are invited to bring a picnic and enjoy the blues and fabulous art on The Festival of Arts grounds.

WEDNESDAYS ARE YOUTH ARTS EDUCATION DAYS
AT THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS KIDS TO ENJOY PUPPET SHOWS
Every Wednesday, July 11 – August 22, 2007
Every Wednesday, July 11 – August 22, 2007

Youth Arts Education Workshops, hosted by the Festival of Arts each Wednesday, from July 11th - August 22nd, encourage budding artists to learn at the feet of the masters. Classes are open to children from 6 – 12, start at 12:00 noon and end at 2:00 p.m. Registration is limited to 20 children at each session, with a small materials fee of $10 per child required. Reservations are required. To register your child, call (949) 494-1145, and speak with Reception.

Plus, enjoy a return engagement for a classic Festival activity that was a mainstay for over fifty years: an all-new puppet show by Bob Baker Marionettes, one of the great puppeteers who performed on the Festival grounds years ago! Puppet shows will take place from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m. during each Youth Arts Education Day.

for more information / schedule. ART OF COOKING SERIES AT THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS
Sundays, July 15 – August 26
Sundays, July 15 – August 26

Here’s your passport to a culinary adventure at the Festival of Arts!

The Art of Cooking series, back by popular demand, will take place every Sunday afternoon, July 15 through August 26, 2007 from 1 pm to 2 pm. Chefs from throughout “The O.C.” will be demonstrating the joy of cooking and the simplicity of grilling and how to entertain in your back yard. Open your eyes to the world of fresh and flavorful cooking!

Attendees will be invited to sample the finished culinary creations and to take away copies of the recipes.

Susan Davis, Director of Special Events, notes, “We’ll have professional chefs on-hand that represent the world of restaurants, catering and culinary institutions. This is the perfect opportunity to learn easy and delicious cooking and entertaining techniques that the whole family can participate in. This event promises to peak your culinary interests!”

The cooking demonstration series is free with Festival of Arts admission.

THURSDAY JAZZ & WINE TASTING SERIES AT THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS, PRESENTED WITH KENDALL-JACKSON
Thursdays, July 12 – August 30, 2007
Thursdays, July 12 – August 30, 2007

Where will you be on Thursday evenings this summer? Head down to the Festival of Arts in scenic Laguna Beach for the Thursday Night Jazz & Wine Tasting Series presented with Kendall-Jackson. Chill out to the smooth sounds of jazz every Thursday night, July 12th through August 30th, from 5pm - 8pm, on the Festival of Arts grounds. Live performances will take jazz from sultry to soulful, as Festival guests enjoy fine art and wine tasting. Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or novice the Thursday Jazz & Wine Tasting events will appeal to all.

"The Festival’s casual outdoor setting, together with the sensuous sounds of jazz combines with wine, good friends and art, to create an ideal evening. This music series covers a broad spectrum of jazz styles and genres. Plan on spending your Thursday evenings with us at the Festival.” says Susan Davis, Festival of Arts Special Events Director.

A $7.00 fee is required to participate in wine tasting, plus Festival of Arts admission. Participants must be 21 years of age or older.

Arts Education .:. Hands-On Demonstration Calendars

Please note that General Art Workshop and Printmaking activities are free with Festival of Arts paid admission.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to promote, produce, and sponsor events and activities that encourage the appreciation, study and performance of the arts.

Festival History

Since the first painting was created here in 1878, the exquisite natural beauty of Laguna Beach has been a magnet for artists. Artists flourished in the small village, supporting themselves through sales to tourists who flocked to the beach for vacation. By the early 1900s, the village had gained a reputation as an art colony, and in 1918, with the entire population numbering only 300 residents, the community established the Laguna Art Association to promote and support the fine arts.

In the mid-1920s, the Art Association turned the town's old community center into a small one-room gallery. The gallery’s popularity led to the artists’ raising money for a larger permanent home, which they eventually secured at the corner of North Coast Boulevard and Cliff Drive, the present-day site of the Laguna Art Museum.

The small seaside village took great pride in its cultural establishment, which attracted visitors from all around. However, when the Great Depression swept the land, tourists had little money to spend and Laguna's residents struggled. As a means to draw much-needed business back to the art colony, the Art Association struck on the idea of a summer art festival, to be held the week following the1932 Los Angeles Olympics in hopes that visitors would travel south to Laguna Beach before journeying home.

The whole town pitched in to make the 1932 festival a resounding success, in effect transforming Laguna Beach into one enormous art gallery for the week. The festival featured art exhibitions, community plays, outdoor pageants, a parade, street market, spectacle of lights, costume ball, and tours of artists’ studios and local residents’ gardens. Artists set up booths sponsored by individual society matrons, and downtown stores displayed the artists’ work in their front windows. It was the birth of the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts, where artists could showcase their talent and make a profit.

A smash hit at the festival was the Living Pictures show created by artist and vaudevillian Lolita Perine. She dressed local residents in costume and seated them behind a makeshift frame. These paintings that came to life fascinated viewers of all ages.

In 1935 Roy Ropp, a local construction worker, realtor and amateur artist, expanded Perine’s concept and developed the performance into its present-day format. Ropp renamed the new and improved event "The Spirit of the Masters," and continued to design and produce it with resounding success until 1941. In 1936, the production was renamed yet again, for the last time, the "Pageant of the Masters."

Between 1933 and 1940, the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters moved from one location to another each summer. In 1938, 70 community groups formed a committee to establish a permanent home, and selected the present site of the Festival and Pageant for a future community central park.

On July 30, 1941, the first Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters held on the site marked the park’s opening to the public. News stories claimed the spectacle was a magical creation and word traveled fast that it was a "must see." The show closed on August 8, 1941, a great success for the artists and residents.

The site served as Laguna Beach's community park for many years. From the 1940s to the 1960s the park was used year-round for a variety of events, including the community Easter Egg Hunt, carnivals, the Goat Show, and the Scottish Festival. In the ’60s, with the Festival’s continuing success and popularity, the event was expanded to six weeks, and the temporary wooden artist booths that were installed each summer were replaced with permanent structures.

From its humble beginnings as a means of promoting and sustaining the fine arts in Laguna Beach, the Festival of Arts has matured into a world-renowned cultural institution drawing visitors from far and wide. The Festival - with its premier attraction, the Pageant of the Masters - has shared its success, awarding millions of dollars over the years in the form of scholarships to art students and grants to art and cultural organizations, and hosting cultural events on the grounds throughout the year. The Festival of Arts and the City of Laguna Beach have grown up together, becoming inseparable in the eyes of residents and of the many patrons who return year after year to enjoy the world-class art of the Festival and unique tableaux vivants of the Pageant.

An attempt in 2000 to move the Festival and Pageant away from Laguna Beach was met with swift and widespread resistance. Happily the will of the membership, artists and patrons prevailed, and the 70-year old tradition shall remain squarely where it belongs - nestled in the seaside hills of Laguna Beach - for the enjoyment of generations to come.

The Festival of Arts gratefully acknowledges the extensive input of lifelong Laguna Beach resident Belinda Blacketer, of the Laguna Beach Historical Society, in the preparation of this article

As a Pageant patron, you'll be admitted to The Festival of Arts – California's Premier Fine Art Exhibition, absolutely free all summer long! Simply show your Pageant ticket at the Festival's front gate. You'll enjoy stunning artwork, hands-on demonstrations, wine tasting, and much more. Come back again and again.

Pageant of the Masters – Where Art Comes To Life.
July 7th - August 31st, 2007

"It takes a long time to become young," observed the modern master Pablo Picasso.

Gala Benefit
Saturday, August 25th, 2007

Join us on Saturday, August 25th, 2007, for the Pageant's ninth annual Gala Benefit. During this exclusive one-night celebrity-attended event, enjoy a Pageant performance of Young at Heart, hors d'oeuvres, music, living tableaux up-close and more. Loge center tickets also include an elegant dinner at Tivoli Terrace. For more information or to order Gala Benefit tickets, please call
1-800-487-3378 or click the "Order Now" button on this page.

Tips For Ordering Pageant Tickets

Be flexible - go on a weekday! Ticket prices are lower, parking is easier, restaurants and hotels less crowded and better seats are available.

If you require an immediate confirmation of your order and/or the location of your seats, we suggest you purchase tickets by telephone or at our window.

Excellence in Art, Entertainment and Community Support since 1932.

Call 949-497-6582 or 1-800-487-3378

2007 PAGEANT DETERMINED TO STAY “YOUNG AT HEART”
1/25/2007

Laguna Beach, California – At the Pageant of the Masters, the 74-year-old celebration of art in “living pictures” – tableaux vivants – there’s no time to rest on one’s laurels. Long before the final curtain on last summer’s sold-out program, A Passion For Art, Pageant director Diane Challis Davy was busily selecting possible artworks for inclusion in Young at Heart, slated for summer of 2007. Intent on creating a fresh, high-contrast program certain to satisfy both newcomers to the Pageant and returning audiences, Challis Davy found inspiration all around her. But it all started with a song.

Frank Sinatra’s classic fifties recording of Young at Heart, to be exact, with its memorable lyrics including, “Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you if you’re young at heart.” It’s a perfect theme song for the boomer generation who are turning 60 this year, she noted, adding that another song, “You Make Me Feel So Young” also captures the kind of retro nostalgia that complemented preparations for the Diamond Jubilee honoring the 75th anniversary of the first Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach.

Rallying her veteran staff and volunteer research committee members, Challis Davy has come up with a collection of artworks for Young at Heart that will travel the globe to reveal some of the ways in which artists, through the ages, have found ways to achieve immortality through their art. “No one will ever find a fountain of youth,”
Challis Davy acknowledged, “but art has the ability to capture and preserve childhood’s sense of innocence and wonderment, and that can continue to spark our own creativity.”

Among the masters whose works appear in Young at Heart are three of France’s legendary artists, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Edgar Degas, all of whom continued to paint with great gusto well into their later years. Swedish painter Carl Larsson, whose endearing portraits of his family still glow with life, will also be featured.

A tribute to some of the great illustrators of classic children’s literature such as N.C. Wyeth and Edmund Dulac will provide Young at Heart with a collection of fairy tale tableaux. And evocations of the boomer generation’s “good old days” will be offered courtesy of a selection of artists whose works graced the covers of the Saturday Evening Post.

There will also be a place in this light-hearted meditation on the pastimes and lessons of youth to glimpse some of the treasures from the tomb of Egypt’s “boy king,” Tutankhamun, and a grouping of artworks inspired by celebrations of Chinese New Year. Throughout, Challis Davy and her staff of theatrical wizards will be looking for opportunities to appeal to youngsters of all ages in the audience.

“Working with so many wonderful volunteers, a sense of family has always been important here at the Pageant,” Challis Davy stated. “We hope Young at Heart will be fun for the whole family, not just in the audience but backstage as well.”

The Pageant of the Masters will be performed nightly from July 7 through August 31, with the Celebrity Gala Benefit Performance to be held on Saturday, August 25. Tickets for Young at Heart, the 2007 Pageant of the Masters, go on sale to the general public on December 1st. For further information, call 949-497-6582, or toll free 800-487-3378.

The Festival of Arts is a nonprofit organization that produces The Festival of Arts – California’s Premier Fine Art Exhibition and the Pageant of the Masters. For general information, call 949-494-1145 or visit the website at www.LagunaFestivalofArts.com. The event is located at 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, California. Proceeds support the arts and art education in and about Laguna Beach.

Posted by Bill at 08:54 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Entertainment,arts,fashion & Technology

July 19

Independent Lens Earns First Primetime Emmy Nomination
'A Lion in the House,' an Inspiring Documentary about Childhood Cancer, Garners 'Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking' Nod

-- The Independent Television Service (ITVS) announced today that its acclaimed anthology series Independent Lens, which airs Tuesday nights at 10:00 P.M. on PBS, has received its first national primetime Emmy nomination. The Independent Lens special presentation of A LION IN THE HOUSE, which follows six years in the lives of five families fighting childhood cancer, was nominated in the "Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking" category.

"We are honored to be nominated for our first primetime Emmy as we are about to begin our sixth season as a national primetime series," said Independent Lens Series Producer, Lois Vossen. "A LION IN THE HOUSE was a profoundly moving and ultimately inspiring documentary that touched the hearts of millions of viewers; it is gratifying to have the filmmakers, Julie Reichert and Steve Bognar recognized by the industry."

A LION IN THE HOUSE is an epic film about the pervasive realities of childhood cancer. From the trauma of diagnosis to the physical toll of treatment, from the stresses that can tear a family apart to the courage of children who face the possibility of death with honesty, humor and dignity, A LION IN THE HOUSE is an unprecedented portrait of this life-altering experience. As the film compresses six years into a two-part, four-hour narrative event, it puts viewers in the shoes of parents, physicians, nurses, siblings, grandparents and social workers as they struggle to defeat an indiscriminate and predatory disease.

A LION IN THE HOUSE was accompanied by an extensive national outreach campaign. Conducted in partnership with such preeminent organizations as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the American Cancer Society, the campaign worked to improve care and strengthen support systems for families fighting childhood cancer-especially those who face socio-economic challenges. Hundreds of events, including policy briefings on Capitol Hill and dozens of presentations at professional conferences and community clinics made this PBS Independent Lens broadcast into an important national tool in the battle against pediatric cancer.

The Primetime Emmy nomination builds on Independent Lens' prior Emmy wins in the News and Documentary category, A LION'S TRAIL (2006) for Outstanding Cultural and Artistic Programming and BE GOOD, SMILE PRETTY (2004) for best Documentary.

Production and Funding Credits

A LION IN THE HOUSE is a co-production of Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert and the Independent Television Service (ITVS) with funding provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The Lance Armstrong Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, The Program for Media Artists, The Ohio Arts Council and The MacDowell Colony.

A LION IN THE HOUSE is produced and directed by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert. Executive producer for ITVS is Sally Jo Fifer.

Source: The Independent Television Service

Lionsgate's Acclaimed Showtime Comedy WEEDS Scores 5 Emmy(R) Nominations Including Outstanding Lead Actress and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Studio's 6-Hour SCI FI Miniseries THE LOST ROOM Garners 2 Additional Emmy Nods

-- Lionsgate's (NYSE:LGF) acclaimed Showtime comedy WEEDS has scored five Emmy Award(R) nominations, including nods for Mary-Louise Parker for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series; Elizabeth Perkins for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series; Amy McIntyre Britt and Anya Colloff for Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series; and David Helfand and William Turro, who earned individual nominations in the Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series category for two separate episodes.

Lionsgate's six-hour SCI FI miniseries THE LOST ROOM also received Emmy nominations for Outstanding Main Title Design by Thomas Cobb and Robert Bradley and Outstanding Sound Mixing for A Miniseries or A Movie by Bayard Carey, Rick Alexander and Rich Rogers.

"This kind of acknowledgement from the TV Academy is very exciting," said Kevin Beggs, Lionsgate's president of programming and production. "We're thrilled for all of our Emmy nominees and salute the outstanding casts and crews on both of these productions."

Widely praised for its bold and provocative look at the complicated life of a suburban, pot-dealing mother, WEEDS returns to Showtime for its third season of 15 new episodes on Monday, August 13. Produced by Lionsgate in association with Tilted Productions, the series stars Mary-Louise Parker, Elizabeth Perkins, Kevin Nealon, Justin Kirk, Tonye Patano, Romany Malco, Hunter Parrish, Alexander Gould, Andy Milder and Ally Grant. Guest stars this season include Matthew Modine, Mary-Kate Olsen, Carrie Fisher and Zooey Deschanel.

Lionsgate's current television programming slate also includes the much buzzed-about new dramas MAD MEN from Emmy Award-winning writer and executive producer Matthew Weiner ("The Sopranos") which launches on AMC tonight, and THE KILL POINT, an eight-hour drama event starring Emmy(R) Award winner John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg, which debuts on Spike TV this Sunday, July 22.

Lionsgate is the leading independent filmed entertainment studio, winning the 2006 Best Picture Academy Award (R) for CRASH and operating as a premier producer and distributor of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment, and video-on-demand content. Its prestigious and prolific library of more than 11,000 motion picture titles and television episodes is a valuable source of stable, recurring revenue and a foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate brand is synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

Source: Lionsgate

Web site: http://www.lionsgate.com/

COMEDY CENTRAL(R) Honored With Network Record 12 Primetime Emmy(R) Nominations
Nine-Time Emmy-Winner 'The Daily Show With Jon Stewart' Cited Again For Program, Performance, Writing, Directing As Well As Sound Mixing And Editing, Totaling Six Nominations
Smash Hit 'The Colbert Report' Scores Four Nominations For Show, Performance, Writing And Directing
Emmy-Winning Animated Favorite 'South Park' Receives Seventh Nomination
'The COMEDY CENTRAL Roast of William Shatner' Walks Away With Network's First Specials Nomination

-- Beating its own personal best of eight, COMEDY CENTRAL earned 12 nominations in the 2006-2007 Primetime Emmy Awards competition, it was announced today by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS).

Nine-time Emmy-winner (four times for program, five times for writing) "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" the network's unique news parody series, is nominated this year in six categories: Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series, Stewart's performance for his Outstanding Individual Performance In A Variety Or Music Program, Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program and Chuck O'Neil, singled out for the fifth year-in-a-row for Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program. Receiving their first Emmy nominations this year are the "Daily Show" editing team for Outstanding Multi-camera Picture Editing For A Series and audio engineer Tim Lester for Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety Or Music Series Or Special. This brings the grand total of Primetime Emmy nominations for the "Daily Show" to 24. The program is also a two-time winner of the prestigious Peabody(R) Award for Excellence in Broadcasting.

"The Colbert Report," with Stephen Colbert assuming a dismissive, Bill O'Reilly-like persona while commenting on the issues of the day, received four Emmy Award nominations: Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series, Outstanding Individual Performance In A Variety Or Music Program for Colbert's performance and Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program. Director Jim Hoskinson was cited for Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program. The show was nominated in each of these categories last year, bringing its total number of nominations to eight.

"South Park," the adult animation phenomenon, home to Kyle, Stan, Kenny and Cartman, received its seventh nomination for the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour), the category in which it won in 2005. Nominated for the "Make Love, Not Warcraft" episode, the show in its 11th season remains COMEDY CENTRAL's highest rated show.

"The COMEDY CENTRAL Roast of William Shatner," a no-holds-barred raucous ribbing of the popular actor, was nominated in the Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Special category, earning the network's first nomination in the television specials arena.

The Emmy Awards will be presented in two ceremonies. The first, primarily for creative arts categories, will take place on Saturday, September 8, while the balance of the Emmys, primarily for the performing arts, will be announced before a black-tie audience during a primetime telecast (FOX) on Sunday, September 16. Both ceremonies will take place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA.

The following is a complete list of COMEDY CENTRAL's nominations, along with all credited individuals:

OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart, Executive Producer

Ben Karlin, Executive Producer

David Javerbaum, Executive Producer

Kahane Corn, Co-Executive Producer

Josh Lieb, Co-Executive Producer

Rory Albanese, Supervising Producer

Jim Margolis, Supervising Producer

OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE IN A VARIETY OR MUSIC PROGRAM

Jon Stewart, Host, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY PROGRAM

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Steve Bodow, Head Writer; Rachel Axler, Kevin Bleyer, Rich Blomquist,

Tim Carvell, J.R. Havlan, Scott Jacobson, David Javerbaum, Ben Karlin,

Rob Kutner, Josh Lieb, Sam Means, Jason Reich, Jason Ross,

Jon Stewart, Writers

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY PROGRAM

Chuck O'Neil, Director, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

OUTSTANDING MULTI-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A SERIES

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Tonya Dreher, Graham Frazier, Mark Paone, Daric Schlesselman,

Einar Westerlund, Editors; Rob York, Videotape Editor

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A VARIETY OR MUSIC SERIES OR SPECIAL

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Tim Lester, Audio Engineer

OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES

The Colbert Report

Jon Stewart, Executive Producer

Stephen Colbert, Executive Producer

Ben Karlin, Executive Producer

Meredith Bennett, Co-Executive Producer

Allison Silverman, Co-Executive Producer

Richard Dahm, Co-Executive Producer

OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE IN A VARIETY OR MUSIC PROGRAM

Stephen Colbert, Host, The Colbert Report

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY PROGRAM

The Colbert Report

Stephen Colbert, Allison Silverman, Richard Dahm, Michael Brumm,

Rob Dubbin, Eric Drysdale, Peter Gwinn, Jay Katsir, Laura Krafft,

Frank Lesser, Writers

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY PROGRAM

Jim Hoskinson, The Colbert Report

OUTSTANDING ANIMATED PROGRAM (For Programming Less Than One Hour)

South Park, "Make Love, Not Warcraft"

Trey Parker, Executive Producer, Writer, Director

Matt Stone, Executive Producer

Anne Garefino, Executive Producer

Frank C. Agnone II, Supervising Producer

Kyle McCulloch, Producer

Eric Stough, Director of Animation

OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SPECIAL

The COMEDY CENTRAL Roast of William Shatner

Joel Gallen, Executive Producer

Rick Austin, Producer

Source: COMEDY CENTRAL

Web site: http://www.comedycentral.com/

USA Network Garners a Record 12 Primetime Emmy(R) Nominations
2 Nominations for Tony Shalhoub and MONK; 10 Nominations for Debra Messing, Judy Davis & Joe Mantegna and THE STARTER WIFE

-- USA Network garnered twelve (12) primetime Emmy(R) nominations, including those for Tony Shalhoub in the category of Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for MONK, Debra Messing for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Movie or Miniseries, Judy Davis for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie, Joe Mantegna for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie and Outstanding Miniseries for THE STARTER WIFE. These nominations are the most USA has received in a single year, besting the nine received in 2004.

Tony Shalhoub's Emmy nomination is his fifth in the category; he has won three times for his portrayal of Adrian Monk, a brilliant detective who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder in the critically acclaimed hit series MONK. Shalhoub made history in 2003 when he became the first star of a basic cable series to be nominated and then go on to win for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Shalhoub has also won a Golden Globe(R) Award and two SAG(R) Awards for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for the role. Additionally, Stanley Tucci was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series for his role as David Ruskin on the show.

Debra Messing's nomination in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie category for her role as Molly Kagan in THE STARTER WIFE is her fourth Emmy nomination. Her previous nominations and win in 2003 were for the role for which she is best known, Grace Adler on the NBC Emmy Award winning series "Will & Grace." She also has garnered four Golden Globe nominations and two American Comedy Award nominations.

THE STARTER WIFE earned ten (10) nominations, including those for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for Messing, Outstanding Miniseries, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for Judy Davis, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for Joe Mantegna, Outstanding Writing in a Miniseries or Movie for Sara Parriott & Josann McGibbon, Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie, Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special, Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Part 1), Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie (Part 3) and Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Non-Prosthetic).

THE STARTER WIFE, a sexy, savvy and wickedly funny tour de force based on Gigi Levangie Grazer's New York Times best-seller, is about life after divorce and one woman's quest to redefine herself after years of marriage to a Hollywood studio head. THE STARTER WIFE stars Debra Messing, Joe Mantegna, Judy Davis, Anika Noni Rose, Miranda Otto, Peter Jacobson, Stephen Moyer, Aden Young and Chris Diamantopoulos. Directed by Jon Avnet and written by Sara Parriott & Josann McGibbon, the miniseries was produced by Hay Pop Pty Limited in association with McGibbon/Parriott Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment for NBC Universal Television Studio. Stephanie Davis and Howard Klein served as executive producers for 3 Arts, with Jon Avnet, Gigi Levangie Grazer, Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott also serving as executive producers.

The following is a complete list of USA Network's twelve (12) Primetime Emmy(R) Award nominees:

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

Monk

Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie

The Starter Wife

Debra Messing as Molly Kagan

Outstanding Miniseries

The Starter Wife

Producers TBD

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie

The Starter Wife

Judy Davis as Joan McAllister

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie

The Starter Wife

Joe Mantegna as Lou Manahan

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series

Monk

Stanley Tucci as David Ruskin

Outstanding Writing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special

The Starter Wife

Josann McGibbon, Writer

Sara Parriott, Writer

Outstanding Art Direction For A Miniseries, Or Movie

The Starter Wife

Tracey Gallacher, Production Designer

Brian Edmonds, Art Director

Rolland Pike, Set Decorator

Outstanding Casting For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special

The Starter Wife

Mary Jo Slater, Casting Director

Steven Brooksbank, Casting Director

Tom McSweeney, Australian Casting Director

Outstanding Costumes For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special

The Starter Wife - Part 1

Marion Boyce, Costume Designer

Debra McGuire, Costume Designer for Debra Messing

Vanessa Loh, Assistant Costume Designer

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Miniseries Or A Movie

The Starter Wife - Part 3

Robert Florio, A.C.E., Editor

Outstanding Makeup For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special (Non-Prosthetic)

The Starter Wife - USA

Viv Mepham, Department Head Makeup Artist

Deborah Lanser, Personal Makeup Artist to Debra Messing

USA NETWORK is cable television's leading provider of original series and feature movies, sports and entertainment events, off-net television shows, and blockbuster theatrical films. The #1 network in basic cable, USA Network is seen in nearly 94 million U.S. homes. The USA Network Web site is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.

USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.

Source: USA Network

Web site: http://www.usanetwork.com/

Academy Award(R)-Nominated Actor Jeff Goldblum to Host Starz Cinema's World Television Premiere Weekend August 24-26
Features Dixie Chicks' Shut Up and Sing, Sports Documentary The Heart of the Game and Culminates With Pittsburgh, Goldblum's Unique Film Blending Fiction and Reality

-- Acclaimed actor Jeff Goldblum, universally known for his skillful performances of challenging, often complicated characters will host Starz Cinema's "World Television Premiere Weekend" August 24-26. The weekend includes the Dixie Chicks' Shut Up and Sing and the sports documentary The Heart of the Game. It concludes with Goldblum's charming and funny Pittsburgh, a film that seamlessly blends fact and fiction, as the actor returns to his hometown of Pittsburgh to appear in a stage production of "The Music Man." Pittsburgh will be released on DVD in September by Starz Home Entertainment.

Does love conquer all? Goldblum seeks to find that out in Pittsburgh. After the actor gets engaged to his Canadian actress/girlfriend (whom he's known for three weeks), she tells him that her visa in the States will expire unless she gets an acting job. Why work on Broadway when you can do the "The Music Man" regionally in Pittsburgh? Thinking she'll have a better chance of getting the lead as 'Marian, the Librarian,' the couple decides to do a "buy one -- get one free audition." Goldblum bypasses a Michael Bay film, which baffles his Hollywood manager, and returns to his hometown with girlfriend and friends Ed Begley, Jr. and Illeana Douglas in tow. How much humiliation will he be able to take? Can he stomach being booked second on Conan because he's not promoting a film, but only regional theater? And finally, will he actually be able to pull off singing and dancing as "Harold Hill" on stage?

What's fact? What's fiction? Whatever it is, Goldblum isn't talking. He's leaving it up to the viewers to decide for themselves.

"Pittsburgh is a labor of love for me, and it's very close to my heart," says Goldblum. "I'm thrilled it has found a home on Starz and will soon be released by them the following month on DVD. Starz Cinema is known for showing thought provoking, alternative art house films and I look forward to hosting its World Television Premiere Weekend."

Starz Cinema World Television Premiere Weekend Shown every night at 10:00 p.m. August 24-26

Shut Up and Sing 8/24 at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT) -- The award-winning documentary on the controversial Dixie Chicks, in the wake of singer Natalie Maines' anti-George W. Bush statement during a European concert. The film is directed by Cecilia Peck (daughter of Gregory) and two-time Oscar(R)-winner Barbara Kopple.

The Heart of the Game 8/25 at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT) -- Narrated by rapper/actor Ludacris, the film captures the passion and energy of a Seattle high school girls' basketball team, the eccentricity of their unorthodox coach, and the incredible true story of one player's fight to play the game she loves.

Pittsburgh 8/26 at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT) -- A witty film starring Jeff Goldblum, Ed Begley, Jr., Illeana Douglas, musicians Moby and Alanis Morissette, Conan O'Brien, and Keith Addis, Goldblum's manager.

Starz Cinema brings the art-house to your house.

Starz Entertainment, LLC, is a premium movie service provider operating in the United States. It offers 16 movie channels including the flagship Starz(R) and Encore(R) brands with approximately 15.8 million and 28.2 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs more than 1,000 movies per month across its pay TV channels and offers advanced services including Starz HD, Starz On Demand and Vongo(SM). Starz Entertainment (http://www.starz.com/) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation that is attributed to Liberty Capital Group.

Source: Starz Entertainment, LLC

Web site: http://www.starz.com/

Style from the Red-Carpet Catwalk at the Cannes Movie Festival
Lifestyle Expert, Philanthropist & Real-life Diva Stacy Cohen gives a behind-the-scenes look at the style, fashion and glamour at the Cannes Movie Festival.

- Dreams are what makes the world go around, dear friends, and on the last Sunday night in May, the world's most glamorous Divas came from far and wide to take a glittering ride on a magic red carpet to rub shoulders at the favorite of all Hollywood honies: Cannes! Already "the" mega glam event of the Summer season, this year marks something else rather special, la grande dame that is Cannes comes of age for its 60th birthday ....

Oh, what a glorious night it was for this Diva, who has dreamt of a trip to the Cannes Film Festival since she was just a tiny Divette! Of course, I was simply enamored at the sight of all the A and double AA listers .... Understated Angelina Jolie who blew everyone out of the water with her natural elegance, I mean, if there is ever a moment for over-the-top-ness it's Cannes baby. At the photocall for her new film Mighty Heart, she paired a belted satin Elie Tahari top with a simple black pencil skirt, peep-toe pumps and soft ringlets. At night for the film's official premiere, Angelina turned up the drama in a vintage black lace Balmain sheath from Decades, set off by sexy peep-toe pumps and Francis Klein jewels. Just goes to show that less really can be more ... it left me all agog!

But while I think the silver screen is simply divine, I just couldn't take my eyes off the mile-long parade of fashion magnificence that heralded the croisette ...! Everywhere I turned, there was glamour in spades; here was stunning Kylie Minogue in a beautiful cocktail gown and soft honey chignon, there was Dita von Teese, whom I later saw in her saucy strip show, here were the show-stopping mucho eye candy Ocean's Thirteen boys, there was lovely Hollywood vixen Sharon Stone .... The star-studded parties proved to be a very definite return to the glamour of Old Hollywood, laden with diamonds, Divas, and glitz cut-down-to-there ...!

The atmosphere was one of friendly frivolity as U2 played two songs on Cannes' red steps before screening their documentary "U23D," with Bono treating the crowd to a few words of French: "Bon anniversaire, Cannes ...!" But the most glamorous party of all to really hit the Diva factor square on the chapeau was when Sharon Stone hosted a gala auction dinner to raise money for AIDS research, bringing in a whopping US$7 million. Stone promised that gorgeous and charitable George Clooney would throw in a kiss to the woman who bid US$350,000 for a relaxing yacht vacation. Always the gentleman, he obliged. Now where's my checkbook ...?

But from Giorgio Armani Prive to Proenza Schouler, from Marchesa to Georges Chakra, from Roberto Cavalli to Dolce & Gabbana, from Chopard to De Grisogono, my divalicious dream night on the Riviera can only be topped by one thing, making the return trip in 2008 ...! I Cannes not wait ...!

About Stacy Cohen

Stacy Cohen is an internationally known author, philanthropist and influence in the worlds of fashion and media. In addition to serving as official lifestyle editor of "Style Monte-Carlo" magazine Stacy is also the founder of Stacy Cohen Lifestyle Inc., which is launching a number of media projects in conjunction with the release of her lifestyle book, "The Kosher Billionaire's Secret Recipe." Visit her official web site at http://www.stacycohen.com/ for more information or contact the press agent:

Source: Stacy Cohen

Web site: http://www.stacycohen.com/

Starz Entertainment's Weekly Hot Items List July 19 - 25 & July 26 - August 1

Friday, July 20

Summer of Stars )

All the King's Men -- (Sean Penn, Kate Winslet, Jude Law)

9 p.m. (ET/PT) on Starz

Saturday, July 21

Starz Saturday Premiere

The Illusionist -- (Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell)

9 p.m. (ET/PT) on Starz

Starz Cinema World Television Premiere

Quinceanera -- (Emily Rios, Jesse Garcia, Chalo Gonzalez)

10 p.m. (ET/PT) on Starz Cinema

A Hispanic L.A. teen, nearing her 15th birthday celebration, is tossed

from her family when she becomes pregnant, then finds refuge with a

great-uncle in an eccentric neighborhood. A warm, sharply observed

coming-of-age story.

Indie Icons

Rumble Fish (Francis Ford Coppola)

9 p.m. (ET/PT) on IndiePlex

Director Francis Ford Coppola examines a troubled teenager trying to

find his own identity in the shadow of his older brother. From the

writer of 'The Outsiders.'

Kings of Cool

Raging Bull -- (Robert De Niro)

8 p.m. (ET/PT) on RetroPlex

Director Martin Scorsese's modern classic tells the true story of

volatile boxer Jake LaMotta, from his early triumphs as world champion

to his later dissolute days as a seedy nightclub owner. Best Actor

Oscar(R) for Robert De Niro.

The Deer Hunter -- (Robert De Niro)

10: 15 p.m. (ET/PT) on RetroPlex

The searing, haunting story of rural Pennsylvania buddies and the

traumas they, and their families and lovers, face during the Vietnam

War. Winner of five Oscars(R), including Best Picture and Best

Supporting Actor (Christopher Walken).

Sunday, July 22

Indie Icons

The Piano (Jane Campion)

9 p.m. (ET/PT) on IndiePlex

In 19th century Australia, a troubled woman meets her earthy,

eccentric neighbor who strikes a strange bargain with her and her

piano. Oscars(R) for Best Actress (Hunter) and Best Supporting Actress

(Anna Pacquin).

Hot Items List for July 26 - August 1

Friday, July 27

Summer of Stars

The Illusionist -- (Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell)

9 p.m. (ET/PT) on Starz

Saturday, July 28

Starz Saturday Premiere

The Covenant -- (Steven Strait, Sebastian Stan, Toby Hemingway)

9 p.m. (ET/PT) on Starz

Starz Cinema World Television Premiere

Wah-Wah -- (Gabriel Byrne, Miranda Richardson, Emily Watson)

10 p.m. (ET/PT) on Starz Cinema

As Swaziland becomes independent from Great Britain, the family of a

government minister is falling apart due to his drinking -- and the

young son is forced to grow up fast. Based on the life of

writer-director Richard E. Grant.

European Vacation

Encore Westerns takes you on a trip across the big pond this summer

with a 48-hour marathon of Westerns made in Europe.

Friday, July 27 (All times are ET/PT)

-- A Fistful of Dollars at 8 p.m. -- (Clint Eastwood, Marianne Koch,

John Wells)

-- For A Few Dollars More at 9:45 p.m. -- (Clint Eastwood, Lee Van

Cleef, Gian Maria Volonte)

Saturday, July 28

-- The Good, The Bad and The Ugly at 12 a.m. -- (Clint Eastwood, Eli

Wallach, Lee Van Cleef)

-- My Name Is Nobody at 3:05 a.m. -- (Henry Fonda, Terence Hill, Jean

Martin)

-- Guns of the Magnificent Seven at 5:05 a.m. -- (George Kennedy,

James Whitmore, Monte Markham)

-- Vengeance at 7 a.m. - (Richard Harrison, Claudio Camaso, Spela

Rozin)

-- A Fistful of Dollars at 8:45 a.m. -- (Clint Eastwood, Marianne

Koch, John Wells)

-- For A Few Dollars More at 10:30 a.m. -- (Clint Eastwood, Lee Van

Cleef, Gian Maria Volonte)

-- The Good, The Bad and The Ugly at 12:45 p.m. --(Clint Eastwood, Eli

Wallach, Lee Van Cleef)

-- Duck!, You Sucker at 3:30 p.m. -- (Rod Steiger, James Coburn,

Romolo Valli)

-- Vengeance at 6:10 p.m. -- (Richard Harrison, Claudio Camaso, Spela

Rozin)

-- My Name Is Nobody at 8 p.m. -- (Henry Fonda, Terence Hill, Jean

Martin)

-- Sabata at 10:05 p.m. -- (Lee Van Cleef, William Berger, Pedro

Sanchez)

Sunday, July 29 (All times are ET/PT)

-- Guns of the Magnificent Seven at 12 a.m. -- (George Kennedy, James

Whitmore, Monte Markham)

-- Duck, You Sucker! at 1:50 a.m. -- (Rod Steiger, James Coburn,

Romolo Valli)

-- Roy Colt and Winchester Jack at 4:30 a.m. -- (Charles Southwood,

Marilu Tolo, Teodoro Corra)

-- Sabata at 6 a.m. -- (Lee Van Cleef, William Berger, Pedro Sanchez)

-- A Minute to Pray, A Second to Die at 7:50 a.m. -- (Alex Cord,

Arthur Kennedy, Robert Ryan)

-- God Forgives, I Don't! at 9:30 a.m. -- (Frank Wolff, Terence Hill,

Bud Spencer)

-- The Big Gundown at 11:15 a.m. -- (Lee Van Cleef, Tomas Milian,

Walter Barnes)

-- Renegade at 12:50 p.m. -- (Vincent Cassel, Michael Madsen, Juliette

Lewis)

-- A Man Called Sledge at 3 p.m. -- (James Garner, Dennis Weaver,

Claude Akins)

-- God Forgives, I Don't! at 4:40 p.m. -- (Frank Wolff, Terence Hill,

Bud Spencer)

-- The Big Gundown at 6:30 p.m. --(Lee Van Cleef, Tomas Milian, Walter

Barnes)

-- Renegade at 8 p.m. -- (Vincent Cassel, Michael Madsen, Juliette

Lewis)

Indie Icons

Summer of Sam (Spike Lee)

9 p.m. (ET/PT) on IndiePlex

New York City, 1977: A sweltering heat wave and the emergence of a

serial killer, Son Of Sam, create angry paranoia in a Bronx

neighborhood in director Spike Lee's riveting, hard-edged drama.

Kings of Cool

Paths of Glory - (Kirk Douglas)

8 p.m. (ET/PT) on RetroPlex

Director Stanley Kubrick's searing World War I drama about a general,

far from the front lines, who unblinkingly sends his troops on a

doomed mission -- then decides to punish the men for their failure.

Spartacus - (Kirk Douglas)

9:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on RetroPlex

"I am Spartacus!" The stirring tale of a rebel gladiator who raises an

army of slaves to challenge the mighty Roman empire. With Peter

Ustinov (Best Supporting Actor Oscar(R)) and Tony Curtis, directed by

Stanley Kubrick.

Sunday, July 29

Super Mutts

Starz Kids & Family goes to the dogs with an all-day mutt marathon.

(All times are ET/PT).

-- Eight Below at 12:20 a.m. -- (Paul Walker, Bruce Greenwood, Jason

Biggs)

-- Beethoven's 2nd at 2:30 a.m. -- (Charles Grodin, Bonnie Hunt,

Nicholle Tom)

-- All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 at 4:30 a.m. -- (Charlie Sheen, Sheena

Easton, Ernest Borgnine)

-- Soccer Dog: The Movie at 6:30 a.m. - (James Marshall, Olivia D'Abo,

Jeremy Foley)

-- The Shaggy Dog at 8:15 a.m. -- (Tim Allen, Danny Glover, Kristin

Davis)

-- Eight Below at 10:00 a.m. -- (Paul Walker, Bruce Greenwood, Jason

Biggs)

-- An All Dogs Christmas Carol at 12:05 a.m. -- (Steven Weber, Dom

Deluise, Sheena Easton)

-- All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 at 1:20 p.m. -- (Paul Sabella, Larry Leker)

-- Miracle Dogs at 2:45 p.m. -- (Kate Jackson, Ted Shackelford, Stacy

Keach)

-- Beethoven's 2nd at 4:20 p.m. -- (Charles Grodin, Bonnie Hunt,

Nicholle Tom)

-- Doogal at 6 p.m. -- (Jon Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, William H. Macy)

-- The Shaggy Dog at 7:20 p.m. -- (Tim Allen, Danny Glover, Kristin

Davis)

-- Eight Below at 9:00 p.m. -- (Paul Walker, Bruce Greenwood, Jason

Biggs)

-- Soccer Dog: The Movie at 11:05 p.m. -- (James Marshall, Olivia

D'Abo, Jeremy Foley)

Bullets Over Broadway (Woody Allen)

9 p.m. (ET/PT) on IndiePlex

A gangster with a gift for writing assists a struggling playwright

whose cast includes a snooty stage diva and a crime boss's talentless

girlfriend. Written and directed by Woody Allen, Best Supporting

Oscar(R) for Dianne Wiest.

Monday, July 30

Michael Franti & Spearhead: Live in Sydney

10 p.m. (ET/PT) on Starz Cinema

This energetic 10-song performance from the Hordern Pavillion in

Sydney highlights Michael Franti's growth from angry political rapper

to an artist fluent in old-school R&B, soul and hip-hop.

Source: Starz Entertainment LLC

AMC Announces Original Drama Series Mad Men to Launch on iTunes
Network Offers Cross-Platform Access To Highly Anticipated New Series From Emmy(R)-Award-Winning Executive Producer and Writer of 'The Sopranos(TM)' Matthew Weiner

-- AMC today announced that the network's first original drama series, Mad Men, will be available on the iTunes Store beginning July 20th (http://www.itunes.com/). All thirteen episodes, from AMC in association with Lionsgate, will be available for purchase and download the day after they air for $1.99 per episode or as a Season Pass for $24.99. The launch dovetails with the network premiere of the series, tonight, Thursday, July 19th at 10PM EST.

A special 'making of' Mad Men documentary is available now as a free download on iTunes, and 12 Apple retail stores in cities that include New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, are featuring the documentary in their Apple Theater areas.

"Offering our content on iTunes gives consumers the unique ability to view Mad Men episodes when and where they want, providing the show with the ability to have a stronger voice to reach a wider audience," said Charlie Collier, EVP and General Manager of AMC. "We couldn't be more excited about Mad Men. This is an important series for AMC as it marks the first time the network is delving into the original drama series arena. Leading up to the premiere, Mad Men has already received industry wide critical acclaim. We are thrilled by the critics' response and are eagerly awaiting the premiere."

In the past, AMC has provided a vast array of content at amctv.com including exclusive celebrity interviews, movie polls, blogs and photos. As AMC premieres Mad Men, this latest initiative further deepens the network's commitment to extend the brand online, providing AMC a wider platform to promote the series, while ensuring the show is available to the broadest possible audience.

Created by the Emmy Award-winning executive producer and writer of "The Sopranos" Matthew Weiner, Mad Men is a provocative new primetime drama, set in 1960 New York, about the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising. The series has already garnered great buzz and critical acclaim including Newsweek touting it as "must-see TV" and "out of this world." The New York Post called it, "the best new show of the summer" and People Magazine gave it "3 1/2 stars" & "the sophistication of a feature film." The Wall Street Journal states, "critics have been salivating for a look at Mad Men" and Entertainment Weekly declared it a "Top Ten of Entertainment Weekly's 50 Summer Shows."

Mad Men depicts the social mores of this most innovative yet ruthless profession while taking an unflinching look at the ad men who shaped the hopes and dreams of Americans on a daily basis. The series revolves around the conflicted world of Don Draper, the biggest ad man (and ladies man) in the business, and his colleagues at the Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency. As Don makes the plays in the boardroom and the bedroom, he struggles to stay a step ahead of the rapidly changing times and the young executives nipping at his heels. The series also depicts authentically the roles of men and women in this era while exploring the true human nature beneath the guise of 1960 traditional family values.

About AMC

AMC, a division of Rainbow Media's Entertainment Services, which also includes WE tv and IFC Companies, is a 24-hour, movie-based network, dedicated to the American movie fan. The network, which reaches over 91,000,000 homes, offers a comprehensive library of popular movies and a critically-acclaimed slate of original programming that is a diverse, movie-based mix of original series, documentaries and specials. AMC has garnered many of the industry's highest honors, including 14 Emmy awards, and three Golden Globe(R) nominations for its first original movie, "Broken Trail."

About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC

Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE:CVC) . Rainbow Media is a leading producer of targeted, multi-platform content for global distribution, creating and managing some of the world's most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands, including AMC, IFC, WE tv, Lifeskool, sportskool, and VOOM HD Networks. Through its IFC Entertainment division, Rainbow Media also owns and manages the following: IFC Films, a theatrical feature film distribution company; IFC First Take/IFC in Theaters, a day and date theatrical feature film/VOD initiative; the IFC Center in New York City; IFC Productions, a feature film production company; and IFC Entertainment, which owns and operates a film library. Rainbow Media also operates Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation, its advertising sales company, and Rainbow Network Communications, its full service network programming origination and distribution company.

Source: Rainbow Media Holdings LLC

July 18

Tonight, Breanne Ashley from Newnan, Georgia Is Crowned Miss Hooters International 2007 at the Hooters Swimsuit Pageant in Las Vegas

Breanne Ashley, representing Hooters of Newnan, was selected out of over 125 Hooters Girls from around the world to represent Hooters for the next year, as Miss Hooters International 2007. Among the many prizes and opportunities that accompany the crown, this Hooters Girl from Georgia will take home the first place prize of $50,000 cash as well as be featured in Hooters Magazine, national marketing campaigns and TV commercials.

This year's Pageant, hosted by Chris Rose, was held at the Planet Hollywood's Theatre of Performing Arts in Las Vegas. The judges included television personalities Josh Henderson and Tom Arnold; 2005 Playmate of the Year, Tiffany Fallon; Four Time NBA Champion, John Salley; ESPNs star of "Stump the Schwab", Howie Schwab, NFL Hall of Famer, Gale Sayers; Football Great, Warren Moon; and Rob Dibble from Fox Sports Net "Best Damn Sports Show Period". The Pageant also featured an appearance by Michelle Nunes, Miss Hooters International 2006.

The top five winners included: 1st Runner Up, Natalie Pandorf (representing Tampa, FL), 2nd Runner Up Sara Hoots (representing Selma, TX), 3rd Runner Up, Megan Brady (representing San Francisco, CA), and 4th Runner Up, Randi Jackson (representing the Jacksonville, FL). Rounding out the top ten finalists in no particular order are Candace Pittman (representing Long Beach, CA); Nichole Kelly (representing New York State); Nesie Daglis (representing Downtown Atlanta); Amanda Vallee (representing Knoxville, TN) and Erin Mol (representing Memphis, TN).

Contestants from Australia, China, Germany, Canada, Korea, Mexico, Austria and Guatemala traveled a long way to Las Vegas to compete for over $150,000 in cash and prizes. Viviana Leiva, representing Guatemala was selected from the international contestants to represent Miss Hooters World. She received $5,000 cash with her new title.

Hooters of America, Inc. is the franchisor and operator of over 440 Hooters restaurants in 44 states and 22 foreign countries. The first Hooters opened in 1983 in Clearwater, Florida. Hooters is well known for its brand of food and fun, featuring a casual beach-theme atmosphere, a menu that features seafood, sandwiches and Hooters nearly world famous chicken wings, and service provided by the All-American cheerleaders, the Hooters Girls.

Source: Hooters of America, Inc.

Web site: http://www.hooters.com/

Football Legend Emmitt Smith to be Celebrity Endorser for World-Renowned Arthur Murray Dance Studios
Smith and his Real Life Dance Partner, Pat, Take the Lead on Showing Couples the Benefits of Dancing

-- Arthur Murray International has announced that football legend Emmitt Smith will become a Celebrity Endorser for the iconic ballroom dance schools. Smith, the NFL's All-Time leading rusher and three-time Super Bowl Champion with the Dallas Cowboys, crossed over into the world-wide mainstream as a skillful ballroom dancer when he and dance partner Cheryl Burke won ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" Fall 2006 competition.

"When Emmitt and Cheryl won the Dancing with the Stars title, people were amazed that a pro football legend could learn to dance, no matter how unlikely it seemed that he could be light on his feet," said Thomas D. Murdock, Vice President Marketing and Promotions for Arthur Murray International. "That's why we thought Emmitt would be the perfect spokesperson for Arthur Murray Dance Studios. The entire world loved watching Emmitt challenge every stereotype of men and ballroom dancing. When he's on the dance floor, Emmitt moves with style and grace, proving that any man can learn to dance."

As a Celebrity Endorser, Emmitt and his wife, Pat, will be featured in TV commercials, print media and radio spots sharing the benefits of learning to dance. Pat Smith is an actress and the former Miss Virginia.

Emmitt's dedication to achieving results is legendary, both in his professional football career and in his personal life. For twelve years Emmitt helped lead the Cowboys to three Super Bowl Championships, lead the NFL in rushing four times, was the league MVP in 1993, MVP of Super Bowl XXVIII and made eight Pro Bowl appearances. In addition, Emmitt was the first player in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in 11 consecutive seasons and on October 27, 2002 he surpassed Walter Payton's all-time Leading Rushing Record of 16,726 yards to become the NFL's All-Time Leading Rusher. He will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on July 21 and is eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. Today Emmitt is a television analyst with ESPN and serves as President of SmithCypress Partners, a commercial real estate business. He resides in Dallas with his wife Pat and their four children.

Arthur Murray Dance Studios can be found throughout America and Canada and in Australia, Brazil, Italy, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, South Africa, Japan, and Puerto Rico. For more information about ballroom dance, visit http://www.arthurmurray.com/.

Source: Arthur Murray International

Web site: http://www.arthurmurray.com/

July 17

'Live with Regis and Kelly's' Daily 'Host Chat' Now Available on liveregisandkelly.com

-- Every day, millions of viewers tune in to top-rated morning talk show "Live with Regis and Kelly" to get their daily fix of "Host Chat," the program's lively, unscripted and always unpredictable opening segment. Each morning, hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa kick off the show with their take on the day's news, their own lives and the hot pop culture topics of the day. Now, viewers who miss "Live" can catch "Host Chat" by logging on to the "Live with Regis and Kelly" website, liveregisandkelly.com.

For the first time, "Live's" signature segment is available online for viewing, linking and even sharing with other fans. Whether it's on their home computer or from their desk at work, "Live's" viewing audience can easily access "Host Chat" from liveregisandkelly.com. The footage is posted each afternoon following the show's West Coast telecasts, with the previous four days also available for viewers to enjoy.

"'Live's' signature 'Host Chat' is available for online viewing and sharing, and it's great to have yet another way of providing it to our audience," said Janice Marinelli, President, Disney-ABC Domestic Television. "Now our viewers never have to miss what is certainly one of the most entertaining daily segments on TV."

"Host Chat" is one of TV's most original and distinctive segments, and has been described as "an exhilarating free-for-all" and "the best 20 minutes on television." Philbin and Ripa's daily conversations are totally unscripted, totally spontaneous and have become a signature feature of the show. "Host Chat's" origins date back to "The Regis Philbin Show," Philbin's early '60s talk show on KOGO-TV in San Diego. Each broadcast began with Philbin talking directly to the viewers about events in the news or his own life; over the years, this dialogue would evolve into what is now known as "Host Chat" on "Live."

"Live with Regis and Kelly" airs weekday mornings in national syndication. The show is executive produced by Michael Gelman, and is distributed by Disney-ABC Domestic Television. Produced by WABC-TV in New York, "Live with Regis and Kelly" airs in more than 200 markets across the country.

Source: Live with Regis and Kelly

Web site: http://liveregisandkelly.com/

DreamWorks Animation's 'Monsters vs. Aliens' Set to Invade U.S. Theaters May 15, 2009

-- DreamWorks Animation's "Monsters vs. Aliens" has been slated for its domestic release on May 15, 2009, one week earlier than its previously announced date, with both the official title and the 2009 release date now confirmed for the project. "Monsters vs. Aliens," which reinvents the classic '50s monster movie into an irreverent modern day action comedy, will be the first DreamWorks Animation film produced in stereoscopic 3D technology. The film is being directed by Conrad Vernon ("Shrek 2") and Rob Letterman ("Shark Tale"), and produced by Lisa Stewart ("I Think I Love My Wife").

About DreamWorks Animation SKG

DreamWorks Animation SKG (NYSE:DWA) is devoted to producing high-quality family entertainment through the use of computer-generated (CG) animation. Utilizing world-class creative talent and state-of-the-art technological capabilities, the company is committed to making two computer-animated feature films a year that appeal to a broad movie-going audience.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This document includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company's plans, prospects, strategies, proposals and our beliefs and expectations concerning performance of our current and future releases and anticipated talent, directors and storyline for our upcoming films and other projects, constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the industry in which we operate and management's beliefs and assumptions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions which are difficult to predict. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the statements herein due to changes in economic, business, competitive, technological and/or regulatory factors, and other risks and uncertainties affecting the operation of the business of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. These risks and uncertainties include: audience acceptance of our films, our dependence on the success of a limited number of releases each year, the increasing cost of producing and marketing feature films, piracy of motion pictures, the effect of rapid technological change or alternative forms of entertainment and our need to protect our proprietary technology and enhance or develop new technology. In addition, due to the uncertainties and risks involved in the development and production of animated feature projects, the release dates for the projects described in this document may be delayed. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and our most recent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. DreamWorks Animation is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise.

Source: DreamWorks Animation SKG

Web site: http://www.dreamworksanimation.com/

July 13

VEOH ATTRACTS MORE THAN 14 MILLION UNIQUE USERS IN JUNE LOS ANGELES,

CA (July 12, 2007) - In June, Veoh Networks (www.veoh.com), the leading innovator in Internet television, announced that its user base grew to 14.3 million unique users. This marks a 223% overall rise in traffic since Veoh launched in February with 4.4 million users. Veoh expects its growth to continue to accelerate with the further rollout of its VeohTV which it expects to further transform the online video landscape. Currently in beta, VeohTV acts as a specialized video browser and DVR (digital video recorder) for discovering, viewing and managing online video. VeohTV combines the breadth of the Internet with the simplicity of traditional TV and betters it with a patent-pending smart recommendation engine so that viewers can discover more of what they want to watch. Because VeohTV supports open Internet standards, it has access to virtually all of the content on the Internet. “Our continued rapid growth shows that we have created a platform for experiencing online video that people truly want,” said Dmitry Shapiro, founder of Veoh Networks. “VeohTV will continue to revolutionize the Internet Television landscape, for users, publishers and for advertisers.” To date, more than 85,000 video publishers -- from independent producers to some of the best known brands in music, sports, politics, and entertainment -- have chosen Veoh, including CBS, Billboard, Paramount Pictures, Us Weekly, Car and Driver, National Lampoon, Lionsgate, Road and Track, and PBS. Through its powerful syndication system, Veoh automatically syndicates content published on its site to YouTube, Google Video, and MySpace Video, allowing Veoh’s publishers to reach the largest audience in the world. About Veoh Networks Veoh Networks is an innovative Internet Television company that delivers broadcast-quality video programming via the Internet. The Veoh Networks’ portfolio includes Veoh.com and VeohTV - a free downloadable application that turns online video into Internet Television. Veoh.com is an advanced video hosting and sharing site with over 85,000 content publishers - from Paramount Pictures, Lions Gate, PBS, National Lampoon, Road and Track and Us Magazine to thousands of independent filmmakers and content producers - that currently attracts over 14 million unique users per month. VeohTV makes it easy to turn any computer into a digital video recorder that allows viewers to watch and record shows from thousands of Internet video sources. For advertisers, Veoh offers compelling ways of engaging with a targeted audience and measuring performance of their ad buys. Veoh Networks is a privately held company that is backed by leading technology and media investors, including Shelter Capital Partners, Spark Capital, Goldman Sachs, Michael Eisner’s Tornante Company, and Time Warner Inc. The company’s principal offices are in Los Angeles and San Diego, California.

Emmy(R) Award-Winning Actor John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg Square Off in Spike TV's New Original Scripted Eight-Hour Event
'The Kill Point'
Action-Drama Premieres Sunday, July 22 at 9:00 PM ET/PT with Limited Commercial Interruption
Series Created By James DeMonaco ('The Negotiator'),
Directed By Steve Shill ('The Wire' & 'The Tudors') And
Produced By Lionsgate And Mandeville

-- Emmy(R)Award-winning actor and Golden Globe nominee John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg star in Spike TV's new original scripted series, "The Kill Point," an eight-hour event focusing on two men as they square off during a bank heist gone horribly wrong and the hostage negotiations that ensue. Produced by Lionsgate (NYSE:LGF) in association with Mandeville, "The Kill Point" premieres on Spike TV with a two-hour event beginning Sunday, July 22 at 9:00-PM ET/PT with limited commercial interruption.

John Leguizamo is "Mr. Wolf," the leader of a small group of military veterans who set out to rob a major bank in Pittsburgh. When things go awry, they're forced to take more than a dozen hostages from all walks of life, including a wealthy and powerful businessman's daughter. Suddenly, "Mr. Wolf" finds himself battling the police, the hostages and members of his own team while at the same time, fighting his own personal demons from the Iraq war and from his own war at home. Will he be sharp enough to hold it all together or lose control of the situation? And will he find redemption before it's too late -- and does he even care to?

On the opposite side of the perimeter is "Horst Cali," the Pittsburgh Police Department Hostage Negotiator, played by Donnie Wahlberg, who must go toe-to-toe with "Mr. Wolf." "Cali" must use his wit and negotiating skills, while managing his own personal issues, to manipulate the situation and convince Wolf to free the hostages before the FBI takes control, or worse.

With time of the essence and the uncertainty of the unfolding events, both men need to remain resourceful and collected or risk losing lives. "The Kill Point" reveals how the hostage takers leverage their situation and how the negotiator tries to unravel their plans. Which man will blink? Who will outsmart the other? Who will survive? It's a dangerous game of chess played out with human lives at stake.

Peter Appel ("NYPD Blue"), Dana Ashbrook ("Deadwood"), Geoffrey Cantor ("Law & Order"), Steve Cirbus ("Law & Order"), Jeremy Davidson ("Cold Case"), Christine Evangelista ("Law & Order"), Jennifer Ferrin ("Rescue Me"), Leo Fitzpatrick ("The Wire"), Frank Grillo ("Prison Break"), Michael Hogan ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent"), Michael Hyatt ("The Wire"), Wayne Kasserman ("Law & Order: SVU"), Mike McGlone ("The Brothers McMullen"), Susie Misner ("Rescue Me"), JD Williams ("The Wire") and Michael K. Williams ("The Wire") and special guest star Tobin Bell ("SAW") round out the cast of "The Kill Point."

spiketv.com has created original short form broadband episodes to coincide with "The Kill Point." The broadband episodes were developed and shot exclusively for spiketv.com. The webisodes will feature "The Kill Point" character Deke, a military vet involved in the bank heist who escapes and immobilizes forces on the outside in order to mount a campaign to save his brothers-in-arms trapped in the bank. In between the on-air episodes, spiketv.com will premiere a web original and offer the viewer a glimpse into the back story of "The Kill Point" taking the online viewer into Deke's world to see how he commandeers his crew, weapons and gear. The broadband episodes will also delve deeper into Deke's character to illustrate how he plans his escape and the effects the Iraq War had on him with some graphic flashbacks.

Additionally, High Definition episodes of "The Kill Point" will be available exclusively for downloaded via Xbox LIVE Marketplace, home to more than 1,500 hours of premium entertainment content. Xbox will also offer the standard definition episodes as will iTunes. "The Kill Point" downloads will be available after its on air debut on both xBox, iTunes and Amazon.

"The Kill Point" was created by James DeMonaco ("The Negotiator," "Assault on Precinct 13"), who also serves as executive producer and writer. David Hoberman ("Monk," "Bringing Down the House") and Todd Lieberman ("Wild Hogs," "Bringing Down the House") are executive producers. Steve Shill ("The Wire," "The Tudors") is co-executive producer and director. Todd Harthan ("Skinwalkers") serves as the supervising producer and writer. Tim Iacofano is producer and Bill Hill is co-producer. Bill McGoldrick is Spike TV's executive in charge of production.

Lionsgate is the leading independent filmed entertainment studio, generating two consecutive years of $300 million-plus domestic theatrical box office, operating a $500 million-plus home entertainment business and producing a broad slate of prime time television series for fiscal 2007. It is a premier producer and distributor of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment, and video-on-demand content. Its prestigious and prolific library of more than 10,000 titles is a valuable source of stable, recurring revenue and a foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate brand is synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

Spike TV is available in 91.6 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) , MTV Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

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 137 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.

Source: Spike TV

Web site: http://www.spiketv.com/

Salt 'N Pepa Season Up VH1 With New Reality Show
'The Salt 'N Pepa Show' Premieres Monday, October 15

"Push It." "Let's Talk About Sex." "Shoop." "Whatta Man." The songs are as legendary as this rap duo. Twelve million records sold. A first ever Grammy awarded to a female rap group for Best Rap Performance. Three MTV Video Music Awards. Then, in 2002, at the height of their success, Salt 'N Pepa suddenly called it quits. Rumors swirled that Salt had found God and Pepa wanted to pursue an acting career. Despite the speculation, the girls remained silent. Until now.

Premiering Monday, October 15, "The Salt 'N Pepa Show," will follow the ladies as they attempt to reunite on and off the stage in this funny, often touching reality series. They soon discover however, that achieving this is easier said than done since most of their past issues are still unresolved. Salt is angry about being unappreciated when they were together and Pepa blames Salt for breaking up the group. Their lifestyles are also polar opposites: Salt has indeed found God and is living a quiet life in Long Island with her husband while Pepa is still the party girl and desperately wants to re-capture the glamour of Salt 'N Pepa's glory days. Can they overcome their differences long enough to heal their friendship and perform again?

"The Salt 'N Pepa Show" is executive produced by Banks Tarver and Ken Druckerman for Left/Right Inc. Michael Hirschorn, Shelly Tatro and Danielle Gelfand for VH1. Kari McFarland is supervising producer for VH1.

For up-to-the-minute and archival press information including releases and photographs, visit VH1's press-only Web site at www.vh1.com/press

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 90 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital services including VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul and VSPOT, VH1's broadband channel. Connect with VH1 at www.VH1.com.

Source: VH1

Web site: http://www.vh1.com/
http://press.mtvn.com/tcajuly07

VH1 Classic Presents the U.S. Premiere of 'Seven Ages Of Rock' a Landmark Seven-Part Series Exploring the Story of Rock Music Premiering on VH1 Classic on Monday, December 17

"Seven Ages of Rock," a co-production with the BBC, will make its U.S. debut on VH1 Classic Monday, December 17. MTV veteran Mark Goodman narrates this 7-part series, which showcases the various genres of rock music that impacted and shaped pop culture.

From the birth of rock to metal to alternative rock -- there is a genre for every music fan -- some that have stood the test of time and others that have not. This exclusive series will delve into what made each of these genres of music resonate with fans across the world.

Each of the seven episodes will take a deeper look into the individual ages of rock by evaluating the music itself -- breaking down key tracks, getting behind the songs and composing ideas, as well as looking into the social influences of the time and the social context that influenced the progression of the music. Throughout each episode viewers will hear from some of rock music's biggest icons including Keith Richards, David Bowie, Roger Waters, Lou Reed, Ozzy Osbourne, James Hetfield, Deborah Harry, Gene Simmons, Roger Taylor, Stewart Copeland, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt, Michael Stipe, Henry Rollins, Dave Grohl, Frank Black, Noel Gallagher and many more.

Here's a breakdown of each night:

Episode 1: The Birth of Rock - Rock music emerges in the late 60's as a fresh branch of rock 'n' roll. Becoming popular through artists like The Who, Cream, and The Rolling Stones, rock groups exemplified this era of protest through a tone of seriousness in their music.

Episode 2: Art/Prog Rock - As rock music made a name for itself, upcoming rock artists began to experiment with their sound. Groups including The Velvet Underground, David Bowie, Pink Floyd and Genesis were all a part of this innovative and varied sound.

Episode 3: Heavy Metal - A new sound that emerged from the UK, heavy metal conveyed an intense and powerful resonance. Artists like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin paved the way by establishing the heavy sound while artists like Metallica and Motley Crue added their own rock 'n' roll twist.

Episode 4: Punk - Continuing with the evolution of the sound of rock, a genre of music emerged in the 1970s that can best be described as anti- establishment. Demonstrated by bands including The Sex Pistols, The Clash and Television, these artists created music that went hand-in-hand with the rebellion of youth at the time, often containing lyrics that incorporated political outrage and a "do-it-yourself" attitude.

Episode 5: Stadium Rock - Rock music became more dominant in mainstream pop culture in the 80s allowing artists such as Queen, The Police, Bruce Springsteen, and U2 to sell out stadium-sized venues.

Episode 6: Alternative/Grunge - Influenced by punk, bands including Nirvana, REM, Sonic Youth, and Pearl Jam shunned the traditions of the music industry and signed with independent record labels. Despite their deviance from traditional mainstream success, many alternative bands were commercially successful.

Episode 7: UK Indie - Growing out of the UK punk scene, bands such as The Smiths, Oasis, and the Stone Roses possessed an independent spirit that embraced their artistic power and financial control. These groups created music that provided a strong and sometimes arrogant counterpoint to the pop sounds dominating the charts.

"Seven Ages of Rock," a VH1 Classic co-production with the BBC is executive produced by Michael Poole for the BBC and Michele M. Dix and Ben Zurier for VH1. William Naylor serves as the series producer for the BBC.

For up-to-the-minute and archival press information including releases and photographs, visit VH1's press-only Web site at www.vh1.com/press

Launched in May 2000, VH1 Classic is a 24-hour network that present videos, concerts and music specials all day long, featuring the best of rock, soul and pop artists from the 60's, 70's and 80's, including The Beatles, The Stones, Tina Turner, Led Zeppelin, Marvin Gaye, The Who, Stevie Wonder, The Police and many more. Learn more at http://www.vh1classic.com/.

Source: VH1

Web site: http://www.vh1.com/
http://press.mtvn.com/tcajuly07
http://www.vh1classic.com/

VH1 Says 'I Hate My 30's'
VH1's New Scripted Ensemble Comedy 'I Hate My 30's' Premieres Thursday, July 26 at 10:30pm*
Series To Launch On VH1.com, VH1 Mobile, VH1 On-demand And Various Digital-To- Own Platforms Beginning Monday, July 16
Entire Season To Be Available On Joost Beginning On Monday, July 16

VH1's new scripted half- hour comedy "I Hate My 30's," takes an irreverent look at the end of prolonged adolescence by introducing us to a group of thirty-somethings struggling with the realities and responsibilities of finally being an adult. VH1 has produced eight episodes of the series premiering July 26th at 10:30pm.* VH1 will air each episode's premiere commercial-free.

On July 16, ten days prior to its on-air premiere, "I Hate My 30's" will "sneak" premiere in its entirety across multiple screens including VH1.com, VH1 Mobile, VH1 On-demand through various cable providers' VOD offerings and Joost. In addition to the premiere episode, Joost will offer the entire 8- episode season in advance on July 16 - a first for both VH1 and Joost. Beginning on July 17, the premiere episode of the series will be available on several "digital-to-own" platforms including, iTunes Store (www.iTunes.com), Amazon Unbox and AOL Video.

Set in the second homes for many thirty-somethings (the office and the local coffee shop), "I Hate My 30's" is hosted by Dr. Rod, the kindly yet twisted owner of Dr. Rod's Turn Your Head and Coffee. Each week, Dr. Rod sets up an issue that is explored through the skewed (and occasionally surreal) perspective of our characters. Carol can't decide if she should focus on career or love; Travis wants to party but has a wife and kid at home; Chad won't stop playing video games to pay his bills; Mandy has to watch all her sorority sisters walk down the aisle while she remains single; and Corey buries himself in work and fantasy books to forget that his wife left him. Each episode ends with a piece of sage advice from animated co-worker C.L. Fox, whose run-ins with ex-girlfriends, bookies, and the law, provide many cautionary tales for the group.

If you loved the 80's, you're probably in your 30's now. And like many of the beloved sitcoms of those years, "I Hate My 30's" tries to solve the characters' (and the audience's) problems by the end of the half hour. But this show does it with a decidedly 21st century dose of irony. As Dr. Rod would say, "Your 30's are the time for prioritizing, for deciding what is really important to you -- even if what you think is important, isn't."

"I Hate My 30's" was developed by an idea VH1 brought to the group Drama 3/4 - a talented group of multi-hyphenates who have worked together putting on comedy shows and producing short films since college. Executive produced by Brice Beckham, David Fickas and Josh Uranga for Drama 3/4 and Michael Hirschorn and Maggie Malina for VH1. All episodes were written and directed by Brice Beckham and David Fickas.

For up-to-the-minute and archival press information including releases and photographs, visit VH1's press-only Web site at www.vh1.com/press

VH1 is a registered trademark of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom International Inc. MTV Networks also operates and offers joint ventures, licensing agreements and syndication deals whereby its programming can be seen worldwide.

*All Times E

T/PT

Source: VH1

Web site: http://www.vh1.com/
http://www.vh1.com/press

And the Critics' Choice Award Goes to ... VH1
The Broadcast Film Critics Association's 'Critics' Choice Awards' Honors VH1 With A 3-Year Deal
The First Major Awards Show Of The Season Will Air Live From The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium On VH1 Monday, January 7, 2008

-- The Broadcast Film Critics Association's (BFCA) "Critics' Choice Awards" show will make VH1 its new television network home with an exclusive three-year deal. The awards are bestowed annually by the BFCA to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. VH1 will air the 13th annual "Critics' Choice Awards" gala live from the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on Monday, January 7, 2008.

Since its inception in 1995, the "Critics' Choice Awards" has become a star-studded bellwether event of the movie awards season. The BFCA consistently picks nominees and winners that go on to garner more Academy Award nominations and wins than any other movie awards shows.

In 2007 alone, the "Critics' Choice Awards" foretold 30 of the 35 nominees and six of the seven Oscar(R) winners in the top seven categories including best picture, acting, directing, and writing. In addition, since 1999 the BFCA has correctly chosen 43 of 45 Academy Award nominated movies in the Best Picture category and this year was the only major film critics group to name "The Departed" (the 2007 Oscar(R) winner) as Best Picture.

The "Critics' Choice Awards" is the first major award show of the year and the only one to air before the Oscar(R) nomination ballots are mailed in. With its history of picking nominees and winners, it provides television viewers with their first opportunity to see all the top awards season contenders in one place.

The "Critics' Choice Awards" is always a hot ticket event for entertainment A-listers. Attending the show in 2007 was a who's who of Hollywood including: Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Forest Whitaker, Helen Mirren, Alan Arkin, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood, Ryan Gosling, Kate Winslet, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Penelope Cruz, Spike Lee, Jessica Biel, Sacha Baron Cohen and Dakota Fanning.

The Broadcast Film Critics Association is the largest film critics' organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 200 television, radio and online critics. BFCA members are the primary source of information for today's film going public. The very first opinion a moviegoer hears about new releases at the multiplex or the art house usually comes from one of its members.

"The VH1 audience has a ravenous appetite for pop culture, especially films and the A-list names that appear in them. Our viewers will welcome the annual Critics' Choice Awards ceremony which is the first, must-attend event of Hollywood's award season," said Tom Calderone, EVP and General Manager, VH1. "We are honored to have the BFCA join the VH1 family and hope to be able to add our creative stamp to the show."

"VH1 is a window onto the pop culture landscape that the Broadcast Film Critics Association reports on, making this an ideal network home for our show," stated Joey Berlin, President of the BFCA. "We are thrilled to have VH1 host our awards show and look forward to growing with the network."

VH1 will expand elements of the show online at VH1.com and on VH1 Mobile. Exclusive video footage from the event will include celebrity interviews, "behind-the-scenes" footage and more. Additional multiplatform plans will be announced closer to the event.

Bob Bain for Bob Bain Productions and Joey Berlin for Berlin Entertainment are executive producers. Lee Rolontz is the executive producer for VH1.

For up-to-the-minute and archival press information including releases and photographs, visit VH1's press-only Web site at www.vh1.com/press

Source: VH1

Web site: http://www.vh1.com/

'VH1 Hip Hop Honors' Salutes the Pioneers of Hip Hop Who've Reinvented the Sound and Look of the Genre on Monday, October 8 at 10PM*
Hosted By Tracy Morgan The Fourth Annual Hip Hop Celebration Will Feature Tributes To Snoop Dogg, Whodini, Missy Elliot, Wild Style's 25th Anniversary and Teddy Riley and Andre Harrell For New Jack Swing
VH1 Searches For The Next Great Music Producer To Create The Official Score For This Year's 'VH1 Hip Hop Honors' With Online Contest 'The Score' Launching July 23 On HIPHOP.VH1.COM

-- VH1 will once again honor the hip hop pioneers and legends that have made significant contributions to all aspects of pop culture with the fourth annual "VH1 Hip Hop Honors." Hosted by Tracy Morgan, this year's honorees include Snoop Dogg, Whodini, Missy Elliot, Wild Style's 25th Anniversary and Teddy Riley and Andre Harrell for New Jack Swing.

Premiering on Monday, October 8 at 10 PM*, "VH1 Hip Hop Honors," will celebrate the players who broke new ground and pioneered the genre into a true cultural phenomenon. "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" will be taped at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on Thursday, October 4. The music and influence of each of the honorees will be recognized through performances by classic artists in collaboration with today's hottest new talent. Generations of hip hop will bridge the gap for one exceptional night to set it off with the original style and flavor that sparked and inspired the evolution of the music. Additional performances and appearances will be announced shortly.

On July 23, VH1.com is launching "THE SCORE," an online search to find the best, undiscovered hip hop producer in the country. VH1 will give one lucky producer the opportunity to heat up VH1's fourth annual hip hop celebration by awarding him or her with the opportunity to create and produce the official score of the annual, televised event. The winning score will be used during the broadcast of "VH1 Hip Hop Honors." The creator will receive show credit and the opportunity to be mentored by an industry executive/producer during a session where the winning score will be professionally produced.

From July 23 through August 20, contestants can post their 60-second beats for consideration at http://hiphop.vh1.com/. See site for official rules and guidelines. Three finalists will be selected by a panel of music industry judges. Viewers will then decide through online voting who has what it takes to create and produce this year's official score to "VH1 Hip Hop Honors."

Additionally, in early September, VH1.com will launch a dedicated "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" Web site with honoree profiles, exclusive online content and more.

"VH1 Hip Hop Honors" is executive produced by Lee Rolontz for VH1 and Jac Benson for Blackjac Entertainment. Louis J. Horvitz will direct. Nelson George and Fab Five Freddie are consulting producers.

For up-to-the-minute and archival press information including releases and photographs, visit VH1's press-only Web site at www.vh1.com/press

* All times ET/PT

Source: VH1

Web site: http://www.vh1.com/
http://hiphop.vh1.com/

TV Land is 'All Shook Up' With Month-Long Celebration of Elvis Presley in August
"Elvis Month" to Feature Films, Concerts, Documentaries and Original Special Myths and Legends: Elvis
TVLand.com to Offer Extensive Elvis Content Online

-- TV Land becomes the home to everything Elvis Presley this August when the network celebrates the King of Rock 'n' Roll with a month-long tribute commemorating his legacy. This ultimate showcase includes: concerts such as the '68 Comeback Special and Aloha from Hawaii, the documentary Elvis By The Presleys, his much-loved films like Love Me Tender and Wild in the Country, and the original special Myths and Legends: Elvis. The special, which premieres Thursday, August 16 at 10 p.m. (all times ET/PT), provides insight into some of the long-standing mysteries surrounding Presley. Additionally, on Thursday, July 26, TV Land and the city of Honolulu, Hawaii will dedicate a life-sized bronze sculpture of Elvis Presley which will grace The Neal S. Blaisdell Center, formerly The Honolulu International Center, the site of Elvis' 1973 Aloha from Hawaii concert. Finally, TVLand.com will pay tribute to the King with an Elvis photo gallery, dedication footage from the network's Elvis statue unveiling in Honolulu, a blog from music writer Ben Fong-Torres in which he shares his memories of Elvis and clips from Elvis' TV specials and concerts.

"Elvis Presley is the ultimate icon of pop culture who changed the face of music," states Larry W. Jones, President, TV Land. "He had a force and an impact which is unprecedented, and it is our hope that TV Land's tribute to him will remind fans of his amazing legacy that continues to endure."

In a monumental event, TV Land will air a number of Presley's treasured work by showing films, concerts and documentaries starring and about the King of Rock 'n' Roll throughout the month. The network will also premiere an original special, Myths and Legends: Elvis, a look at some of the most popular mysteries surrounding the icon.

TV Land's programming for Elvis Month includes:

-- Concert Weekends - Performance specials such as Elvis: '68 Comeback

Special, Aloha From Hawaii, Elvis: the Great Performances and Ed

Sullivan's Rock 'N' Roll Classics: Elvis Presley.

-- Documentaries and Made-for-TV Movies - Elvis By the Presleys, Elvis

and Me, Elvis On Tour and Elvis: His Best Friend Remembers.

-- Feature Movies - Love Me Tender; Wild in the Country; Easy Come, Easy

Go; Fun in Acapulco; Paradise Hawaiian Style; Roustabout; Girl Happy;

Live a Little, Love a Little and Speedway.

-- Myths and Legends: Elvis

A TV Land Original Special

Thursday, August 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT

Based on the popularity of season one of TV Land Myths & Legends, this

half-hour special coincides with TV Land's month-long salute to Elvis

Presley. Thirty years after Elvis has "left the building," TV Land

takes an in-depth look at some of the most popularly held mysteries

about the King of Rock 'n' Roll and dissects them to separate fact from

fiction. Are Oprah Winfrey and Elvis really related? Did he really

approach President Nixon in the hopes of becoming a federal drug agent?

These, and many other mysteries will be answered in this special.

TVLAND.COM TRIBUTE

TVLand.com currently features a sneak peek at "Elvis Month" on TV Land, which includes video excerpts from Elvis's Aloha from Hawaii special and a photo gallery of Elvis throughout his life. Users can also watch movie trailers from Presley's movies Speedway, Girl Happy and Live a Little, Love a Little, clips from his TV specials and concerts, and in the coming weeks, log on to play The Elvis Trivia Game. The site will also feature images from the statue, footage from the dedication and a blog from Ben Fong-Torres, a former editor for Rolling Stone Magazine, as he shares his comments and special memories about Elvis. Additionally, TVLand.com will also offer excerpts from a radio interview conducted by former KPOI-FM's DJ Tom Moffatt after Elvis returned from the Army. Finally, fans can watch interviews from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with producers who have worked with Elvis and chat with other Elvis fans on the site's message boards.

ELVIS STATUE

On July 26, TV Land and the city of Honolulu, Hawaii will dedicate a life- sized bronze sculpture of Elvis Presley. The statue will grace The Neal S. Blaisdell Center, formerly The Honolulu International Center, the site of Elvis' 1973 Aloha from Hawaii concert. The sculpture - which commemorates this historic Aloha from Hawaii event seen globally on television -- portrays the King of Rock 'n' Roll as he appeared in that performance and pays tribute to him during the 30th Anniversary year of his passing.

This bronze sculpture is the network's sixth work to honor people, places and moments from pop culture by recognizing the site as a "TV Land Landmark." The network's landmarks include: a bronze statue of Ralph Kramden of The Honeymooners at the entrance of New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal; a sculpture of Mary Tyler Moore from The Mary Tyler Moore Show at Nicollett Mall in downtown Minneapolis, MN; The Andy Griffith Show statue in Raleigh's Pullen Park; a bronze statue of Bob Newhart commemorating his role as Dr. Robert Hartley on The Bob Newhart Show in Chicago and most recently, a tribute to the beloved series Bewitched with a life-size statue depicting a magical view of character Samantha Stevens, played by actress Elizabeth Montgomery, in Salem MA. Fans can visit TVLand.com to see photos, virtual tours of the statues as well as streaming video of some of the dedications.

Studio EIS, a three-dimensional design and sculpture studio in New York founded by brothers Ivan and Elliot Schwartz, is creating the life-sized bronze sculpture. The studio also created The Andy Griffith Show statue, the statue commemorating Bob Newhart's role as Dr. Robert Hartley on The Bob Newhart Show and the statue of Samantha Stevens from Bewitched.

Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. has granted permission for this special tribute and is involved in the approval process of the sculpture.

Now seen in over 90 million U.S. homes, TV Land is dedicated to building the ultimate Baby Boomer entertainment brand on all platforms. Armed with a slate of new original programming, newly acquired Classic TV and movies, multiplatform content and Cause Change, a new pro-social initiative, the network is uniquely positioned to cater to America's 78 million Baby Boomers, the first generation of Americans who grew alongside television. TV Land's program mix features hit originals, popular dramas, sitcoms, westerns and Retromercials. TV Land's roster includes hits like All in the Family, M*A*S*H, The Andy Griffith Show and several others. Furthering the network's commitment to develop original programming that complements its roster of acquisitions, the network regularly showcases original series and specials like I Pity The Fool, Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg, TV Land Myths and Legends, Generation Boom, TV Land Confidential and the upcoming original series High School Reunion.

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.

Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE) is based in Memphis, with additional offices in Los Angeles. In addition to Graceland and its related attractions in Memphis, including the Heartbreak Hotel, EPE is aggressively involved in a worldwide licensing program, merchandising, music publishing, and television, film, video and Internet projects. For more information on EPE and Graceland, visit http://www.elvis.com/. EPE is a subsidiary of CKX, Inc., a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ National Market(R) under the ticker symbol "CKXE." Also visit http://www.ckx.com/.

For more information please visit the MTV Networks press site at press.mtvn.com/tcajul07.

Source: TV Land

Web site: http://www.tvland.com/

Entertainment Weekly and TV Land Collaborate To Present the 50 Greatest TV Icons of All Time
List To Be Revealed in Entertainment Weekly and Two-Hour Original Special to Premiere on TV Land on Friday, November 16
EW.com and TVLand.com Join Forces To Countdown TV Icons 51-100

-- Oprah. Heather Locklear. Homer Simpson. Regardless of age, TV genre or lifeform, there are select TV personalities whose work is timeless and whose popularity is endless due to the impact they have made through television. Entertainment Weekly and TV Land Present: The 50 Greatest TV Icons, a two-hour special premiering on TV Land on Friday, November 16 from 8-10pm ET/PT, counts down the iconic personalities who have made their indelible mark via the small screen. The list will also be revealed in the issue of Entertainment Weekly on stands that same day.

Whether these beloved performers have made the list because they are game changers like Jerry Seinfeld, have the longevity of Kermit, or the instant rise to super stardom like Farrah, Entertainment Weekly and TV Land Present: The 50 Greatest TV Icons takes a comprehensive look at these respected icons, all culled from over 50 years of television. The TV Land original special and Entertainment Weekly feature story (November 23rd issue, on stands the 16th) both feature interviews with the stars themselves as well as people who have worked with them, knew them, created them or were inspired by them. The Entertainment Weekly story celebrates the list by taking an in-depth look at each of the stars, while TV Land honors the performers in the special by giving viewers access to rarely seen footage that solidifies each icon's place in TV history. The TV Land special is produced by Gay Rosenthal Productions.

"America has gotten to know so many talented performers through television so it was very difficult to narrow the list down to 50," states Larry W. Jones, President, TV Land. "However, when you look at this list, it's clear that these names are in a different league. Their appeal crosses generations and will have the lasting impact that rightfully gives them the icon label. TV Land viewers and Entertainment Weekly readers will have a great time reliving the moments that earned these performers a spot on the list."

"Teaming up with TV Land to name the 50 Greatest TV Icons of All Time is the perfect match for Entertainment Weekly. Readers relish our signature lists, and since we're in a Golden Age of TV it's a great time to celebrate the performers who have elevated the medium over its entire history," says Entertainment Weekly Managing Editor Rick Tetzeli. "This multi-platform campaign helps us serve readers in an even bigger way."

EW.com and TVLand.com will host a supplement list with the names of TV Icons 51-100, a complement to the TV special and magazine. Additionally, the sites will host content that will engage fans by allowing them to see more original interviews with those featured on the list and other celebrities talking about how these icons have inspired them. Specifically, EW.com will have links to all EW articles that have been published on the icons, feature a bracket game that allows fans to vote for their favorite icon and host video of current stars talking about their own favorite icons. TVLand.com will offer classic video clips of icons on the list, celebrity interviews of those on the list and feature a message board for visitors to sound-off about the list.

The 50 Greatest TV Icons is a Gay Rosenthal Production. Executive Producers are Gay Rosenthal and Paul Barrosse from Gay Rosenthal Productions and Sal Maniaci, Senior Vice President, Development and Original Production, TV Land. Co-Executive Producer is Nicholas Caprio and Supervising Producer is Natalie Aaron, both from Gay Rosenthal Productions.

ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY AND EW.COM

Entertainment Weekly, a winner of four National Magazine Awards is America's leading consumer magazine of entertainment and popular culture. The magazine is a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc., and has a guaranteed circulation rate base of 1.725 million reaching an audience of 10.7 million readers. EW.com, winner of MPA's best entertainment website of the year, is one of the most popular and most comprehensive sites for online entertainment coverage. EW.com's homepage contains unique, online-only content - articles, photo galleries, reviews, Q&As and blog items, etc. - plus a complete archive of Entertainment Weekly magazine.

About TV Land

For more information please visit the MTV Networks press site at press.mtvn.com/tcajul07.

Source: TV Land

Web site: http://www.tvland.com/

Nickelodeon's First Original Broadband Series, Nick Cannon's Star Camp, To Debut Sunday, July 22, On TurboNick
New Reality Series from Executive Producers Nick Cannon, Quincy Jones and Quincy "QD3 Jones III - and Hosted by Cannon -- Follows Eight Kids through MegaStar Boot Camp
Performance Finale to Air on Nickelodeon in TEENick, Sunday, August 26

Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids, will debut a new original series, Nick Cannon's Star Camp, July 22, exclusively on TurboNick, the network's broadband video player. Executive produced by host Cannon, Quincy Jones and Quincy "QD3" Jones III, the show selects and follows eight members of a new youth super-group hand-picked by Cannon as they literally learn how to be stars. The series of five 15-minute episodes will stream on TurboNick (www.turbonick.com) every Sunday, and the finale performance will air in Nickelodeon's TEENick block on Sunday, August 26 (6 p.m. ET/PT).

"Streaming video has become a big part of how today's multi-tasking generation of kids is experiencing entertainment. Several of our properties like Mr. Meaty and Avatar have developed a huge following online, so introducing an original series to air exclusively on TurboNick is the natural next step in super-serving our audience," said Marjorie Cohn, Executive Vice President of Original Programming and Development, Nickelodeon Networks. "We're especially excited to be launching this series in collaboration with top talent like Nick Cannon and Quincy Jones, who know how to connect with our audience on any platform."

Developed to give a select group of kids the opportunity to showcase their talents, Nick Cannon's Star Camp produces The Giggle Club, an eight-member all-star super group. After the cameras stop following the group as they learn the fundamental tools needed to make it in the music industry, plans for them include recording an album and performing in a live stage show tour, thereby fulfilling their dreams of stardom. To help get them there, Nick Cannon and Quincy Jones call on a "media dream team" of producer and director Debbie Allen and choreographer to the stars, Fatima Robinson. The group is put through a "megastar boot camp" with state of the art equipment and resources to hone in on their performance skills.

"There is so much untapped talent out there, particularly among young kids today. We wanted to find this talent and give kids the training necessary to mold them into the budding stars that they can be," said Cannon. "I can't think of a better network to be working with than Nickelodeon and a better way to reach today's multi-platform kid audience than by airing this series on TurboNick."

"I am committed to projects that have a positive influence on today's youth," said Jones. "Nick Cannon's Star Camp is a perfect fit and a beautiful way to help create the next generation's successful writers, actors, musicians and producers."

The Giggle Club features eight members, ranging in age from 13 to 19. They are Cashae Davis (Young Daisy), Antonio Anderson (M-One), Tehabreana Mc Nair (Bre-Roca), Malik Mc Nair (Mac Flossy), Jessica Salinaz (Jessi J), William May (Big Will), Amanda Moseley (Mandy Rain) and Jesse Brown (Casper).

TurboNick will complement the Nick Cannon's Star Camp streaming experience with background on the show and The Giggle Club members, as well as a message board where kids can actively discuss their thoughts on the new mega-stars. Printed interviews with The Giggle Club members will also appear on the site.

Nick Cannon's Star Camp is executive produced by Quincy Jones, Nick Cannon, Quincy "QD3" Jones III, Ray Brown and Sean McNair. The show's creators are Ray Brown and Sean McNair.

Executive producer/host Cannon is no stranger to the Nickelodeon family. First appearing on Nickelodeon's sketch comedy series All That, he went on to star in and executive produce his own comedy series on the channel, "The Nick Cannon Show." Cannon is also a successful rapper, actor, writer and producer of hit shows Wild N Out and Short Circutz on MTV. He has shared the comedy stage with the likes of Chris Tucker, Damon Wayans and Chris Rock.

Entertainment impresario/producer-arranger-performer Jones has won 27 Grammys and is the most Grammy-nominated artist in history (79). He produced the best-selling album and best-selling single of all time. Jones has worked with the greatest artists of all time, from Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and Miles Davis to Bono, Celine Dion, Ludacris, 50 Cent, will.i.am and Alicia Keys. He turned rapper Will Smith into a TV and film star with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and launched Oprah Winfrey to global fame with The Color Purple. Jones currently serves as a producer of the Tony Award-winning Broadway production The Color Purple. A tribute album honoring his career and featuring today's hottest stars is in production. Among his television credits as an executive producer are the hit series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Mad TV as well as HBO's celebration of President Clinton's inauguration, An American Reunion, and The 68th Annual Academy Awards.

Quincy "QD3" Jones III, founder of QD3 Entertainment, is a respected multi-platinum producer, having created hits for artists including LL Cool J, Ice Cube and Tupac Shakur. QD3 Entertainment has produced a successful series of documentary films chronicling urban and hip hop culture and creates content for multiple platforms, including television, the Internet, mobile and video on demand.

TurboNick premiered as the first broadband player for kids in 2005 to complement Nickelodeon's on-air programming. It is one of several multiplatform experiences that allow kids to access Nickelodeon content anywhere in the world at any time of the day. Users are able to search from a library of hundreds of long and short-form videos of Nickelodeon favorites. And the video streaming on TurboNick never stops. Even as users watch, browse, interact with and personalize their experience, they are able to stay connected with programming as never before. TurboNick has experienced triple digit percentage increases over last year in terms of traffic. For the month of May, it garnered 106 million streams, a +542% increase over May 2006.

Nickelodeon, in its 28th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost 92 million households and has been the number-one- rated basic cable network for 12 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) .

Source: Nickelodeon

Web site: http://www.nick.com/
http://www.turbonick.com/

Mmm ... Mobile Entertainment!
Jamster brings 'The Simpsons' to a mobile phone near you ... just in time for THE SIMPSONS MOVIE

-- The next time you hear, "D'oh!" or "Hey everybody pay attention to me. I'm a big, fancy jerk with a big, fancy cellphone," it'll probably be coming from a mobile phone near you because those phrases, along with a range of other content from The Simpsons, are available for the first time to mobile users, exclusively at http://www.thesimpsonsmobile.com/ and http://www.jamster.com/.

"These are about to become the most sought-after ringtones in the United States," said Lucy Hood, CEO of Jamster/Jamba, the world's leading mobile entertainment company. "People have been clamoring for us to offer The Simpsons on mobile phones, and now we are happy to offer 'The Yellow Plan' to consumers across the nation."

The Yellow Plan is a subscription service offering exclusive made-for- mobile content based upon the popular FOX animated television series, The Simpsons. THE SIMPSONS MOVIE, based on the long-running and much-honored show, arrives in theaters everywhere July 27.

"The Simpsons is a world-wide phenomenon that had been enjoyed on virtually every entertainment platform except mobile ... until now," said Denise Sirkot, Executive Vice President of Gracie Films, the creators of The Simpsons. "We've worked closely with Jamster to ensure fans of the show get content that meets our creative standards and fans' expectations. The Yellow Plan provides a great mix and we have exciting plans down the road."

Simpsons fans will show their true colors as their phone rings with Homer voicing classics like, "Mmm ... donuts" or "Woo-hoo!" They can shake and grind to the famous Itchy and Scratchy theme song ringtone or dance to a jazz version of The Simpsons theme song. Consumers will also enjoy the screensavers showing Homer as Mr. Sparkle or the wallpapers of Marge and her famous quotes. For only $9.99/month, fans can make use of six credits to purchase a broad selection of new Simpsons content including ringtones, voicetones, wallpapers and screensavers. New content will be available every month.

Additionally, Yellow Plan subscribers will have the chance to play as Homer in The Simpsons: Minutes to Meltdown, a mobile game from Electronic Arts, stocking up on donuts and sneaking past Krusty the Clown and Officer Lou to save Springfieldians from potential nuclear meltdown. The mobile game is a laugh-out-loud, beat-the-clock adventure game that will surely touch Simpsons fans.

"The Yellow Plan is the mobile industry's first single brand subscription, with original mobile-only offerings created by writers and talent from The Simpsons," said Hood. "Our goal is to connect people with their passions, and people all over the world are passionate about The Simpsons."

Following this initial introduction, new content from other beloved Simpsons characters, products based upon great holiday and other themes, as well as a few surprises, will be available to Yellow Plan subscribers. Jamster supports all major U.S. carriers and handset manufacturers. For additional information please visit http://www.thesimpsonsmobile.com/ and http://www.jamster.com/.

About Jamster

Jamster is one of the world's leading providers of mobile entertainment able to reach one in six consumers around the globe. With a wide offering of mobile products and services available directly via mobile phones, Jamster connects people with their passions in 35 countries on five continents and in 23 languages. Branded popular content from around the world including The Simpsons and The Simple Life, the latest content from major media companies, including chart-topping ringtones from top music labels such as UMG and Sony, mobile games from renowned game developers such as Electronic Arts, and original content made exclusively for mobile phones, allows Jamster to give consumers what they want, when they want it and where they want it. Jamster is a joint venture between News Corporation (NYSE:NWS) (NYSE:NWS.A) and VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSN) and headquartered in Beverly Hills, Calif., and Berlin, Germany.

Source: Jamster

Web site: http://www.thesimpsonsmobile.com/
http://www.jamster.com/

Starz Presents World Television Premiere of Winning Films From 2007 Film Your Issue Competition on July 14

-- As exclusive broadcaster of the international competition, Starz Entertainment presents the world television premiere of "Starz Movie News: 2007 Film Your Issue." It premieres on Starz Saturday, July 14 at 1:50 p.m. (ET/PT), following with an encore presentation on Starz Edge Friday, July 20 at 5:05 p.m. (ET/PT).

Film Your Issue is an international "issue film" competition which invited global citizens ages 16-25 to add their voice to the public dialogue on pressing social issues via films of one minute or less. In addition to Starz Entertainment, Yahoo!/Jumpcut, USA TODAY, Universal Pictures, ASCAP, The United Nations Department of Public Information, The Humane Society of the United States, and The Natural Resources Defense Council also lent a hand to partner with Film Your Issue.

The winning films showcased in "Starz Movie News" include FYI U.S. Jury Selection winners Live a Revolution by Jamie Walker of Pittsburgh, Penn.; One Word by Chelsea Moore of Pikeville, Tenn. and The Terrorist by Chad Simpson of Columbus, Ohio. FYI International Jury Selections were awarded to How A Prostitute is Born by Dolly Ovadia Nahon of Haifa, Israel and Putek by Ramon del Prado and Theresa Clamor of Manila, The Philippines.

Hidden Agenda by Kylee Darcy of Fairfax, Calif. was awarded the FYI -- Yahoo! Audience Award for American Film and Looks Can Be Deceiving by Rio de Janeiro residents received the FYI -- Yahoo! Audience Award for International Film as well as the United Nations Department of Public Information -- FYI Award. Finally, the Natural Resources Defense Council -- FYI Award went to Give a Hoot, Bike Commute by Boulder, Colo. resident Ethan Van Duzer.

The FYI 2007 Awards Ceremony was held June 26, 2007, at the United Nations Headquarters. The VIP Jury that decided the winning films included the heads of several major studios, television, Internet, music and publishing, as well as senior elected government representatives. Robert Clasen, chairman and chief executive officer of Starz, LLC and Chris McGurk, head of Starz' Overture Films joined the judging jury this year. The judges were headed by Distinguished Jurist Walter Cronkite; Director Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings trilogy); CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer; NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams; Terry Semel, Yahoo! former chairman and chief executive officer; Harvey Weinstein, chairman of The Weinstein Company; David Linde, co-chair of Universal Pictures; and the lyricist team of Marilyn and Alan Bergman.

Starz Entertainment, LLC, is a premium movie service provider operating in the United States. It offers 16 movie channels including the flagship Starz(R) and Encore(R) brands with approximately 15.8 million and 28.2 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs more than 1,000 movies per month across its pay TV channels and offers advanced services including Starz HD, Starz On Demand and VongoSM. Starz Entertainment (http://www.starz.com/) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation that is attributed to Liberty Capital Group.

Source: Starz Entertainment, LLC

Web site: http://www.starz.com/

Peter Gallagher ('The O.C.'), Jamie-Lynn Sigler ('The Sopranos'), Kristin Lehmann ('Prison Break'), Jenna Boyd ('Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants') and Two-Time Academy Award(R) Nominee Peter Fonda ('Easy Rider') Star in the Lifetime Original Miniseries 'The Gathering'
The Two-Part, Four-Hour Miniseries from "Battlestar Galactica" Producer David Eick, "X-Files" Executive Producer John Shiban and Sony Pictures Television to Air This October

-- Peter Gallagher ("The O.C."), Jamie-Lynn Sigler ("The Sopranos"), Kristin Lehmann ("Prison Break"), Jenna Boyd ("Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants") and two-time Academy Award(R) nominee Peter Fonda star in the chilling new original miniseries, "The Gathering," from the creative minds of David Eick ("Battlestar Galactica") and John Shiban ("X-Files"). The two-part, four-hour drama from Sony Pictures Television follows the story of Michael Foster (Gallagher), a doctor in search of his wife, Ann (Lehman), after she vanishes without a trace. Without any logical explanations for her disappearance, Michael's search leads him to dark and sinister findings, including the existence of a cabal of witches gathering in New York. Tom Patricia (Lifetime's "Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story") also serves as executive producer and Bill Eagles ("CSI") directs. "The Gathering" is Lifetime's second original miniseries, following in the footsteps of network's 2005 acclaimed and highly rated drama, "Human Trafficking." The miniseries is currently in production in Toronto and will premiere this October on Lifetime Television.

In "The Gathering," Dr. Michael Foster wakes up after a disturbing night to find his wife Ann missing from their home. With the local police refusing to help and community speculation that Ann ran off with another man, Michael is left with only the puzzling visions he had the night of Ann's disappearance including a dying raven, a bloody circle on the wall and cryptic images of Ann and his daughter Zee (Boyd).

As Michael attempts to uncover the mystery of Ann's disappearance, he befriends one of Zee's teachers, Maggy Rue (Sigler), who reveals to him that Ann may be involved with an ancient religious sect of witches determined to dominate the world, even resorting to murder to get what they want. But as Michael gets closer to finding his wife - and the truth - he discovers very powerful people including wealthy real-estate developer, Thomas Carrier (Fonda), are also involved and quickly learns there is no one he can trust.

Peter Gallagher most recently starred for four seasons as Sandy Cohen in the FOX drama "The O.C." Gallagher began his career on stage, gaining critical acclaim for his work in "Sky Masterson" and "Guys and Dolls" before earning a Tony Award nomination for his starring role in "Long Days Journey into Night." He recently starred in the production of "The Exonerated" and "Noises Off." His film credits include "While You Were Sleeping," "To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday," "The Man Who Knew Too Little," "American Beauty," "Sex, Lies and Videotape," "How to Deal," "Center Stage" and "Mr. Deeds."

Gallagher's television credits include the Emmy(R) and Peabody Award- winning miniseries, "The Murder of Mary Phagan," "An Inconvenient Woman," "Brave New World," "Private Contentment," "The Cabinet of Dr. Ramirez" and "A Tale of Two Wives." An accomplished singer, Epic Records released Gallagher's album "7 Days in Memphis" last November.

Jamie-Lynn Sigler is best known for playing Meadow Soprano on HBO's critically acclaimed, Emmy(R)-Award winning drama "The Sopranos." Sigler's performance on the show earned her the 1999 and 2000 Hollywood Reporter Young Star Award for Best Actress in a Dramatic Series, as well as two ALMA Award nominations for Best Actress in a Drama Series. Sigler recently wrapped production on three projects including "Homie Spumoni," a comedy co-starring Donald Faison, Joey Fatone and Whoopi Goldberg; "Lovewrecked," opposite Amanda Bynes and Chris Carmack which aired on ABC Family and the thriller "Dark Ride" form Lionsgate. Sigler made her Broadway debut as Belle in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" in October 2002, remaining in the role through February 2003. In the summer of 2001, she starred in the national tour of Rodger's and Hammerstein's "Cinderella." Additional theater roles include New York regional productions of "Annie," "The Wizard of Oz," "The Sound of Music," "The Wiz" and "Gypsy."

Kristin Lehman was most recently seen in the FOX series "Drive" and "Prison Break." Lehman's additional TV credits include "Century City," "Judging Amy," "The Outer Limits," "Kevin Hill," "Felicity," "Poltergeist: The Legacy," "Strange World" and the miniseries "Verdict in Blood." She's appeared in the feature films "Sentinel" with Keifer Sutherland and Eva Longoria; "The Chronicles of Riddick" starring Vin Diesel and Judi Dench; "The Way of the Gun" with James Caan and Benicio Del Toro; "Dog Park" with Luke Wilson and Natasha Henstridge and "Alaska" with Thora Birch and Charlton Heston.

Despite her young age, Jenna Boyd has starred alongside some of Hollywood's most talented actors including Cate Blanchett in "The Missing." Boyd also appeared in the movies "Dickie Roberts: Child Star," "In an Instant" and starred as Bailey Graffman in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." Boyd's television credits include "CSI," "CSI: Miami," "Ghost Whisperer," "Six Feet Under," "Carnivale" "Just Shoot Me," "Titus" and "The Geena Davis Show."

Two-time Academy Award(R) nominee Peter Fonda is the son of legendary actor Henry Fonda, brother to Jane Fonda and father of Bridget Fonda. Fonda is most well-known for his cult classic "Easy Rider" which he wrote, starred in and produced. Fonda received his first Academy Award(R) nomination for the movie's screenplay. He received his second nomination for his work in "Ulee's Gold." Some of Fonda's additional film credits include "Wild Hogs," "Ghost Rider," "The Laramie Project" and "The Cannonball Run."

"The Gathering" is produced by Grove Street Pictures, Inc. and Cine Pico in association with Sony Pictures Television for Lifetime Television. David Eick ("Battlestar Galactica"), John Shiban ("The X-Files," "Supernatural") and Tom Patricia ("Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story") serve as executive producers. John Shiban also wrote the miniseries and Bill Eagles ("Numb3rs," "CSI") directs.

Sony Pictures Television is one of the television industry's leading content providers. SPT produces and distributes top-rated, award-winning programming in every genre, including series, movies and family entertainment, for network and cable television; first-run and off-network syndication; and digital distribution on the Internet and mobile devices. SPT also distributes all of the company's theatrical releases and library titles. SPT (www.sonypicturestelevision.com) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.

Lifetime is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, Lifetime is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television, LMN, Lifetime Real Women, Lifetime Home Entertainment and Lifetime Online (www.lifetimetv.com) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of The Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

Source: Lifetime

Web site: http://www.lifetimetv.com/
http://www.sonypicturestelevision.com/

July 11

The Walt Disney Studios to Offer Movie Rentals On Demand Through Xbox LIVE Starting Now
New partnership brings growing catalogue of current blockbuster and classic library titles to Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

Whether you want to find adventure in a blockbuster game or lose yourself in a magical movie moment, you can get the ultimate in entertainment in your living room with Xbox 360(R) and Xbox LIVE(TM). Today at the E3 Media & Business Summit, Microsoft Corp. and Disney-ABC Domestic Television announced an agreement to bring feature films from The Walt Disney Studios to U.S. members of Xbox LIVE, the online games and entertainment network on Xbox 360.

Beginning today, consumers of all ages will have access to a growing catalog of new and classic movies from The Walt Disney Studios including titles from Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures and Miramax Films, on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, the leading high-definition-video download service. Xbox 360 owners will be able to rent popular Disney films on demand as they become available, such as "Bridge to Terabithia," Miramax Film's "The Queen" and Touchstone Pictures' "Deja Vu."

"We're always looking for more ways to let people experience our films," said Dan Cohen, executive vice president of pay television and interactive media for Disney-ABC Domestic Television. "With the millions of Xbox 360 consoles in living rooms today with a direct, high-speed Internet connection, Xbox LIVE really has become a terrific device for the delivery of digital entertainment content."

As a result of this partnership between Microsoft and Disney-ABC Domestic Television, an array of current and library titles will be available this July, with more to come in both standard and high definition. Currently offering more than 2,350 hours of premium entertainment content from 15 partners, Xbox LIVE Marketplace is the only online service offering downloadable movies and TV shows in high definition. In a little more than seven months since video content was launched on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, there have been nearly 10 million downloads of entertainment content.

"Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE Marketplace truly offer something for everyone of all ages, gender or personal taste," said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "With this partnership, we are able to feature blockbuster new releases as they become available, as well as an incredible array of classic family films that made Disney the icon it is today." Xbox LIVE Marketplace content is available to all Xbox 360 owners. High-definition new-release movie rentals are 480 Microsoft(R) Points each, and standard-definition new-release movie rentals are 320 Microsoft Points each. Classic feature films in high definition are 360 Microsoft Points each, and classic feature films in standard definition are 240 Microsoft Points. More information is available online at http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/marketplace/moviestv/?WT.svl=nav.

About Xbox LIVE

Xbox LIVE is the first and most comprehensive unified online entertainment network seamlessly integrated throughout the entire console experience, making it easy for people to find the friends, games and entertainment they want from the moment they power on their Xbox 360 system. Xbox LIVE connects millions of members across 25 countries to enjoy hundreds of multiplayer games, downloadable games via Xbox LIVE Arcade, free and premium playable game demos, music videos, TV shows and movies in the United States as well as new game levels, characters and vehicles for all their favorite retail games. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/en-us/live.

About Disney-ABC Domestic Television

Disney-ABC Domestic Television's pay television and interactive media division is a leading distributor of movies in the video-on-demand arena. DADT distributes movies domestically from The Walt Disney Studios, including titles from Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, and Miramax Films. It currently licenses movies through a wide range of distributors and platforms including cable MSOs, satellite companies, internet distributors, telcos, mobile operators, and via other emerging technologies.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Web site: http://www.microsoft.com/
http://www.xbox.com/en-us/live

Fats Domino's Top Chart Hits Compiled for New Collection, Greatest Hits: Walking To New Orleans
30-Track CD and Digital Album from Capitol/EMI Features 29 Top 10 Hits, Including Eight #1s

In the worlds of pop, rock and R&B, Antoine "Fats" Domino is a legend. An original inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986), Domino was second only to Elvis Presley in rock record sales in the 1950s and gave the world some of the greatest songs and performances of R&B and early rock 'n' roll. Capitol/EMI is proud to honor Fats Domino's legacy with the August 14 release of Greatest Hits: Walking To New Orleans, a new 30-track CD and digital album that's as big and rollicking as his New Orleans boogie-woogie. The new chronologically sequenced collection boasts 29 Top 10 R&B hits, including eight #1s from Domino's unprecedented run of success with Imperial Records from 1950 to 1963.

Greatest Hits: Walking To New Orleans spans Domino's Imperial tenure, from his first million-selling hit, 1949's "The Fat Man" (which many have called the first rock 'n' roll record), through his mid-'50s R&B chart-toppers, including his first Top 10 Pop hit, "Ain't That A Shame" and "I'm Walkin'." The blue twosome of "Blueberry Hill" (his biggest hit) and "Blue Monday" (often cited by Fats as his favorite record) are included, and the collection's title track, "Walking To New Orleans." During his heyday, Fats sold more than 65 million records and co-wrote many of his successful songs with his producer and bandleader, Dave Bartholomew.

Domino made "Blueberry Hill," previously associated with Gene Autry and Louis Armstrong, and the Tin Pan Alley artifact "My Blue Heaven" his own the moment he wrapped his Creole-inflected pipes around each of those ancient ditties. "I like old numbers like that, because they never die," said Fats. "They always keep good memories, and the older people like 'em, and the younger people like 'em."

The first musician to become a rock 'n' roll icon solely on the strength of his music and not as an image or novelty, Fats Domino was also part of many of the early touring rock 'n' roll package shows that barnstormed the country and popularized the new music.

Domino often found lyrical inspiration in the experiences of everyday folks. "Something that happened to someone, that's how I write all my songs," he said. "I used to listen to people talk every day, things would happen in real life. I used to go around different places, hear people talk. Sometimes I wasn't expecting to hear nothin', and my mind was very much on my music. Next thing I'd hear, I would either write it down or remember it good."

Even as rock 'n' roll's popularity waned as Little Richard retreated into the ministry, Elvis donned Army fatigues, and a battalion of well-scrubbed teen idols invaded from Philly, the Fat Man kept on rocking with "Whole Lotta Loving," "I'm Ready," and "I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Someday." "Be My Guest" wafted down to Jamaica and ended up a cornerstone of ska's birth.

No other veteran R&B artist of his era would come close to equaling his long-term impact on rock 'n' roll, as evidenced by the wide variety of artists covering his songs, from Bobby Darin, Ella Fitzgerald, Ricky Nelson and Ike & Tina Turner to John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Sheryl Crow, T-Rex, Los Lobos, and Cheap Trick.

"On and off the stage, he's a true man who belongs to the public," said the late Roy Montrell, his longtime guitarist. "Everything he does, he does it with his public in mind."

He's still a man of the people, judging from the way the world waited on pins and needles when word filtered out that he was missing in the wake of Hurricane Katrina's devastation. New Orleans' Ninth Ward, Antoine Domino, Jr.'s home from the day of his birth on February 26, 1928, was one of the epicenters of Katrina's wrath. When photos of Domino's rescue from his flooded home finally hit media outlets, the planet breathed a collective sigh of relief.

That's how beloved a figure Fats Domino remains, not only in his native Crescent City, where he's a virtual deity, but everywhere. As one of the irreplaceable rock 'n' roll pioneers of the 1950s, he deserves no less.

For more information, visit Fats Domino's official website: http://www.fatsdominomusic.com/.

Fats Domino - Greatest Hits: Walking To New Orleans

1. The Fat Man R&B #2 (1950)

2. Goin' Home R&B #1; Pop #30 (1952)

3. Going To The River R&B #2; Pop #24 (1953)

4. Please Don't Leave Me R&B #3 (1953)

5. Something's Wrong R&B #6 (1953)

6. Ain't That A Shame R&B #1 (11 weeks); Pop #10 (1955)

7. All By Myself R&B #1 (three weeks) (1955)

8. Poor Me R&B #1 (1955)

9. I Can't Go On (Rosalie) R&B #6 (1955)

10. Bo Weevil R&B #5; Pop #35 (1956)

11. Don't Blame It On Me R&B #9 (1956)

12. I'm In Love Again R&B #1 (9 weeks); Pop #3 (1956)

13. My Blue Heaven R&B #5; Pop #19 (1956)

14. When My Dreamboat Comes Home R&B #2; Pop #14 (1956)

15. So Long R&B #5; Pop #44 (1956)

16. Blueberry Hill R&B #1 (11 weeks); Pop #2 (3 weeks)

(1956)

17. Honey Chile R&B #2 (two weeks) (1956)

18. Blue Monday R&B #1 (8 weeks) (1956); Pop #5

(1957)

19. I'm Walkin' R&B #1 (6 weeks); Pop #4 (1957)

20. It's You I Love R&B #2; Pop #6 (1957)

21. Valley Of Tears R&B #2; Pop #38 (1957)

22. Wait And See R&B #7; Pop #15 (1957)

23. Whole Lotta Loving R&B #2; Pop #6 (1958)

24. I'm Ready R&B #7; Pop #16 (1959)

25. I Want To Walk You Home R&B #1; Pop #8 (1959)

26. I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Someday R&B #22; Pop #17 (1959)

27. Be My Guest R&B #2; Pop #8 (1959)

28. Walking To New Orleans R&B #2; Pop #6 (1960)

29. My Girl Josephine R&B #7; Pop #14 (1960)

30. Let The Four Winds Blow R&B #2; Pop #15 (1961)

Source: Capitol/EMI

Paramount Classics Establishes 'Arctic Fund'
Four organizations to receive proceeds from ARCTIC TALE

-- Paramount Classics has established the "Arctic Fund" to coincide with the release of their film, ARCTIC TALE, on July 25. Four groups working to protect the Arctic and its inhabitants -- The National Geographic Polar Fund, World Wildlife Fund, National Wildlife Federation and Wildlife Conservation Society -- will receive equal shares from a percentage of the lifetime domestic box office revenue.

From National Geographic Films, the people that brought you MARCH OF THE PENGUINS and Paramount Classics, the studio that brought you AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, ARCTIC TALE is an epic wildlife adventure that explores the vast world of the Great North. The movie tells the story of a walrus pup and a polar bear cub on their life's journey from birth to adolescence to maturity and parenthood in the frozen Arctic wilderness. Once an almost perpetual winter wonderland, the walrus and the polar bear are losing their beautiful icebound world as it melts from underneath them. Queen Latifah is the Storyteller of "Arctic Tale," and the movie features music from Ben Harper, Brian Wilson, Aimee Mann and The Shins.

"By releasing this film, we hope to educate children and their families to raise awareness about the issues facing our planet," said John Lesher, President of Paramount Classics. "These four organizations are at the forefront of this cause and we are proud to support them."

The National Geographic Polar Fund -- National Geographic Mission Programs has created the Polar Fund to support research, conservation and education projects. Those programs are designed to foster greater awareness around polar and climate science, including climate, sea ice and hydrology, terrestrial and marine habitats and species, as well as human systems, and will span both poles. The National Geographic Polar Fund builds on National Geographic's strengths of 117 years supporting global scientific fieldwork and many of the first polar expeditions. As National Geographic works to inspire people to care about the planet, understanding the conditions at the poles is critical to our collective future.

World Wildlife Fund -- For more than 45 years, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has been protecting the future of nature. The largest multinational conservation organization in the world, WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to 5 million globally. WWF's unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature.

National Wildlife Federation -- The largest conservation organization in the U.S, National Wildlife Federation is inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future. NWF unites individuals from diverse backgrounds through a grassroots network of 4 million members, supporters and volunteers. NWF's programs educate and inspire people from all walks of life to conserve wildlife and wildlife habitat. NWF focuses its conservation work in three major areas that will have the biggest impact on the future of America's wildlife: confronting global warming and seeking solutions to this major threat to the nation's wildlife; protecting and restoring wildlife habitat and connecting people to nature.

The Wildlife Conservation Society -- Since 1895, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has worked to save wildlife and wild lands around the globe. Today WCS has field staff at work in over 60 nations, protecting many of the last wild places left on our planet. To bring the mission home, the Bronx Zoo based WCS is distinguished as the only global conservation organization that also operates the world's largest system of urban wildlife parks, educating more than 4 million zoo and aquarium visitors each year about the importance of wildlife conservation.

About Paramount Classics

Paramount Classics is the specialty film division of Paramount Pictures Corporation, (PPC), a unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) . PPC is a global entertainment company that produces and distributes filmed entertainment through the Paramount Motion Picture Group, which includes Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks SKG, Paramount Vantage, and Paramount Classics. PPC operations also include Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Digital Media Group, Paramount Studios and Worldwide Television Distribution.

Source: Paramount Classics

Harry Potter Charms the Entertainment Industry
The Nielsen Company examines Harry Potter's vast impact on Books, Movies, Internet, Television, Music and Advertising

-- With the imminent release of the new Harry Potter movie, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," as well as the upcoming book release on July 21 of the seventh and final installment in the series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," The Nielsen Company today released a multi-dimensional overview into the young wizard's strong impact on the entertainment industry. Here is a unique look at the Harry Potter effect.

-- Book sales (Nielsen BookScan) - Since 1998, when Nielsen began

measuring book sales in the United Kingdom, the six Harry Potter books

have sold more than 22.5 million copies in the UK alone. In the United

States, the Harry Potter titles published after 2001 have sold more

than 27.7 million copies.

-- Box Office sales (Nielsen EDI) - Combined, the first four Harry Potter

films have grossed more than $3.5 billion worldwide. The first film,

"Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone," is the fourth all-time highest

grossing film worldwide.

-- Advertising (Nielsen Monitor-Plus) - In the U.S., ad spend for all

Harry Potter branded merchandise (including books, movies, DVDs and

other promotional products) totals $269.1 million from 1998 to date.

Outside of the U.S. from 2000 to date, $119.3 million was spent on

total advertising for all Harry Potter branded merchandise in Canada,

Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Switzerland, and the

U.K.

-- DVD/Video sales (Nielsen VideoScan) -All three Harry Potter DVDs/Videos

- Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, and Prisoner of Azkaban -

debuted at #1 and remained the #1 family film for the first 3 weeks of

each release.

-- Internet Traffic (Nielsen//NetRatings) - The Warner Bros. "Harry Potter

Order of the Phoenix" Web site drew 446,762 unique visitors in May

2007.

-- Internet Buzz (Nielsen BuzzMetrics) - On blogs, the final book "Harry

Potter and the Deathly Hallows," is generating more "buzz" than the

latest movie installment, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix."

-- Music sales (Nielsen SoundScan) - The four Harry Potter soundtracks

combined have sold more than 1.1 million copies in the U.S. and almost

100,000 copies in Canada since the initial release back in October

2001. There have been a total of 180,000 downloads of individual songs

that tied to the four Harry Potter soundtracks.

-- TV ratings (Nielsen Media Research) - Since 2002, the Harry Potter

movies have aired on U.S. television a total of 366 times.

-- Moviegoer Profile (Nielsen Cinema) - A recent survey of moviegoers

shows 51% of persons age 12+ are aware that the new book is coming out

next month. Twenty-eight percent of persons 12+ in the U.S. have read

one or more of the previous Harry Potter books, and 15% have read all

of the Harry Potter books-to-date.

-- Consumer (ACNielsen) - More than $11.8 million has been spent by U.S.

consumers on Harry Potter-licensed trademark cookies, candy and gum

products since June 2002.

Books (Nielsen BookScan)

In the United Kingdom alone, more than 22.5 million copies of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books have walked off the shelves since 1998, when Nielsen BookScan began measuring books sales in the UK and six of the top ten best-selling books during this period have been Harry Potter books. In the United States, the Harry Potter titles published after 2001, the first year of the U.S. Nielsen BookScan panel, have sold more than 27.7 million copies. During that period, three of the top ten best-selling books in the U.S. have been Harry Potter books.

In all territories where Nielsen BookScan monitors book sales data, peak sales of Harry Potter titles consistently coincide with launch of the new hardback editions and continue to break records. In 2005, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince jumped out of the starting gate with 1.87 million copies sold in the first day in the UK and 4.1 million copies sold the first day in the U.S. (both countries include pre-orders). Similarly, nearly 1.7 million copies of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix were sold on its 2003 release date in the UK, accounting for nearly 50% of the book's total first year sales in that country.

The greatest peak in sales of Harry Potter books took place in 2003, when sales in the UK accounted for fully 22% of the Children's market for the year, while sales in Australia took 19% of the Children's market and generated Aus$30.5 million in revenue for the year. This trend was largely due to the long delay in the release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. This was also the first new title to be released following the launch of the first Harry Potter film in November 2001, which helped catalyze a large increase in sales of the backlist titles as people caught up with the series.

The second largest sales peak for Harry Potter titles was in 2005, except in Ireland (ROI) and China, where 2005 sales surpassed 2003 sales as news of Harry Potter spread across the globe.

2006 saw a slowdown in sales, with the annual sales of Harry Potter titles being at their lowest since 1999 in the UK. This trend is indicative of people waiting for the launch of the final hardback edition later this month.

Audio titles of the Harry Potter series were also very popular, with total sales of more than 1.34 million audio copies in the U.S. (818,000) and the UK (525,000) to date. In the UK, audio releases of Harry Potter and Sorcerer's Stone have sold the most volume to date (128,280 units). Since 2001, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (452,000 units) and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (349,000 units) are the best-selling audio books in the U.S..

Total Sales of Harry Potter Books by Country

Country Volume Sales

UK 22,547,594

U.S. (since 2001) 27,676,957 **

Australia 4,584,576

Ireland 327,435

South Africa 151,798

China 2,005,660

Source: Nielsen BookScan's Retail Panels; Chinese data supplied by

OpenBook

NOTE: 2007 data comprises of 23 weeks sales up to 16th June

** U.S. Data includes sales occurring from 1/1/2001 through 6/16/07

and ONLY includes books published after 1/1/2001. U.S. Data

includes English version of titles only.

Top Selling Books in the U.S. Since 2001

Sales

Rank Publish Since

Title Author Date Format 1/1/2001

1 The Da

Vinci Code BROWN, DAN 3/1/2003 Hardcover 8,504,466

2 Harry Potter

and the Order

of the Phoenix ROWLING, J.K. 6/1/2003 Hardcover 8,434,516

3 Harry Potter

and the

Half Blood

Prince ROWLING, J. K. 7/1/2005 Hardcover 7,194,873

4 The South

Beach Diet AGATSTON, ARTHUR 1/1/2003 Hardcover 5,167,516

5 The Purpose

Driven Life WARREN, RICK 10/1/2002 Hardcover 4,911,202

6 The Five

People You

Meet in

Heaven ALBOM, MITCH 1/1/2003 Hardcover 4,348,131

7 Angels &

Demons BROWN, DAN 7/1/2001 MM 4,333,277

Paperback

8 Harry Potter

and the

Prisoner

of Azkaban ROWLING, J. K. 9/1/2001 Trade 3,396,770

Paperback

9 The Secret

Life of

Bees KIDD, SUE MONK 1/1/2003 Trade 3,313,701

Paperback

10 The Kite HOSSEINI,

Runner KHALED 1/1/2003 Trade 3,016,249

Paperback

Source: Nielsen BookScan

Top Selling Books in the UK Since 1998

Rank Title Author Publish Format Sales Since

Date 1 Jan 1998

1 The Da Brown, Dan 1 Mar Paperback 4,470,081

Vinci Code 2004

2 Harry Potter

and the

Order

of the

Phoenix Rowling, J.K. 21 Jun Hardback 3,037,324

2003

3 Harry Potter

and the Half-

Blood Prince:

Children's

Edition Rowling, J.K. 16 Jul Hardback 2,931,880

2005

4 Harry Potter

and the

Philosopher's

Stone Rowling, J.K. 26 Jun Paperback 2,832,067

1997

5 Angels and Brown, Dan 1 Jul Paperback 2,716,114

Demons 2003

6 Harry Potter

and the

Chamber of

Secrets Rowling, J.K. 28 May Paperback 2,692,745

1999

7 Harry Potter

and the

Prisoner of

Azkaban Rowling, J.K. 1 Apr 2000 Paperback 2,460,352

8 Harry Potter

and the

Goblet of Fire Rowling, J.K. 6 Jul 2001 Paperback 1,951,794

9 Deception Brown, Dan 1 May Paperback 1,813,010

Point 2004

10 Digital Brown, Dan 5 Jul Paperback 1,724,201

Fortress 2004

Source: Nielsen BookScan

Film (Nielsen EDI)

Combined, the first four Harry Potter films have grossed more than $3.5 billion worldwide. The first film, "Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone," grossed more than $974.7 million worldwide at the box office, ranking it number four on the worldwide all-time highest grossing films. In its first week of release the film grossed more than $129.4 million in the U.S. and Canada. The second film, "Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets," grossed more than $878.6 million worldwide and $106.1 million for its opening week in the U.S and Canada.

Worldwide Box Office Sales - All Time Highest Grossing Films

Rank U.S. Film Worldwide

Premiere Box Office

1 12/19/1997 Titanic $1,850,788,188

2 12/17/2003 The Lord of the Rings:

The Return of the King $1,118,891,257

3 7/7/2006 Pirates of the Caribbean:

Dead Man's Chest $1,062,821,812

4 11/16/2001 Harry Potter and the

Sorcerer's Stone $974,751,219

5 12/18/2002 The Lord of the Rings:

The Two Towers $925,012,866

6 5/19/1999 Star Wars: Episode I: The

Phantom Menace $923,179,709

7 6/11/1993 Jurassic Park $920,067,947

8 5/19/2004 Shrek 2 $915,121,703

9 11/18/2005 Harry Potter and the

Goblet of Fire $892,211,651

10 11/15/2002 Harry Potter and the

Chamber of Secrets $878,635,209

11 5/4/2007 Spider-Man 3 $876,342,300

12 12/19/2001 The Lord of the Rings:

The Fellowship of the Ring $870,175,011

13 5/30/2003 Finding Nemo $865,714,978

14 5/19/2005 Star Wars: Episode III:

Revenge of the Sith $849,997,605

15 5/25/2007 Pirates of the Caribbean: At $836,381,716

16 5/3/2002 Spider-Man $821,606,375

17 7/3/1996 Independence Day $817,169,255

18 5/25/1977 Star Wars $797,998,007

19 6/4/2004 Harry Potter and the

Prisoner of Azkaban $793,049,239

20 6/11/1982 E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial $792,974,579

Source: Nielsen EDI

Note: Box Office sales converted to U.S. Dollars, Sales through 6/24/2007

Advertising for Harry Potter (Nielsen Monitor-Plus)

In the U.S., ad spending for all Harry Potter branded merchandise (including books, movies, DVDs and other promotional products) totaled $269.2 million for 1998 to date. Outside of the U.S., from 2000 to date, $119.3 million was spent on total advertising for all Harry Potter branded merchandise in the following 8 countries -- Canada, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Switzerland, and the U.K.

Since 2000, international advertisers have spent $659,019 promoting the Harry Potter books (print books and audio books), with the bulk of the ad dollars going towards audio books ($543,412). The top spending category outside the U.S. has been theatrical releases ($57.3 million). Ad spending for Harry Potter among DVD/Video releases came in second at $31.9 million. Advertisers for video games spent $11.8 million and toys/games spent almost $11.6 million, while advertising for Harry Potter magazines reached $3.8 million.

Book Advertising in U.S. - Since 1998, when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone first appeared in the U.S., the publisher has spent a total of $344,787 to promote the book. That amount is a long way off from the advertising peak for the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which since 2002 has totaled $942,049. Additionally, $184,700 was spent in 2001 to advertise Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages, two books published by J.K. Rowling and Scholastic, whose proceeds benefit needy children. In total, $3.6 million in the U.S. has been spent to date for the Harry Potter books (1-7), Harry Potter Fantasy Beast/Quidditch books and the Harry Potter Deluxe Box Sets, with the majority of the ad spend going towards the first seven books ($2.8 million).

Advertising Spent on Harry Potter Books

in the U.S. 1997-2007

Total U.S.

Ad Spend by

Books 1-7 Book

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone $344,787

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets $159,888

Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban $186,841

Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire $503,754

Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix $942,049

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince $454,873

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows $144,809

Total $2,737,001

Other Harry Potter Titles

Harry Potter Fantasy Beast/Quidditch Books $184,690

Harry Potter Deluxe Box Sets $555,762

Source: Nielsen Monitor-Plus

Box Office Advertising in U.S. -- More than $142.6 million has been spent to advertise the first four Harry Potter theatrical releases. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second move in the series, has spent the most at $40 million. Each of the other movies spent between $31 and $36 million in total on advertising.

Advertising Spent on Harry Potter Motion Pictures

in the U.S. 2001-2007

Motion Picture Total U.S. Ad

Spend by Movie

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone $36,973,254

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets $40,050,184

Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban $33,678,800

Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire $31,970,768

Total $142,673,006

Source: Nielsen Monitor-Plus

DVD/Video Advertising in the U.S. -- $68.5 million was spent on advertising for the Harry Potter DVD/Videos. The first movie release, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, spent the most on advertising, $22.5 million. The budgets for the subsequent DVD/Video releases were reduced, each spending between $14.5 and $15.9 million.

Advertising Spent on Harry Potter DVDs/Videos

in the U.S. 2001-2007

Total U.S.

Ad Spend

DVD/Video by Video

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone $22,584,483

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets $15,925,370

Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban $15,424,089

Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire $14,566,663

Total $68,500,605

Source: Nielsen Monitor-Plus

Cross Promotion in the U.S. -- The Harry Potter brand has partnered with products as diverse as bubble bath to electronic games to cross-promote and sell more merchandise. In total, $54 million was spent promoting Harry Potter products excluding the core businesses of books and movies over the last seven years. EA Games Harry Potter & Goblet of Fire Entertainment Software spent the most reaching more than $4.5 million. Other notable promotions include: EA Games Entertainment Software Harry Potter Quidditch World Cup ($3.2 million), Mead Harry Potter School Supplies ($3.1 million), EA Entertainment Software Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone ($2.3 million), and Harry Potter & Chamber Of Secrets Playsets Polyjuice Potion Maker ($2.0 million).

Internet Traffic (Nielsen//NetRatings)

The Warner Bros. Web site, "Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix," drew 446,762 unique visitors in May 2007. Social media and reference sites related to the movie attracted a unique audience of 705,487, more than 1.5 times the Web traffic to the official Harry Potter sites. However, average visitor time spent at the Warner Bros. site in May was more than seven minutes, compared to under 2.5 minutes at the official site.

Internet Buzz (Nielsen BuzzMetrics)

Over the last six months, the final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," has generated more buzz than the latest movie installment, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". After the release of the Order of the Phoenix movie trailer in late April, buzz about the movie briefly surpassed buzz about the final book.

Bloggers reacted to the announcements of the final book and book cover design, generating a sharp increase in posts and discussions in January and March 2007.

Fake scans of the movie's ending sparked interest among bloggers and buzz about the final book and latest movie increased in tandem in June 2007.

Music Sales (Nielsen SoundScan)

Since 2001 there have been four Harry Potter soundtracks coinciding with the four movie releases. These soundtracks have sold over 1.1 million copies in the U.S. and almost 100,000 copies in Canada.

The biggest selling Harry Potter soundtrack by far was the first: "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." Since its release in October of 2001, this Potter soundtrack has sold 619,000 copies in the U.S. Soundtrack sales for the additional Harry Potter movies declined with each release. "The Chamber of Secrets," based off the second movie in the series, has sold roughly 210,000 copies since its release in November 2002. The other two soundtracks; "Prisoner of Azkaban" and "The Goblet of Fire," have respectively sold 180,000 and 135,000 copies in the U.S.

There have been a total of 180,000 downloads of individual songs from the four Harry Potter soundtracks since 2003, when Nielsen SoundScan began measuring digital music sales. At 65,000 digital track sales, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" has been the most popular soundtrack.

DVD/Video sales (Nielsen VideoScan)

According to Nielsen VideoScan, all three Harry Potter DVDs/videos - Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, and Prisoner of Azkaban - debuted at #1 and remained the #1 family film for the first 3 weeks of each release. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (Warner Home Video, released 11/23/04) was the #1 selling family video, and #4 video regardless of category, in all of 2004. "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" (Warner Home Video, released 4/11/03) was the #4 selling video in 2003 and the #3 family video in 2003. "Harry Potter And The Sorcerers Stone" (Warner Home Video, released 5/28/02) was the #3 selling video in 2002 and was the #2 family video in 2002.

TV ratings (Nielsen Media Research)

The Harry Potter movies have been telecast on U.S. television a total of 366 times since 2002 on four cable networks (Disney, ABC Family, Cinemax and HBO) and one broadcast network (ABC). In 2007, two Harry Potter movies aired on the Disney Channel, averaging approximately 2.8 million viewers. The last broadcast network (ABC) to carry a Harry Potter movie was "Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone" on 4/21/07, with approximately 4.2 million U.S. viewers.

Most Viewed Harry Potter Movies on U.S. Television

Network Air Movie Viewers

Date 2+

ABC 5/9/2004 H. POTTER AND SORCERER'S STONE - Movie 1 11,080,000

ABC 11/19/2005 H. POTTER AND CHAMBER-SECRETS - Movie 2 7,760,000

ABC 5/7/2005 H. POTTER AND CHAMBER-SECRETS - Movie 2 7,500,000

ABC 5/15/2004 H. POTTER AND SORCERER'S STONE - Movie 1 6,854,000

HBO 11/16/2002 H. POTTER AND SORCERERS STONE - Movie 1 6,649,000

ABC 10/28/2006 H. POTTER & THE PRISONER

OF AZKABAN - Movie 3 6,075,000

ABC 4/30/2005 H. POTTER AND SORCERER'S STONE - Movie 1 5,650,000

Source: Nielsen Media Research U.S.

Moviegoer Profile (Nielsen Cinema) --

Findings from a recent Nielsen Cinema survey show 51% of persons age 12+ in the U.S. are aware that the new book is coming out next month. Twenty- eight percent of persons 12+ in the U.S. have read one or more of the previous Harry Potter books, and 15% have read all six previous Harry Potter books.

More than half (53%) of the people who have read at least one of the Harry Potter books indicated they plan on reading "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," with nearly 40% planning to read it as soon as it is released.

While the Harry Potter books are wildly popular in the U.S., the movies are even more so. More than one quarter of Americans 12+ claim to have seen all of the previous Harry Potter movies. In the U.S., the box office audience for the last two Harry Potter movies - Prisoner of Azkaban and The Goblet of Fire - is made up primarily of children and teens. While not quite a majority, over 40% of the box office audience for the last two movies is 2-17 years old, with girls making up just over 50%. Other findings from Nielsen Cinema include:

-- 59% of persons age 12 and older are aware that the fifth movie in the

series, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," is coming out this

month.

-- 57% of persons 12+ have seen one or more of the previous Harry Potter

movies.

Consumer Package Good Sales (ACNielsen) -- According to data from consumer research company ACNielsen, more than $11.8 million has been spent by U.S. consumers on Harry Potter-licensed trademark cookies, candy and gum products since June 2002.

Sales of Harry Potter-Licensed Trademark Cookies, Candy, Gum

52 Weeks

Ending June Total Sales

2006-07 $745,411

2005-06 $2,661,520

2004-05 $2,222,275

2003-04 $2,052,446

2002-03 $4,098,185

Total $11,779,837

Source: ACNielsen; Total U.S. Food, Drug and Mass Merchandiser Stores

(excluding Wal-Mart); 52 weeks ending in June of each year

ACNielsen data also shows that sales for Harry Potter-licensed cookies, candy and gum products peak the week a Harry Potter movie or book launches, showing almost $900,000 in sales for Harry Potter-licensed goods the week of the 11/5/02 movie premiere of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and $650,000 in sales the week of the 11/18/05 movie premiere of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire".

Candy products licensed from the Harry Potter series can be a little unconventional. Some favorites include: Cockroach Clusters, Jelly Slugs, Ice Mice, Chocolate Frogs, Fizzing Whizbees, and of course Bertie Bott's Jelly Beans, including ear wax and dirt flavors.

Other Press Contacts:

Cara Milo - Nielsen BookScan US - 914.684.5505

Karen James - Nielsen BookScan UK - +44 (0) 1483 712230

Brandon Knott - Nielsen EDI - 323.860.4669

Laura Czaja - Nielsen Monitor-Plus - 646.654.8681

Erin Crawford - Nielsen VideoScan - 323.954.3211

Suzy Bausch - Nielsen//NetRatings - 408.941.2965

Sandra Parrelli - Nielsen BuzzMetrics - 646.654.7772

Jennifer Peterson - Nielsen SoundScan - 914.684.5572

Brandi Preston - Nielsen Media Research - 646.654.8391

Karen Gyimesi - Nielsen Cinema - 646.654.8631

Cheryl Pearson-McNeil - ACNielsen - 847.605.5312

About The Nielsen Company

The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions and recognized brands in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information (Nielsen Media Research), online intelligence (NetRatings and BuzzMetrics), trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and New York, USA. For more information, please visit, http://www.nielsen.com/.

Source: The Nielsen Company

CONTACT: Karen Gyimesi of The Nielsen Company, +1-646-654-8631

Web site: http://www.nielsen.com/

DreamWorks Pictures/Paramount Pictures' 'TRANSFORMERS' Smashes Industry and Studio Records in First Week of Release
Paramount Hits $1 Billion Domestic Gross Mark July 9 Fastest of Any Studio

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures' co-production "TRANSFORMERS" set an industry record for a non-sequel of $155.4 million in its opening week, surpassing the previous record held by the original "Spider Man" in 2002. In addition, during its first full day of release on Tuesday, July 3, "TRANSFORMERS" grossed $27.8 million, the biggest Tuesday in industry history, surpassing the second "Pirates of the Caribbean" adventure. The following day, July 4th, the Michael Bay-directed action adventure posted another industry best for the holiday of $29 million, outstripping "Spider-Man 2" in 2004.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991206/PARLOGO )

For DreamWorks and Paramount, "TRANSFORMERS" three-day debut of $70.5 million was the top non-sequel and top live-action film ever. This propelled Paramount over the $1 billion mark in domestic gross in 189 days, the earliest any studio has reached that benchmark in a calendar year. The year 2007 will be Paramount's highest grossing since 1998, when it reached $1.046 billion, a figure that will be surpassed by the end of the coming weekend.

Over the past week, Paramount reclaimed its status as the #1 studio in market share, which it held earlier in the year, from April 21 to May 3. In addition, "TRANSFORMERS" was DreamWorks' fourth straight #1 opening film following "Norbit," "Blades of Glory" and "Disturbia."

Other records established by "TRANSFORMERS" include:

-- Top July 4th weekend ($70.5 million) for a non-sequel, surpassing

the studio's own "War of the Worlds" in 2005 ($64.9 million).

-- Best July opening weekend ($70.5 million) for a non-sequel, surpassing

2001's "Planet of the Apes" ($68.5 million).

-- Top daily gross in July ($29.073 million) for a non-sequel, besting

"Planet of the Apes" ($24.6 million).

-- Top Wednesday gross of all time ($29.073 million) for a non-sequel,

beating the previous record holder 2004's "The Passion of the Christ"

($26.6 million).

-- Top Thursday gross ($19.177 million) for a non-sequel, beating 1996's

"Independence Day" ($17.3 million).

-- Best live action movie debut ($70.5 million) for Paramount or

DreamWorks, with the previous personal bests being "War of the Worlds"

($64.9 million) and 2005's "The Ring 2" ($35.1 million) respectively.

DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures Present, in association with Hasbro, a di Bonaventura Pictures Production, a Tom DeSanto/Don Murphy Production of a Michael Bay Film "TRANSFORMERS" starring Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Anthony Anderson, Megan Fox, Rachael Taylor with John Turturro and Jon Voight. Directed by Michael Bay from a story by John Rogers and Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman and a screenplay by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman, the film is based on Hasbro's Transformers(TM) Action Figures. The producers are Don Murphy, Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, and Ian Bryce and the executive producers are Steven Spielberg, Michael Bay, Brian Goldner and Mark Vahradian. The director of photography is Mitchell Amundsen. The production designer is Jeff Man. The film is edited by Paul Rubell, A.C.E. and Glen Scantlebury. The costume designer is Deborah L. Scott. The music is by Steve Jablonsky. The music supervisor is Dave Jordan. The special visual effects are by Industrial Light & Magic.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation

Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) , a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV Films, Nickelodeon Movies and DreamWorks Studios. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studios, and Worldwide Television Distribution.

About DreamWorks Pictures

DreamWorks Studios was formed in 1994 by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen. The company won three consecutive Best Picture Academy Awards with "American Beauty," "Gladiator" and "A Beautiful Mind" (both co-produced with Universal.) Among the company's other successes have been such films as "Saving Private Ryan," "War of the Worlds," "Dreamgirls" (all co-produced with Paramount), and "Blades of Glory." Among its upcoming productions are "Things We Lost in the Fire," "The Kite Runner (distributed by Paramount Classics), and "Sweeney Todd" (co-produced with Warner Bros.).

Source: DreamWorks Pictures; Paramount Pictures

CONTACT: Michael Vollman, Executive Vice President, Integrated

Mobile Video Drives Mobile Multimedia: Varies by Country, By Operator

Driven by rising demand for video, the market for premium mobile content is expected to exceed $44 billion in 2011, more than double the nearly $20 billion in 2007, iSuppli Corp. predicts.

Premium mobile content consists of mobile music, games, graphics, video and adult content for mobile platforms, mainly wireless handsets.

Mobile video is the fastest growing media segment, while music and gaming continue strong growth but with significant regional variation.

Different regions, different trends

The mobile data market overall is continuing to expand robustly, driven by strong mobile content growth and a sustained rise in mobile messaging. However, significant differences in growth rates are emerging. iSuppli’s research has identified the following regional and country-level trends:

- In Asia, India leads Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) growth of non-messaging data revenue at 40.4 percent.

- Italy will see the strongest non-messaging data revenue CAGR through 2011 among major Western European countries, at 29 percent. Ringtones represent the strongest segment today, but video will dominate Italy ’s mobile content revenue by 2011, followed by games.

- In the Americas , Brazil will see a 41 percent CAGR for non-messaging data revenue.

“Data and content revenues are the life preservers for wireless operators, as voice Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) declines accelerated during Q2 among the 20 key operators tracked by iSuppli,” said Mark Kirstein , vice president with iSuppli. “Drawn from our deep operator profiles, aggregate voice ARPU in the first quarter declined by 6 percent sequentially compared to the fourth quarter of 2006. Meanwhile, mobile data ARPU increased by 1 percent sequentially. Data ARPU is particularly strong among North American operators, where both messaging revenue and mobile multimedia content are seeing strong growth.”

iSuppli also found that:

- Among the 20 key operators, data represents nearly 20 percent of revenue now. Three of these operators derive more than 30 percent of their revenue from data: SK Telecom, NTT DoCoMo and O2.

- Growth in ringtunes is slowing. Asia and Europe are maturing, while heady growth rates in North America moderate. The top five markets for ringtunes are China , Italy , Japan , the United Kingdom and the United States in 2011. However, many country-level markets will peak before 2011.

- Mobile gaming growth is slowing significantly, particularly in Asia . Korea and Japan had the dominant positions in 2006.

- Among mobile content companies, game publishers Glu Mobile and Square Enix each gained market share during the quarter, while Electronic Arts and THQ each lost about 3 percent share.

- Universal Music group holds the largest share of mobile music content revenue among the major record labels.

- Several U.S. operators saw revenue associated with messaging double in 2006 compared to 2005, driven by both increased peer-to-peer messaging and increased premium Short Message Service (SMS) revenue.

iSuppli’s Mobile Multimedia Content Tracker, covers the value chain for delivering digital music, video and gaming to mobile handsets. Coverage detailed country-level and operator-level analysis of, mobile data, mobile messaging and mobile multimedia by type.

ABC-tv chooses Graham-Patten D/ESAM 8000 Mixers
D/ESAM 8000 Included in HD Edit Bays

Grass Valley, CA. The ISIS Group, Inc. reports that three Graham-Patten D/ESAM 8000 Digital Edit Suite Audio Mixers are now part of the HD operation at the ABC-TV headquarters in New York City. In 1998, ABC-TV built their first two HD edit control rooms. During the day, the rooms were used to edit and create HD content. Then in the evening the rooms changed function, and became on-air control rooms.

Now the D/ESAM 8000 is part of those rooms, used with the Editware editing control system and a Ross Synergy production switcher. ABC-TV required a custom interface to allow the mixers to meet the needs of on-air usage. The interface allows the Ross Synergy to control the D/ESAM 8000s in the on-air environment.

While the rooms are primarily for creating and editing content, they can still be used as on-air broadcast control rooms - and a D/ESAM mixer was part of the on-air HD version broadcast of the Memorial Day 2007 Indy 500 race.

"We're pleased that ABC chose the D/ESAM 8000 for the HD edit bays," said ISIS Group President Len Dole. "The D/ESAM technology is ideal for linear editing, which is often the fastest way to get on-air. That is why the D/ESAM 8000 is used by major broadcasters around the world at sporting events, including the Olympics and the U.S. Super Bowl."

VIZIO SIGNS ENDORSEMENT DEAL WITH 2006 NFL MVP LADAINIAN TOMLINSON
- LaDainian Tomlinson's endorsement deal with VIZIO HDTV brand includes TV, Radio, Print, Online and personal appearances by MVP

Irvine, CA - July 10, 2007 - VIZIO, maker of multiple award-winning lines of high definition flat panel TVs, announced today that they have signed a personal endorsement deal with 2006 NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson. The multiyear deal gives VIZIO the use of Tomlinson's name, likeness, photograph, voice, live or recorded performance and signature for VIZIO promotions. Tomlinson will also make appearances on behalf of VIZIO at various events, the first of which has LT hosting ESPN's ESPY pre-party tonight at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, CA.

"When choosing an appropriate representative for our company we wanted to find somebody that embodied VIZIO's core beliefs," says Jeff Schindler, vice president of marketing for VIZIO, Inc. "We needed someone that would reflect the company's emphasis on performance as well as its perseverance despite all odds." Both LaDainian and VIZIO, Inc. have emerged to become leading players in their respective fields by staying true to their mission.

"I believe no one's going to give you anything. You have to earn it," said LaDainian Tomlinson, 2006 NFL MVP. "I appreciate the vision and commitment VIZIO has demonstrated in order to achieve their success and am honored to be a part of the VIZIO family."

VIZIO recently wrapped production on the first of a series of television commercials starring LaDainian. The comedic 30-second spot shows LT at home watching a TCU football game on his brand new VIZIO.

Another, which is currently in production, will chronicle LT's journey to stardom beginning in his childhood town of Marlin, TX to his arrival in the NFL. VIZIO is also producing a documentary of LT's life that will give fans an in-depth look at what makes him who he is today. The LT documentary will play out online during the 2007 NFL football season.

VIZIO continues to be the fastest growing brand of flat panel HDTV's in North America and is now ranked #3 in shipment units and #4 in shipment revenue by DisplaySearch. VIZIO's 32" and 37" LCD HDTV's led all models in Quixel Research's "Best Sellers" for Q'1 2007.

In 2006, LT was selected as the NFL's Most Valuable Player and its Walter Payton Man of the Year award. He also set NFL records with 31 touchdowns, 28 rushing touchdowns and broke the single-season scoring record. In just six seasons, LT is already the Chargers' all-time leading rusher, has been named to four Pro Bowls and has rushed for 1,200 yards in all six of his NFL seasons. LT is the 7th player in NFL history to run, catch and throw for a touchdown in the same game.

VIZIO has also teamed up with LT in dedicating "VIZIO Educational Centers" to non-profit organizations that will enhance the centers' capabilities of providing HDTV programming that incorporates computers and educational DVDs. "I am delighted to have VIZIO's support in helping make a difference in these communities," stated LaDainian Tomlinson. "With VIZIO's assistance, we are able to help kids achieve their goals by getting them off the streets and into something positive."

About VIZIO

VIZIO, Inc. "Where Vision Meets Value," headquartered in Irvine, California, is a top five North American flat panel television brand. Their VIZIO brand has been seen and heard on TV and radio, including NBC's Today Show, ABC's Good Morning America and Live with Regis and Kelly, won numerous awards from leading publications including Good Housekeeping's Best Big-Screens, CNET's Top 10 Holiday Gifts, PC World's Best Buy, Sound & Vision's Editors Choice, Home Theater Magazine's Rave Award, PC Magazine's Editors Choice, AVRev.com's #1 Product We Love the Best and The Perfect Vision's Products of the Year. VIZIO is bringing vision to the consumer electronics market through practical innovation. VIZIO products offer customers advanced technologies at the most affordable value. Products include the VIZIO, Maximvs and Gallevia lines of Plasma and LCD HDTVs. Many of these products can be found at BJ's Wholesale, Circuit City, Costco, Kmart, Sam's Club, Sears, Wal-Mart and other retailers nationwide along with authorized online partners. For more information, please call 888-VIZIOCE or visit on the web at www.VIZIO.com.

The V, VIZIO, Gallevia, Maximvs, Where Vision Meets Value names, phase and symbols are trademarks or registered trademarks of VIZIO, Inc. All other trademarks may be the property of their respective holders.

###

Source: VIZIO, Inc.
- LaDainian Tomlinson's endorsement deal with VIZIO HDTV brand includes TV, Radio, Print, Online and personal appearances by MVPIrvine, CA - July 10, 2007 - VIZIO, maker of multiple award-winning lines of high definition flat panel TVs, announced today that they have signed a personal endorsement deal with 2006 NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson. The multiyear deal gives VIZIO the use of Tomlinson's name, likeness, photograph, voice, live or recorded performance and signature for VIZIO promotions. Tomlinson will also make appearances on behalf of VIZIO at various events, the first of which has LT hosting ESPN's ESPY pre-party tonight at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, CA."When choosing an appropriate representative for our company we wanted to find somebody that embodied VIZIO's core beliefs," says Jeff Schindler, vice president of marketing for VIZIO, Inc. "We needed someone that would reflect the company's emphasis on performance as well as its perseverance despite all odds." Both LaDainian and VIZIO, Inc. have emerged to become leading players in their respective fields by staying true to their mission. "I believe no one's going to give you anything. You have to earn it," said LaDainian Tomlinson, 2006 NFL MVP. "I appreciate the vision and commitment VIZIO has demonstrated in order to achieve their success and am honored to be a part of the VIZIO family."VIZIO recently wrapped production on the first of a series of television commercials starring LaDainian. The comedic 30-second spot shows LT at home watching a TCU football game on his brand new VIZIO.Another, which is currently in production, will chronicle LT's journey to stardom beginning in his childhood town of Marlin, TX to his arrival in the NFL. VIZIO is also producing a documentary of LT's life that will give fans an in-depth look at what makes him who he is today. The LT documentary will play out online during the 2007 NFL football season.VIZIO continues to be the fastest growing brand of flat panel HDTV's in North America and is now ranked #3 in shipment units and #4 in shipment revenue by DisplaySearch. VIZIO's 32" and 37" LCD HDTV's led all models in Quixel Research's "Best Sellers" for Q'1 2007.In 2006, LT was selected as the NFL's Most Valuable Player and its Walter Payton Man of the Year award. He also set NFL records with 31 touchdowns, 28 rushing touchdowns and broke the single-season scoring record. In just six seasons, LT is already the Chargers' all-time leading rusher, has been named to four Pro Bowls and has rushed for 1,200 yards in all six of his NFL seasons. LT is the 7th player in NFL history to run, catch and throw for a touchdown in the same game.VIZIO has also teamed up with LT in dedicating "VIZIO Educational Centers" to non-profit organizations that will enhance the centers' capabilities of providing HDTV programming that incorporates computers and educational DVDs. "I am delighted to have VIZIO's support in helping make a difference in these communities," stated LaDainian Tomlinson. "With VIZIO's assistance, we are able to help kids achieve their goals by getting them off the streets and into something positive."About VIZIOVIZIO, Inc. "Where Vision Meets Value," headquartered in Irvine, California, is a top five North American flat panel television brand. Their VIZIO brand has been seen and heard on TV and radio, including NBC's Today Show, ABC's Good Morning America and Live with Regis and Kelly, won numerous awards from leading publications including Good Housekeeping's Best Big-Screens, CNET's Top 10 Holiday Gifts, PC World's Best Buy, Sound & Vision's Editors Choice, Home Theater Magazine's Rave Award, PC Magazine's Editors Choice, AVRev.com's #1 Product We Love the Best and The Perfect Vision's Products of the Year. VIZIO is bringing vision to the consumer electronics market through practical innovation. VIZIO products offer customers advanced technologies at the most affordable value. Products include the VIZIO, Maximvs and Gallevia lines of Plasma and LCD HDTVs. Many of these products can be found at BJ's Wholesale, Circuit City, Costco, Kmart, Sam's Club, Sears, Wal-Mart and other retailers nationwide along with authorized online partners. For more information, please call 888-VIZIOCE or visit on the web at www.VIZIO.com.The V, VIZIO, Gallevia, Maximvs, Where Vision Meets Value names, phase and symbols are trademarks or registered trademarks of VIZIO, Inc. All other trademarks may be the property of their respective holders.###Source: VIZIO, Inc.
Accessories 4 Technology licenses SRS TruSurround to deliver high quality sound to new Tannoy PSP Speaker System

- SRS Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ: SRSL), a leading provider of innovative surround sound, audio and voice technologies, today announced that Accessories 4 Technology Limited (A4T), a leading manufacturer of innovative iPod and gaming peripherals, has signed a licensing agreement with SRS Labs for the use of several audio technologies in new, high-end accessory products. The first product, a docking station for the PSP(tm), will feature SRS TruSurround(r) virtual surround sound rendering technology and will be branded under the Tannoy name - a renowned manufacturer of high quality professional and residential speaker systems.

While playing games is one of the pleasures of owning a PSP, watching movies and listening to music are also high on list. Therefore, it's not surprising that when looking for an audio enhancement partner for the new PSP Speaker System, SRS Labs was the first and obvious choice. A4T's implementation of SRS TruSurround ensures consumers will receive the best possible listening experience from the speaker system, regardless of the application - games, music and movies will all enjoy optimum sound. SRS TruSurround processes any multichannel audio source and delivers an immersive virtual 5.1 surround sound home theater experience over two speakers or headphones. With TruSurround, consumers will feel as if they're surrounded by "phantom" speakers that appear to extend all around them, putting them in the center of the entertainment experience.

"A4T is a well respected manufacturer of accessory products and we are very proud that they chose to feature our virtual surround technology in the PSP speaker system, marking our first design win for the gaming market," said Eduard Vendrell, Sales Executive - EMEA, SRS Labs. "The best gaming experience is one in which the user becomes completely immersed in the game and TruSurround makes that possible. We look forward to broadening our relationship with A4T through joint marketing efforts and innovative product advancements."

Other features of the Tannoy PSP Speaker System include unparalleled power output (50 watts RMS total power output), a five foot audio cable, auxiliary 3.5mm input for portable audio devices or computer, and an IR remote control for docking station and PSP functions. The PSP Speaker System, which starts shipping into the UK in June, and then will be available globally by the end of the year.

"We understand the importance of reaching the ultimate gaming experience," said Bill Stirling, Sales and Marketing Director, Accessories 4 Technology. "We are constantly researching and looking for the latest developments in the marketplace to meet this challenge and that is why we chose to incorporate SRS TruSurround. Our partnership with Tannoy to design an innovative speaker system combined with the high-quality audio technologies of SRS enabled us to bring consumers the perfect PSP speaker system."

About SRS Labs, Inc.
SRS Labs develops advanced audio and communications technology that optimizes and improves the listening experience through techniques based on the latest research into the human auditory system. With over one billion products shipped worldwide, SRS Labs is a leader in audio. Incorporated in products ranging from HDTVs and mobile phones to PCs and automotive entertainment, SRS Labs audio and speech signal processing provides the best possible sound on every form factor and in every environment. SRS Labs surround sound solutions enable the professional broadcast and recording industries with high-performance production, back-haul, storage, and transmission capability. SRS Labs supports manufacturers worldwide with offices in the US, China, Europe, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
About Accessories 4 Technology
Primarily operating under the 4 Gamers and 4 Tunes brands, Accessories 4 Technology was established in 2005 by a team of Industry Experts with vast experience in the fields of audio, visual and gaming peripherals with a simple but powerful mission statement that placed product design through innovation at the heart of the company.

Understanding the importance in reaching the ultimate gaming experience from the latest games in the marketplace, A4T are constantly researching and developing accessories to meet this challenge and with 4Gamers have one of the UK's leading brands of gaming accessories dedicated to bringing innovative and leading edge products to the consumer.

Except for historical information contained in this release, statements in this release, including those by Mr. Vendrell, may constitute forward-looking statements regarding our assumptions, projections, expectations, targets, intentions or beliefs about future events that are based on management's belief, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. While the Company believes that its expectations are based upon reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurances that the Company's goals and strategy will be realized. Numerous factors, including risks and uncertainties, may affect the Company's actual results and may cause results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of the Company. Some of these factors include the acceptance of new SRS Labs' products and technologies, the impact of competitive products and pricing, the timely development and release of technologies by the Company, general business and economic conditions, especially in Asia, and other factors detailed in the Company's Form 10-K and other periodic reports filed with the SEC. SRS Labs specifically disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
- SRS Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ: SRSL), a leading provider of innovative surround sound, audio and voice technologies, today announced that Accessories 4 Technology Limited (A4T), a leading manufacturer of innovative iPod and gaming peripherals, has signed a licensing agreement with SRS Labs for the use of several audio technologies in new, high-end accessory products. The first product, a docking station for the PSP(tm), will feature SRS TruSurround(r) virtual surround sound rendering technology and will be branded under the Tannoy name - a renowned manufacturer of high quality professional and residential speaker systems.While playing games is one of the pleasures of owning a PSP, watching movies and listening to music are also high on list. Therefore, it's not surprising that when looking for an audio enhancement partner for the new PSP Speaker System, SRS Labs was the first and obvious choice. A4T's implementation of SRS TruSurround ensures consumers will receive the best possible listening experience from the speaker system, regardless of the application - games, music and movies will all enjoy optimum sound. SRS TruSurround processes any multichannel audio source and delivers an immersive virtual 5.1 surround sound home theater experience over two speakers or headphones. With TruSurround, consumers will feel as if they're surrounded by "phantom" speakers that appear to extend all around them, putting them in the center of the entertainment experience."A4T is a well respected manufacturer of accessory products and we are very proud that they chose to feature our virtual surround technology in the PSP speaker system, marking our first design win for the gaming market," said Eduard Vendrell, Sales Executive - EMEA, SRS Labs. "The best gaming experience is one in which the user becomes completely immersed in the game and TruSurround makes that possible. We look forward to broadening our relationship with A4T through joint marketing efforts and innovative product advancements."Other features of the Tannoy PSP Speaker System include unparalleled power output (50 watts RMS total power output), a five foot audio cable, auxiliary 3.5mm input for portable audio devices or computer, and an IR remote control for docking station and PSP functions. The PSP Speaker System, which starts shipping into the UK in June, and then will be available globally by the end of the year. "We understand the importance of reaching the ultimate gaming experience," said Bill Stirling, Sales and Marketing Director, Accessories 4 Technology. "We are constantly researching and looking for the latest developments in the marketplace to meet this challenge and that is why we chose to incorporate SRS TruSurround. Our partnership with Tannoy to design an innovative speaker system combined with the high-quality audio technologies of SRS enabled us to bring consumers the perfect PSP speaker system."About SRS Labs, Inc.SRS Labs develops advanced audio and communications technology that optimizes and improves the listening experience through techniques based on the latest research into the human auditory system. With over one billion products shipped worldwide, SRS Labs is a leader in audio. Incorporated in products ranging from HDTVs and mobile phones to PCs and automotive entertainment, SRS Labs audio and speech signal processing provides the best possible sound on every form factor and in every environment. SRS Labs surround sound solutions enable the professional broadcast and recording industries with high-performance production, back-haul, storage, and transmission capability. SRS Labs supports manufacturers worldwide with offices in the US, China, Europe, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.About Accessories 4 TechnologyPrimarily operating under the 4 Gamers and 4 Tunes brands, Accessories 4 Technology was established in 2005 by a team of Industry Experts with vast experience in the fields of audio, visual and gaming peripherals with a simple but powerful mission statement that placed product design through innovation at the heart of the company.Understanding the importance in reaching the ultimate gaming experience from the latest games in the marketplace, A4T are constantly researching and developing accessories to meet this challenge and with 4Gamers have one of the UK's leading brands of gaming accessories dedicated to bringing innovative and leading edge products to the consumer.Except for historical information contained in this release, statements in this release, including those by Mr. Vendrell, may constitute forward-looking statements regarding our assumptions, projections, expectations, targets, intentions or beliefs about future events that are based on management's belief, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. While the Company believes that its expectations are based upon reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurances that the Company's goals and strategy will be realized. Numerous factors, including risks and uncertainties, may affect the Company's actual results and may cause results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of the Company. Some of these factors include the acceptance of new SRS Labs' products and technologies, the impact of competitive products and pricing, the timely development and release of technologies by the Company, general business and economic conditions, especially in Asia, and other factors detailed in the Company's Form 10-K and other periodic reports filed with the SEC. SRS Labs specifically disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. STRYKER’S MESSAGE IS LOUD AND CLEAR WITH REVOLABS
Boardroom at world headquarters home to 16-channel Solo™ wireless mic system
Maynard, MA – July 2007… When Stryker, a company recognized as one of the preeminent medical products and services companies in the world, outfitted its boardroom at their newly built world headquarters, state-of-the-art communication capabilities were a key priority. To assist with their vision of the ideal meeting facility, the company sought the expertise of Vista AV Integration, a division of Office Interiors, Inc. As part of an elaborate A/V infrastructure that includes video conferencing facilities, presentation facilities, and digital signage, the experts at Vista AV Integration equipped Stryker’s boardroom with the Solo Executive wireless microphone system from Revolabs.
When Stryker, a company recognized as one of the preeminent medical products and services companies in the world, outfitted its boardroom at their newly built world headquarters, state-of-the-art communication capabilities were a key priority. To assist with their vision of the ideal meeting facility, the company sought the expertise of Vista AV Integration, a division of Office Interiors, Inc. As part of an elaborate A/V infrastructure that includes video conferencing facilities, presentation facilities, and digital signage, the experts at Vista AV Integration equipped Stryker’s boardroom with the Solo Executive wireless microphone system from Revolabs.

Based in Granger, IN, Vista AV Integration is a design/build firm that specializes in A/V solutions for higher education and corporations. Among its notable credits, the firm handles many A/V projects for the University of Notre Dame. According to Tim Cichos, an AV Systems Engineer for the firm who oversees system design, system programming, staff training, and on-site client technical training, “Stryker’s new boardroom is a large facility—approximately 40-feet by 80-feet, with a very long table. We needed to ensure clear, suitably loud sound reinforcement so that everyone in the room could comfortably hear what was taking place, and the system had to be easy to use. After evaluating a number of products, Revolabs’ Solo wireless microphone system was deemed the right tool for the job.”

When queried about those traits that made the Revolabs Solo the best choice, Cichos pointed to the Solo’s form factor and its battery system. “Traditional lavalier microphones have a wire hanging down from them that connects to a transmitter,” said Cichos. “Our client really didn’t like this—it was considered cumbersome. By contrast, the Solo is a much cleaner design that clips easily onto one’s lapel or can be worn with a lanyard. There are no wires to complicate matters.”

“Of equal importance,” continued Cichos, “the Solo wireless mics are charged very conveniently. The microphones reside in a charging base, so there was much less concern about having properly charged batteries ready for meetings. Their compact design and ease of operation make the Solo system an extremely viable solution for this type of environment.”

Vista AV Integration spent the better part of October and November 2006 installing the equipment at Stryker’s new facility. The equipment, which includes a programmed sound system, a retractable ceiling mounted projector, and a screen—all under control of a Crestron automation system— was placed into service in early December of that year. For the boardroom, which is used for the company’s big quarterly meetings, Cichos and his team installed a 16-channel Solo system. “All sixteen microphones are the wearable, lapel model,” notes Cichos, “with fourteen units being clipped onto one’s clothing, and the two remaining mics being worn by presenters using the included lanyard. The microphones are used primarily for sound reinforcement, though they are tied into the room’s conferencing facilities.”

Reflecting on the installation, Cichos summed up his Revolabs experience. “The Solo wireless microphone system removes many of traditional obstacles for using wireless mics in the corporate environment. The system is easy to use, easy to charge, and it’s always ready to go as a result. Finding charged batteries is never an issue. Further, the company’s technical support is first-rate. I’d highly recommend them.”

About Vista AV Integration

Vista AV Integration focuses on audio-visual systems integration and custom design projects for the education, commercial, healthcare and government markets. The division's experienced technicians install systems in teaching and training facilities, classrooms, boardrooms, conference rooms, and other professional environments. Vista's staff, with a combined 100+ years of experience in the AV industry, provides engineering, design, installation, programming, training, and administrative services. Visit the company online at www.office-interiorsinc.com.

About Revolabs

Headquartered in Maynard, Massachusetts, Revolabs, Inc. is a wireless solutions company committed to enhancing enterprise collaboration through innovative wireless systems. Its products are used throughout the world and across a wide range of industries, including financial services, higher education, medical, legal services, and more. For additional information, visit the company online at www.revolabs.com or call 800.326.1088.

ARRIS Announces Successful Interoperation of the ARRIS Mobility Application Server with Cedar Point Communications' SAFARI C3 Multimedia Switching System

Operators assured of simple integration of ARRIS Mobility Application Server into present voice networks and emerging IMS architectures

today announced that its Mobility Application Server (MAS) has completed successful interoperability testing with Cedar Point Communications' SAFARI C3 Multimedia Switching System, a widely deployed integrated voice and multimedia switch. The interoperability testing of ARRIS MAS enables operators to deploy a scalable Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) solution that utilizes an existing or yet to be deployed Cedar Point SAFARI C3 switching infrastructure.

"With the successful interoperability testing with Cedar Point, ARRIS has now completed soft switch interoperability testing with three vendors for FMC deployment," said Peter Fousas, ARRIS,VP Business Development. "This testing demonstrates the MAS' ability to offer converged services in networks being deployed today with a smooth evolution path to PacketCable™ 2.0 networks as they are rolled out in the coming years."

"The flexibility of the SAFARI C3 platform and its ability to enable the migration to new, standards-based architectures have been important parts of our value proposition," said Dave Spear, Executive Vice President, Strategy and Market Development for Cedar Point Communications. "As operators move towards the deployment of FMC and other advanced services, it is critical that we support them by ensuring that the investment they are making today will continue to provide dividends in the future."

The ARRIS Mobility Application Server supports a range of FMC deployment scenarios enabling device, network, and service convergence. The platform converges today's existing switching infrastructure while providing a seamless evolution to tomorrow's PacketCable 2.0 and IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) networks. The MAS has effectively separated device, network, and service convergence to allow for a varied approach to offering converged services. This flexibility allows operators to deploy FMC services independently of developing mobile operator relationships or building out mobile networks. For more information about the ARRIS FMC solution visit http://www.arrisi.com/fmc.

About ARRIS
ARRIS provides broadband local access networks with best-in-class video, high-speed data, mobile and fixed-line telephony systems for the delivery of voice, video and data to their residential and small-to-medium sized business customers. The Company also provides a complete set of tools and cable system infrastructure maintenance and upgrade products. ARRIS complete solutions enhance the reliability and value of converged services from the network to the end-user. Additionally, ARRIS Headquartered in Suwanee, Georgia, USA, ARRIS has R&D centers in Atlanta, Chicago, Cork, Ireland and Shenzhen, China, and operates support and sales offices throughout the world. Information about ARRIS products and services can be found at http://www.arrisi.com.

About Cedar Point Communications
Cedar Point Communications' totally integrated switching platform simplifies the network, enabling the scalable, cost-effective, less complex delivery of VoIP and multimedia applications for network operators. Designed to provide carrier-class performance and reliability, while increasing network integrity, security and privacy, Cedar Point's SAFARI C³™ Multimedia Switching System is a PacketCable™-qualified solution that supports legacy circuit, NCS and SIP-based voice services, as well as interoperating with core IMS architectures. The company is based in Derry, NH. For more information, please visit http://www.cedarpointcom.com.

For more information on the ARRIS FMC Solution, please visit http://www.arrisi.com/products_solutions/product_families/fmc/

July 10

Eight New Governors Elected to AMPAS Board;Six Incumbents Returned

Beverly Hills, CA –– Eight new governors, four of them serving for the first time, have been elected to represent their branches on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Six incumbent governors were reelected.

Newcomers to the board are Henry Winkler, Actors Branch; Vilmos Zsigmond, Cinematographers; Richard Pearce, Documentary; and Charles Fox, Music. Returning to the Board after a hiatus are Dede Allen, Film Editors; Curt Behlmer, Sound; Richard Edlund, Visual Effects; and Frank Pierson, Writers.

Incumbent governors reelected to another term are Rosemary Brandenburg, Art Directors branch; Curtis Hanson, Directors; Jim Gianopulos, Executives; Hawk Koch, Producers; Marvin Levy, Public Relations Branch; and Carl Bell, Short Films and Feature Animation.

Fourteen of the Academy’s 15 branches are each represented by three governors, who may serve up to three consecutive three-year terms. Terms are staggered so that each branch elects or reelects one governor each year. The recently created Makeup Branch is represented by a single governor, Leonard Engelman, whose seat was not part of this election cycle.

Governors who were not up for reelection and who continue on the Board are Ed Begley Jr. and Tom Hanks, Actors Branch; Jeannine Oppewall and Albert Wolsky, Art Directors; Caleb Deschanel and Owen Roizman, Cinematographers; Paul Mazursky and Alexander Payne, Directors; Michael Apted and Rob Epstein, Documentary; Robert Rehme and Tom Sherak, Executives; Donn Cambern and Mark Goldblatt, Film Editors; Charles Bernstein and Bruce Broughton, Music; Mark Johnson and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers; Sid Ganis and Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Public Relations; Jon Bloom and John Lasseter, Short Films and Feature Animation; J. Paul Huntsman and Kevin O’Connell, Sound; Craig Barron and Bill Taylor, Visual Effects; and James L. Brooks and Fay Kanin, Writers.

July 9

Spike TV Television Highlights - August 2007

-- THE KILL POINT - SEASON FINALE

Premieres Sunday, August 26 (9:00 PM - 11:00 PM, ET/PT); Encore Sunday,

August 26 (11:00 PM - 1:00 AM, ET/PT); Marathon leading into the Finale

telecasts Sunday, August 26 (3:00 PM - 9:00 PM, ET/PT).

Emmy(R)Award-winning actor and Golden Globe nominee John Leguizamo and

Donnie Wahlberg star in Spike TV's new original scripted series, THE

KILL POINT, an eight-hour event focusing on two men as they square off

during a bank heist gone horribly wrong and the hostage negotiations

that follow.

With time of the essence and the uncertainty of the unfolding events,

both men need to remain resourceful and collected or risk losing lives.

THE KILL POINT reveals how the hostage takers leverage their situation

and how the negotiator tries to unravel their plans. Which man will

blink? Who will outsmart the other? Who will survive? It's a

dangerous game of chess played out with human lives at stake.

-- MURDER

New Episodes Premiere Tuesdays (10:00 PM - 11:00 PM, ET/PT); Encore

Wednesdays (11:00 PM - Midnight, ET/PT) & Saturdays (Midnight - 1:00

AM, ET/PT).

Following in the dramatic tradition of "CSI," Spike TV's "Murder,"

follows real people as they try to solve a real homicide pulled

directly from police files. Two groups of civilians are brought into

an exact replica crime scene pulled from the files of a solved homicide

case. Every pertinent detail available to the original detectives has

been recreated and available to the groups, who then assess the crime

scene and collect evidence. The groups are given a list of potential

suspects, an opportunity to analyze the suspect's interrogation tapes

and then meet with a coroner to review the findings of the original

autopsy report. Contestants are given 48 hours to complete their

investigation, collect and catalogue their evidence and use their own

smarts and instincts to find the murderer.

-- TNA WRESTLING: iMPACT! - NEW EPISODES

New episodes premiere Thursdays (9:00 - 10:00 PM, ET/PT); Encores

Saturdays (11:00 PM - Midnight, ET/PT), Pre-empted on Saturday, August

11 will encore starting at 10:30 PM, ET/PT, instead.

Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling's "iMPACT!" features stars such as

Kurt Angle, Sting, Christian Cage, AJ Styles, Abyss, Team 3D, The Latin

American Xchange and the Knockout babes battling it out for supremacy

inside the ring. Watch what millions of fans are now calling "The New

Face Of Professional Wrestling". TNA also features the high-flying, no-

limits stars of the "X Division" as well as signature, innovative

matches like "The Ultimate X Match" and "Six Sides Of Steel."

-- UFC UNLEASHED

Telecasts Thursdays (10:00 - 11:00 PM & 11:00 - Midnight, ET/PT).

This one-hour series features the greatest moments from the UFC(R)'s

vast library of fight footage. The show includes classic bouts never

before seen on television except on pay-per-view.

-- MXC

Telecasts Fridays (Midnight - 12:30 AM & 12:30 - 1:00 AM, ET/PT).

Spike TV's acclaimed original comedic series, is described as a wacky

combination of "Fear Factor," "Jackass," "Iron Chef," with a touch of

"Mystery Science Theater 3000." Using the actual footage from one of

the most popular primetime Japanese reality game shows, Takeshi's

Castle, MXC is re-written to create an entirely new comedic storyline.

The series is not dubbed and there is not a single trace of literal

translation from the original show.

-- GAME HEAD

New episodes premiere Fridays (1:00 - 1:30 AM, ET/PT).

Spike TV presents a weekly showcase on the world of video games. From

the latest reviews, cheat codes, the hottest game of week and more,

GAME HEAD offers viewers an uncompromised look at the hardcore culture

of videogames.

SPECIAL EVENTS / MARATHONS

-- BREAKFAST WITH BOND

Telecasts Monday through Friday (9:00 AM, ET/PT) beginning July 30 and

ending August 31.

Rise and shine with 007 as Spike TV telecasts one movie a day in the

chronological order in which they were released in theaters. In the

final week, it's the best 5 Bond movies, as voted online by Spike TV

viewers.

-- ROCKY BAL - BLOWOUT

Telecasts Saturday, August 4 (2:00 PM - 11:00 PM, ET/PT).

Tune in to Spike TV for a Rocky Balboa movie marathon featuring

Rocky I - IV.

-- ROCKY (1976, Action/Drama)

Telecasts Saturday, August 4 (2:00 PM - 4:30 PM, ET/PT).

A small time boxer gets a once in a lifetime chance to fight the

heavyweight champ in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for

his self-respect. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire and Burt

Young.

-- ROCKY II (1979, Action/Drama)

Telecasts Saturday, August 4 (4:30 PM - 7:00 PM, ET/PT).

Rocky struggles in family life after his bout with Apollo Creed, while

the embarrassed champ insistently goads him to accept a challenge for a

rematch. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Carl Weathers and Talia Shire.

-- ROCKY III (1982, Action/Drama)

Telecasts Saturday, August 4 (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, ET/PT).

When Rocky is defeated by a brutal challenger, Apollo Creed offers to

retrain him in order to regain his fighting spirit. Starring Sylvester

Stallone, Carl Weathers and Mr. T.

-- ROCKY IV (1985, Action/Drama)

Telecasts Saturday, August 4 (9:00 PM - 11:00 PM, ET/PT).

When Apollo Creed is killed in a match against a powerful Soviet boxer,

Rocky decides to challenge him himself. Starring Sylvester Stallone,

Carl Weathers and Dolph Lundgren.

-- HARRISON FORD MARATHON

Telecasts Saturday, August 11 ( 2:30 PM - 10:30 PM, ET/PT).

Spike TV honors one of America's most successful actors, Harrison Ford,

with a marathon of some of his most action packed roles.

-- WITNESS (1985, Drama/Thriller)

Telecasts Saturday, August 11 (2:30 PM - 5:00 PM, ET/PT).

A young Amish boy is sole witness to a murder; policeman John Book goes

into hiding in Amish country to protect him until the trial. Starring

Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, and Josef Sommer.

-- CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER (1994, Action/Drama)

Telecasts Saturday, August 11 (5:00 PM - 8:00 PM, ET/PT).

CIA Analyst Jack Ryan is drawn into an illegal war fought by the US

government against a Colombian drug cartel. Starring Harrison Ford,

Willem Dafoe, and Anne Archer.

-- PATRIOT GAMES (1992, Action/Drama)

Spike Premiere Saturday, August 11 (8:00 PM - 10:30 PM, ET/PT).

When CIA Analyst Jack Ryan interferes with an IRA assassination, a

renegade faction targets him and his family for revenge. Starring

Harrison Ford, Anne Archer, and Patrick Bergin.

-- TNA: HARD JUSTICE

Premieres Saturday, August 11 (11:30 PM - Midnight, ET/PT); Encores

Saturday, August 11 (3:00 AM - 3:30 AM, ET/PT).

Preview all of the exciting matches and hear from your favorite

wrestlers as they prepare for TNA's August 12th Hard Justice pay-per-

view event.

-- COUTURE: 100% NATURAL

Telecasts Thursday, August 23 (10:00 PM - 2:00 AM, ET/PT).

Tune into Spike TV for a marathon devoted to UFC Heavyweight champion

Randy Couture as he prepares to defend his title against Gabriel

Gonzaga.

-- UFC Unleashed

Telecasts Thursday, August 23 (10:00 PM - 11:00 PM, ET/PT).

Coming out of a year long retirement, Randy Couture faces Tim Sylvia at

UFC 68 in a history making heavyweight championship bout.

-- UFC 74 Countdown

Premieres Thursday, August 23 (11:00 PM - Midnight, ET/PT); Encore

Saturday, August 25 (11:00 AM - Noon) & Saturday, August 25 (6:00 PM -

7:00 PM, ET/PT).

A preview of Randy Couture's upcoming Pay-Per-View fight.

-- UFC Unleashed

Telecasts Thursday, August 23 (Midnight - 12:30 AM, ET/PT).

From UFC 54: Boiling Point, Randy "The Natural" Couture battles Mike

Van Arsdale. Other bouts include Frank Mir vs. Tank Abbott and Chuck

Liddell vs. Jeremy Horn.

-- Pros vs. Joes Season 2

Telecasts Thursday, August 23 (1:00 AM - 2:00 AM, ET/PT).

Episode features Randy Couture with Michael Irvin, Jose Canseco and

Kevin Willis.

-- THE KILL POINT - MARATHON

Telecasts Sunday, August 26 (3:00 PM - 9:00 PM, ET/PT).

Catch up on the entire season of Spike TV's The Kill Point with a

Sunday afternoon marathon leading into the season finale. Starring

Emmy Award winner John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg.

MOVIE PREMIERES

-- PREDATOR (1987, Action/ Science Fiction)

Spike Premiere Monday, August 6 (9:00 PM - Midnight, ET/PT).

Dutch and his group of commandos are returning from a successful CIA

mission in a Central American jungle when they discover that something

is hunting them. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, and

Jesse Ventura.

-- AIRHEADS (1994, Comedy)

Spike Premiere Saturday, August 11 (10:00 AM - Noon, ET/PT).

Chazz, Rex, and Pip are a band known as The Lone Rangers and all

they're looking for is some attention. But when they take over a radio

station with fake guns in order to get their song played over the

airwaves, they get a little more than they bargained for. Starring

Brendan Fraser, Adam Sandler and Chris Farley.

-- PATRIOT GAMES (1992, Action/Crime)

Spike Premiere Saturday, August 11 (8:00 PM - 10:30 PM, ET/PT).

When CIA Analyst Jack Ryan interferes with an IRA assassination, a

renegade faction targets him and his family for revenge. Starring

Harrison Ford and James Earl Jones.

ACQUIRED SERIES

-- STAR TREK: VOYAGER

Telecasts Monday - Thursday (4:00 - 6:00 PM, ET/PT), Fridays (5:00 -

6:00 PM, ET/PT) & Monday - Wednesday (1:00 AM - 2:00 AM, ET/PT), Pre-

empted Monday, August 20 will air at 1:30 AM, ET/PT.

The 3rd installment of the Star Trek television franchise examines the

USS Voyager and her crew, who have become stranded in the Delta

Quadrant, seventy thousand light-years from Earth. Unless they can find

some kind of shortcut, it will take them seventy-five years to return

to the space of the United Federation of Planets. Starring Kirk

Mulligan.

-- CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (TV-PG)

Telecasts Monday - Friday (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM, ET/PT) & Monday -

Wednesday (Midnight - 1:00 AM, ET/PT).

CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION revolves around a team of forensic Crime

Scene Investigators in the Las Vegas police department's Criminalistics

Bureau. By relentlessly analyzing every detail at the scene of a

crime, no matter how seemingly irrelevant or grotesque in nature, the

team has science and experience on their side to solve the case. The

series stars William Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, Gary Dourdan, George

Eads, Jorja Fox and Paul Guilfoyle.

WEEKEND PROGRAMMING

-- WEEKEND POWERBLOCK

Spike TV puts sexy car enthusiast Courtney Hansen in the driver's seat

as host of the network's "Power Block" lineup, a weekend (Saturdays

Noon - 2:00 PM, ET/PT and Sundays 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM, ET/PT) two-hour

block of auto related programming.

Saturdays:

Noon - 12:30 PM, ET/PT

HORSEPOWER TV

Host Joe Elmore and tech expert Mike Galley work out of their to-die-for

performance garage sharing speed secrets on how to transform everyday cars

into road burners and how to get the most out of them on the street and at

the strip. This series captures the performance lifestyle taking viewers

to America's best events, rallies and races.

12:30 - 1:00 PM, ET/PT

MUSCLE CAR

Celebrating America's love affair with these fabled '60's and 70's era

muscle cars, the series focuses on finding, restoring and modifying iconic

Detroit iron like the Pontiac GTO, the Hemi Cuba, the Boss Mustang and the

Chevelle SS.

1:00 - 1:30 PM, ET/PT

XTREME 4X4

Hosted by Ian Johnson and Jessi Combs, this series features hardcore 4x4

build-ups and off-road truck projects, plus extreme action events - rock

crawling, desert racing, sand drags, mud racing, and trail riding

adventure.

1:30 - 2:00 PM, ET/PT

TRUCKS!

This how-to/new vehicle series addresses the light truck market with

special emphasis on pickups and sport utility vehicles. From the wildest

jet drag trucks and monster trucks to the world's most radical 4x4 rock

crawlers and customs, each episode takes viewers step-by-step modifying,

customizing, restoring and testing classic and sport trucks, off-roaders

and race trucks.

Sundays:

11:00 - 11:30 AM, ET/PT

HORSEPOWER TV

11:30 AM - Noon, ET/PT

MUSCLE CAR

Noon - 12:30 PM, ET/PT

XTREME 4X4

12:30 - 1:00 PM, ET/PT

TRUCKS!

Web site: http://www.spiketv.com/

“Great To Be Nominated” Makes “Broadcast News”

Beverly Hills, CA — The 1987 Best Picture nominee “Broadcast News” will be screened as the next feature in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Great To Be Nominated” series. The story of a network news producer who must make tough romantic choices in her relationships with two reporters will screen on Monday, July 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Co-producer Penney Finkelman Cox, actor Christian Clemenson (“Bobby”), costume designer Molly Maginnis and music editor Robert Badami will participate in a panel discussion following the screening.

“Broadcast News” received a total of seven Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture (James L. Brooks, producer), Actor in a Leading Role (William Hurt), Actor in a Supporting Role (Albert Brooks), Actress in a Leading Role (Holly Hunter), Cinematography (Michael Ballhaus), Film Editing (Richard Marks) and Writing – Screenplay written directly for the screen (James L. Brooks).

The Oscar®-winning live action short “Ray’s Male Heterosexual Dance Hall” and the Academy Award-nominated animated short “Your Face” will be screened prior to the feature.

Passes for the remaining screenings in part four of “Great To Be Nominated” are $30 for the general public and $25 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. A $5 discount is available for those who wish to renew their passes from parts one, two or three of the series. Individual tickets are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Passes and tickets may be purchased by mail, in person at the Academy during regular business hours or, depending on availability, on the night of the screening when the doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets also may be purchased online at www.oscars.org/events. There are no minimum order requirements and no transaction or processing fees. Tickets may be purchased online until noon PST on the day of the event.

Curtain time for all features is 7:30 p.m., and pre-show elements will begin at 7 p.m. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call (310) 247-3600.

# # #

©A.M.P.A.S.®

1. "Transformers," Paramount, $70,502,384, 4,011 locations, $17,577 average, $155,405,412, one week.

2. "Ratatouille," Disney, $29,014,293, 3,940 locations, $7,364 average, $109,531,598, two weeks.

3. "Live Free or Die Hard," Fox, $17,730,149, 3,411 locations, $5,198 average, $84,424,123, two weeks.

4. "License to Wed," Warner Bros., $10,422,258, 2,604 locations, $4,002 average, $17,838,076, one week.

5. "Evan Almighty," Universal, $8,719,135, 3,460 locations, $2,520 average, $78,706,785, three weeks.

6. "1408," MGM, $7,088,979, 2,631 locations, $2,694 average, $53,738,325, three weeks.

7. "Knocked Up," Universal, $5,222,680, 2,213 locations, $2,360 average, $132,089,425, six weeks.

8. "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," Fox, $4,239,993, 2,618 locations, $1,620 average, $123,881,586, four weeks.

9. "Sicko," Lionsgate, $3,600,179, 702 locations, $5,128 average, $11,452,560, three weeks.

10. "Ocean's Thirteen," Warner Bros., $3,525,366, 2,102 locations, $1,677 average, $109,145,316, five weeks.

11. "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," Disney, $3,008,962, 1,869 locations, $1,610 average, $301,725,691, seven weeks.

12. "Evening," Focus, $2,374,904, 979 locations, $2,426 average, $8,378,433, two weeks.

13. "Shrek the Third," Paramount, $1,537,841, 1,421 locations, $1,082 average, $316,740,255, eight weeks.

14. "Surf's Up," Sony, $991,175, 1,458 locations, $680 average, $56,042,318, five weeks.

15. "Nancy Drew," Warner Bros., $912,495, 1,124 locations, $812 average, $23,247,916, four weeks.

16. "A Mighty Heart," Paramount Vantage, $647,288, 651 locations, $994 average, $8,404,897, three weeks.

17. "La Vie En Rose," Picturehouse, $608,884, 162 locations, $3,759 average, $6,030,711, five weeks.

18. "Once," Fox Searchlight, $439,648, 132 locations, $3,331 average, $4,563,755, eight weeks.

19. "Spider-Man 3," Sony, $303,553, 310 locations, $979 average, $334,344,283, 10 weeks.

20. "Disturbia," Paramount, $302,010, 283 locations, $1,067 average, $79,305,519, 13 weeks.

More Than Meets the Eye: Blockbuster Transforms Record Books

TRANSFORMERS saw a record-destroying launch in North America at the weekend that was complemented by a stunning second international weekend.

The domestic records started to fall as it launched on Tuesday (July 3) to become the biggest Tuesday on record (US$27.5m). The action blockbuster then stormed into the traditionally tough July 4 holiday rising day-on-day to take US$29.1m - setting the all-time record for the holiday ahead of SPIDER- MAN 2's US$21.9m.

The three-day (July 6-8) weekend saw the behemoth add US$70.9m. This brings the colossal six-day total (including Monday July 2 previews) to US$155.8m - cracking yet another record to become the biggest first week for a non-sequel in history. The result beat 2002's SPIDER-MAN which recorded US$151.6m in its launch week.

The second international weekend for TRANSFORMERS saw it breaking more records for director Michael Bay and Paramount. A US$46.7m weekend welcomed 19 new European territory launches while enjoying excellent holds in the Asia Pacific markets that opened it June 28.

A phenomenal second weekend in Korea headed the film's weekend business dropping off a mere 10% week-on-week for a US$11.8m weekend and a US$29.3m total gross in ther territory after 11 days. The film dominated the Korean market with a 74% market share at the weekend and has already sold over four million tickets, the second fastest film in history to achieve the landmark.

Russia's US$7.1m launch set an all-time record for Michael Bay and was Paramount's second biggest opening of all time, to head the weekend for new launch territories. Spain followed with a US$4.6m weekend.

TRANSFORMERS is already fast approaching the US$100m mark in International box office, currently standing on US$96.7m. Worldwide the film has already surpassed the US$250m mark, with a total gross of US$252.5m.

This marks a phenomenal start to TRANSFORMERS' worldwide release with many numerous international territories yet to open, including many major markets. Amongst those still to come are: Mexico, Brazil and South Africa (July 20); France and Belgium (July 25); the United Kingdom (July 27); Germany (August 2); and Japan (August 4).

TRANSFORMERS stars Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight and John Turturro, alongside the voice talents of Peter Cullen, Hugo Weaving and Keith David.

TRANFORMERS will open across the UK and Ireland on Friday, July 27th.

Distributed by Paramount Pictures UK.

Images available via: www.image.net

Source: Paramount Pictures (UK)

For further information please contact: Debbie Turner, Head of Publicity, PPUK, T: +44-(0)20-7534-5221, debbie_turner@paramount.com or Jenny Erwood, Publicity Manager, PPUK, T: +44-(0)20-7534-5235, jenny_erwood@paramount.com

Zune Fires Up Live at the BBQ
Microsoft's portable entertainment brand brings a unique experience to hip-hop fans with a series of free summer concerts in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) today announced a series of three summer events to celebrate hip-hop music and the community that surrounds it. The Zune Live at the BBQ series will give fans an opportunity to see top hip-hop artists for free in a unique outdoor environment with music, games and, true to the series' name, a barbecue. The concert hits Los Angeles on July 12, Chicago on July 22, and New York City on Aug. 4. Viral invitations will be sent to fans, and they will be asked to register at a special Web site to receive their ticket.

"These summer concerts are a great way for Zune to bring fans together with the artists they love," said Chris Stephenson, general manager of Global Marketing for Zune at Microsoft. "It's a way to show our appreciation to the hip-hop community for its support of the Zune(TM) brand and to bring the music to life for fans."

Artists confirmed to participate in Live at the BBQ include Common, David Banner, UGK, Mos Def, Bilal, Clipse, Collie Budz, E-40, Cham, and Large Professor. Additional artists are being confirmed, and fans can expect a few surprises along the way.

"Live at the BBQ is helping to bring hip-hop back to a golden age where records were produced and iconic artists rose directly out of their local communities," said UGK member Bun B. "It's a chance to put singles, ringtones and industry hype aside and just get a bunch of our friends together for some great music and barbecue. Let's eat."

More information about Live at the BBQ is available at http://www.zune.net/.

About Zune

Zune is Microsoft's music and entertainment platform that provides an end-to-end solution for Connected Entertainment. The Zune experience includes a 30GB digital media player, the Zune Marketplace music service, and a foundation for an online community that enables music fans to discover new music. Zune Marketplace offers for purchase more than 2.6 million song titles, ranging from popular hits to leading-edge new music. Zune users can download songs individually or by the album using Microsoft(R) Points or a Zune Pass subscription, which offers unlimited downloads for $14.99 a month. Zune Marketplace also offers insightful editorial programming produced by a team of music professionals who aim to bring a local record store experience to the digital world. Zune is part of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division and supports the company's software-based services vision to help drive innovation in the digital entertainment space. More information can be found online at http://www.zune.net/en-us/press.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

http://www.zune.net/

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft's corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.mspx.

Nickelodeon's TV Movie 'Drake & Josh: Really Big Shrimp' Dishes up Extra-Large Laughs and Hot Musical Licks
Premiering August 3, 8-9 PM
Josh Seals Record Deal for Drake ... and Steams Him by Blowing It Big Time
Josh's Tape Switcheroo at Spin City Records Could Prompt Bigwig to Sue
Two-Time Kids' Choice Award Winner Drake Bell Makes Directorial Debut

-- "Drake & Josh: Really Big Shrimp," a Nickelodeon TV movie starring the hit TEENick series headliners Drake Bell and Josh Peck, serves up jumbo laughs and Drake's musical licks, in the super-sized comedy premiering Friday, August 3 (8-9 p.m. ET/PT). But when Josh botches the record deal he sealed for his wannabe rock star stepbrother Drake, will it rock their friendship? Two-time Kids Choice Award winner Bell (2006 & '07) wears two hats, taking turns behind the camera with Drake & Josh director Steve Hoefer, to make his directorial debut.

In addition, on Saturday, August 4, an eight-hour Drake vs. Josh marathon (noon-8 p.m. ET/PT) hosted by Miranda Cosgrove -- who'll segue from playing Drake and Josh's mischievous little sister Megan to her own TEENick series, iCarly, in September -- will be capped by an encore of "Drake & Josh: Really Big Shrimp" at 8 p.m. and a sneak peek of iCarly at 9 p.m. Shrimpylympics will interlace the marathon of favorite episodes, and Miranda will keep score as Drake and Josh compete in events including Shrimpo Roman Wrestling, Shrimptona 500, Shrimp Regata and The Long Swim Home.

"Kids loved the first Drake & Josh TV movie, 'Drake & Josh Go Hollywood,' which scored huge ratings last year, and 'Really Big Shrimp' has big personal stakes for the guys that really puts their relationship to the test. Not only does it feature Josh and Drake at their comic best but it has a great song from Drake. Kids won't want to miss it," said Marjorie Cohn, Nickelodeon's Executive Vice President, Development and Original Programming.

As Drake's manager, Josh arranges for his brother to perform with his band for record exec Alan Krim, and the talented teen knocks Krim's socks off. The boys venture to Hollywood to meet the rest of the moguls at Spin City Records. There, they get star treatment and an incredible offer: Drake's song will grace a commercial to debut in the Super Bowl. While Drake segues to a recording studio to tape the tune, Josh soaks up luxury in the plush offices and is awed - and distracted -- by a platter of huge prawns presented to him along with the contract. Mesmerized by the giant shrimp, he inadvertently signs away all creative rights to Drake's song.

When the label opts to use a cheesy rendition of the tune, Drake fires Josh, and their friendship starts marching to the beat of a different drum. Bent on making things right, Josh revisits the recording studio to pull off a tape switcheroo. But the double-edged deed may lead the record company to sue!

Meanwhile, a strange houseguest causes chaos at home, and forced to share the boys' room, Megan (Miranda Cosgrove) has it redecorated all in pink. Josh is further dismayed when he's passed over for the assistant manager slot at the Premiere movie theatre -- and his ex-girlfriend Mindy is picked by boss (and bride-to-be) Helen to wear the gold vest.

In its fourth season, mega-hit Drake & Josh airs regularly on Sundays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) and daily at 5:30 p.m., and consistently ranks among TV's top five shows with kids and tweens.* Kids tune in to see singer-musician/ladies' man Drake routinely pull responsible Josh into shenanigans. As mischievous little sister Megan, Miranda Cosgrove always relishes hoodwinking them both.

Classic Nickelodeon success stories Josh Peck and Drake Bell ascended from The Amanda Show's ensemble to become series headliners. Bell, who co-starred in Nick Movies/Paramount Pictures' Yours, Mine & Ours in 2005, taped his first commercial at age 5 and appeared soon after opposite Gena Rowlands in the feature film The Neon Bible. He grabbed attention in a featured role in Jerry Maguire and followed with a co-starring role -- and private music lessons -- with Roger Daltrey in Chasing Destiny. The experience inspired him to start his own band, and his music and vocals are featured in his albums Telegraph and It's Only Time and on the Drake & Josh soundtrack. Bell also appeared as John Cusack's son in the HBO feature The Jack Bull and played Cusack's character as a kid in High Fidelity.

Peck, who lent his voice to the hit animated feature film Ice Age 2: The Meltdown, started his acting career at age 7 and launched a stand-up comedy career at 9 by appearing in New York clubs including Catch a Rising Star and Stand Up, New York. He made his feature-film debut a few years later in the Nickelodeon/Paramount movie Snow Day, followed by Max Keeble's Big Move and Spun. He won critical acclaim, including an Independent Spirit Award, with the role of a bully who gets his comeuppance in the feature film Mean Creek and as a punk kid in Barbara Kopple's movie Havoc.

Like her TV brothers before her, Miranda Cosgrove, 14, will headline her own TEENick series: iCarly launches in September 2007, and Cosgrove (School of Rock, Yours, Mine & Ours) stars as Carly Shay, a level-headed teen who hosts her own home-grown web show. The groundbreaking comedy is TV's first scripted series to incorporate user-generated content from real kids. While grappling with adolescence, Carly becomes an unwitting, underground celeb to kids everywhere. The character will ask viewers for submissions to her web show, and kids in the TV audience will be directed to iCarly.com to post their original ideas and videos, which may be either scripted into a future iCarly episode or become part of Carly's webcast online.

The series Drake & Josh and the TV movie come courtesy of executive producer/creator Dan Schneider and his Schneider's Bakery, Inc. Schneider continues to carve a progressive niche in kid and family entertainment, currently as executive producer/creator of the TEENick hits Zoey 101 and Drake & Josh and of the kid channel's upcoming iCarly. He also creatively ran Nickelodeon's All That for several years, serving as executive producer and show runner and created and executive produced The Amanda Show. His unique sense of kid-humor served as a natural launching pad for his feature-film endeavors including Good Burger, a Paramount Pictures/Nickelodeon Movies film, and Big Fat Liar from Universal Studios. His recent credits also include creating and executive producing the WB series What I Like About You. He received an Emmy(R) nomination for Zoey 101 starring Jamie Lynn Spears.

Nickelodeon, in its 28th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost 92 million households and has been the number-one- rated basic cable network for almost 12 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) .

Source: Nickelodeon

Web site: http://www.nick.com/

Ripple and Jack in the Box (R) Partner to Serve up 'Jack TV' Hyper-Local News and Entertainment Programming on HD Screens
Ripple expands its national footprint to Jack in the Box restaurants, delivering up-to-the-minute locally relevant news and entertainment to Jack in the Box customers

-- Ripple, the first nationwide out-of-home lifestyle digital media company today announced a partnership that will allow company-operated Jack in the Box(R) restaurants to broadcast entertainment, breaking news and sports, and relevant local information to its customers. Additionally, Ripple today announced it has secured $10 million Round B funding in a separate news release.

Already reaching nearly 10 million individuals a month in more than 600 retail locations throughout California, Nevada, Arizona, Washington and Hawaii, The Ripple Network will grow substantially through this partnership with Jack in the Box. Ripple and Jack in the Box have created a custom network to serve top branded news, entertainment, weather and sports content tailored specifically for Jack in the Box customers across different locales. The program will include two high-definition LCD screens in each restaurant to entertain and inform customers.

"As a consumer-oriented media technology company that puts the consumer experience above everything else, we are thrilled to help Jack in the Box better serve their loyal customers with a useful local community media product," said Ali Diab, Ripple Co-Founder and President of Products and Technology. He added, "Jack in the Box is staying ahead of the curve by catering to its customers' need for relevant, local and community oriented media and entertainment on-the-go throughout their day, and we at Ripple are extremely proud to be able to help Jack in the Box fulfill its customer mission."

Fast Food, Better Service, Fresh News

Enhancing the Jack in the Box restaurant environment is an important part of the quick-serve chain's strategic initiative to reinvent the Jack in the Box brand. This effort has already produced major improvements to the Jack in the Box menu with the addition of high-quality ingredients like artisan ciabatta bread and new products like the industry's first 100% sirloin burger. Now the chain is rolling out a comprehensive restaurant re-imaging program that includes a complete redesign of the dining room and common areas. With all Jack in the Box locations expected to be re-imaged in the next four to five years, the chain is raising the level of its facilities to that of its innovative menu and to better reflect the personality of its fictional founder and popular advertising spokesman, Jack.

"Re-imaging our restaurants further differentiates the Jack in the Box brand from our competitors," said Greg Joumas, Division Vice President of Advertising and Marketing Communications for Jack in the Box. "Along with new flooring, furnishings, lighting and Jack-inspired decorative elements, adding amenities like music, flat-screen TVs and an in-store network is key to creating an inviting dining destination for our guests."

"When considering an in-store network, we put our guests first. We have a vision for this network to be truly entertaining and consistent with our brand. Ripple provides a diverse range of content partnerships, experience in building consumer facing products, and the expertise and understanding in delivering a reliable 24/7 network."

Partnering with Ripple to deliver geographically and demographically targeted news and entertainment to each participating restaurant enables Jack in the Box to give local regular customers customized entertainment and news that's informative, engaging and relevant. Unlike a regular cable or satellite content feed, the Ripple Network consolidates top-rated television and web programming alongside selected advertising according to each individual retail partner's preferences throughout the day.

In-Store Digital Entertainment: A Growing Business

"Jack in the Box, in re-designing their restaurant environment so that it serves customers' desire to be entertained and informed while dining out, starts solving a problem many retailers face in trying to stay in touch with consumers in an increasingly competitive media arena," said Alex Nocifera, Ripple Founder and President of Sales and Distribution. "Needless to say, retailers have a strategy in mind to constantly improve the dynamic with their customers' experience, and we're very excited to be elemental in the formula for success."

The Jack in the Box and Ripple partnership is one of the largest location partnerships announced in the out-of-home advertising category, which is one of the fastest growing media segments. Growth in the out-of-home category is predicted to increase by double digits in the next five years, according to PQ Media's Alternative Out-of-Home Media Forecast 2007-2011.

About Ripple

Ripple, founded in 2004, is an out of home digital lifestyle media network delivering hyper-local news and entertainment directly into the places and spaces of everyday life. Already reaching nearly 10 million individuals across several states each month via in-store high-definition screens tailored to an on-the-go audience, Ripple is fast expanding its nationwide network of content and retail partners to better serve each neighborhood and the businesses that wish to engage, entertain and connect with the people within them. For more information, please visit http://www.rippletv.com/.

About Jack in the Box Inc.

Jack in the Box Inc. (NYSE:JBX) , based in San Diego, is a restaurant company that operates and franchises Jack in the Box(R) restaurants, one of the nation's largest hamburger chains, with more than 2,000 restaurants in 17 states. The company also operates a proprietary chain of convenience stores called Quick Stuff(R), with more than 50 locations, each built adjacent to a full-size Jack in the Box restaurant and including a major-brand fuel station. Additionally, through a wholly owned subsidiary the company operates and franchises Qdoba Mexican Grill(R), an emerging leader in fast-casual dining, with more than 350 restaurants in 39 states.

Source: Ripple

Web site: http://www.rippletv.com/

July 6

Academy Orchestrates “Amadeus” Screening in NYC

New York, NY – Actors F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce and Christine Ebersole and will join director Milos Forman and production designer Patrizia Von Brandenstein in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Monday Nights with Oscar®” (MNWO) screening of “Amadeus,” on Monday, July 16, at 7 p.m. at the Academy Theater in New York City. The program will feature a post-screening onstage discussion with the cast and crew members in attendance.

Shot on location in Prague, “Amadeus” is loosely based on the relationship between 18th century composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri. Adapted from the Tony Award®-winning stage play, the drama celebrates Mozart’s music and explores such themes as envy, the nature of genius, and man’s connection with God.

Winning the 1984 Best Picture Oscar (Saul Zaentz, producer), “Amadeus” earned an additional seven Academy Awards®: Actor in a Leading Role (Abraham), Art Direction (Von Brandenstein; Set Decoration: Karel Cerny), Costume Design (Theodor Pistek), Directing (Forman), Makeup (Paul LeBlanc, Dick Smith), Sound (Mark Berger, Tom Scott, Todd Boekelheide, Chris Newman) and Writing – Screenplay based on material from another medium (Peter Shaffer).

The film also received nominations for Actor in a Leading Role (Hulce), Cinematography (Miroslav Ondricek) and Film Editing (Nena Danevic, Michael Chandler).

MNWO is a monthly series showcasing high-quality prints of films that have been nominated for or won Academy Awards. This screening will feature a newly struck print from the Academy Film Archive.

The Academy Theater is located at 111 East 59th Street in New York City. Tickets for the screening are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Tickets may be reserved by calling 1-888-778-7575. Depending on availability, tickets may be purchased on the night of the screening. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. All seating is unreserved.

©A.M.P.A.S.®

July 5

SIRIUS Satellite Radio to Broadcast all 8 Live Earth Concerts From Around the Globe NEW YORK, July 3, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- SIRIUS Satellite Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) today announced that it will broadcast all 8 Live Earth: The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis including live backstage interviews from New York and live commentary of the London concert. The historic event will take place this Saturday July 7, 2007 over 24 hours and encompass 7 continents, 8 cities, and over 150 music artists including performances from The Police, Bon Jovi, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Eyed Peas, Metallica, John Mayer, Smashing Pumpkins, Roger Waters, Beastie Boys, Genesis, Kanye West, Duran Duran, Madonna and many others. SIRIUS will also dedicate a channel to broadcasting the best of Live Earth, highlighting the most memorable moments from all 8 concerts. Staying true to the spirit of the event, SIRIUS will launch Green 119, a four-day broadcast channel starting July 4, dedicated to informing the audience about the realities of the climate crisis with environmental tips and myths, celebrity interviews, political commentary, listener comments and the Live Earth concert calendar. Other eco-conscious programming on SIRIUS will include the Stop Global Warming Concert recorded on Earth Day 2007. The concert features performances by Sheryl Crow, Carole King and a speech by Laurie David the producer of An Inconvenient Truth. Live Earth, a project of the SOS Campaign, is designed to motivate people to take action to combat the current climate crisis. The event was organized by Kevin Wall, CEO of Control Room, the company producing the Live Earth concerts globally, and former Vice President Al Gore, chair of the Alliance for Climate Protection. Live Earth kicks off in Sydney, Australia and makes its way around the globe to Tokyo, Japan; Shanghai, China; Johannesburg, South Africa; London, United Kingdom; Hamburg, Germany; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, finishing in Giant Stadium, New Jersey. Each city will feature local artists. Channel and programming schedule is as follows: Location SIRIUS Channel Date and Time Sydney The Spectrum channel 18 7/6 9 pm ET and 7/7 6 pm ET (rebroadcast) Tokyo Boombox channel 34 7/6 11 pm ET Shanghai SIRIUS Disorder channel 32 7/7 6:30 am ET Hamburg The Spectrum channel 18 7/7 8 am ET and 7/8 2 am ET (rebroadcast) London Alt Nation channel 21 7/7 8:30 am ET and 7/7 6 pm ET (rebroadcast) Antarctica Super Shuffle channel 12 7/7 9 am ET Kyoto The Vault channel 16 7/7 9 am ET Johannesburg Reggae Rhythms channel 97 7/7 11 am ET New York SIRIUS Hits 1 channel 1 7/7 2:30 pm and 7/8 12 am ET (rebroadcast) Rio de Janeiro Boombox channel 34 7/7 2:30 pm ET Other programming details: Stop Global Warming Concert from Earth Day 2007 with performances by Sheryl Crow and Carole King on The Spectrum channel 18, July 6 at 8 pm ET and July 14 at 10 am ET. About SIRIUS SIRIUS, "The Best Radio on Radio," delivers more than 130 channels of the best programming in all of radio. SIRIUS is the original and only home of 100% commercial free music channels in satellite radio, offering 69 music channels. SIRIUS also delivers 65 channels of sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic, weather and data. SIRIUS is the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the NFL, NASCAR and NBA, and broadcasts live play-by-play games of the NFL and NBA, as well as live NASCAR races. All SIRIUS programming is available for a monthly subscription fee of only $12.95. SIRIUS Internet Radio (SIR) is a CD-quality, Internet-only version of the SIRIUS radio service, without the use of a radio, for the monthly subscription fee of $12.95. SIR delivers more than 75 channels of talk, entertainment, sports, and 100% commercial free music. SIRIUS products for the car, truck, home, RV and boat are available in more than 25,000 retail locations, including Best Buy, Circuit City, Crutchfield, Costco, Target, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, RadioShack and at shop.sirius.com. SIRIUS radios are offered in vehicles from Audi, Bentley, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep(R), Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercury, Maybach, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Rolls Royce, Scion, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo. Hertz also offers SIRIUS in its rental cars at major locations around the country. Click on www.sirius.com to listen to SIRIUS live, or to purchase a SIRIUS radio and subscription. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance with respect to SIRIUS Satellite Radio Inc. are not historical facts and may be forward-looking and, accordingly, such statements involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Accordingly, any such statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Among the significant factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed are: our pending merger with XM Satellite Radio Holdings, Inc. ("XM"), including related uncertainties and risks and the impact on our business if the merger is not completed; any events which affect the useful life of our satellites; our dependence upon third parties, including manufacturers of SIRIUS radios, retailers, automakers and programming providers; and our competitive position versus other audio entertainment providers.

Movies Explore the Mind in Academy Double Feature

Beverly Hills, CA — “Persona” and “Being John Malkovich” will screen as a double feature of psychological explorations on film to be presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Friday, July 20, at 7 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The program, which coincides with the ongoing exhibition “Movies on the Mind: Psychology and Film since Sigmund Freud” in the Academy’s Fourth Floor Gallery, will begin with Ingmar Bergman’s “Persona” (1966). The film tells the haunting story of a nurse, Alma (Bibi Andersson), who cares for an actress, Elisabeth (Liv Ullmann) who despite being healthy, has withdrawn to the point of being mute. Alma soon discovers that her mute patient’s mind and personality are subsuming her own.

At 8:30 p.m. “Being John Malkovich” (1999) will take the screen. Director Spike Jonze and writer Charlie Kaufman (both of whom received Academy Award® nominations, along with actress Catherine Keener) teamed up in this comedy-drama-fantasy that imagines the discovery of a portal into the mind of actor John Malkovich (playing himself). Craig (John Cusack), a puppeteer who is working at a dull office job in Manhattan, joins with his co-worker Maxine (Keener) to sell 15-minute trips into Malkovich’s brain, until their moneymaking scheme is discovered.

Ticketholders will be able to take advantage of special evening hours for “Movies on the Mind,” an interactive multimedia exhibition that presents dozens of film clips, posters, photographs and staged environments examining psychology and film. The Fourth Floor Gallery will be open prior to the screenings, from 5 to 7 p.m., and also following the first screening, from 8:30 to 11 p.m. Regular viewing hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Please note the Academy will be closed over the Labor Day weekend. “Movies on the Mind” will close on Sunday, September 16.

Tickets to “Persona” and “Being John Malkovich” are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members. A single ticket will admit individuals to both features. Tickets also may be purchased online at www.oscars.org/events. There are no minimum order requirements and no transaction or processing fees. Tickets may be purchased online until noon PDT on the day of the event.

Doors open at 6 p.m. Seats are unreserved. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Free parking is provided in the garages located at 8920 and 9025 Wilshire Boulevard. For additional information, call (310) 247-3600.

July 2

Gospel Talent In a 'Free' Two-Day Outdoor Summer Festival
EVENT ALSO FEATURES RIDES AND INFLATABLES FOR THE KIDS, ALONG WITH FABULOUS FOOD!

-- It's two days of gospel music, food, and fun! The CITY OF DAVID GOSPEL FEST is the biggest outdoor gospel concert event of the summer in Detroit. It happens July 6-7 at God's Graceland Park, just in front of Greater Grace Temple and admission is FREE! Start times are 6pm on Friday and 4pm on Saturday. Huge crowds are expected to bring their lawn chairs and blankets to the park to hear Detroit's own nationally acclaimed gospel artists: Vanessa Bell-Armstrong, Evelyn Turrentine-Agee, and the Whitfield Company. Plus, Mark Holley & 1-A-Chord, Saxman Montee Jefferson, Ernest Lee & Spirit of David, and many more. All together more than a dozen of the city's top gospel artists will join them for this two-day gospel blowout!

In addition to the music, there will be fabulous food, a train ride & inflatables for the kids, plus the GGT Classic & New Car Show. It features dozens of antique cars, hotrods, and even new cars straight from the dealers' showroom floors. Nearly 60 classics and hotrods are expected along with more than 25 new cars ranging from the latest domestic and foreign models.

The gospel fest is sponsored by Greater Grace Temple, Comerica Bank, Happy's Pizza, Pepsi, Sinai-Grace Hospital, and Apollo Market. For more information, call 313-543-6000 or visit http://www.greatergrace.org/. God's Graceland Park is located in front of Greater Grace Temple at 23500 W. Seven Mile Road in Detroit, MI.

Source: Greater Grace Temple

Web site: http://www.greatergrace.org/

“Great To Be Nominated”
Checks into
“A Room with a View”

Beverly Hills, CA — The 1986 Best Picture nominee “A Room with a View” will be screened as the next feature in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Great To Be Nominated” series. The Merchant Ivory film about a young English girl torn between two men who represent different worlds will screen on Monday, July 9, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

“A Room with a View,” based on the novel by E.M. Forester, received a total of eight Academy Award® nominations and introduced film audiences to actress Helena Bonham Carther. The film took home the Academy Awards® for Art Direction (Gianni Quaranta, Brian Ackland-Snow; Set Decoration: Brian Savegar, Elio Altamura), Costume Design (Jenny Beavan, John Bright) and Writing – Screenplay based on material from another medium (Ruth Prawer Jhabvala). The film also received Oscar® nominations for Best Picture (Ismail Merchant, producer), Actor in a Supporting Role (Denholm Elliott), Actress in a Supporting Role (Maggie Smith), Cinematography (Tony Pierce-Roberts) and Directing (James Ivory).

The Oscar-winning live action short “Precious Images” and the Academy Award-nominated animated short “Luxo Jr.” will be screened prior to the feature.

Curtain time for all features is 7:30 p.m., and pre-show elements will begin at 7 p.m. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call (310) 247-3600.

# # #

COMEDY CENTRAL^® PICKS ITS POSSE FOR
“THE COMEDY CENTRAL ROAST OF FLAVOR FLAV”

--------

Playas Of The Night Include Roast Master Katt Williams,
Roasters Carrot Top, Greg Giraldo, Ice-T, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Lampanelli, Bridgett Neilsen,
Patton Oswalt, Snoop Dogg, Sommore And Many Others

--------

"The COMEDY CENTRAL Roast Of Flavor Flav"

To Air On Sunday, August 12 At 10:00 P.M.*

--------

NEW YORK, July 2, 2007 – The clock is tickin’ on Rapper, lova and newest Roastee Flavor Flav! COMEDY CENTRAL is taking a page out of Public Enemy’s song book and Flav best be ready because “You’re Gonna Get Yours!” Comedian Katt Williams has been tapped as the evening’s Roast Master. The show is being taped at The Warner Brother Studio Lot on Sunday, July 22 in Los Angeles. “The COMEDY CENTRAL Roast of Flavor Flav" will air on Sunday, August 12 at 10:00 p.m.

This year’s Roasters include Carrot Top, Greg Giraldo, Ice-T, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Lampanelli, Bridgett Neilsen, Patton Oswalt, Snoop Dogg, Sommore, among others. Throughout the evening, DJ Spinderella will be spinning the tunes.

While things are heating up on stage, COMEDY CENTRAL will do its part to cool things off. This year’s Roast will be the network's first-ever carbon neutral production. COMEDY CENTRAL will offset its carbon emissions with the help of partner, NativeEnergy, a national marketer of carbon offsets and renewable energy credits (RECs), offering individuals and organizations a means to compensate for their global warming pollution.

Flavor Flav, born William J. Drayton, is credited as rap music’s original “Hype Man." Flav is celebrating his 20^th year in the rap business and currently on tour with Public Enemy front man and partner Chuck D. Flav has starred in VH1’s "Surreal Life," "Strange Love" and the record setting, "Flavor of Love" series.

"The COMEDY CENTRAL Roast Of Flavor Flav" will be executive produced by Joel Gallen from Tenth Planet Productions, who also executive produced and directed “COMEDY CENTRAL’s Roast Of William Shatner" and "COMEDY CENTRAL's Roast Of Pamela Anderson." Elizabeth Porter serves as the executive in charge for the network.

"The COMEDY CENTRAL Roast Of Flavor Flav" is sponsored by Anheuser Busch, Taco Bell and Jack Link’s.

COMEDY CENTRAL, the only all-comedy network, currently is seen in more than 91 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 and VIA.B) MTV Networks. COMEDY CENTRAL's Internet address is www.comedycentral.com

, the only all-comedy network, currently is seen in more than 91 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 and VIA.B) MTV Networks. COMEDY CENTRAL's Internet address is

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. MTV Networks, with 137 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.

Black Sheep Opens FILM4 FRIGHTFEST

- Prepare Yourself for the Violence of the Lambs!!!

Icon Film Distribution Announce

BLACK SHEEP

Will Have its UK Premiere as the Opening Night of

FILM4 FrightFest

on the 23rd August at the Odeon West End

'A delirious mix of hilarity and horror' Billy Chainsaw, Bizarre

There are 40 million sheep in New Zealand ... and they're pissed off!

On a vast New Zealand sheep station, a reckless genetic engineering experiment goes horribly wrong, turning sheep into bloodthirsty killers.

Directed by Jonathan King and featuring effects from the Internationally renowned physical effects house Weta Workshop, under the supervision of Academy Award winner Richard Taylor (THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, KING KONG, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE). Newcomers Nathan Meister and Danielle Mason feature in the ensemble cast alongside Oliver Driver (MAGIK & ROSE, SNAKESKIN), Tammy Davis (WHALE RIDER), Peter Feeney (TOY LOVE) and industry veteran Glenis Levestam.

Black Sheep will be flocking into cinemas everywhere on the 12th October 2007

Certificate 15 / Running Time 90 Mins

FILM4 FRIGHTFEST runs from the 23rd to 27th August at the Odeon West End.

www.frightfest.co.uk Images from Icon titles are available at www.picselect.com

Source: Icon Film Distribution

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to Screen Rescue Dawn for American Troops in Iraq
Film's Stars Help Mark This Independence Day for America's Soldiers

-- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) will help America's troops overseas celebrate Independence Day this year by screening the studio's Vietnam War biopic Rescue Dawn in Iraq. On July 4, 2007, over 2,000 troops stationed at Camp Anaconda, a large U.S. base near Balad, will screen the film highlighting the amazing life of Dieter Dengler, the only American to ever break out of a POW camp in the impenetrable Laotian jungle during the Vietnam War. The film, which will also be released in Los Angeles and New York on July 4th, will be introduced with a taped message to the troops from the film's lead actors Christian Bale, Steve Zahn and Jeremy Davies. Rescue Dawn will expand its release pattern on July 13, 2007 to additional markets and on July 20, 2007 the film will be released wide in the US.

MGM arranged the Rescue Dawn screening in Iraq through the motion picture team of The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), a division of the military which provides products and services to military families worldwide and generates earnings to supplement military morale, welfare and recreation programs.

"We are proud of our troops in Iraq and we wanted to do something special to honor their commitment," said Rick Sands, MGM's Chief Operating Officer. "Screening a film about Dieter's heroic life on Independence Day could not be more appropriate to show our thanks to the brave men and women overseas."

"Given the extraordinary heroic story that this film portrays, I can think of no better venue to show it to America's warriors than Camp Anaconda in the heart of Iraq," said AAFES' Chief of Communications Lt. Col. Dean Thurmond. "We are gratified and thankful to the distributor, producers and cast of this film for remembering our troops and giving them the opportunity to see this film."

Rescue dawn is directed by legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man, Fitzcarraldo) and stars acclaimed actor Christian Bale (Batman Begins, The Prestige). Rescue Dawn is the true story of a Dieter Dengler who, from the depths of total darkness, blazed his own willful path to freedom. Dengler, a German-American Navy pilot, received numerous honors for his heroism including the Navy Cross. An inspirational action-adventure and a stark epic of survival, Rescue Dawn reveals how Dengler relied on his courage, endurance and tenacity to find his way home.

About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., through its operating subsidiaries is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music and licensed merchandise. The company owns the world's largest library of modern films, comprising around 4,000 titles. Operating units include Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., Ventanazul, MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Distribution Co., MGM International Television Distribution Inc.,

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Worldwide Digital Media, MGM Consumer Products and MGM Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in international TV channels reaching nearly 110 countries. MGM ownership is as follows: Providence Equity Partners (29%), TPG (21%), Sony Corporation of America (20%), Comcast (20%), DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (7%) and Quadrangle Group (3%). For more information, visit http://www.mgm.com/.

Source: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.

Web site: http://www.mgm.com/

The Chairman's Hour 'Hosted' by Frank Sinatra to Launch Exclusively on SIRIUS Satellite Radio

-- SIRIUS Satellite Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI) and the Sinatra family are proud to announce a unique weekly show on Siriusly Sinatra channel 75. The Chairman's Hour is 'hosted' by Frank Sinatra himself using rare material unearthed from the Sinatra family archives. The show, spanning decades, is reflective of his body of work, emotional composition, and respect for those who he collaborated with personally and professionally. The Chairman's Hour will premiere on July 7 at 5 pm ET, with a special preview broadcast on July 4 at 5 pm ET, featuring a set of Frank's patriotic songs.

Siriusly Sinatra, which launched earlier this year, is the only 24-hour, seven-day-a-week, commercial-free channel to broadcast the entire spectrum of Sinatra's career as well other artists from the big band, swing and traditional pop genres. Produced by the Sinatra family, the channel also features regular blocks of Sinatra's music, archival performances and is the home of Nancy For Frank, a weekly show hosted by Nancy Sinatra.

Frank Sinatra's career is unmatched in American popular music. A recipient of 13 GRAMMY(R) awards, Sinatra holds the distinction of singing on the first Billboard No. 1 single, "I'll Never Smile Again" (1940), which sold 900,000 copies. From his first released single in 1940, as the singer with Tommy Dorsey's band, to the 1980 release of "Theme From New York, New York," Frank Sinatra had more than 200 hits on Billboard's pop singles chart.

To learn more about SIRIUS, please visit www.sirius.com.

About SIRIUS

SIRIUS, "The Best Radio on Radio," delivers more than 130 channels of the best programming in all of radio. SIRIUS is the original and only home of 100% commercial free music channels in satellite radio, offering 69 music channels. SIRIUS also delivers 65 channels of sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic, weather and data. SIRIUS is the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the NFL, NASCAR, NBA and NHL, and broadcasts live play-by- play games of the NFL, NBA and NHL, as well as live NASCAR races. All SIRIUS programming is available for a monthly subscription fee of only $12.95.

SIRIUS Internet Radio (SIR) is a CD-quality, Internet-only version of the SIRIUS radio service, without the use of a radio, for the monthly subscription fee of $12.95. SIR delivers more than 75 channels of talk, entertainment, sports, and 100% commercial free music.

SIRIUS products for the car, truck, home, RV and boat are available in more than 25,000 retail locations, including Best Buy, Circuit City, Crutchfield, Costco, Target, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, RadioShack and at shop.sirius.com.

SIRIUS radios are offered in vehicles from Audi, Bentley, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep(R), Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercury, Maybach, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Rolls Royce, Scion, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo. Hertz also offers SIRIUS in its rental cars at major locations around the country.

Click on www.sirius.com to listen to SIRIUS live, or to purchase a SIRIUS radio and subscription.

Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance with respect to SIRIUS Satellite Radio Inc. are not historical facts and may be forward-looking and, accordingly, such statements involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Accordingly, any such statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Among the significant factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed are: our pending merger with XM Satellite Radio Holdings, Inc. ("XM"), including related uncertainties and risks and the impact on our business if the merger is not completed; any events which affect the useful life of our satellites; our dependence upon third parties, including manufacturers of SIRIUS radios, retailers, automakers and programming providers; and our competitive position versus other audio entertainment providers.

Web site: http://www.sirius.com/

Sony Pictures Television Adds 'The Larry Sanders Show' to the iTunes Store

-- Sony Pictures Television today announced that the Emmy Award-winning comedy "The Larry Sanders Show" will be available for purchase and download on the iTunes Store (http://www.itunes.com/) beginning today.

The new offering on iTunes, "Not Just the Best of The Larry Sanders Show", includes twenty-three of the show's classic episodes. Individual episodes will be priced at $1.99 and the entire collection is available for $34.99.

"I am thrilled that The Larry Sanders Show will be available on iTunes because it will make it easier for me to watch episodes of my own show from wherever I am, and hopefully easier for everyone else, too," said Garry Shandling. "It can now be revealed that I am the "I" in iTunes!"

The Larry Sanders Show debuted on HBO August 1, 1992, and was ahead of its time, becoming an immediate critical and audience hit for its satirical, tongue-in-cheek look at Hollywood. The series that combined documentary-like camerawork with a clever blend of fact and fiction set the standard of quality for HBO and influenced the development of shows like Sex and the City, Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Office. Over the course of its six-year (1992 - 1998), 89-episode run, the series was nominated for 56 Emmy Awards [winning three: Outstanding Writing for Shandling & Peter Tolan; Outstanding Directing for Todd Holland; Outstanding Supporting Actor for Rip Torn]. The show also won three Golden Globe(R) nominations, two Peabody Awards, two TV Critics Awards and five CableACE Awards for Best Comedy Series. Unfortunately, the series never won an Oscar, a Tony or the Nobel Prize for Literature because their respective nominating committees received their DVD screeners late.

Sony Pictures Television is one of the television industry's leading content providers. It produces and distributes programming in every genre, including series, telefilms, theatrical releases and family entertainment for network and cable television, as well as first-run and off-network series for syndication. With more than 25 programs on the air, SPT boasts a program slate that includes the top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms. SPT also owns one-half of cable channel GSN and is a partner in FEARnet, the premier horror/thriller website and VOD service. Sony Pictures Television oversees all of Sony Pictures Entertainment's (SPE) domestic digital distribution efforts across all electronically delivered platforms, including the internet and mobile. Sony Pictures Television, advertiser sales, is one of the premiere national advertising sales companies, handling the commercial inventory in SPT syndicated series as well as in all of SPE's digital businesses in the United States, for Sony BMG and for iN DEMAND's high-definition channel Mojo, and is part owner of national media sales company ITN Networks, Inc. SPT (http://www.sonypicturestelevision.com/) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.

Source: Sony Pictures Television

Web site: http://www.sonypicturestelevision.com/
http://www.itunes.com/

DMGI Announces New Digital Distribution Agreements for Classic Television Shows
The Bill Cosby Show, Route 66, and The Super Dave Show Highlight Additions to the DMGI Classic TV and Comedy Networks

-- Digital Music Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:DMGI) , a content owner and global leader in the digital distribution of independently owned music and video catalogs, announced today a number of new long-term digital distribution agreements for classic television content totaling over 300 episodes including The Bill Cosby Show, Route 66, The Super Dave Show, and Dangerous Assignment.

"We're pleased to announce the addition of a number of great video catalogs to the DMGI video library," said Mitchell Koulouris, CEO of DMGI. "Today's announcement includes timeless classic television properties that extend our position as a market leader in digital video distribution."

The Bill Cosby Show

Aired for two seasons on NBC between 1969 and 1971, The Bill Cosby Show is a lighthearted comedy starring Bill Cosby playing the role of Chet Kincaid, physical education teacher at a Los Angeles high school. The Bill Cosby Show was humorous yet emphasized warmth, intelligent character studies and plausible, real life situations. The plot frequently centered around lessons learned in life, which were explained in the classic Cosby style. The Bill Cosby Show was nominated for four Emmy Awards including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding New Series, and Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series.

Route 66

This classic television series starred George Maharis and Martin Milner as two young men driving around the US working at odd jobs, helping people, and searching for adventure. The Route 66 catalog includes over 100 episodes, created by acclaimed directors such as Sam Peckinpah and Arthur Hiller and featuring a variety of guest stars such as Rod Steiger, Martin Sheen, Buster Keaton, Robert Redford, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, and Robert Duvall. Route 66 enjoyed two Emmy nominations in 1962.

The Super Dave Show

Regarded by some as one of the funniest television shows ever, The Super Dave Show starred Bob Einstein as "accomplished" stuntman Super Dave Osborne. Unfortunately for Super Dave, he rarely succeeds at the stunts he aims to accomplish. Super Dave is a regular on popular talk shows such as the Late Show with David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live. Einstein received the Cable Ace Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Super Dave.

Dangerous Assignment

Starring Brian Donlevy as Steve Mitchell, undercover agent for the U.S. government, this 1950's spy thriller includes over 50 episodes. In each episode, Donlevy was sent off by "The Commissioner" to exotic locations such as Burma, Mexico City, or behind the Iron Curtain where he encounters adventure and international intrigue. The show also featured Hugh Beaumont of Leave It To Beaver fame in three episodes and is considered one of the overlooked treasures of the golden age of television.

About DMGI

Founded in 2005, Digital Music Group Inc. (NASDAQ:DMGI) is a content owner and global leader in the digital distribution of independently owned music and video content. DMGI acquires the digital rights to media catalogs and digitally encodes them into multiple formats for distribution to digital entertainment services operating over the Internet and wireless, cable and mobile networks. Our digital entertainment service partners include: the iTunes Store, Google Video, YouTube, AOL/In2TV, Joost, mSpot, Veoh, RealNetworks, Napster, Wal-Mart Music, MusicNet, Verizon, Sprint, InfoSpace, Moderati, Zingy, 9 Squared, and many others. For more information, please visit http://www.dmgi.com/.

Digital Music Group is a trademark of Digital Music Group, Inc. Other names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements (including, without limitation, information regarding Digital Music Group's distribution of The Bill Cosby Show, Route 66, The Super Dave Show, and Dangerous Assignment video catalogs and making these catalogs available through digital entertainment services) that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the results of DMGI to differ materially from management's current expectations. Actual results may differ materially due to a number of factors including, among others: unforeseen difficulties assembling and processing the video content; the market demand for digital video recordings and potential changes in consumers' tastes and preferences in video; and our dependence on digital entertainment services for the distribution and sale of our video content. The matters discussed in this press release also involve risks and uncertainties described in DMGI's most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report for 2006 on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 30, 2007 and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 14, 2007. Digital Music Group assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this release.

Web site: http://www.digitalmusicgroupinc.com/

June 28

Another Hilton in Court Tomorrow. This Time It's Paris' Auntie Zsa Zsa Gabor & Husband Prinz Frederick Von Anhalt v. Daughter Francesca Hilton -Law Suit

Zsa Zsa is ordered to be in Court tomorrow pursuant
to Local Rule 7.9(d) and the Court’s order.

Santa Monica- In June 2005, Zsa Zsa Gabor, the mother of Francesca Hilton, her only child from Hotel magnet Conrad Hilton, filed a law suit against her for Elder Abuse, Negligence, Fraud and other charges. The co-Plaintiff of this suit is Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband, Frederick VonAnhalt who recently claimed that he was possibly the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby at a press conference in his Belair driveway in earshot of his wheel chair bound wife Zsa Zsa Gabor. He also sued the manufactrers of Viagra for $11 million dollars claiming it made him impotent.

Constance Francesca Hilton, has countered against each and every claim in this case all revolving around the alleged-multi-million dollar fraudulent refinancing of the famous Belair Estate owned for over 40 years by Zsa Zsa Gabor. Francesca Hilton claims she was wrongfully accused on all counts and has suffered serious damages as a result of these false accusations. After two years of legal haggling, both parties have agreed to appear in Santa Monica Court for a mediation conference.

"Zsa Zsa Gabor has been ordered to appear in Court tomorrow pursuant to Local Rule 7.9(d) and the Court’s order. The Court specifically ordered Zsa Zsa to appear. If she fails to appear, the defense will move to strike her answer or issue an OSC re: sanctions.", said attorney Ronald Richards representing Francesca Hilton.

Zsa Zsa Gabor, a retired actress and socialite, has been a recluse for over two and a half years. She was seriously injured in a car crash on Sunset Blvd. a few years back and has been confined to a wheelchair. She no longer gives interviews or ventures out in public. She is in an uncomfortable position once again having to make a decision to appear, or not appear, in court tomorrow. If she does appear she would have to testify under oath against her own daughter. If she does not appear the court could sanction her and remove her previous statements from the record.

Francesca Hilton, a resident in the Hollywood Hills, was at one time a public relations executive, an expert equestrian with her famous mother, and a producer. She also performs as a stand-up comic at the infamous Comedy Store on Sunset Blvd where she was discovered by owner Mitzi Shore. She is currently writing her memoirs for publication about life as a Hilton.

Francesca Hilton and her attorney Ron Richards shall appear as ordered and will be available for interviews at the Court House.

ZSA ZSA Gabor and Frederic Von Anhalt
v. Constance Francesca Hilton et al. CASE # SCO85767 DEPT I

Friday June 29, 2007 at 9:00 AM

Superior Court For the State of California County of Los Angeles- West District
Santa Monica Courthouse
1725 Main Street
Santa Monica California

Posted by Bill at 07:14 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

United Nations News

Oct 23

SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR BOOST TO WOMEN’S ROLE IN PEACE AND SECURITY New York, Oct 23 2007 8:00PM Recognizing the recent progress towards including women in the search for peace, justice and reconciliation, the Security Council today urged countries and the United Nations system to enhance female participation in decision-making and to take specific steps to protect women and girls from gender-based violence during conflicts. In a presidential statement adopted at the end of a day-long open meeting, the Council noted the “constant underrepresentation of women in formal peace processes,” and called for enhancing their role in matters related to the maintenance and promotion of peace and security. The 15-member body also expressed deep concern that gender-based violence, particularly rape, remain “pervasive, and in some situations have become systematic,” despite calls for the protection of women and girls. Opening today’s meeting, which heard from some 60 speakers, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said “there is so much left to do – both for the United Nations and for Member States,” to implement the provisions of resolution 1325 – the landmark document adopted by the Council in 2000 which stresses the importance of giving women equal participation and full involvement in peace and security matters and the need to increase their role in decision-making. Mr. Ban also stressed the need to appoint more women in leadership positions in UN peace operations, and recalled the recent appointment of Ambassador Ellen Margrethe Løj of Denmark to serve as his Special Representative for Liberia. As head of one of the UN’s biggest peacekeeping missions, “she will provide a shining example of the kind of qualities we need in our leaders in the field,” he said. Underscoring the vital need to address violence against women, which he said had reached “hideous and pandemic proportions” in some societies attempting to recover from conflict, the Secretary-General urged the Council to establish a mechanism dedicated to monitoring violence against women and girls. A vital tool in eliminating sexual violence is the UN’s political leadership, through the Secretary-General’s Special Representatives on the ground, as well as the key role played by UN missions in providing preventive, physical protection, for example, through their daily patrols, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations told the Council. “Though this protective role cannot be overstated where it protects even one person, we cannot overlook the reality that we are not present in all locations in need of protection,” stated Jean-Marie Guéhenno, pointing out that the deployment of UN troops alone will not bring an end to rape and other forms of sexual violence and abuses. To address discrimination against women, he stressed that no effort must be spared in putting more women in senior level positions and operational roles in military and policing so as to encourage local women to take on similar roles and ensure the development of a national protection system once the mission leaves. He said it was an “encouraging sign” that the Liberian National Police received three times the usual number of female applicants in the month following the deployment of the all-female police contingent from India to the UN mission in that country (UNMIL) earlier this year. “More women in the police force must be accompanied by a strategy to improve policing as a service equally accessible to women,” Mr. Guéhenno stated. “This in turn requires laws that incorporate women’s rights and a judicial system accessible to victims of sexual violence.” Despite the Council’s repeated condemnation of gender-based violence, and its demands to all parties to conflict to cease such actions, the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women pointed out that sexual violence remains pervasive. “We are at a moment in history when the world should finally be ready to alter the course of human development and renounce all forms of violence by decisively accepting the responsibility to stamp it out,” said Rachel Mayanja. “Today this Council can help accelerate this shift by establishing a dedicated mechanism to monitor the situation of women and girls in conflict and hold parties to conflicts accountable for sexual and gender-based violence,” she stated, echoing the call made by the Secretary-General. She urged all governments, parliaments, international organizations and civil society to join a worldwide campaign on violence against women and girls to be launched by Mr. Ban later this year, saying that “only by acting together can we create more equal relationships and more peaceful societies.” Joanne Sandler, acting Executive Director of the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), told the Council that using resolution 1325 to meaningfully address sexual violence as a method of warfare is “our greatest collective challenge.” “The real measure of effective implementation is not the setting up of systems, plans and processes,” she said. The measure is women’s participation in and contribution to more sustainable peace agreements and post-conflict reconstruction strategies, and better protection of women and girls in conflict zones. “The measure is women and men being secure enough to bring cases of wartime atrocities against women and girls to transitional justice mechanisms,” she said, adding “we have a long way to go.” 2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

AT UN ASSEMBLY, MINISTERS DISCUSS NEW PUSH TO FINANCE DEVELOPMENT New York, Oct 23 2007 6:00PM The future of development financing is under discussion at a High-Level United Nations event in New York that has attracted the participation of ministers, central bank governors, government delegates and representatives of business and civil society, meeting to advance a 2002 agreement made in Monterrey, Mexico. “Progress in implementing the Monterrey Consensus has been mixed,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told at the General Assembly High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development, which opened today, referring to the understanding which emerged from the Mexico conference based on developing countries taking primary responsibility for mobilizing domestic resources and developed countries agreeing to promote an environment conducive to this effort. Many developing and low-income countries had experienced stronger economic growth, he said, and official development assistance (ODA) had improved, but the “sustained increase” in assistance needed to meet the targets agreed in Monterrey has not materialized. “Closing the funding gap is essential if we are to alleviate extreme poverty, fight diseases and achieve the other development targets,” Mr. Ban said. The Secretary-General called on developing countries to adopt policies that support sustained economic growth and job creation. Developed countries must increase capital flows, especially to low-income countries, Mr. Ban argued. He called for a swift, development-oriented conclusion to the Doha trade negotiations, a sustainable path of debt repayment for low-income countries and greater participation by developing countries in international financial institutions. “If implemented, existing commitments to finance development are enough to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, even in Africa,” said General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim, who is chairing the meeting. “But each side of the partnership must deliver,” he said. “As developing countries adopt comprehensive national strategies, then donors must deliver on commitments to provide additional assistance to enable them to succeed.” Mr. Kerim called for moving beyond the “simplistic division” of the world into North and South. “We live in a far more complex and integrated global age, with new emerging economic powers and donors as well as private philanthropy in all regions of the world.” The General Assembly President added that the Monterrey Consensus combined the energies of governments, international institutions, faith groups, civil society and the private sector. Mr. Kerim stated that: “If this – the greatest anti-poverty partnership in history – is insufficient to break from ‘business as usual’ many developing countries and campaigners around the world will be left without hope. Global trust will be irredeemably undermined.” On behalf of the group of least developed countries, Bangladesh’s Mirza Md. Azizul Islam said they could not “effectively gain from trade” due to “a wide array” of harmful subsidies, non-tariff-restrictions and artificial standards imposed by importing countries. He called on such countries to provide “duty-free and quota-free market access” for all products from least developed countries. “Monterrey suffers from a serious implementation deficit,” said Pakistan’s Minister for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China. Official development assistance in 2006 had dipped to 0.3 per cent of gross domestic product, down from 0.36 in 2005. Developing countries had little ability to influence financial trends, despite their importance for growth and development. Perversely, to guard against the volatility of financial flows, developing countries had accumulated large reserves that were transferred back to the deficit country, she said. This had helped to enlarge the net financial outflow from developing to developed countries, which had gone from $533 billion in 2005 to $662 billion in 2006. The two-day meeting is addressing the six major areas of the Monterrey Consensus: mobilizing domestic financial resources, mobilizing international resources, international trade, international cooperation for development, external debt, and the coherence of the international monetary, financial and trading systems. The outcome of the current meeting will provide the basis for next year’s Review Conference on Financing for Development, to be held in Doha, Qatar. In a related development, Barbara Adams of the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) emphasized the importance of promoting gender equality when tackling the problems associated with financing for development. “It’s got to be economic growth plus; it’s not policies only to stimulate economic growth,” she said. Policies must be supported at the international level. “Just generating more resources without looking at the actual flows of how those flows help the society to develop can’t work,” she told a press briefing held at UN Headquarters in conjunction with the General Assembly meeting. She emphasized the need for policies that support gender equality, especially at the macroeconomic level, where decisions are made that “determine and drive how resources are gathered and how resources are allocated within societies.” 2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

WITH NEPAL AT CROSSROADS, BAN KI-MOON URGES PARTIES TO AGREE ON FUTURE STEPS New York, Oct 23 2007 6:00PM The peace process in Nepal is facing unprecedented challenges, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a new report, urging the parties there to reach agreement on future steps, including a realistic timetable for elections that were to have been held next month but have been postponed to an as yet undetermined date. In his latest report to the Security Council, Mr. Ban says Nepal stands at a crossroads, with the political parties having made significant progress amid persisting and serious difficulties. “The peace process in Nepal is facing its most difficult challenges to date,” he writes. “The second postponement of the Constituent Assembly election has been a major disappointment for the people of Nepal and the international community.” The Secretary-General calls on the parties to “take a hard look at their differences and the underlying weaknesses of the peace process.” In particular, he calls for the Seven-Party Alliance’s members “to set aside their lesser differences and maintain their unity in the interest of the common national agenda.” The past year saw unity among eight key Nepalese parties tested by their failure to carry out agreements, including those covering responsibilities toward cantoned Maoist personnel and the return of properties seized during the 10-year conflict. Given this context, the Secretary-General recommends a review of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and its implementation. “The shortcomings and enduring strengths of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement need to be assessed in order to build on its achievements,” he writes. “The parties need to jointly and expeditiously identify the main issues that are of critical importance for the success of the peace process. They should engage in a debate on these issues, allowing for adequate public participation, and arrive at a broad road map to carry forward the peace process.” The Secretary-General paints a grim picture of the human rights situation in Nepal. “The overall situation has grown more worrying,” he reports, “with increasing violence and instability in parts of the country.” He writes of “real or perceived threats and intimidation” against political parties. At the same time, civilians continue to suffer. “The police have mostly been unable to protect the civilian population and curtail the activities of the groups.” In this environment, the Secretary-General says “it remains to be seen how far political parties will be able to exercise their freedom of assembly and association.” He urges all concerned to protect against abuses. “A pattern of repeated human rights violations and continuing impunity will not only have the cumulative effect of diminishing the prospect of a free and fair electoral process, but could also negatively impact the possibility of a more democratic and inclusive society that many Nepalese hope for,” he warns. The UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) continues to monitor arms and armed personnel “to serve the important purpose of fostering confidence and goodwill,” the report states. In a related development, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal today issued a statement welcoming a recent decision by the country’s cabinet to institute quotas for recruiting women and members of marginalized groups to fill vacant posts in the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force. OHCHR has long urged the police forces and other Government institutions to take steps to make their workforces more inclusive as part of their response to criticisms that they did not act impartially when responding to violence. “Making provisions to include historically marginalized groups in the police forces and other civil services will signal that the commitment to inclusion made by political leaders is indeed genuine. It will also address some current demands of these groups, thus strengthening the peace process as it moves toward Constituent Assembly elections,” said Richard Bennett, OHCHR Representative in Nepal. 2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

UN HEALTH AGENCY PROJECTS DRAMATIC EXPANSION OF FLU VACCINE STOCKS New York, Oct 23 2007 5:00PM The projected supply of influenza vaccines in case of a global pandemic has soared this year, but medical officials should accelerate rather than relax their efforts to prepare for an outbreak, the United Nations World Health Organization warned today. Experts anticipate that the world will be capable of producing 4.5 billion pandemic immunization courses per year by 2010, WHO said in a press release issued at its headquarters in Geneva. This compares to the 100 million courses of vaccine based on the H5N1 avian influenza (bird flu) strain that WHO and vaccine manufacturers earlier this year projected could be produced immediately with standard technology. WHO attributed the dramatic surge to a combination of recent scientific advances and increased vaccine manufacturing capacity worldwide. Manufacturers have been able to step up production capacity of trivalent (three viral strains) seasonal influenza vaccines to an estimated 565 million doses, compared to the 350 million doses produced last year. New vaccines also need less antigen – the substance that stimulates an individual’s immune response – in each dose, making it easier to produce more. Marie-Paule Kieny, Director of WHO’s Initiative for Vaccine Research, said “we are beginning to be in a much better position vis-à-vis the threat of an influenza pandemic. However, although this is significant progress, it is still far from the 6.7 billion immunization courses that would be needed in a six-month period to protect the whole world.” Dr. Kieny called for preparations to accelerate, backed by political and financial support, so that the gap between supply and demand can be bridged. 2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

UN AGENCY AIRDROPS EMERGENCY FOOD RELIEF INTO FLOOD-RAVAGED UGANDA New York, Oct 23 2007 4:00PM The United Nations World Food Programme has delivered by airdrop enough food for 33,000 people in northern Uganda who have had to leave their homes because of widespread flooding – the first time airdrop food assistance has been used in the Central African country. WFP spokesperson Christiane Berthiaume told reporters today in Geneva that the agency, which started the relief programme two weeks ago, will continue to deliver emergency food supplies by airdrop for another three weeks. It is also delivering food supplies by truck, boat and helicopter to an estimated 183,000 people, particularly in western Uganda, which has also been inundated. In total, more than 480,000 Ugandans have been displaced by the flooding, which were the worst in decades in some areas of the country. Crop planting has been badly hit, and harvests are unlikely before February at the earliest. The latest update from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs indicates that dry weather for much of the past two weeks has led to improved road conditions, although some bridges remain open only to lightweight vehicles. All but eight of 110 schools which had been unable to open for the third term have now re-opened, but school sanitation facilities are still struggling to cope, with many latrines waterlogged. OCHA said it has also been able to reduce the incidence of malaria in those districts where insecticide-treated nets have been widely distributed. But Ms. Berthiaume warned that, since 15 October, WFP has not received any contributions to its appeal for $26 million to help in the relief effort. So far the agency has received just over a fifth of the target amount, forcing it to dig into its stocks used normally to support refugees and those displaced by the ongoing armed conflict in northern Uganda. 2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

MYANMAR: UN ENVOY TO VISIT EARLIER THAN PLANNED New York, Oct 23 2007 3:00PM Myanmar has agreed to allow United Nations Envoy Ibrahim Gambari, who is currently touring regional capitals to garner support ahead of a planned visit to the country in mid-November, to visit even sooner, the spokesperson for the world body announced today. Mr. Gambari “expects to visit Myanmar in the first week of November, as the Myanmar Government agreed to bring forward his standing invitation to the country,” UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York. “While the exact travel dates have yet to be arranged, Mr. Gambari would be going to Myanmar directly from the region, continuing his consultations with key regional countries in the interim,” she added. Dispatched by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to consult with regional leaders on how to address the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, Mr. Gambari has met so far with officials in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The Special Envoy was in New Delhi today where he met with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, to whom he delivered a personal message from the Secretary-General. The two leaders had “detailed and substantive discussions” on the UN’s efforts in Myanmar and India’s support in this regard, according to Ms. Montas. Mr. Gambari “has been urging India and other regional countries to actively encourage the Government of Myanmar to continue to cooperate with the Secretary-General’s good offices efforts, including by addressing continuing human rights concerns and by encouraging Myanmar to receive Mr. Gambari as early as possible in order to kick-start a dialogue with the opposition.” The Special Envoy is now on his way to Beijing, where he is scheduled to meet with senior officials before going on to Tokyo for consultations with Japanese counterparts. 2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

Oct 22

UN-BACKED FORUM EXAMINES ROLE OF INFORMATION IN HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS New York, Oct 22 2007 6:00PM Improving humanitarian responses during emergencies through better information is the focus of a United Nations event that kicked off today in Geneva, bringing together governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), scientists, academics, the media and the private sector. Over 300 humanitarian and information specialists are attending the week-long conference, which aims to improve current humanitarian operations through new technology and improved information practices. Hosted by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the meeting will also review progress made since the first Symposium on Best Practices in Humanitarian Information Management and Exchange, held five years ago. Participants will address how information can meet the challenge of today’s humanitarian environment; the impact of citizen journalism and new media in humanitarian reporting and advocacy; and how to improve communications to people in need during an emergency. “The role of information in humanitarian operations cannot be overstated,” stated John Holmes, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. “It is the key element for accurate analysis, which underpins effective coordination, evidence-based advocacy, sound policy and effective action.” Mr. Holmes will be among the keynote speakers at the event, which will also showcase the latest innovative tools and new technologies currently being used in humanitarian operations, such as REDHUM, YouTube, Flickr, Second Life, satellite imagery and blogging. 2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

CONGOLESE WAR CRIMES SUSPECT APPEARS BEFORE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT New York, Oct 22 2007 5:00PM Congolese militia leader Germain Katanga today made his first appearance before the International Criminal Court where he faces charges of murder, sexual enslavement, forcing children to serve as soldiers and other war crimes. The senior commander of the group Force de Résistance Patriotique en Ituri (FRPI), which has been active in fighting in the far east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is only the second suspect to appear before the ICC. Mr. Katanga, who was surrendered to the court last week, is facing three counts of crimes against humanity and six counts of war crimes. During today’s public hearing in The Hague, presiding judge Akua Kuenyehia informed Mr. Katanga of both the charges against him and his rights throughout the court process, including the right to apply for interim release pending trial. Sylvia Steiner has been designated by the ICC’s pre-trial chamber as the single judge in the case, and the hearing to determine whether the charges will be confirmed has been set provisionally for 28 February. Mr. Katanga was also advised to appoint a defence lawyer as soon as possible. Prosecutors said last week that Mr. Katanga – also known as Simba – is personally responsible for a series of brutal crimes in the Ituri region of the DRC, including a massacre in the village of Bogoro in February 2003 in which hundreds of people were killed and many women forced into sexual slavery. Prosecutors allege Mr. Katanga, 29, is responsible for murders, inhumane acts and sexual enslavement at Bogoro, constituting crimes against humanity and war crimes, and for cruel treatment at Bogoro constituting a war crime. They also allege he committed the war crime of using children to participate actively in hostilities, the war crime of launching an attack against civilians and the war crime of pillaging. 2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

LANDMARK UN WOMEN’S CONFERENCE ENDS WITH PLEDGE TO PREVENT MATERNAL DEATHS New York, Oct 22 2007 5:00PM A landmark United Nations-sponsored conference aimed at generating political will and investment to slash maternal deaths has concluded with participants pledging to bolster efforts to improve women’s health. Over 1,800 decision-makers, experts, representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), women’s rights activists and celebrities from over 100 countries attended last week’s three-day Women Deliver event in London, which produced a final statement from the 70 government officials who pledged to make the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of improving maternal health “a high priority on the national, regional and international health agenda.” Their statement called for the “increased commitment of financial and human resources” to prevent maternal deaths and expand heath services. Achieving the MDGs – eight ambitious targets to slash ills such as poverty by 2015 – depends largely on achieving the Goals targeting child mortality and maternal health, it noted. Over the course of the conference, the United Kingdom pledged more than $200 million to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) to advance women’s reproductive health globally, while the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced an $11 million plan to distribute new technology to protect against post-delivery blood loss in Nigeria and India. Japan announced its intention to spotlight the importance of global health when it hosts next year’s meeting of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations. In addition, other groups – including the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the UN International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Foundation, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Exxon/Mobil and GlaxoSmithKline – also made pledges to support the cause. “We need people both on the inside and the outside to figure out how to work together to get these things to happen,” said Helene Gayle, President of CARE, who urged women’s health advocates to work both within governments and as activists. “NGOs can’t do it by themselves,” she said. 2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

SECURITY COUNCIL STRONGLY CONDEMNS DEADLY BOMBINGS IN PAKISTAN New York, Oct 22 2007 2:00PM Strongly condemning last Thursday’s attacks on the convoy of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Karachi, the Security Council today said those behind the “reprehensible act of terrorism” must be brought to justice. In a ">presidential statement read out by Ambassador Leslie K. Christian of Ghana, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month, the Council joined its voice with that of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who spoke out against the blasts in a statement issued Thursday. The Council today underlined the need to bring to justice the “perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism,” which took place just after the former Prime Minister returned to Pakistan after several years in exile, and urged all States to cooperate with the country’s authorities toward this end. “The Security Council expresses its deep sympathy and condolences to the victims of this heinous act of terrorism and their families, and to the people and the Government of Pakistan,” the 15-member body said. The Council also reaffirmed its longstanding position that “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed.” 2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

UNESCO CHIEF CONDEMNS ASSASSINATION OF SOMALI RADIO EXECUTIVE New York, Oct 22 2007 9:00AM The Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today condemned the assassination of Bashir Nor Gedi the chief executive of a popular radio station. "I am gravely concerned about worsening violence against journalists and media personnel in Somalia who are brave enough to fulfil their professional commitments in such a dangerous environment," said UNESCO chief Koïchiro Matsuura. He condemned the assassination of Bashir Nor Gedi, the acting chairperson of Shabelle Media network was shot by unidentified gunmen in his home on 19 October, according to UNESCO. Somalia, which has not had a functioning government since 1999, needs more communication, information and debate to consolidate the basis for reconstruction, the UNESCO chief said. "Murderers seeking to muzzle the media are undermining people's inalienable right to think and to decide what is right and what they want." Bashir Nor Gedi was the eighth media person killed in Somalia this year, according to the International Freedom of Expression Exchange network, which also reports that that several senior journalists of the Shabelle radio station have fled Mogadishu following recent attacks. 2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

Oct 20

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONCERNED AT TURKISH MOVE ON ATTACKING KURDISH TARGETS IN IRAQ New York, Oct 19 2007 7:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced concern today about the Turkish Parliament’s decision this week to enable the country’s armed forces to take cross-border military action in Iraq against targets of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). “The Secretary-General strongly urges all sides to demonstrate restraint at this delicate juncture,” his spokesperson said in a statement released at United Nations Headquarters in New York. “He welcomes the affirmation by the Turkish Foreign Minister [Abdullah Gül] that Turkey is open to discussing all problems in Iraq.” The statement added that Mr. Ban calls on the Iraqi Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to ensure that Iraqi territory is not used to mount cross-border attacks against Turkey. “Recent attacks by the PKK inside Turkey have been rightly condemned by the international community,” it noted. 2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

HAITI: UN PEACEKEEPERS REBUILD SCHOOL IN TROUBLED NEIGHBOURHOOD OF CAPITAL New York, Oct 19 2007 6:00PM More than 1,500 children in one of the most troubled neighbourhoods of Haiti’s capital are attending classes again after soldiers serving with the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) helped to renovate a school building that had been left unusable by the violent activities of armed gangs. At a ceremony yesterday, MINUSTAH officials handed over the keys for the Lycée Jacques Roumain in the Martissant district of Port-au-Prince, which re-opened last month and already has 1,576 students. The school has been renovated, complete with new toilets, fences, a kitchen, repainted buildings and dozens of classroom benches for children, thanks to a joint effort involving MINUSTAH, the UN Children’s Fund the International Organization for Migration and the national education ministry. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided much of the funding for the project, which cost about $1.7 million. Before it was rebuilt, the school had also served as the provisional local base for Haitian National Police (HNP) forces, UN Police (UNPOL) members and a contingent of Sri Lankan blue helmets with MINUSTAH as they tried to restore law and order to Martissant, which has been ravaged in recent years by armed gangs. J. Carter, the head of MINUSTAH’s civil affairs section, said “the school represents an office at the heart of a difficult district. The building is today the tangible symbol of hope for the local population of the district.” He added that the re-opening of the school provides an opportunity for locals to “break the vicious circle of violence and resume a life in security,” noting also that economic activities in Martissant are resuming, local public institutions are functioning again and many displaced people have returned. “It’s a moment of joy and hope because this school and the education that it offers will contribute to building a better future for Haiti.” 2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

CONCERNS OF WORLD’S VULNERABLE COUNTRIES TOP UN ASSEMBLY’S AGENDA: PRESIDENT New York, Oct 19 2007 6:00PM The concerns of the world’s most vulnerable countries, including climate change and the need to reach global anti-poverty targets, top the agenda of the current session of the General Assembly, its president said today. “Both development and the preservation of the environment are of greatest concern to the work of the General Assembly,” Srgjan Kerim told representatives in New York of least developed countries, land-locked developing countries and small island developing States. “The three groups of countries represented here today – almost half of the Member States of the General Assembly – are particularly exposed to economic and environmental challenges.” Mr. Kerim said he would organize a thematic panel bringing together a range of players to discuss climate change early next year, adding that addressing that problem is central to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of targets for tackling various social ills by 2015. “At the mid-point for attainment of the Goals by 2015, I would like to focus the General Assembly’s attention on review of the progress in implementation of the MDGs, to recommitting efforts and resources to reach the agreed targets, and to build consensus for urgent collective action,” he said. Pledging to address these issues in an inclusive and transparent manner, he urged countries to foster “a new climate of mutual trust and cooperation which would strengthen our ability to make meaningful and prompt progress.” 2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

SOMALIA: AID DELIVERY IMPEDED BY ‘SUSPICION’ FROM GOVERNMENT, OTHER PARTIES – UN New York, Oct 19 2007 5:00PM Humanitarian workers in Somalia – where the local head of the United Nations food agency was abducted earlier this week by Government forces – are impeded in their efforts to deliver aid and operate in a climate of “suspicion,” a world body official said today. “The situation is always difficult in Somalia, has always been difficult and is probably going to be still difficult for some time,” said Eric Laroche, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, told reporters in New York. He said that an upswing in violence among the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and other parties has resulted in “suspicion” from all sides towards the work of the humanitarian community in the Horn of Africa nation, which has had no functioning central government since Muhammad Siad Barre’s regime was toppled in 1991. Mr. Laroche pointed out that the most recent example of this occurred on 17 October, when Idris Osman of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) was taken from a UN compound in Mogadishu. According to dozens of uniformed and armed members of the country’s National Security Service (NSS) stormed the Organization’s compound, seized Mr. Osman and took him to a cell at NSS headquarters, where he remains captive. So far, the WFP has not received any explanation for why Mr. Osman – who told two agency officials over the telephone yesterday that he is unharmed – is being detained. Negotiations, Mr. Laroche said today, are at a “standstill,” stressing that this is a particularly difficult period to hold discussions with the Government because Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Ghedi is currently out of the country and in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and also because of a possible vote of confidence at the Parliament in Baidoa. WFP has suspended its operations in Mogadishu following Mr. Osman’s abduction, after only having resumed delivering food to 75,000 on 15 October. The agency had shut its operations down on 25 June after several fatal shootings. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the incursion and called for Mr. Osman’s “immediate and unconditional release,” noting the Somali Government’s actions are in violation of international agreements. The head of WFP today also deplored Mr. Osman’s detainment. “It has become extremely difficult for us to feed hundreds of thousands of hungry people in Mogadishu and throughout Somalia. We are operating in an environment which is fraught with insecurity: piracy, banditry and widespread violence. We need the government to protect humanitarian workers,” said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran. Several months ago, the Coordinator visited Afgooye, 30 kilometres west of the capital Mogadishu, where the UN estimated that 100,000 people had been forced to flee the violence. “The Government was saying that that was not acceptable and that was probably a wrong statement which meant that we were not telling the truth,” he said at today’s briefing. “But unfortunately we are saying the truth.” Mr. Laroche said that during his assessment of the area to visit the internally displaced persons (IDPs), he was constantly harassed and told by pro-Government parties, “you should not be here.” Furthermore, he said he was trailed all the way back to the airport at the conclusion of his visit by the intelligence services. Upon visiting the director of the country’s intelligence service, Mr. Laroche said that he was told that “if we go into zones that are not under the TFG control, we are feeding the terrorists.” But, the Coordinator noted, the IDPs he met with in Afgooye – who were mostly women and children – included an orphaned eight-year-old girl who had lost not only her parents and sister, but also her arm. He stressed that “she is not a terrorist.” 2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

UN AGENCY TRANSFERS CONGOLESE DISPLACED IN NORTH KIVU TO SAFER CAMPS New York, Oct 19 2007 8:00AM Reacting to a humanitarian crisis which has driven hundreds of thousands of Congolese from their homes in the volatile North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations refugee agency today announced a new drive to transfer the displaced to safer shelter. Jennifer Pagonis, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters in Geneva that the Congolese who have been uprooted by violence are being moved "from congested makeshift settlements with very difficult living conditions to a new camp set up by UNHCR which has the essential basic facilities." A first group of 500 people moved from Ndosho -- a makeshift settlement of some 1,000 people with no drinking water or basic sanitation -- to the new camp at Buhimba six kilometres west of Goma, the main town in the area, she said. Buhimba is the second camp developed by UNHCR for IDPs in the Mugunga area and it can accommodate more than 10,000 people. Bulengo, the first camp, reached its capacity of 10,000 IDPs at the end of September. Meanwhile, displaced people continuing to arrive at sites around Goma. Aid agencies estimate over 370,000 IDPs have been displaced in North Kivu since December 2006. "We fear many IDPs remain in areas inaccessible to humanitarian agencies as people continue to flee insecurity and fighting between the government forces, renegade troops and rebels in many parts of North Kivu," said Ms. Pagonis. "We are working closely with the authorities to identify additional sites." 2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

GLOBAL UN ANTI-POVERTY EVENT SHATTERS RECORD BY DRAWING NEARLY 39 MILLION PEOPLE New York, Oct 18 2007 6:00PM From universities and schools to soccer stadiums and parliaments, a record-breaking 38.8 million people around the world this week participated in the United Nations-led Stand Up against Poverty campaign, calling on international leaders to deliver on their pledge to end extreme poverty by 2015. “It was extraordinary,” Kiyotaka Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Public Information, told reporters in New York, describing the sheer number of individuals who decided to “stand up and speak out” against poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals – the ambitious targets the world has set itself for slashing poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy by 2015. More than 6,000 events were held in 110 countries during the 24-hour period from 16 to 17 October as part of the global campaign, led by the United Nations Millennium Campaign, an inter-agency initiative, in partnership with the Global Call to Action and a range of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), faith-based groups and civil society. Among this year’s 38.8 million – which broke last year’s Guinness World Record of 23.5 million – were nearly 900 UN staff, diplomats and representatives of NGOs, who gathered yesterday on the lawn of the UN Headquarters complex in New York led by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. More than 300,000 students in Cairo also took part in the campaign, as did 472,000 children attending schools run by the UN agency providing aid to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon (known as UNRWA). Soccer fans in Brazil and Japan, as well as parliamentarians in Australia, were also among the participants. “We are very happy to see this enormous number of people taking part in this campaign… to enhance the understanding and the realization of the MDGs, particularly to halve the number of people living in extreme poverty by 2015,” Mr. Akasaka stated. The largest number of participants was in Asia (nearly 28 million), followed by Africa (7.5 million), the Arab region (2.5 million) and Latin America (734,000). Mandy Kibel, Deputy Director of Communications for the UN Millennium Campaign, pointed out that the majority of participants were in the poorest countries. “What Stand Up did was to give them the opportunity to find voice on issues that matter to them. “Stand Up essentially recognizes that there are people who are living in poverty who want to be able to speak for themselves, they want to find their own voice, and they want to address not us at the UN but their own governments and say ‘we have expectations that you deliver on the promises that you made.’” The UN Millennium Campaign was established by former Secretary-General Kofi Annan in recognition of the need to engage all actors in society in the attainment of the MDGs. “The recognition was that these Goals will never be achieved at the United Nations,” Ms. Kibel stated. “It’s only when citizens – civilians of specific countries – begin to say that they want to see these Goals achieved that we have any chance whatsoever of moving closer to the goal of ending poverty by 2015.” 2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

INCENTIVES MIGHT LEAD MYANMAR TO ‘DO THE RIGHT THING’ – UN ENVOY New York, Oct 18 2007 5:00PM Continuing his consultations with Myanmar’s regional partners, United Nations Envoy Ibrahim Gambari has suggested that incentives, along with strong encouragement, might persuade authorities in the South-East Asian nation to move towards democratization and reconciliation. Speaking to reporters in Jakarta, Mr. Gambari said that European and other countries have been stepping up pressure on Yangon, “but also leaving room in effect for incentives to encourage the authorities to go along the path to making a stable, democratic Myanmar with full respect for human rights.” He added that the “strong encouragement of the authorities in Myanmar to do the right thing” could be accompanied by incentives as well. “The world is not just there to punish Myanmar, but to see that there is engagement to address the root causes of discontent,” he stated, following his meeting with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda. Mr. Gambari and Indonesia’s leaders discussed how members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) can, together with the UN, engage Myanmar authorities “so that the goals that we both share come together sooner rather than later.” Jakarta is the third stop on a six-nation tour for the Special Envoy, who has been dispatched by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to consult with regional leaders on how to address the ongoing crisis in Myanmar. He arrived in the Indonesia capital following talks with officials in Thailand and Malaysia. Mr. Gambari now heads to India, China and Japan for further consultations, ahead of a planned return to Myanmar next month. 2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

RWANDAN ON RUN FROM UN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL ARRESTED IN FRANCE New York, Oct 18 2007 2:00PM French authorities have arrested a Rwandan national and former public official who had been on the run from the United Nations war crimes tribunal set up after the 1994 genocide in the African country. Dominique Ntawukuriryayo, who faces charges over a notorious massacre in which up to 25,000 Tutsis were killed over a five-day period, was detained earlier this week by French police in the town of Carcassonne, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters today. She said he is expected to be transferred to Paris and then into the custody of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in the next few days. Mr. Ntawukuriryayo – who was a sub-prefect of Gisagara in the southern Rwandan province of Butare in 1994 – faces three charges: genocide, complicity in genocide, and directly inciting the public to carry out the genocide. The indictment against him focuses on several acts, including a massacre at Kabuye hill in late April 1994, when the sub-prefect is alleged to have ordered many thousand Tutsis who had gathered at Gisagara market to move to the nearby hill, where he promised they would be protected and fed. Those who did not agree to go to the hill were chased and forced to do so. The indictment then alleges that gendarmes and communal policemen soon surrounded Kabuye hill and started shooting at the Tutsis, killing most, and that Mr. Ntawukuriryayo personally rounded up some gendarmes to carry out the killings and collected the necessary ammunition to use in the attacks. In total, as many as 25,000 people were killed at Kabuye hill between 21 April and 25 April 1994. Some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered, mostly by machete or club, across Rwanda in less than 100 days starting in early April 1994. Later that year the Security Council established the ICTR to deal with the worst cases. 2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

CONGOLESE WAR CRIMES SUSPECT TURNED OVER TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT New York, Oct 18 2007 10:00AM The International Criminal Court today announced that suspected war criminal Germain Katanga, former senior commander of the militia group Force de Résistance Patriotique en Ituri (FRPI) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), was surrendered to its detention centre at The Hague. The latest suspect joined Congolese suspect Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, who will be tried on crimes relating to the recruitment of children as soldiers in what is widely viewed as a milestone in international attempts to fight immunity on the issue. In a statement today, ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said more action can be expected. "We are selecting a third case. The DRC is still engulfed in violence. There is forced displacement of people, sexual violence of shocking brutality, and killings. It must stop. Perpetrators must know they will be prosecuted. The ICC is at work in the DRC." In sealed documents submitted to the judges on 22 June, the Office of the Prosecutor presented evidence against Germain Katanga and charged him with three counts of Crimes against Humanity and six counts of War Crimes. "Today we are prosecuting Germain Katanga, leader of a militia group and who we allege is personally responsible for the brutal crimes his forces committed," said Fatou Bensouda, Deputy Prosecutor in charge of the Prosecution of the case. "His name will forever be associated with the name of Bogoro: an ordinary village, which he ordered fighters under his command to 'wipe out.' Hundreds were slaughtered. Women were forced into sexual slavery." Between January 2002 and December 2003, more than 8,000 civilians died and more than half a million people were displaced from their homes in Ituri as a result of this conflict. In today's statement, the Prosecutor said evidence will show how civilians were the target of massive crimes in the course of the conflict in the Ituri region of the DRC between the FRPI forces of Germain Kat groups. The charges include the attack on Bogoro on the morning of 24 February 2003, members of Germain Katanga's militia entered the village and began an indiscriminate killing spree, the ICC said. At least 200 civilians died in the attack, while survivors were imprisoned in a building filled with corpses. Women were abducted and sexually enslaved. The village was pillaged by the FRPI forces. The Prosecutor alleges that Germain Katanga is responsible for Murders, Inhumane acts and Sexual Enslavement at Bogoro village, constituting Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes, and for Cruel Treatment at Bogoro village constituting a War Crime. The Prosecution's evidence will also show that Germain Katanga committed the War Crime of using Children to Participate Actively in Hostilities, the War Crime of launching an Attack against the Civilian Population of Bogoro village and the War Crime of Pillaging the village of Bogoro. Also known as "Simba," the 29-year old suspect in 2003 emerged as the top commander of a group which began calling itself the FRPI, the ICC said. Later in 2003, he assumed the title of FRPI President. On 11 December 2004, he was appointed to the rank of General in the DRC Army. He was then arrested by the DRC authorities early March 2005, together with eight other militiamen from various Ituri armed groups, in relation to an attack against peacekeepers serving with the UN peacekeeping mission (MONUC) in Ituri on 25 February 2005 in which nine peacekeepers were killed, and sent to the CPRK detention centre in Kinshasa. The Office of the Prosecutor began investigating crimes committed in the DRC in June 2004. The Prosecution's first case in the DRC is against Thomas Lubanga Dyilo for the crimes of enlisting and conscripting children under 15 and using them to participate actively in armed hostilities in Ituri. The Court's Pretrial Chamber I has confirmed the charges against him; he will be the first person to stand trial at the ICC. 2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

UN OFFICIALS, FORMER CHILD SOLDIER CALL FOR BOLSTERED EFFORTS TO PROTECT CHILDREN New York, Oct 17 2007 7:00PM On the tenth anniversary of a groundbreaking study on the impact of armed conflict on children, two top United Nations officials and a former Sierra Leonean child soldier today appealed for greater efforts to protect children and noted that much work remains to be done. Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict; Hilde Johnson, Deputy Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund and Ishmael Beah, now a youth activist and author of “Long Way Gone,” briefed reporters in New York on a new report chronicling progress made in the past decade and challenges that remain to be tackled. Ms. Coomaraswamy said that since the release of the landmark study by Graça Machel, then first lady of Mozambique, the “nature of conflict has changed,” manifested in increasing low-intensity intra-State conflicts, terrorism and counter-terrorism and the blurring of lines between armed conflict and criminal activity. Despite the rise of global networks to address the issue of the “brutal consequences” – such as child recruitment and sexual violence – that children bear, “still a lot more needs to be done,” she pointed out. The Special Representative said the progress has been made in the past 10 years, especially in the fight against impunity and war crimes with regard to children and armed conflict. In 2005, the Security Council adopted Resolution 1612, which established a mechanism to monitor grave violations by both governments and insurgents, focusing especially on such crimes as the recruitment of child soldiers. Despite the adoption of several key legal instruments, “the reality on the ground… is still incredibly difficult for very, very many children,” Ms. Johnson told reporters. She said that last year, over 18 million children were driven from their homes by conflict, and more than 43 million children in 30 conflict-affected States did not attend school. Regarding the use of rape and sexual violence as a war tactic, Ms. Johnson said that in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), recent figures show that one-third of all rape victims are children. The new report recommends that impunity against perpetrators of “heinous crimes” ends and that children are protected against sexual violence and against being recruited as soldiers, instead being helped to demobilize and reintegrate into civilian life. The Deputy Executive Director said that the study also underscores the need for children “to play a key part in defining their own future and in being a part of these processes.” Also speaking at the briefing, Mr. Beah – who was a child soldier from the age of 13 until UNICEF removed him from the fighting – highlighted the importance of giving children a voice. He welcomed the simultaneous launch today of a parallel youth report entitled “Will You Listen: Young Voices from Conflict Zones.” “In my experience, one of the mistakes that I felt was made during the rehabilitation process was that it wasn’t very community-oriented,” Mr. Beah said. “I grew up in a place where there was a very strong sense of community, so when you demobilize a child and focus only on them, the community becomes upset because they’re left out.” He also voiced hope that great strides will be made in the next decade to combat the scourge of children being impacted by armed conflict. “What I would like to stress is, though, is that I hope come another 10 years we won’t be having a discussion again about what to implement but rather what we’ve implemented and how we can actually celebrate successes rather than speak more about challenges that remain,” he said. 2007-10-17 00:00:00.000

BAN KI-MOON REPORTS DECLINE IN IRAQ VIOLENCE, PLANS STEPPED UP UN ROLE New York, Oct 17 2007 5:00PM A new report on Iraq by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sees a moment of opportunity for achieving progress amid declining violence, and envisages an expanded United Nations role in support of this goal. September witnessed the lowest level of Iraqi casualties in 2007, according to Mr. Ban’s latest report to the Security Council on the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq released today. “There is now an opportunity that should not be missed,” declares Mr. Ban. He attributes the declining attacks to the ceasefire by the Mahdi Army and adds that the Sunni insurgent allegiance against Al-Qaida “holds significant political potential as well.” The challenge ahead is to focus on transforming the more positive military developments into a basis for national reconciliation, according to the report, which acknowledges the devastation caused by “ongoing daily attacks, continued high levels of displacement and political gridlock.” While the Iraqi people are chiefly responsible for achieving this transformation, Mr. Ban pledges the UN’s readiness “to assist them to that end.” The Secretary-General welcomes the expansion by the Council of UNAMI’s mandate and says the UN is “vigorously planning practical and immediate steps” to carry it out. Last month, following a high-level meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, Mr. Ban announced that there would be a “modest” increase in the number of UN staff in Iraq as soon as facilities were ready to accommodate them in safety and security. Specifically, he said there would an increase in the staffing level in Erbil, and that the UN was considering adding a presence in Basra. In today’s report, he says the UN had increased the staff ceiling in Baghdad and Erbil, adding, “I am also considering ways to improve outreach to the provinces, including the re-establishment of a small United Nations presence in Basra.” At a press briefing in New York, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe said that the ceiling for international civilian staff in Baghdad has been raised from 65 to 85, while there are now 30 international staff in Erbil. The report says the UN is “prepared to do more” to advance an inclusive political dialogue and stands ready to assist in the successful completion of the constitutional review and in drafting key constitutionally mandated legislation. It also underscores the need for international support to bolster UN efforts to carry out the demanding tasks ahead. At the same time, Mr. Ban repeats his long-standing call for the constructive engagement of Iraq’s neighbouring countries, and those in the region. “Regional cooperation must reinforce the efforts made by leaders inside the country and avoid exacerbating tensions,” he cautions. “Political compromise and genuine attempts to work across ethnic, sectarian, and political lines are needed now more than ever,” says Mr. Ban. 2007-10-17 00:00:00.000

DARFUR: UN FOOD AGENCY DECRIES KILLING OF THREE CONTRACT TRUCK DRIVERS New York, Oct 17 2007 4:00PM The United Nations World Food Programme today decried the killing of three truck drivers who were shot to death while working for the agency in the violence-wracked Darfur region in Sudan. “WFP is deeply saddened and shocked by the killings of these brave men, who knew the dangers they were facing but continued to work tirelessly to alleviate suffering and bring food to the hungry in Darfur,” said Kenro Oshidari, the agency’s Sudan representative. WFP, which employs 20,000 contract drivers and their assistants in Darfur, has no information on who is responsible for the killings. The three men worked for the Abbarci trucking company in Darfur, where the agency has its largest operation worldwide and distributes food to some 3 million people. Two of the men were killed yesterday while returning to the city of El Obeid in South Darfur state after delivering supplies. This is the same Darfur region where 10 African Union (AU) peacekeepers were recently killed. Meanwhile, the third man was killed last Friday, 12 October, during the Muslim holiday of Eid, in South Darfur on the road between Nyala, the state capital, and the city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. During the incident, 25 bags of grain were looted from the truck. The UN remains “seriously concerned about the safety of civilians throughout Darfur,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York today. Rising insecurity in Darfur has lead to increased attacks against civilians, aid workers and AU troops. This is detrimental to the civilian population and is also impeding crucial life-saving aid programmes when they are most needed, she added. More than 200,000 people have been killed in Darfur and at least 2.2 million others forced to flee their homes because of fighting between the rebels, Government forces and allied militia known as the Janjaweed. Some 4.2 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, and nearly 90,000 civilians have fled recent violence in Haskanita and Muhajariya. Earlier this year the Security Council authorized the creation of a hybrid UN-AU peacekeeping force, known as UNAMID, to try to quell the violence. The operation – set to become the world’s largest peacekeeping operation – is scheduled to take over from the existing AU mission by the start of next year. 2007-10-17 00:00:00.000

ETHIOPIAN INSTITUTE AND SLOVAK ECOLOGIST SHARE UN ENVIRONMENTAL PRIZE New York, Oct 17 2007 2:00PM The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization today jointly awarded an environmental preservation prize to an Ethiopian biodiversity institute and a Slovak ecologist. The 2007 Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environmental Preservation will be shared by the Institute of Biodiversity Conservation (IBC) and Julius Oszlányi, UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura announced at the agency’s headquarters in Paris. The laureates were chosen following the recommendations of the Bureau of the International Coordinating Council of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme, which met last month to make its decision. UNESCO said in a press statement that the IBC was being recognized for its efforts to set up systems to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of Ethiopia’s biodiversity and to share equitably the costs and benefits derived from that biodiversity. Founded in 1976, the Institute has set up community gene banks for hundreds of crop varieties, including wheat, sorghum and millet. It has distributed almost 80,000 seed samples from its reserves for research purposes and it has also conducted surveys and inventories of medicinal plants, forests and aquatic resources. Dr. Oszlányi, the Director of the Institute of Landscape Ecology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, was cited for his contributions to interdisciplinary ecological research programmes, especially in forest biodiversity conservation and biosphere reserves. He has also promoted the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, including the 1998 creation of East Carpathians, the first reserve to be spread across three countries – Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine. The $30,000 prize, awarded every two years since 1991, is funded by a donation from Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al-Said of Oman and can be awarded to an individual, group of people, institute or other type of organization. 2007-10-17 00:00:00.000

NEW UNESCO-LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PACT PUTS RARE MATERIALS ON INTERNET FOR PUBLIC New York, Oct 17 2007 8:00AM The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United States Library of Congress today signed a pact paving the way for the creation of a World Digital Library which will digitize rare materials from libraries and other cultural institutions globally and make them available free on the Internet. Manuscripts, maps, books, musical scores, sound recordings, films, prints and photographs will all be available online thanks to the agreement signed at UNESCO's Paris Headquarters by the agency's Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, Abdul Waheed Khan, and the Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington. The agency said in a news release that the prototype for the initiative was developed by the Library of Congress and UNESCO with five other partner institutions: Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the National Library of Egypt, the National Library of Brazil, the National Library of Russia, and the Russian State Library. The prototype functions in the UN's six official languages -- Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish -- as well as in Portuguese. It features search and browse by place, time, topic, and contributing institution. "We are very pleased to build on the excellent partnership that we have long enjoyed with the Library of Congress to work in innovative ways to preserve and make accessible the memory of the world," said UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura. "We look forward to continuing and deepening our collaboration with UNESCO," said Mr Billington, "and to working with the Organization and its staff to ensure that libraries, archives, and museums from around the world join with us in making their cultural treasures accessible online." A key aspect of the project is to build digital library capabilities in developing countries, so that all countries and all regions can participate and be represented in the World Digital Lib 2007-10-17 00:00:00.000

GREEK AMBASSADOR ELECTED PRESIDENT OF UNESCO GENERAL CONFERENCE New York, Oct 16 2007 6:00PM Greece’s Ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization was unanimously elected in Paris today as the President of the 34th session of the body’s General Conference. “UNESCO must not be a statue but a sentinel, a watchtower,” George N. Anastassopoulos – who has had a distinguished career as a journalist, government spokesperson and member of the European Parliament – said in his address to the Conference. “Its ethics must be the ethics of the future… There is much we will be able to do if we unite in supporting a stronger UNESCO.” Opening the Conference, outgoing President Musa Bin Jafaar Bin Hassan of Oman voiced hope that UNESCO becomes more audacious and more precise in defining its objectives, adding that “education constitutes the greatest challenge.” The General Conference – composed of representatives of the Organization’s 193 Member States and six Associate Members – determines UNESCO’s policies and main lines of work meets every two years, and its 34th session wraps up on 3 November. 2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

ACQUITTAL OF BOSNIAN MUSLIM EX-ARMY COMMANDER UPHELD BY UN TRIBUNAL New York, Oct 16 2007 5:00PM The United Nations war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia today upheld the acquittal of a former deputy army commander for the Bosnian Muslim forces during the Balkan wars on charges related to a massacre of 13 Bosnian Croat civilians in September 1993. The appeals chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia sitting in The Hague, found that the trial chamber was correct in November 2005 to acquit Sefer Halilović. Mr. Halilović, 55, had pleaded not guilty to the charge of command responsibility in the murders committed by Bosnian Muslim troops in the village of Grabovica, about 30 kilometres north of Mostar, in Bosnia and Herzegovina in September 1993. He served as chief of the main staff of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the time, and prosecutors alleged that he was the commander of a military operation known as Neretva-93 that led to the killings in Grabovica by troops billeted in the village. But the appeals chamber said prosecutors had failed to show that it was not reasonable of the trial chamber to find that Mr. Halilović did not have the required degree of “effective control” over the troops to establish his superior responsibility under the law. Meanwhile, the ICTY’s Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte addressed the European Union’s General Affairs and External Relations Council yesterday, saying that although Serbia has provided some required documents and archives, its overall cooperation does not match its stated commitments to the Tribunal. Full access to some crucial archives has been denied so far, while a number of important documents have not yet been provided, she said. She also criticized Serbia’s efforts to secure the arrest and extradition of the four remaining fugitives from the ICTY: Ratko Mladić, Radovan Karadžić, Goran Hadžić and Stojan Župljanin. “I confirm that the situation today is better than it was a year ago,” Ms. Del Ponte said. “However, cooperation is still too slow and not yet sufficient. The fact that Ratko Mladić is still at large after all the promises and declarations that have been made over the years clearly demonstrates that fact.” Mr. Karadžić, 62, the former Bosnian Serb president, and Mr. Mladić, 65, the former military chief, each face numerous charges, including genocide, extermination, murder, persecutions, deportation, taking of hostages and inflicting terror on civilians. Mr. Hadžić, 49, is charged with murder, persecutions, torture, cruel treatment and other war crimes and crimes against humanity related to his role as president of a self-proclaimed breakaway state of rebel Serbs in southern Croatia during the early 1990s. Mr. Župljanin, 56, has been indicted on many counts, including murder, torture, forcible transfers and the wanton destruction of towns and villages. He served in the senior leadership in the Autonomous Region of Krajina, part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an area that became notorious for its treatment of non-Serbs. 2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

RECENT ARRESTS IN MYANMAR ‘EXTREMELY DISTURBING,’ SAYS UN ENVOY New York, Oct 16 2007 4:00PM The United Nations Special Envoy to Myanmar today urged the Government to halt the use of force against dissidents, calling recent reports of arrests, interrogations and intimidation “extremely disturbing.” The reports “run counter to the spirit of mutual engagement between the United Nations and Myanmar,” Mr. Gambari said today at a joint press conference in Bangkok with Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram. “These actions must stop at once.” Thailand is the first stop on a six-nation tour for the Special Envoy, who was dispatched by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to meet with Myanmar’s regional partners about the situation in the troubled South-East Asian nation. Mr. Gambari reiterated the UN’s call on the Myanmar Government to release all political detainees, including those arrested during the demonstrations, and to allow access by Red Cross officials to those in detention. He said during his trip he will raise with Myanmar’s regional partners the UN’s serious concerns at the continuing reports of human rights violations in the wake of the recent demonstrations, a point made by the Security Council in a statement issued last week strongly deploring the Government’s use of force. The envoy noted steps taken by the Government in recent days, including easing – though not lifting completely – the curfew currently in place, appointing a liaison officer to start dialogue between the Government and the opposition, and the removal of the military from the streets. At the same time, Mr. Gambari warned that these actions could be damaged by continued reports of actions “detrimental” to national reconciliation and to overall peace and prosperity in Myanmar. In seeking to change the behaviour of the regime, he stressed that “all those who have influence in that process ought to be engaged.” Mr. Gambari’s current diplomatic tour aims to achieve this ahead of his return to Myanmar next month. “The sustained and active support of the region, through the strong voice and engagement of regional partners, has to be there in order for Myanmar to move forward,” he stated. Following his visit to Thailand, the Special Envoy will head to Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China and Japan. 2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

UN TEAM HEADS TO TOKELAU FOR SECOND REFERENDUM ON SELF-GOVERNMENT New York, Oct 16 2007 3:00PM A five-member team of United Nations observers is heading to Tokelau, a group of three small atolls in the Pacific Ocean, to monitor a referendum next week on whether the territory should have self-government in free association with New Zealand. UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters today that voting in the referendum on Tokelau, a Non-Self-Governing Territory that has been administered by New Zealand since 1926, will take place from this Saturday until 24 October. It will be the second such referendum: the first took place in February 2006, when 60 per cent of Tokelauan voters supported the option for self-government in free association with New Zealand. This did not meet the two-thirds majority required by Tokelau’s representative body, known as the General Fono. The UN monitoring team comprises: Ambassador Robert Aisi of Papua New Guinea, a representative of the Special Committee on Decolonization; an official from the Department of Political Affairs’ Decolonization Unit; two officials of the Department’s Electoral Assistance Division; and an official with the Department of Public Information. A similar team observed last year’s referendum, and deemed the election process to be credible and reflecting the will of the people of Tokelau, which has a population of about 1,500. Since then the General Fono decided to hold a second referendum on the same basis, and to conduct a detailed process of engagement with Tokelauans – including those communities living in Hawaii, American Samoa, Samoa, Australia and New Zealand – to ensure that all fully understood the issues involved in the vote. If Tokelauans achieve the two-thirds majority during this referendum, a date will then be set for a “day of self-government.” This will probably be in mid-2008 to allow New Zealand enough time to make the necessary legislative amendments. There are currently 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories remaining on the UN’s decolonization list, compared to 72 such territories when the Organization was established in 1945. The last Non-Self-Governing Territory that exercised the right to self-determination was East Timor, now known as Timor-Leste, which gained its independence in 2002. 2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

Oct 12.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT URGES ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE New York, Oct 12 2007 8:00PM The world's island States and most vulnerable developing countries are waiting for concrete measures to deal with climate change, General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim said today. Addressing the Rotary Club of Mulheim, Germany, Mr. Kerim said it was vital that participants at the major summit on climate change taking place in Bali in December develop a new regime for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other contributors to global warming. A reduction in emissions is particularly important for island and poor nations, who have for "around 20 years heard enough solemn speeches" on the subject but witnessed few results, he said. Mr. Kerim stressed the need for the entire United Nations system, including the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), to work more closely together in the fight against climate change. He also said the General Assembly continues to have a valuable role as a forum for the 192 Member States to debate ideas and the best ways to respond, adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change. Mr. Kerim said the inter-connected nature of the world made the UN more essential than ever, but he added that it must ensure, by way of continuous reform, that it is as effective as possible in dealing with the biggest global questions. As General Assembly President, he said he hoped it would become more of an interactive forum between States, rather than one in which countries use "pre-fabricated statements" to engage in "ritual monologues." Yesterday, Mr. Kerim was in the Belgian capital, Brussels, for meetings with European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poetering and the European Union's High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana. The meetings focused on the priority themes of the Assembly this session: climate change, countering terrorism, finance for development, the Millennium Development Goals (MDG reform. 2007-10-12 00:00:00.000

BAN KI-MOON HAILS NOBEL LAUREATES AL GORE, INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE New York, Oct 12 2007 9:00AM United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today hailed the awarding of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize to Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and urged governments to build on the momentum they have generated by adopting a new set of binding commitments to contain greenhouse gas emissions. In a statement released by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban paid tribute to Mr. Gore's "exceptional commitment and conviction, as an example of the crucial role that individuals and civil society can play in encouraging multilateral responses to global issues." His spokesperson said Mr. Ban "rejoices with the IPCC, and its co-sponsors, the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organization." Mr. Ban, who has made addressing climate change a key priority of his administration, pointed out that the IPCC's "lucid and well-documented findings" helped to establish "beyond doubt that climate change is happening, and that much of it is caused by human activity." This led to "unprecedented momentum for action on climate change around the world, and recognition of the UN as the forum for reaching agreement on it," he said. The Secretary-General, who last month convened summit-level talks on the issue in New York to jump-start diplomatic action on climate change, called for industrialized and developing countries alike to commit themselves to a real breakthrough at the critical Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bali in December. That meeting will serve to hammer out a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol, which contains legally binding targets for greenhouse gas emissions but will expire in 2012. UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner also praised the decision of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, saying it "has today made it clear that combating climate change is a central peace and security policy for the 21st century." H public attention on the issue of global warming while outlining the enormous risks but also the enormous opportunities confronting the world." Mr. Steiner emphasized the importance of building on the momentum they have helped to build through "negotiations on a decisive, post 2012 emissions reduction agreement" at the Bali meeting. Established in the late 1980s by UNEP and the World Meteorological Organization of the UN, the IPCC and its more than 2,000 scientists and experts have grappled with the science; the likely impacts of climate change and the economics. The IPCC has "outlined the impacts, from the melting off glaciers in the Himalayas to more frequent and devastating floods in New York to Bangladesh?impacts, not in some far away future but in the life-time of people reading and hearing the announcement off the Peace Prize Committee," Mr. Steiner said. He noted that the IPCC has also calculated the price of peace and stability on this planet at perhaps 0.1 per cent of global GDP a year for 30 years for combating climate change and avoiding instability, rising tensions and conflict. "The IPCC, in validating the climate science, represents one of the most important contributions the UN has made in its history to humanity and its current and future choices," declared Mr. Steiner. He recalled that UNEP earlier this year named Mr. Gore a UNEP Champion of the Earth for "making environmental protection a pillar of his public service and for educating the world on the dangers posed by rising greenhouse gas emissions." With this prize, the IPCC joins the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), UN peacekeeping, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), UN mediator Ralph Bunche, secretaries-general Dag Hammarskjöld and Kofi Annan as well as the United Nations itself as Nobel laureates in the UN family. 2007-10-12 00:00:00.000

SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR ‘GENUINE’ DIALOGUE IN MYANMAR TO ACHIEVE RECONCILIATION New York, Oct 11 2007 7:00PM Strongly deploring Myanmar’s recent use of violence against peaceful protesters, the Security Council today underscored the need for dialogue between the Government and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to accelerate its national reconciliation process. In a presidential statement read by Ambassador Leslie K. Christian of Ghana, which hold the rotating Council presidency this month, the Council called on authorities and other parties to “work together towards a de-escalation of the situation and a peaceful solution.” Last week, the Council was briefed by Ibrahim Gambari, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser, after returning from a visit to Myanmar, the scene of what the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro characterized as a “brutal crackdown” against peaceful demonstrations led by monks. The Government must take steps for a “genuine dialogue” with Ms. Suu Kyi – a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has been under house arrest for four years and has spent 11 of the past 17 years in detention – and “all concerned parties and ethnic groups in order to achieve an inclusive national reconciliation with the direct support of the United Nations,” the Council said today. It also stressed the importance of releasing all political prisoners and remaining detainees. Emphasizing that “the future of Myanmar lies with its people,” the 15-member body called on authorities to take necessary steps to address the people’s concerns. Earlier this month, both Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Mr. Gambari welcomed news that Senior General Than Shwe has is prepared to meet Ms. Suu Kyi, albeit with certain conditions. “The Security Council welcomes the Government of Myanmar’s public commitment to work with the United Nations and the appointment of a liaison officer with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,” Mr. Christian said today. However, the Council also highlighted the importance that “such commitments are followed by action.” Mr. Gambari has been invited back to Myanmar by authorities, and the Council voiced its support for a return visit as quickly as possible to “facilitate concrete actions and tangible results.” The body also urged the Government and other parties to cooperate fully with the Special Adviser and to consider his proposals and recommendations seriously. In a related development, the Secretary-General today dispatched Mr. Gambari to the region, where he will hold consultations in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China and Japan, with a view to returning to Myanmar shortly thereafter. 2007-10-11 00:00:00.000

BAN KI-MOON UNVEILS JUDICIAL SELECTION PANEL FOR HARIRI TRIBUNAL IN LEBANON New York, Oct 11 2007 6:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the composition of a selection panel to recommend to him the names of judges and chief prosecutor to work on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which is being set up to prosecute the suspected killers of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri in 2005. Mr. Ban sent a letter to the Security Council President informing him of his intention to appoint Judge Mohamed Amin El Mahdi, Judge Erik Møse and Nicolas Michel to the selection panel, according to a statement released by the Secretary-General’s spokesperson. Judge El Mahdi formerly served on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and Judge Møse currently serves as a presiding judge with the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). Mr. Michel is the UN Legal Counsel and Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs. Today’s statement stressed that Mr. Ban remained committed to setting up the Tribunal in a timely manner and that he continues to believe the court “will contribute to ending impunity in Lebanon for the crimes under its jurisdiction.” The Tribunal is being set up to deal with the assassination of Mr. Hariri, who was killed along with 22 others in a massive car bombing in downtown Beirut in February 2005. Once it is formally established, it will be up to the court to determine whether other political killings in Lebanon since October 2004 were connected to the assassination of Mr. Hariri and could therefore be dealt with by the Tribunal. The selection panel is tasked with recommending to Mr. Ban the names of the four Lebanese judges and seven international judges who should serve on the court, as well as its chief prosecutor. According to the Tribunal’s statute, the chambers will consist of one international pre-trial judge; three judges to serve in the trial chamber (one Lebanese and two international); five judges to serve in the appeals chamber (two Lebanese and three international); and two alternate judges (one Lebanese and one international). The judges of the trial chamber and those of the appeals chamber will then each elect a presiding judge to conduct the proceedings in their chamber, with the presiding judge of the appeals chamber serving as president of the Tribunal. 2007-10-11 00:00:00.000

PRIVATE SECTOR SHOULD LEAD FIGHT ON CLIMATE CHANGE, BAN KI-MOON SAYS New York, Oct 11 2007 5:00PM The private sector should take the lead on tackling the challenges posed by climate change, from investing in clean new technologies to encouraging countries and industries to make the necessary adaptations to change, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told business leaders in Washington today. Speaking to the United States Chamber of Commerce this afternoon, Mr. Ban said the role played by US businesses would prove particularly vital given their financial resources and historic leadership in technological innovation. “We can promote economic growth, spur development and respond to climate change – this is not an either/or proposition,” he said. “Your ability to determine investment flows gives you great influence over the pace of innovation, technological change and adaptation.” The Secretary-General called on business leaders to develop “innovative market mechanisms” as a means of combating climate change, particularly the perils raised by greenhouse gas emissions. “I hope you will approach the carbon market as a major economic opening, one that has tripled in size $30 billion in just the past year alone. An expanded and improved carbon market is an essential part of the solution.” The carbon market is a mechanism allowing companies to trade emissions credits in order to ensure that mandated caps are met. Climate change is also the focus of two other speeches that Mr. Ban is giving during his two-day visit to Washington that ends tomorrow. Tonight he is expected to tell the National Association of Evangelicals that tackling climate change and global warming is a “moral imperative and a defining issue of our era.” Mr. Ban will warn that the lives of hundreds of millions of people worldwide are in jeopardy from climate change. “Without a strong global effort against global warming, we will fail in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the implicit human right to economic justice and development,” he said, referring to a set of antipoverty targets which leaders at a 2000 UN summit said should be reached by 2015. The Secretary-General is also due to address the staff of the US Peace Corps tomorrow before returning to UN Headquarters in New York. 2007-10-11 00:00:00.000

DARFUR: UN ENVOY WARNS SURGE IN VIOLENCE MUST END AHEAD OF PEACE TALKS New York, Oct 11 2007 4:00PM The United Nations Special Envoy to Darfur today called for an end to the “vicious cycle of violence” engulfing the war-torn Sudanese region ahead of major peace talks later this month, warning that any delay to the negotiations between the Government and the rebels would only lead to further bloodshed. After a week of meetings with key regional figures, Jan Eliasson told a press conference in Khartoum that the talks – which he is co-convening with his African Union counterpart Salim Ahmed Salim – will start as scheduled on 27 October in neighbouring Libya. But he stressed the need for all sides to refrain from violence to ensure there is an environment conducive to talks set up to try to end the conflict that has raged across Darfur, an arid and impoverished region in western Sudan, since 2003. More than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2.2 million others forced to flee their homes because of fighting between the rebels, Government forces and allied militia known as the Janjaweed. In recent weeks there has been a spike in violence in Darfur, particularly in South Darfur state, and Mr. Eliasson voiced deep concern at the security situation and the recent escalation of Sudanese military activity. He said the mediation process was staying on course ahead of the Libya talks, adding that any delay to those talks would be tragic and cause more bloodshed. The envoy also expressed hope that the talks’ first outcome would be to produce a formal declaration of a cessation of hostilities once the political negotiations are under way. Invitations to rebel groups and civil society representatives to participate in the talks are expected to be issued in the next few days, Mr. Eliasson said. This week, Mr. Eliasson has met with senior Sudanese Government officials and representatives of Chad, Egypt, Eritrea and Libya, and today he characterized the meetings as positive and successful. Also speaking at the press conference, the AU’s Sam Ibok, who is a senior adviser to Mr. Salim, said the Libya talks will be as inclusive as possible to ensure that there is broad-based public support of the peace process. He added that no party will be allowed to “shoot its way to the talks,” stressing that violence must end before the negotiations begin. 2007-10-11 00:00:00.000

Oct 11

UN-BACKED MEETING CHARTS COURSE FOR HELPING OLDER PERSONS IN ASIA-PACIFIC REGION New York, Oct 11 2007 5:00PM Over 100 representatives from governments, non-governmental organizations and academia from 26 Asian and Pacific countries along with United Nations officials have forged a document on helping the region’s large population of older persons. Delegates attending a meeting organized by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in Macao, China, today adopted an “Outcome Document” outlining specific measures aimed at ensuring income security in old age, raising public awareness of the benefits of active ageing, and generating inter-generational solidarity. “One of the critical issues to be addressed is finding ways to match the desire of many older persons to remain productive with the actual employment opportunities available for them. Many countries also recognize the impact of modernization, migration and changing family structures on families’ ability to care for older persons,” said Keiko Osaki, Chief of ESCAP’s Population and Social Integration Section. “Universal social security coverage is virtually non-existent in the region and wherever it exists, its sustainability is being questioned,” she said. The Macao Outcome Document urges governments in the region to ensure sustainable and adequate retirement income and to raise awareness among younger generations about life-long preparation for old age and retirement, including in the areas of health and financial security. It underscores the need for data collection, research and studies focused on elderly issues. Acknowledging the specific context of the Asian and Pacific region and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, the Macao Outcome Document encourages the establishment of training programmes to further strengthen the capacities of informal caregivers and promotes the concept of “ageing in place” through the development of age-friendly physical environments. The Document also urges governments to promote social and economic equalities for all ages so that older persons, especially women living in poverty, have universal access to health care. Home to over 60 per cent of the world population, the Asian and Pacific region now accounts for 410 million older persons. This number is expected to increase to 733 million in 2025 and to a staggering 1.3 billion by 2050. “It is essential for governments in the region to start planning ahead for the socio-economic implications of ageing societies, with the understanding of the changing demands and needs of the future elderly population,” said Thelma Kay, Director of ESCAP’s Emerging Social Issues Division. Over the next 45 years, Asians aged 60 and older will triple in number, to 1.3 billion, and grow from 10 per cent to 25 per cent of the population, due to falling fertility and rising life expectancy, according to the UN Population Fund which estimates that Japan’s over-60 population will grow from 28 per cent today to 44 per cent by 2050. This demographic shift is occurring most rapidly in East Asia, where older persons will outnumber children under 15 by 2008, the agency said. Garimela Giridhar, Director of UNFPA’s Technical Services Team for East and South-East Asia, said the agency is working in a number of Asian countries to advocate anti-discriminatory legislation, promote data collection and analysis, and encourage families and communities to support older people. The three-day meeting in Macao reviewed the progress made in Asia and the Pacific in carrying out the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, a landmark document adopted five years ago at the Second World Assembly on Ageing. 2007-10-11 00:00:00.000

SECRETARY-GENERAL DISPATCHES MYANMAR ENVOY TO MEET WITH REGIONAL PARTNERS New York, Oct 11 2007 3:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced that he is sending his Special Adviser on Myanmar back to the region this weekend to meet with regional partners about the situation in the troubled South-East Asian nation. Ibrahim Gambari recently returned from a visit to Myanmar, where the Government used force – what the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro characterized as a “brutal crackdown” – against peaceful demonstrations led by monks. According to a statement issued by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson, the Special Adviser will start his consultations in Thailand next Monday morning before visiting Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China and Japan, with a view to returning to Myanmar shortly thereafter. In a related development, the Security Council issued a presidential statement today strongly deploring the Government’s use of force against the demonstrators. The 15-member body urged authorities to take major steps towards inclusive national reconciliation and underscored the importance of dialogue between the Government and the opposition figure and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. 2007-10-11 00:00:00.000

UN REFUGEE AGENCY WORKS TO REGISTER DISPLACED CONGOLESE FLEEING NORTH KIVU New York, Oct 11 2007 3:00PM The United Nations refugee agency is working to register displaced people fleeing confrontations between the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and troops of ex-General Laurent Nkunda in the volatile North Kivu province, where human rights abuses such as rape are reportedly on the rise. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today that it has started registration of all internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the five camp sites in the Mugunga area some 15 kilometres west of Goma. Over 27,500 internally displaced have been identified. This represents just a small fraction of the hundreds of thousands of Congolese who have fled North Kivu; many are staying with host families while others are in districts not yet reached by relief workers. Once access for humanitarian personnel to displacement zones improves, registrations at other IDP sites may be possible, the agency said in a news release. “This registration has long been awaited. Once the operation is completed, the displaced registration lists will be available to partner UN agencies and NGOs [non-governmental organizations] to distribute food and other assistance goods in the Mugunga IDP sites,” said UNHCR Representative Eusèbe Hounsokou, who is overseeing the operations from Kinshasa. Armed confrontations in the area intensified on 7 October and since then a trickle of newly displaced people have been arriving in the IDP sites close to Goma. “Displaced report severe violations by armed groups, such as pillaging and destruction of houses, killings of civilians, recruitment of children into armed groups and cases of rape,” the UN peacekeeping mission in DRC said. The mission cited statistics showing 351 cases of rape have been reported in North Kivu during September 2007, which represents a 60 per cent increase from the prior month. Survivors of rape among the new IDP arrivals are referred to specialist organizations for medical treatment and psycho-social support. “UNHCR remains highly concerned that a further intensification of fighting may lead to the new displacement of tens of thousands of civilians,” Mr. Hounsokou added. In New York, a UN spokesperson reported that humanitarian convoys have tried to deliver food and supplies to areas where the fighting is taking place, but many have been forced to delay operations because of insecurity. Meanwhile, the Force Commander of MONUC, General Babacar Gaye, estimated that there are 700,000 displaced people in the province and emphasized the mission’s focus is on resolving the crisis. “MONUC is very conscious in this situation of the consequences for the population,” he said in an interview published by the mission. “We are coordinating with the humanitarians, and we give our support in terms of security in the displaced persons zones.” The mission is also conscious of what the DRC’s Armed Forces, known as FARDC, are doing on the ground, he added. “We give the FARDC a certain support, in particular in the medical evacuation of their wounded, to transport their reinforcements and their ammunition. But our number one concern really remains that a fast solution is found to a situation which risks becoming a drama of a bigger scale.” He said MONUC would be ready to absorb the forces of Mr. Nkunda in “brassage,” its retraining programme for ex-combatants to form a part of integrated FARDC brigades. “The decision to send 500 men for brassage was made by Nkunda, but unfortunately it has not been carried out on the ground,” he said. “We are ready to fully engage in this process.” 2007-10-11 00:00:00.000

BAN KI-MOON URGES RESTRAINT BY ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA AS TENSIONS RISE New York, Oct 11 2007 3:00PM Voicing his concern at escalating tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the two East African neighbours to show maximum restraint and abide by the accords that ended their border war seven years ago. Of particular concern are “recent shooting incidents, as well as the building up of military forces in the border area,” according to a statement issued by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson. The Secretary-General called on the two countries to exercise “utmost restraint,” maintain their commitment to the Algiers Agreements – the pacts which ended the border war in 2000 – and preserve the integrity of the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ), where the UN has deployed a peacekeeping mission known as UNMEE. He also urged them to facilitate the implementation of the decision of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) regarding the demarcation of their border. In 2002 the Commission handed down a final and binding decision awarding Badme, the town that triggered fighting between the two countries from 1998 to 2000, to Eritrea. 2007-10-11 00:00:00.000

UN FUND TO HELP OVER 100,000 BANGLADESHI WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS New York, Oct 11 2007 1:00PM A new United Nations-backed development project will help nearly 120,000 Bangladeshi microentrepreneurs – 90 per cent of whom are women – expand their small enterprises and develop new ones. The UN International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) will provide a $35 million for the nearly $60 million Finance for Enterprise Development and Employment Creation Project. The main participants in the initiative will be current successful microcredit borrowers whose businesses are crucial for the growth of the rural economy, and the project also hopes that some 200,000 jobs for extremely poor people will be created the newly-bolstered small businesses. “The microenterprises create vital jobs for much poorer people who live well below the poverty line and often don’t have adequate housing or enough to eat,” said Nigel Brett, IFAD’s country programme manager for Bangladesh. “They often lack the confidence and ability to risk taking a microcredit loan to start an enterprise and would rather find employment in small local businesses.” Although the project will be national in scope, it will target rural areas. It will train microentrepreneurs to manage their businesses more effectively and teach them how to boost the value of their products throughout the market chain, from the purchase of raw materials to the sale of finished products. IFAD has supported 24 programmes and projects benefiting 8 million households in Bangladesh to date with loans totaling $424 million. The operations have worked to improve rural small entrepreneurs’ access to markets and credit and to increase women’s economic opportunities. 2007-10-11 00:00:00.000

ARMS CONTINUE TO FLOW INTO DARFUR, SECURITY COUNCIL EXPERT PANEL FINDS New York, Oct 10 2007 7:00PM The Sudanese Government and rebel groups in Darfur continue to violate the Security Council arms embargo, sending heavy weapons, small arms, ammunition and other military equipment into the war-torn region over the past year, a panel of experts set up to monitor the ban says in a new report. The panel finds that the Government has shipped arms and equipment – including military airplanes and helicopters – by air into the airports of Darfur’s three provincial capitals, El Fasher, Nyala and El Geneina. This occurred even though the Government did

MBN: The Monte Bubbles Network

June 29, 2007

Nopi Drift 2007

What is Green?

Making Music Biodegradable

Wheatware(TM) Celebrates Live Earth Concerts With Tree-Free Drumsticks, Compostable Guitar Picks

June 28, 2007

Pageant of the Masters

2007 Pageant of the Masters Where Art Comes To Life! July 7th - August 31st, 2007, Gala Benefit Saturday, August 25th, 2007

Entertainment,arts,fashion & Technology

United Nations News

2007 Pageant of the Masters Where Art Comes To Life!
July 7th - August 31st, 2007, Gala Benefit Saturday, August 25th, 2007