PICTURES FROM PRESS CONFERENCES DAY ONE NAMM

January 18, 2007, Modena, Italy – IK Multimedia is proud to announce that its highly anticipated AmpliTube® 2 StompIO™ is expected to ship during the second quarter of 2007. The StompIO is a revolutionary new USB floor controller and audio interface for the award-winning AmpliTube 2, guitar and FX modeling software.

Combined with a Mac or PC, StompIO revolutionizes the modeling processor market with some of the best sounds available from a guitar effect unit, the staggering power of PC-based DSP modeling, 20,000 amp combinations, 32 effects on 2 rigs and all of these parameters controlled with exactly the same feeling as a traditional guitar floor processor.

AmpliTube 2 and StompIO together form one of the most powerful floor processing systems to date. No other hardware unit can benefit from the huge processing power of the modern CPU of today’s Mac and PC computer systems. This translates into better sounds and more powerful features. This advanced software/hardware system gives you direct access to thousands of instantly playable presets for a monstrous sound set-up while taking advantage of software updates and enhancements for an ever-growing system that has no equal in the guitar processing market.  

Easy to use, with 4,000 presets ready to go, and can be played live or fully integrated with your preferred sequencer. Multiple preset switching modes are offered to suit your needs and create settings to your taste with an unlimited number of preset sequences. The possibility to reconfigure extremely complex rigs with just one click allows you to dramatically change sound during performances like no other traditional rig. Plus, the StompIO can be perfectly integrated within your preferred sequencer in your studio allowing you to fully control AmpliTube while recording entire guitar tracks with full automation, on the fly. Interact like you would with a traditional hardware rig, but with the advantage of non-destructive recording and full editing.

High-end features for the most demanding guitar professional. StompIO has been developed to offer more professional features than any other software floor controller: 10 floor switches, 7 knobs, 2 large displays, up to 6 configurable external controllers, MIDI IN/OUT, hi-quality direct IN, USB, SPDIF, balanced/unbalanced stereo OUT and more, all in a rugged metal construction with a cable safety handle. StompIO also includes lightning fast drivers with latency, tailored for the most demanding live virtuoso performance.

Powered by AmpliTube 2, the highly acclaimed modeling and fx amp application. AmpliTube 2 is the award-winning guitar amp and fx modeling program that offers incredibly accurate recreations of popular hardware. It has more than 20,000 amp combinations and emulations of over 80 different pieces of guitar gear. You can control 2 complete rigs and insert up to 20 effects from over 32 different stomp and rack effects. Completely craft 2 individual amps with a selection of amp heads and separate preamps, EQs, and power amp models as well as cabinets and modeled microphones making it a complete setup for getting the best guitar sounds.


StompIO Features:

Controls:
·      4 digit large LED display
·      40x2 character large alphanumeric backlit display
·      Volume knob
·      3 LED levels
·      4 navigation buttons
·      Instant Tuner recall button
·      6 knobs with rotary encoders
·      10 floor switches
·      Ability to connect 6 external controllers, with pedal/switch connections

Connections:
·      Ultra-low latency USB
·      High Quality Direct Guitar IN
·      Direct OUT
·      Low-level STEREO OUT
·      Balanced STEREO OUT
·      Digital SPDIF OUT
·      Headphones OUT
·      MIDI IN/OUT
·      6 external controller, pedal/switch

Audio:
·      24 bit A/D- D/A with High end stages
·      44.1 or 48 kHz operation
·      >102 dB SNR
·      >100 dB dynamic range
·      Class A discrete input preamp
·      High performance analog circuitry
·      True +4dBu balanced outputs


Minimum System Requirements:
Macintosh®: 866MHz Power Macintosh® G4, with 512MB of RAM, Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later, 1024x768 screen thousands of colors, USB free port.
Windows®: Pentium® III 1GHz/Athlon™ XP 1.33GHz with 256MB of RAM, Windows® XP, 1024x768 screen thousands of colors, USB free port.

Price & Availability:
AmpliTube StompIO will be available during the second quarter 2007 from IK Multimedia and its distributor/dealer network worldwide. More detailed information on the pricing of StompIO will be made available online soon.

For more information please visit:

http://www.amplitube.com/prod_StompIO.php

 IK Multimedia to Distribute RiffWorks™ Standard Worldwide
Sonoma Wire Works’ innovative guitar recording software available through IK

January 2007, Modena, Italy - IK Multimedia is proud to announce the worldwide distribution of Sonoma Wire Works’ RiffWorks™ Standard, a guitar recording application that allows you to record efficiently, stay creative, produce high-quality songs, jam online, and podcast your tunes without ever putting down your guitar.
 
Guitar friendly recording software to create entire songs with an easy to use Riff-based workflow that encourages experimentation with song structure. With RiffWorks Standard, you can capture ideas at the moment of inspiration by setting a tempo and starting to record by simply strumming your guitar. Experiment with song structure using a Riff-based workflow that records bite-sized pieces. Because tracks are created automatically as you play, you can easily record multiple takes or layer parts without stopping the creative flow. There are no wave editors or sequencers in RiffWorks, instead the interface will inspire you to create songs using a familiar “real world” interface – it looks like gear! RiffWorks is easy and fun to use because the focus is on playing as opposed to complex engineering.

Add beats easily to your guitar and bass part with InstantDrummer. Pick a groove, count off a tempo, and InstantDrummer inspires you to play along with its continuously varying drum tracks using perfectly matched, full kit, studio drum recordings. Spin the INSTENSITY knob to set the mood from mellow to aggressive. Dial in some VARIATION to get a constantly evolving beat. AMBIENCE adds room sound and GAIN sets the level. There’s no tedious editing or disappointing sounds, just a great drummer, ready to jam. InstantDrummer is an integral part of RiffWorks. Eight free InstantDrummer sessions are included with RiffWorks Standard and more are available online.

Includes 7 studio quality effects plus AmpliTube LE. RiffWorks includes seven effects from Sonoma Wire Works and the ability to load  amp modeling plug-ins for further expandability. Right out of the box you can add great sounding, fully optimized effects like auto-wah, multiband compression, modulation, delay, reverb, and British style EQ to your tunes. Effect algorithms were passionately designed by Sonoma Wire Works for superb sound quality and are optimized for maximum performance. Plus the included AmpliTube LE, with 9 amp combinations and 4 effects, is able to produce tons of different great guitar tones.

Instantly podcast to an enthusiastic community of musicians. RiffCaster is a free service for all RiffWorks users and is breeze to use. Share songs with and get feedback from other RiffWorks users and the world. There is plenty of room for content and now it also includes instant podcasting! In addition, RiffLink (60-day trial version included) offers RiffWorks users built-in online collaboration. Share a song session over the Internet with up to four other musicians to play along with each other in what feels like real-time with no worries about latency. New tracks show up as soon as they are finished streaming and are always perfectly in sync. Each layer is instantly streamed to other current users and is also saved on the server for those who wish to contribute later.


RiffWorks Standard features:
·      Automatic Track Creation & Loop Recording
·      24 layers plus backing tracks with continuous volume control per layer
·      4 tempo-synchronized backups: InstantDrummer™ with adjustable intensity and variation,
·      REX Player, ReWire mixer, and Metronome
·      7 studio quality effects (Wah, Multi-band compression and distortion, Modulation, Delay, Reverb, Compression, and British Style EQ)
·      Guitar Amp and Effects (VST/Audio Unit) Plug-in support.
·      AmpliTube LE included
·      Mix down to WAV or OggVorbis
·      RiffCaster™ instant podcasting
·      RiffLink™ online collaboration (60-day trial)
·      Supports Win XP ASIO and Mac OS Core Audio Interfaces


System Requirements:
Macintosh®: G4 1.33 GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, Mac OS X 10.4 or later (including Universal), 1 GB free disk space for installation, 5 GB free disk space for recording

Windows®: Pentium 1 GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, Windows XP, 1 GB free disk space for installation, 5 GB free disk space for recording

RiffCaster and RiffLink require an Internet connection.



Price and Availability:
RiffWorks Standard will be available worldwide through  IK Multimedia in early 2007 at an MSRP price of $169/€139 (tax excluded).


For more information on RiffWorks Standard, please visit:

http://www.ikmultimedia.com/prod_RW.php

###

About IK Multimedia: IK Multimedia is a music software company directly operating in four countries, founded in 1996 for the purpose of developing software designed to enable people to listen, play and produce music using revolutionary new digital instruments, which are powerful and easy to use.  AmpliTube®, T-Racks®, GrooveMaker®, SampleTank®, Sonik Synth™, Miroslav Philharmonik™, Classik Studio Reverb™, SVX™, Total Studio Bundle™, Total Effects Bundle™, Total Workstation Bundle™, StealthPlug™ and StompIO™ are trademarks or registered trademarks property of IK Multimedia Production srl. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

About Sonoma Wire Works: Incorporated in 2003, Sonoma Wire Works develops high-quality, innovative products and services that help musicians enjoy playing, recording and sharing music. Headquartered in Los Altos, California, Sonoma Wire Works’ development group has more than 25 years of audio engineering experience. Sonoma Wire Works products have received multiple editorial awards for performance and innovation.  RiffWorks™, RiffCaster™, RiffLink™, InstantDrummer™, and Sonoma Wire Works™ are trademarks of Sonoma Wire Works. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. http://www.sonomawireworks.com

TREASURY INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL DATA FOR NOVEMBER

This Department of Treasury press release may be viewed at:
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp225.htm

   Treasury International Capital (TIC) data for November are released
   today and posted on the U.S. Treasury web site (www.treas.gov/tic).
   The next release, which will report on data for December, is
scheduled
   for February 15, 2007.

   Net foreign purchases of long-term securities were $68.4 billion.

     * Net foreign purchases of long-term U.S. securities were $107.4
       billion. Of this, net purchases by foreign official institutions
       were $6.5 billion, and net purchases by private foreign
investors
       were $101.0 billion.

     * U.S. residents purchased a net $39.1 billion in long-term
foreign
       securities.

   Net foreign acquisition of long-term securities is estimated to have
   been $58.0 billion.

   Foreign holdings of dollar-denominated short-term U.S. securities,
   including Treasury bills, and other custody liabilities increased
   $15.6 billion. Foreign holdings of Treasury bills increased $9.5
   billion.

   Banks' own net dollar-denominated liabilities to foreign residents
   increased $1.3 billion.

   Monthly net TIC flows were $74.9 billion. Of this, net foreign
private
   flows were $65.8 billion and net foreign official flows were $9.1
   billion.

Chairman Inouye, Vice-Chairman Stevens, Chairman Lautenberg, and distinguished members of the Committee, on behalf of the Secretary of Transportation, I want to thank you for the invitation to appear today.

I would like to take a moment at the outset to commend the Committee for your leadership and support in passing the Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement and Safety Act of 2006, Public Law 109-468, which the President signed into law last month. The PIPES Act will save lives and foster economic growth by strengthening the pipeline safety program.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is moving ahead to implement the new authority and fulfill the Act’s mandates. We will keep the Committee informed of our efforts and progress.

I appear before you today on another important subject: PHMSA’s activities and role in enhancing hazardous materials transportation security.

We understand the Committee is considering options to improve commercial surface transportation security, and we look forward to working with the Committee. Working in close coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and with the Department of Transportation’s (DOT’s) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), we are moving forward in that effort on several fronts.

When it comes to improving transportation security, we follow a systems risk-based approach, recognizing that safety and security are connected, and that significant safety and economic consequences will flow from our decisions. The success of our efforts over time lies in our ability to mitigate overall risk, while avoiding undue burdens on transportation systems, operators, and the public. Effective coordination within the federal government is essential to addressing security concerns in the way that the American public deserves.

Improvement should be developed in a transparent manner, with the benefit of stakeholder input, to produce practical approaches suited to the demands of an economy that depends on the efficient movement of hazardous materials. We must focus and prioritize our efforts, preventing incidents that pose the greatest overall risk to the public, property, and the environment, and mitigating the consequences of incidents that cannot be prevented.

Hazardous materials are essential to our citizens, and to our economy. These materials fuel automobiles, heat and cool our homes and offices, and are used in farming, medical applications, manufacturing, mining, and other industrial processes. More than 3 billion tons of regulated hazardous materials – including explosive, poisonous, corrosive, flammable, and radioactive materials – are transported each year.

We oversee the safe and secure shipment of over 1.2 million daily movements of hazardous materials moving through the air; on the railroads, seas and waterways; and over the highways. Many of these shipments require transfer between modes. Programs that increase the security of highway infrastructure and intermodal transfer points are required to maintain the security and safety of these movements. Additionally, large volumes of hazmat are moved by pipelines out of the view of most Americans.

These hazardous materials shipments frequently move through densely populated or sensitive areas where an incident could result in loss of life, serious injury, or significant environmental damage. Our communities, particularly the public and workers engaged in hazardous materials commerce, count on the safe and secure transport of these shipments.

With Congress’ active assistance and direction, much progress has been made since 9/11 to improve the security of our transportation systems. Congress confirmed PHMSA’s role in the Homeland Security Act of 2002, when it amended Federal law to clarify the agency’s responsibility for the “safety, including security,” of hazardous materials transportation.

In 2003, we amended the Hazardous Materials Regulations to require shippers and carriers of certain hazardous materials to develop and implement security plans. The regulations established a general baseline for the development and scope of plans, rather than a prescriptive list of specific security measures. Each security plan must include an individualized risk assessment and, at a minimum, address personnel security, unauthorized access, and en route security risks. Plans must be appropriate to the company’s individual circumstances, considering the types and amounts of hazardous materials shipped or transported and the modes used for transportation. The regulation establishes a meaningful performance standard for security planning, while providing shippers and carriers with the flexibility necessary to develop security measures addressing their individual circumstances and operational environments.

DOT regulated pipeline operators are subject to different security planning standards, also requiring the development of site-specific security plans. Most pipeline operators follow a set of consensus guidelines that were jointly developed by PHMSA, pipeline operators, and State pipeline safety agencies following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The security requirements governing operators of liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities predate 9/11 and are enforced, along with our other LNG safety standards, by PHMSA and our State partners.

As the Committee is aware, PHMSA also has been actively involved in government-wide security planning and coordination efforts led by DHS. In accordance Homeland Security Presidential Directives and Executive Orders, we regularly provide technical expertise and consultation on security initiatives with DOT partners in the areas of pipeline operations and hazardous materials transportation. We contributed to the recently-completed National Infrastructure Protection Plan and participate in the Government Coordinating Councils for the Rail, Highway, Chemical and Pipeline sectors.

Most recently, PHMSA and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have established a joint working group to improve interagency coordination on transportation security and safety matters, and to develop and advance plans for improving transportation security. As you know, PHMSA and TSA signed an Annex to the Departmental Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) executed by DOT and DHS. The Annex recognizes TSA’s lead role in transportation security and reflects the agencies’ shared commitment to a systems risk-based approach and to the development of practical solutions, recognizing that each agency brings core competencies, legal authority, resources, and expertise to this shared mission.

In entering into the Annex, PHMSA and TSA pledge to build on and not duplicate the various security initiatives and efforts already underway. At the same time, we thought it was important to outline the key program elements and approaches necessary to effective Federal action and to use that framework to identify specific areas for improvement.

Enhancing security requires that we start with the data – understanding the problem and identifying any gaps in existing solutions, including gaps in understanding the risks and consequences of incidents. PHMSA’s technical staff has knowledge about hazardous materials and transportation systems that can and should be brought to bear in the Federal effort to enhance security.

The joint agency working group established under the PHMSA-TSA MOU Annex is looking at ways to leverage the information that each agency possesses and collects. We are doing this in order to enhance our understanding of all risks connected with hazardous materials transportation and to bring that information to bear on an ongoing basis in all elements of our safety and security programs.

Under Executive Order 13416 and as delineated in the Annex, PHMSA and TSA are looking for ways to improve standards, recognizing that solutions need to be tailored to risks and transportation needs, both of which will change over time. Enhancing transportation security does not necessarily mean that we must impose regulatory requirements. We must be open to the range of possible solutions, driven by information about systems risks and security gaps.

Where it is appropriate to impose new standards, close coordination and consultation between the agencies – and active outreach with stakeholders – will help to ensure effective results. Better communication and outreach with affected stakeholders are important elements of the approach to enhancing transportation security reflected in the MOU Annex.

Inspection and enforcement also present opportunities for improvement. PHMSA and TSA are looking for ways to maximize the use of Federal resources by cooperating in these efforts.

Research and development are important parts of a coordinated Federal strategy. Our joint agency working group will put in place measures to ensure that we are making the best use of Federal resources by sharing research results and collaborating in the development of future projects.

Working with our DOT colleagues and TSA, we continue to consider ways to enhance the transportation security of hazardous materials. Last month, PHMSA and FRA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), proposing to revise current requirements applicable to the safe and secure transportation of hazardous materials by rail. Specifically, we are proposing to require rail carriers to compile annual data on specified shipments of hazardous materials, use the data to analyze safety and security risks along rail routes, assess alternative routing options, and make routing decisions based on those assessments.

The same notice proposes clarifications of the current security plan requirements to address enroute storage, delays in transit, delivery notification, and additional security inspection requirements for hazardous materials shipments. We have planned two meetings in early February, one here in Washington and one in Dallas, to solicit public input on the rail security proposals.

In consultation with the other DOT operating administrations and TSA, we also are taking a close look at the scope of our hazmat security plan requirements. In the three years since the requirements went into effect, we have gained experience evaluating security risks associated with specific hazardous materials and transportation environments and identifying appropriate measures to address those risks. In response to two industry petitions for rulemaking, PHMSA recently initiated a project to reconsider and refine the list of hazardous materials for which security plans are currently required. The industry petitioners asked PHMSA to amend the security plan regulations to create a distinction between hazardous materials that present a significant security risk while in transportation and the vast majority of hazardous materials that pose minimal security risks in transportation. To this end, we have initiated a rulemaking project, in cooperation with the DOT operating administrations and TSA; we published an ANPRM on September 21, 2006, and hosted a public meeting on November 30. We expect to issue a proposal by early summer of 2007.

As we refine our understanding of system risks, we’ve also taken a careful look at how we regulate access to PHMSA’s National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS). The NPMS is a comprehensive database including geospatial and other information about all PHMSA-regulated liquid and natural gas pipelines and their relationship to populated and unusually sensitive environmental areas. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, we pulled the NPMS from the agency’s website and restricted public access out of concern that information in the system could be used in planning or targeting a terrorist attack. In the meantime, we have taken a careful look at the nature and quality of publicly available information about pipeline facilities and the safety and security implications of providing public access. We have discussed the issues with DHS and all pipeline stakeholders, safety advocates, and security experts, and we have developed an approach that we believe will minimize risk, while satisfying legitimate public right-to-know concerns.

I would like to mention that in the coming months, PHMSA will be rolling out changes to its NPMS website that will permit members of the public to access certain maps and data on a county-by-county basis. The level of detail accessible to the public will make the site useful for emergency response and local planning efforts, helping communities manage risks of development and other human activities near existing pipelines.

Our decision to restore public access to NPMS data illustrates how a data-driven, systems risk-based approach improves risk mitigation. From a systems risk perspective, public access to information is desirable, because it facilitates environmental protection, emergency response, and safety-conscious land use planning. Further, this determination may pave the way for making NPMS data available in efforts to reduce other transportation risks. As we move ahead on the rail routing rulemaking, for instance, we will consider whether access to NPMS data concerning environmentally sensitive areas may be useful in making safety and security conscious rail routing decisions.

With Congress’ support, a systems risk-based approach will be carried forward through the Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program, now in its first year of program management by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies. Four initial research projects recently cleared the selection process. They are: (1) Hazmat Commodity Flow Guidance to States and Localities; (2) Enhanced Incident Data Quality for Root Cause Analysis; (3) Assessing Hazmat Emergency Response Capabilities; and (4) Emerging Technologies Applicable to Hazmat Transportation Safety and Security. PHMSA is closely monitoring the progress of that research.

Finally, like Congress, we are focused on improving the ability of States and local governments to prepare for and respond to hazardous materials incidents, whatever their cause. PHMSA is proud of its partnerships with the National Association of State Fire Marshals, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and the International Association of Fire Fighters. Each organization has assisted in capability building across the country.

At the end of this month, PHMSA and the National Association of State Fire Marshals will co-sponsor another meeting of emergency responders, hazardous materials industry representatives, and pipeline operators. This joint effort covers a variety of initiatives intended to strengthen response capabilities and preparedness, including a recent PHMSA Advisory Bulletin on the appropriate response to ethanol spills and plans for the 2008 edition of the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG). PHMSA publishes and distributes the ERG free of charge to the nation’s first responder community. For years, the ERG has been an important resource for first responders, providing critical guidance during the initial phase of a hazardous materials incident. For the first time, the 2008 ERG will be expanded to include a response section applicable to pipeline incidents.

Like Secretary Peters, PHMSA takes very seriously our responsibility to ensure the safe and secure movement of hazardous materials across our transportation system. Although we recognize that there is always room for improvement, we believe that we have a strong regulatory framework in place for hazardous materials transportation security. Together with DHS, we seek to achieve the highest level of safety and security possible, while at the same time, minimizing the burden and associated cost.

We look forward to working with the Members of this Committee, the Congress and our stakeholders as we embark on a serious and open discussion with all interested parties to further enhance the safe and secure transportation of hazardous materials.

Mr. Chairman, I commend you and the members of this Committee for your leadership on this very important topic. Thank you again for this opportunity today. I am happy to take your questions.

Chairman Inouye, Vice-Chairman Stevens, and other members of the Committee, I am pleased to be here today to testify, on behalf of the Secretary of Transportation, about the security of our Nation's passenger and freight railroad network and the efforts that the Department of Transportation (DOT) is making to enhance rail safety and security. The Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) primary mission is to promote the safety of the U.S. railroad industry and to reduce the number and severity of accidents and incidents arising from railroad operations. Our railroad safety mission necessarily includes our involvement in railroad security issues. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have primary responsibility for transportation security, with FRA providing support in the railroad sector. FRA works closely with TSA and the railroad industry on a daily basis in addressing railroad security and safety issues, participates in the Government Coordinating Council for Rail, and contributed its expertise to the National Strategy for Transportation Security and the National Infrastructure Protection Plan.

My testimony today will provide some background on FRA’s railroad safety program, describe the role that FRA plays in railroad security, and discuss railroad safety and security initiatives. We stand ready to work with the Committee in furthering the safety and security of our Nation’s railroad network.

The U.S. railroad network is a vital link in the Nation’s transportation system and is critical to the economy, national defense, and public health. Passenger and freight railroads operate over 170,000 route miles of track and employ over 232,000 workers. The rail system is diverse and expansive. Security risks are inherent in its supporting infrastructure, as well as in the people and products moving through it. Most of the larger railroads have their own police force, and they are supplemented by State and local law enforcement.

Amtrak, the Alaska Railroad Corporation, and commuter railroads provide passenger rail service to more than 500 million passengers yearly. Passenger operators face many challenges in their efforts to provide a secure public transportation environment. By definition, the systems are open, providing numerous points of access and egress leading to high passenger turnover and making them difficult to monitor effectively. Amtrak, for example, operates as many as 300 trains per day serving over 500 stations in 46 States, and Amtrak trains use tracks owned by freight railroads except for operations in the Northeast Corridor and in Michigan.

Privately-owned freight railroads connect industries and businesses with each other across the country and with markets overseas, moving 42 percent of all intercity freight, measured in ton-miles, including 67 percent of the coal used by electric utilities to produce power, and chemicals used in manufacturing and water purification. Seven Class I railroads haul over 90 percent of the rail cargo in the U.S., with the remaining 10 percent being transported by 30 regional railroads and over 500 local railroads. Typically railroads move about 1.7 to 1.8 million carloads of hazardous materials (hazmat) yearly, with roughly 105,000 of these carloads being toxic inhalation hazard (TIH) materials, such as chlorine and anhydrous ammonia. Over 64 percent of TIH materials are currently transported by rail. The railroads have an outstanding record in moving all goods safely. The vast majority of hazardous materials shipped by rail every year arrive safely and without incident, and train accidents involving a release of hazardous materials that causes death are infrequent and rare, even while rail traffic volumes have increased steadily. As discussed below, DOT has an aggressive and comprehensive action plan to address the root causes of hazmat accidents, to examine and improve the integrity of rail tank cars used to transport hazmat, and to improve the railroads’ hazmat security plans. In addition, DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) annually provides grant funds to States and Indian tribes to assist in the development, improvement, and implementation of hazmat emergency response plans, and to train emergency responders to respond to hazmat accidents and incidents; details on this program are contained in PHMSA’s Web site (hazmat.dot.gov).

FRA is the DOT agency charged with carrying out the Federal railroad safety laws. The laws provide FRA, as the Secretary’s delegate, with very broad authority over every area of railroad safety. In exercising that authority, the agency has issued and enforces a wide range of railroad safety regulations. Several of FRA’s rules have been developed with specific consideration of security concerns. For example, FRA’s January 2002 final rule barring most extraterritorial dispatching of U.S. railroad operations is based in part on the agency’s concerns about the security of foreign dispatching facilities. Similarly, FRA’s rule on passenger train emergency preparedness, discussed more fully below, requires carriers to prepare plans that deal with criminal as well as accidental events. While most of FRA’s rules are focused on the safety of railroad operations and not explicitly based on security concerns, they also necessarily have some bearing on security. For example, a railroad inspector performing an inspection required by an FRA safety regulation could potentially uncover a hazardous condition that was intentionally caused by terrorist activity. Similarly, Federal passenger and freight equipment standards are intended to ensure that the equipment can withstand forces of derailments and collisions, whether caused by accidents or deliberate acts, thereby helping to protect passengers, employees, and surrounding communities.

In addition, FRA enforces in the rail mode of transportation the Hazardous Materials Regulations, which are promulgated by PHMSA. These regulations include requirements that railroads and other transporters of hazmat, as well as shippers, have and adhere to security plans and also train their employees involved in offering, accepting, or transporting hazmat on both safety and security matters, as discussed more fully below.

To address the key safety issues facing the railroad industry, in May 2005, DOT and FRA launched an aggressive and ambitious National Rail Safety Action Plan with the following strategy:

· Target the most frequent, highest-risk causes of accidents;

· Focus FRA’s oversight and inspection resources more precisely; and

· Accelerate research efforts that have the potential to mitigate the largest risks.

FRA’s plan includes initiatives in several areas: reducing human factor-caused train accidents, the largest category of train accidents; acting to address the serious problem of fatigue among railroad operating employees; improving track safety; improving emergency preparedness and enhancing hazmat safety, including evaluating and improving the integrity of tank cars used to transport hazmat; and improving highway-rail grade crossing safety. One of the primary elements of the Action Plan is the implementation of a National Inspection Plan, which uses sophisticated trend analysis to ensure that FRA is properly allocating its inspectors so that they are directing their efforts on areas of greatest safety concern. A summary of the steps FRA has taken in implementing the Action Plan is attached to my statement.

Though the Action Plan is focused on rail safety, rail security will also be improved. In particular, enhancements to hazmat safety and emergency preparedness will result in enhancements to rail security.

FRA’s involvement in railroad security predates the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. From October 1995 (when a deliberate act of vandalism caused a fatal Amtrak derailment near Hyder, Arizona) through March 2006 (when the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 was enacted), FRA helped develop and worked with Congress to secure the enactment of Federal criminal legislation to deter and punish more effectively terrorist attacks against railroads and mass transportation systems. Additionally, in 1998 FRA issued a regulation requiring passenger railroads to prepare, and secure FRA approval of, plans to address emergencies, including security threats, to train employees on the plan, and to conduct emergency simulation drills, as noted above and discussed more fully below. FRA will be exploring leveraging the National Labor College, George Meany Training Campus, to assist in providing security awareness training for railroad employees who are not receiving security training under FRA’s emergency preparedness regulation or PHMSA’s security regulation.

Since the September 11^th terrorist atrocities, FRA has been actively engaged in the railroad industry’s response to the terrorist threat. The railroads have developed their own security plans, and FRA has worked with the railroads, rail labor, and law enforcement personnel to develop the Railway Alert Network, which permits timely distribution of information and intelligence on security issues. Working with DOT’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA), we have participated in security risk assessments on commuter railroads, and we have conducted security risk assessments of Amtrak as well. FRA’s security director works on a daily basis with government agencies and the railroad industry to facilitate communications on security issues, and also participates in security training, reviews security plans, and performs other activities to promote rail security. For example, FRA intends to conduct at least 15 security training sessions for rail labor organizations in 2007, as well as four sessions at the FBI Academy on railroad security and emergency response for law enforcement personnel.

In September 2004, DOT and DHS entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) concerning their respective roles on security issues. The MOU notes that DHS has primary responsibility for security in all modes of transportation but also recognizes that DOT has responsibilities in the area of transportation security. The MOU reflects the agencies’ shared commitment to a systems risk-based approach and to development of practical solutions, recognizing that each agency brings core competencies, legal authorities, resources, and expertise to the railroad mission. The MOU requires early coordination between the parties on the development of regulations affecting security. Separate annexes have been signed concerning the implementation of the Homeland Security Council’s recommendations concerning TIH materials, and concerning the coordination between FRA and TSA, FTA and TSA, and PHMSA and TSA on security matters.

The FRA-TSA annex provides for close cooperation between the two agencies on railroad security regulations, legislation, research and development, inspection activities, and response to threats to railroad security in order to maximize passenger and freight railroad security while minimizing disruptions to railroad operations to the extent practicable. The agreement provides that if an FRA inspector observes a significant security issue, the information will be provided to TSA and the railroad; similarly, if a TSA inspector observes a significant rail safety issue, the information will be provided to FRA and the railroad. FRA has one full-time employee addressing rail security matters, and all of our 71 hazmat inspectors and specialists, along with 17 State inspectors, devote a portion of their time to reviewing railroad and shipper security plans for compliance with PHMSA’s security regulations discussed below.

Railroads have voluntarily developed and adopted security plans based on comprehensive risk analyses, and the national intelligence community’s best practices, that address the security of not only hazmat but of freight in general. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has established guidance for the major freight railroads in the form of a model strategic security plan. The railroad industry has also developed a detailed protocol (AAR Circular OT-55-I) on recommended railroad operating practices for transportation of high-risk hazardous materials (including TIH). FRA, PHMSA, and TSA have jointly worked with the railroad industry to build upon the railroads’ security efforts through vulnerability assessments, development of voluntary security action items, and rulemakings. Additionally, FRA has arranged a conference to permit railroads and chemical shippers to discuss routing options for the movement of TIH materials, as explained more fully below.

A special focus for FRA and DOT, collectively, is the security of hazmat transported by rail. A major initiative has been PHMSA’s March 2003 regulation requiring each shipper and carrier of significant quantities (placardable amounts) of hazmat to adopt and comply with a security plan. See 49 CFR § 172.800 et seq. Under the PHMSA regulation, security plans must include an assessment of security risks and appropriate countermeasures or mitigation strategies, or both, to address those risks. The plans must, at a minimum, address three specific areas: the security of company personnel; unauthorized access to company property; and the security of hazmat shipped or transported by the company from its origin to its destination. To assist railroads that transport hazmat and shippers that offer hazmat for transportation by rail to comply with this regulation, particularly small- and medium-sized companies, PHMSA developed a program on how to write and implement security plans for their companies.

FRA recognizes that railroad and shipper employees’ awareness and understanding of the PHMSA regulation and procedures governing the safe and secure transportation of hazmat shipments are critical. Therefore, PHMSA’s regulation provides for safety and security training for employees engaged in the transportation of hazmat. Specifically, each shipper and carrier of significant quantities of hazmat is also required to conduct two types of security training for its employees: security awareness training that provides an awareness of risks associated with hazmat transportation and methods designed to enhance hazmat transportation security, and in-depth security training concerning the company’s security plan and its implementation. These training requirements are also recurrent; employees must receive the required training at least every three years. To date, FRA personnel have reviewed more than 6,105 security plans (including plans for shippers by rail and the plans for all Class I freight railroad carriers) and conducted 4,054 inspections for compliance with the security training requirements. Moreover, FRA’s security director is currently working with the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association to provide hazmat security training and conduct security reviews at approximately 125 short line railroads in 2007.

In April 2004, DHS and DOT took specific actions to improve the security of rail shipments of TIH materials. As part of this initiative, DHS and DOT, in cooperation with the railroads, are assessing the vulnerabilities of High Threat Urban Areas (HTUAs) through which TIH materials move by rail in significant quantity. These assessments helped result in the railroads agreeing to voluntarily implement 27 Security Action Items designed to improve the security of rail movements of TIH materials. The Action Items address system security and access control (i.e., practices affecting the security of railroads and their property), as well as en-route security (the actual movement and handling of railcars containing TIH materials), particularly in HTUAs. Full implementation of the Action Items is expected to raise the security baseline for the transportation of TIH materials. Implementation of the first 24 Action Items had begun when they were announced in June 2006, and implementation of the remaining 3 Action Items dealing with HTUAs had also been initiated when they were announced on November 21, 2006.

In August 2004, DOT and TSA published a notice and request for comments in the Federal Register asking for input on aspects of TIH rail shipments, the DOT security program requirement, and the need for additional regulation. Following review and consideration of the comments received, PHMSA, in consultation with FRA and TSA, published a notice of proposed rulemaking on December 21, 2006, to revise current requirements for the safe and secure rail transportation of hazmat. See 71 FR 76833. Likewise, TSA concurrently proposed enhancements to rail security requirements. See 71 FR 76852. Specifically, PHMSA’s proposal would require railroads to—

· compile annual data on specified hazmat rail shipments;

· use the data annually to analyze safety and security risks along rail transportation routes where those materials are transported and one possible alternative to each route;

· utilize the analyses in selecting the safest and most secure commercially practicable routes the carrier is authorized to operate over in transporting these materials;

· address the security risks associated with shipments delayed in transit or temporarily stored in transit as part of their security plans;

· notify consignees if there is a significant unplanned delay affecting the delivery of certain types of hazardous material;

· work with shippers and consignees to minimize the time a rail car containing certain types of hazardous materials is placed on track awaiting pick-up or delivery or transfer from one carrier to another;

· notify storage facilities and consignees when rail cars containing certain types of hazardous materials are delivered to a storage or consignee facility; and

· conduct security visual inspections at ground level of rail cars containing hazardous materials to inspect for signs of tampering or the introduction of an improvised explosive device (IED).

PHMSA and FRA will hold two public meetings, one on February 1, 2007, in Washington, D.C., and the second on February 9, 2007, in Dallas, Texas, to obtain oral comments on the proposed requirements.

DHS has provided funding to the Railroad Research Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to sustaining a safe and productive railroad industry, to develop a Web-based tool to calculate rail route specific hazmat risks, and assist in route selection decisions. This tool would be available to rail carriers in performing route analysis, and to DOT, TSA, and government emergency planners.

In late 2005, FRA granted a request by the AAR and the American Chemistry Council to convene a section 333 conference to discuss ways to minimize security and safety risks flowing from the transportation by rail of TIH materials. Section 333 of title 49 of the United States Code authorizes the FRA Administrator, as delegate of the Secretary of Transportation, to convene conferences at the request of one or more railroads to address coordination of operations and facilities of rail carriers in order to achieve a more efficient, economical, and viable rail system. Persons attending a section 333 conference are immune from antitrust liability for any discussions at the conference, and can also receive immunity for any resulting agreements that receive FRA approval. The conference has been carefully structured to minimize antitrust concerns involving the chemical manufacturers and shippers. The conference provides the railroads and chemical manufacturers and shippers with the opportunity to meet and discuss approaches to reduce the amount of TIH materials moved by rail, and to enhance the safety and security of TIH materials that are moved. FRA, PHMSA, and representatives from the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, TSA, and the Surface Transportation Board (STB) are participating in these discussions. The initial efforts of the conference are focused on chlorine and anhydrous ammonia rail transport because they represent over 80 percent of all TIH rail shipments. FRA has met with the rail carriers to discuss modeling and routing options. Further meetings with the rail carriers, as well as separate meetings with the chlorine and anhydrous ammonia shippers, are planned for early this year. In some instances, the projects agreed to at the conference may need the approval of the STB in order to be implemented.

While we must remain ever vigilant to secure hazmat shipments on our Nation’s railroads, for the sake of railroad employees and the public whom we all serve, it bears emphasizing that the vast majority of hazmat shipments arrive at their destinations safely. Considering just chlorine, for example, since 1965 (the earliest data available) there have been at least 2.2 million tank car shipments of chlorine–only 788 of which were involved in accidents (0.036 percent of all the shipments). Of those accidents, there were 11 instances of a catastrophic loss (i.e., a loss of all, or nearly all) of the chlorine lading (0.0005 percent of all the shipments). Of the 11 catastrophic losses, four resulted in fatalities (0.00018 percent of all the shipments). For all hazardous materials, in the 12 years from 1994 through 2005, hazardous materials released in railroad accidents resulted in a total of 14 fatalities. While one death is obviously too many, the record of transporting these commodities is very good, and we believe the initiatives underway will further improve upon that record.

As discussed earlier, in the area of passenger railroad security, FRA requires each railroad that operates intercity or commuter passenger train service or that hosts the operation of such service to adopt and comply with a written emergency preparedness plan approved by FRA. See 49 CFR Part 239. The regulation makes clear that an “emergency” includes a security-related situation. Each plan must address employee training and qualification, and provide for both initial and recurrent training. Additionally, each railroad must establish and maintain a working relationship with emergency responders on its line by taking measures such as developing and making available a training program on the plan and inviting the emergency responders to participate in emergency simulations. The regulation requires railroads providing passenger service to periodically conduct full-scale passenger train emergency simulations (with actual equipment and simulated victims) and conduct a debriefing and critique session after actual or simulated passenger train emergency situations. FRA will continue monitoring passenger railroads for compliance with this regulation and attend each full-scale simulation and follow-up review session, such as one scheduled by the Long Island Rail Road for March with the New York City Fire Department.

In 2003, under the auspices of FRA’s Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC), FRA initiated a review of existing passenger train safety needs and programs for the purpose of developing any necessary recommendations on actions to advance the safety of passenger rail service. The RSAC is a forum for developing recommendations to FRA on rulemakings and other safety program issues, and it includes representatives from all of the rail industry’s major groups, State representatives, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and other stakeholders. As part of this effort, the Passenger Safety Working Group was established, as well as four smaller task forces, notably the Emergency Preparedness Task Force. The Emergency Preparedness Task Force is specifically devoted to consideration of passenger train emergency preparedness issues, and includes representatives from railroads, rail labor organizations, the NTSB, FTA, and TSA. Its efforts helped lead to the issuance of proposed enhancements and additions to FRA’s regulations for passenger train emergency systems (emergency systems NPRM). See 71 FR 50276; August 24, 2006.

Emergency communication is one of the main focuses of the emergency systems NPRM. Under the proposal, all existing passenger cars would be required to be equipped with a public address system by 2012 that provides a means for a crewmember to communicate to all train passengers in an emergency situation, and all new passenger cars would be required to be equipped with an intercom system that provides a means for passengers and crewmembers to communicate with each other in an emergency situation. An intercom system could be vital in enabling a passenger to quickly alert a crewmember of a security threat, and the crewmember in turn could contact the appropriate authorities to obtain emergency assistance and use the train’s public address system to provide any necessary direction to passengers. The proposed rulemaking would also promote passenger and employee safety in an emergency situation—whether resulting from an accidental or an intentional act—by enhancing requirements for emergency window exits in passenger cars and mandating that all passenger cars, including existing cars, have rescue windows for emergency responder access. FRA is in the process of preparing the final rule, which is expected to be issued by the middle of this year. Moreover, a separate regulatory proposal is also in development within the Emergency Preparedness Task Force, focusing on passenger car emergency signage, low-location exit path marking, and emergency lighting. The proposal will be based on American Public Transportation Association (APTA) standards for passenger safety, will augment current Federal requirements, and is expected to be published by the end of 2007.

Complementing FRA’s regulations, Amtrak and commuter railroads have instituted their own security plans and conduct security training. FRA assisted Amtrak in the development of its security plan. Specifically, in coordination with Amtrak’s Inspector General, FRA contracted with the RAND Corporation to conduct a systematic review and assessment of Amtrak’s security posture, corporate strategic security planning, and programs focusing on the adequacy of preparedness for combating terrorist threats. FRA’s security director is currently working with Amtrak to implement the recommendations of the RAND study. APTA is also leading commuter railroads in the development of voluntary industry standards for passenger rail safety and security.

FRA inspectors have conducted basic security reviews of Amtrak and commuter railroad security both after the 2004 train bombings in Madrid and after the 2005 transit bombings in London. In both cases, FRA inspectors were deployed immediately after the bombings to assess the security posture of passenger railroad facilities based on a checklist of major security criteria. In the aftermath of the London bombings, FRA worked closely on these security reviews with TSA’s new rail security inspectors. TSA focused primarily on urban rapid transit lines, while FRA inspectors concentrated on commuter and intercity passenger operations; in some situations, inspectors from the two agencies worked jointly. FRA will continue to support TSA in responding to rail security threats.

In partnership with FTA, FRA also participated in security risk assessments on the ten largest commuter railroads and contributed the funding for security risk assessments on three of these railroads. In addition, FRA participated in FTA’s “best practices tool kit” initiative, contributing our knowledge of commuter rail operations, infrastructure, and organization to ensure that the recommended security enhancement measures were sound and feasible in a railroad environment. FRA staff worked closely with many of the railroads that receive FTA grant funding, to plan and assist in the development and implementation of security simulations and drills. FRA also devoted staff with both railroad knowledge and facilitation skills to the 17 FTA-sponsored workshops across the country (called “Connecting Communities”) to bring together commuter railroads, emergency responders, and State and local government leaders so that they might better coordinate their security plans and emergency response efforts.

FRA conducts and supports research, development, and demonstration projects related to rail safety and rail security through its Office of Research and Development, in cooperation with DHS. Both theoretical and applied research on a wide range of issues has led to impressive results and tangible technology and process improvements.

A recent example of the application of FRA’s research efforts to both rail safety and security is the Passenger Rail Vehicle Emergency Evacuation Simulator, or “Rollover Rig.” This device, which began operation in 2006, can rotate a full-sized commuter rail car up to 180 degrees to simulate passenger train derailment scenarios. The Rollover Rig is already enhancing the ability of researchers to test strategies for evacuating passenger rail cars and to evaluate the performance of emergency systems in the cars, such as emergency lighting, doors, and windows. In addition, first responders nationwide now have a unique training tool to practice effective passenger rail rescue techniques safely when a rail car is on its side. FRA developed the Rollover Rig at a cost of $450,000. New Jersey Transit Rail Operations donated the commuter rail car used by the Rollover Rig, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority agreed to house, operate, and maintain the simulator at its emergency response training facility located in Landover, Maryland.

We also continue to look for ways to improve tank car survivability, to reduce the likelihood that a tank car may be breached either by accident or by intentional act. PHMSA’s and FRA’s efforts to improve tank car survivability have a long and effective history. Working with the industry, all tank cars carrying hazardous materials now have top and bottom shelf couplers, and, as appropriate, tank cars are equipped with head shields, thermal protection, and skid protection for protruding bottom outlets. Tank cars carrying specific product groups, such as TIH and other particularly hazardous substances, are subject to additional requirements which became fully effective July 1, 2006, after a 10-year phase-in period.

Prior to the August 2005 enactment of Section 9005 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), FRA had initiated tank car structural integrity research stemming from the circumstances of the 2002 derailment in Minot, North Dakota, involving the release of anhydrous ammonia from a tank car punctured during the derailment. Current research involves a three-step process to assess the effects of various types of train accidents (e.g., a derailment or collision) on a tank car. The first phase is development of a physics-based model to analyze the kinematics of rail cars in a derailment. The second phase is development of a valid dynamic structural analysis model; and the third phase is an assessment of the damage created by a puncture and entails the application of fracture mechanics testing and analysis methods. DOT’s Volpe National Transportation Systems Center is doing the modeling work now, and FRA will dovetail this ongoing research with the requirements of Section 9005. FRA, in conjunction with PHMSA, hopes to develop new hazardous material tank car safety standards in 2008, and we are currently consulting with railroads, shippers, and car manufacturers and have solicited pubic comments to assist us in this effort. In this connection, FRA just signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Dow Chemical Company, Union Pacific Railroad, and the Union Tank Car Company to participate in their Next Generation Rail Tank Car Project and advance rail tank car safety.

Further, in September 2006, FRA awarded $200,000 to test sample tank car panels with various coatings to determine their ability to prevent penetration from small arms fire, as well as their ability to self-seal and, thereby, mitigate the severity of any incident. FRA developed the project in coordination with the AAR and DHS, which came up with the idea of applying to tank cars a protective coating like that used to enhance the armor protection of military vehicles in Iraq.

FRA has other research and development projects underway related to rail security which we would be happy to discuss with Committee staff.

FRA will continue to support TSA in carrying out its security responsibilities, and work with the rail industry to secure the Nation’s freight and passenger railroad network. Together, DOT, TSA, and the rail industry are helping to ensure that security initiatives and programs are directed at potential threats to the Nation’s railroad network and that rail employees and others responsible for its security are prepared to identify and address such threats.

Attachment

§ In response to various rail safety concerns, including some recent major train accidents, such as Graniteville, SC, and the lack of substantial improvement in the train accident rate in recent years, Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta launched the National Rail Safety Action Plan in May 2005. FRA has made real and substantial progress in bringing its aggressive and ambitious National Rail Safety Action Plan to fruition.

§ To reduce the number of train accidents caused by human factors (the largest category of train accidents), FRA—

* Issued a proposed Federal rule in October 2006 that would address top causes of human factor train accidents (such as failing to return a track switch to its proper position, which led to the Graniteville accident). The final rule is expected to be issued in mid-2007.

* Implemented an ongoing research program to identify human performance problems. Railroads, their employees, and FRA are entering into agreements that permit the employees to report unsafe events that do not result in a reportable accident but could have done so, without the fear of discipline.

* Made available to railroads and their employees a fatigue model that can assist them in developing crew scheduling practices based on the best current science.

* Approved the first positive train control system capable of automatically controlling train speed and movements to prevent train collisions and other accidents–the system will be installed on many BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) rail lines.

* Completed a pilot project, in partnership with BNSF, to develop a low-cost system that electronically monitors, detects, and reports a misaligned switch on mainline track located in non-signaled track territory. BNSF plans expansion of this and other similar systems on other non-signaled lines of their company.

§ To help prevent track-caused train accidents (the second-leading category), FRA—

* Developed an automated track inspection system that uses high-resolution video to detect cracks in joint bars and that can be deployed on a hi-rail vehicle to detect visible cracks in joint bars without having to stop the vehicle. Testing showed that the high-resolution video system detected visual cracks that were missed by the traditional visual inspections. The system was demonstrated to the railroads during summer and fall of 2006.

* Issued a final rule requiring track owners to develop and implement a procedure for the detailed inspection of rail joints in continuous welded rail track.

* Contracted for the construction of two automated track inspection vehicles, to be delivered in February and March, which will bring FRA’s fleet to five, allowing FRA to inspect nearly 100,000 track-miles each year, which triples the present capacity. This additional capability will permit FRA to inspect more miles of major hazardous material (hazmat) and passenger routes, while also having the ability to follow up more quickly on routes where safety performance is substandard.

§ To improve hazmat safety and emergency response capability, FRA improved emergency responders’ timely access to hazmat information. As discussed in FRA’s testimony today, FRA also accelerated its tank car structural research, hopes to issue new tank car performance standards in 2008, and has issued an NPRM on passenger train emergency systems.

§ To strengthen FRA’s rail safety inspection and enforcement program, FRA has made better use of data to direct FRA safety inspectors and other resources to where problems are likely to arise. FRA’s new National Inspection Plan was fully implemented for all FRA safety disciplines in March 2006, and further training will be provided to FRA safety personnel on how to best use the data during the scheduled national technical conferences this year.

§ To foster further improvements in highway-rail grade crossing safety, FRA—

* Built partnerships with State and local agencies by issuing, in May 2005, and extensively distributing a safety advisory describing the roles of the Federal and State governments and of the railroads in crossing safety. The advisory also reminds railroads of their responsibilities in relation to crossing accident reporting and investigation and offers assistance to local authorities in the investigation of crossing collisions where information or expertise within FRA control is required to complete the investigation.

* Aided the State of Louisiana in developing a crossing safety action plan. This State has consistently ranked among the top five with the highest number of crossing collisions and fatalities. The State approved the plan in April 2006.

* Launched an ongoing public safety inquiry into safety at private crossings.

§ We would be glad to provide the Committee with additional information on the current status of FRA’s implementation of the National Rail Safety Action Plan.

Chairman Inouye, Vice-Chairman Stevens, and Senators of the Committee, thank you for inviting me today to discuss the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) role in contributing to the security of truck and bus transportation on our highways. I am pleased to appear before you to describe FMCSA’s outreach, education, research, enforcement and compliance programs that help improve our homeland security.

Mr. Chairman, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was created in 1999 with the mission of improving the safety of truck and buses operating on our Nation’s roads. Safety remains the primary mission of our Agency - the primary function of our regulations and our programs. FMCSA also plays a role in the security of the truck and bus industries due to our familiarity with, and oversight of these industries and the close and sometimes overlapping relationship between safety and security. The proposed legislation touches directly on one of the areas where security concerns directly impact our existing regulations – the routing of hazardous materials.

Following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, FMCSA recognized immediately the risk of terrorism associated with the transportation of hazardous materials. Within a month, the agency, with our State partners, began visiting all motor carriers that transport hazardous materials to ensure they were aware of their potential vulnerability and discuss basic security measures. We felt these measures critical as many of the companies in the trucking industry are small carriers with only a few trucks and lacking the resources to employ full-time security staff. In seven months, State and FMCSA staff conducted over 30,000 Security Sensitivity Visits on hazardous materials carriers.

FMCSA also began to take other steps to raise awareness about the security risks posed by the transportation of hazardous materials, and indeed the potential for terrorists to use the vehicles we regulate, trucks and buses, as pawns in their plans to inflict terror on our country. Despite the strictly safety mission given to the agency by the Congress, these measures were deemed justified and indeed critical, particularly before the creation of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and in the early days of that organization when they were rightly focused on aviation security.

Among the steps FMCSA took was an outreach campaign aimed at raising security awareness in the trucking industry and outreach to the law enforcement community to make them aware of the potential use of trucks, particularly those transporting hazardous materials, as weapons of terrorism. To complement these outreach efforts, we created a training course called “Trucks n’ Terrorism” to make law enforcement officials aware of indicators that should raise suspicions regarding the legitimacy of truck transportation. The agency also worked with the motorcoach industry to address security issues involving transportation of people including conducting a vulnerability assessment of the motorcoach industry and training to raise the security awareness of motor coach drivers and company officials.

Additionally, FMCSA began a significant effort to test technologies that had the potential to improve security, particularly in regard to the transportation of hazardous materials. Many of these technologies such as satellite tracking of vehicles and emergency communication devices were already in use as tools to improve safety or efficiency. FMCSA’s Hazardous Materials Field Operational Test demonstrated how these technologies could also be used to improve security and quantified the costs and benefits of these technologies. The Hazardous Materials Field Operational Test also piloted the concept of a public sector response system. FMCSA provided a copy of the report and its findings to the Department of Homeland Security in 2005. We are working with DHS on further development of this system.

FMCSA also worked with the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), now the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to develop regulations requiring hazardous materials carriers and shippers to develop security plans and train their employees about hazardous materials security. Following implementation of this regulation, FMCSA took steps to educate both the industry and our field staff and State partners. FMCSA worked with PHMSA, various industry associations, and the now established TSA to develop a booklet to assist hazardous materials motor carriers, particularly small businesses, in developing an effective security plan. Copies of this document were distributed to every hazardous materials carrier in the FMCSA database.

To promote enforcement of the new regulation, FMCSA developed a 16-hour training course to educate our field personnel and State partners, previously focused solely on safety issues, about basic security practices. The agency also developed procedures for checking compliance with hazardous materials security regulations in what we call a Security Contact Review. To date, FMCSA has conducted over 4,000 Security Contact Reviews and assessed over 400 civil penalties for failure to comply with the hazardous materials security regulations.

In 2004, FMCSA promulgated regulations to require carriers of certain hazardous materials to obtain a hazardous materials safety permit. This program applies to carriers that transport high explosives, high route controlled quantities of radioactive materials, materials that are toxic by inhalation hazard, and large quantities of liquefied natural gas. Currently over 1,100 motor carriers have a current hazardous materials safety permit. The program is an example of an area where security overlaps FMCSA’s safety mission. In promulgating this regulation, based primarily on safety concerns expressed in the legislation requiring this program, the agency did incorporate some basic security requirements. However, it should be made clear that while we developed a regulation that has some security requirements, it was not meant to be a comprehensive security regulation and the materials the agency chose to make applicable to this requirement were based on the legislative intent and safety considerations rather than an in-depth analysis of security risk.

Much of the security activity I have just described occurred before, or in the early days of the TSA. For the past few years, our Agency has been working with TSA to transfer the primary security responsibility for the truck and bus industries to TSA. This is not to say that we have abandoned any role in security. As recognized in Executive Order 13416, “Strengthening Surface Transportation Security” both Departments have responsibilities in the area of transportation security.

FMCSA’s primary security activities at this point involve the transportation of hazardous materials for which Congress gave the Department specific shared responsibility in the Homeland Security Act of 2002. FMCSA continues to ensure compliance with security training and security plan regulations through our Security Contact Reviews and take enforcement action for non-compliance as warranted. We have met with TSA to coordinate these visits to motor carriers with the Corporate Security Reviews conducted by TSA personnel to ensure there is not duplication of effort or unnecessary burden placed on the industry. We have also begun work to look at including security considerations in our long-standing regulations specifying procedures for States to follow when making hazardous materials routing distinctions.

Our Agency also remains involved in consulting with DHS and TSA on various issues ranging from our joint regulations for background checks for drivers holding Commercial Driver’s Licenses with hazardous materials endorsements, implementation of the REAL ID Act, to participation on panels to make decisions about security grants for motorcoach companies.

As I mentioned earlier, decisions regarding the routing of hazardous materials is one area FMCSA has identified as relating to security in addition to the safety issues that were the original impetus for the regulations. FMCSA has two sets of regulations governing the routing of hazardous materials. Standards for the routing of non-radioactive hazardous materials (NRHM) and requirements for routing of highway route-controlled quantities (HRCQ) of radioactive materials (RAM). Both parts contain sections setting out requirements States or Indian tribes must follow to establish, maintain, and enforce HM routing designations.

To establish routing designations or restrictions, a State or local government or Indian tribe must consider 13 factors such as population density, type of highway, type and quantities of HM, emergency response capabilities, exposure, terrain considerations, alternative routes, effects on commerce, delays in transportation, congestion, and accident history. FMCSA has developed guidelines for designating hazardous materials routes or preferred routes for highway route controlled radioactive materials. Currently security is not required to be a factor considered in making routing decisions and as such, security is not covered in the FMCSA guidance regarding making routing decisions. Last year, FMCSA began a study to: 1) modify existing guidance materials to State and Local governments and Indian tribes in designating routes to ensure the safe and secure transportation of HM; and 2) develop tool(s) that will assist the these entities in assessing the security vulnerabilities of current and proposed HM routes. We expect to complete the study by the fall of 2007.

Mr. Chairman, as the Nation moves to become more secure and protect our citizens from the threat posed by terrorism, it is important that we move deliberately and responsibly; to secure our transportation systems without paralyzing them. That is what FMCSA has attempted to do since the tragic events of September 11, 2001 and what we continue to endeavor to do as we support Agencies inside and outside the Department on transportation security initiatives. We look forward to working with your committee and the other agencies present at this hearing today to implement this important piece of legislation.

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION STATUS REPORT: SS07-03 HOUSTON - New supplies arrived at the International Space Station Friday night as an unpiloted Russian cargo spacecraft docked to the Pirs Docking Compartment. With more than 2.5 tons of food, fuel and supplies for the station's Expedition 14 crew, the ISS Progress 24 automatically docked to Pirs at 8:59 p.m. CST on Friday as the station flew 220 miles above the South Atlantic off the southeast coast of Uruguay. The 24th Progress to visit the station launched Wednesday night from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Unlike its predecessor, Progress 24 linked up to the station after its automated rendezvous antenna retracted as planned in the final 50 meters prior to docking. On Oct. 26 the automated navigation antenna on the Progress 23 failed to retract. Expedition 14 Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin will conduct a spacewalk in late February to manually retract and tie down the antenna before the older Progress undocks from the aft port of the Zvezda service module in early April. The crew will open the hatch to the new Progress overnight and deactivate the systems of the newly arrived craft before its cargo is unloaded over the next few weeks. Progress 24 holds 1,720 pounds of propellant for the Russian thrusters, 110 pounds of oxygen and almost 3,300 pounds of spare parts, experiment hardware and life support components. In addition to preparing for the cargo ship's arrival, the Expedition 14 crew worked this week on a variety of station maintenance tasks and science experiments. Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Suni Williams reported what they ate and drank, and collected blood and urine samples as part of an experiment know as Nutrition. The experiment looks at how the human body processes nutrients in microgravity. Lopez-Alegria replaced limited life components in the Volatile Organic Analyzer (VOA), part of the Crew Health Care System. The VOA is a gas analysis system used to assess the levels of organic compounds in the station atmosphere, some of which could become harmful to the crew in high concentrations. The old components will be returned to Earth on the next shuttle mission. Williams focused on work with lentil seedlings as part of an experiment called Threshold Acceleration for Gravisensing, or "Gravi." The experiment uses a European Modular Cultivation System centrifuge to document the effects of varying levels of gravity on the development of plant roots with an eye toward growing edible plants for future, long-duration spaceflights. Tyruin worked with a number of Russian experiments, including an instrumented workout on a stationary bicycle to collect data on ways to limit bone and muscle density loss associated with long-duration spaceflights. All three crew members also spoke with experts on the ground planning the upcoming Expedition 14 spacewalks. Lopez-Alegria, Tyurin and Williams will begin on-board preparations for those spacewalks along with a fourth to remove the navigation antenna from Progress 23. The first three spacewalks by Lopez-Alegria and Williams are designed to continue outfitting the newly activated cooling systems for the station's truss and to continue preparations for the relocation of the P6 solar array truss structure. For more about the crew's activities and station sighting opportunities:

With flags around the nation still at half
staff in memory of the late President Gerald R. Ford, Vice President
Richard B. Cheney called today's naming of the Navy's newest aircraft
carrier in Ford's honor an even more fitting tribute because it looks to
the future.

Speaking today at the Pentagon naming ceremony for the ship, Cheney
joined Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter and other officials and
servicemembers in naming the first of the new CVN-21 class of aircraft carrier the
USS Gerald R. Ford.

The new class will replace the USS Enterprise and CVN-68 class
carriers.

When USS Gerald R. Ford enters the Navy fleet in seven or eight years,
it and its sister ships "will help ensure the sea power of the United
States for the next half century," the vice president said.

Winter described the capability the new carriers will bring to the
fleet. "This fleet of the most technologically advanced aircraft carriers
in the world will be the Navy's premier forward asset for crisis
response and principal platforms in providing early, decisive striking power
in a major combat operation," he told the audience.

The new carriers will be able to generate 25 percent more aircraft
sorties than current carriers, generate three times the electricity, and
include an improved, fully integrated warfare system and other new design
technologies, he said.

"CVN-21 is an investment in our future, and the Department of the Navy
is urgently moving forward to turn our plans into reality," Winter
said.

Cheney described the technical marvel the USS Ford will present when it
hits the high seas. "When completed, the USS Gerald R. Ford will be a
sight to behold: 100,000 tons of American ingenuity and power, riding 20
stories above water level, about as long as the Empire State Building,
and able to sail the oceans for 20 years without refueling," he said.

Winter said USS Ford and its sister carriers will send a message
wherever they sail. "A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier is a symbol recognized
around the world," he said. "It represents American power. It is a reminder
of America's global interests and global reach. It is, in the eyes of
freedom-loving people everywhere, a safeguard in a troubled and
dangerous world."

As an example, he noted the Jan. 11 announcement that President Bush
had ordered an additional carrier strike group, the USS Stennis group, to
the Middle East. "We do not expect this to be the last time the
commander in chief will be turning to Navy carriers to respond immediately to
a crisis far from our shores," Winter said.

Like Bush, Ford recognized the important capability carriers bring to
the Navy, Cheney said. "He understood that protecting the American
people required defending our interests in far-away places," he said. "He
understood that, for our forces to be credible, they must be able to
deploy wherever and whenever needed." This, he said, requires the power to
sail the world's oceans and control the water's surface, the ocean
depths and the skies overhead.

Winter called the naming of the first CVN-78 carrier after Ford a
fitting way to honor the former president's service and recognize his deep,
lifelong personal connection to aircraft carriers. "He served aboard a
carrier during (World War II)," Winter said of Ford. "As president, he
commanded carriers in the fleet. During his tenure as president, he
also commissioned USS Nimitz, the first in its class of nuclear-powered
carriers.

"No one would have appreciated more the honor of having a carrier named
after him than President Ford," Winter said.

Susan Ford Bales, the late president's daughter, thanked the U.S.
military for the tribute its members paid her father during his funeral
services and expressed the family's pride in having an aircraft carrier
named for him.

She recounted Ford's own words, when he knew Winter was considering
naming a carrier for him, as expressed in a personal letter. "It is a
source of indescribable pride and humility to know that an aircraft carrier
bearing my name may be permanently associated with the valor and
patriotism of the men and women of the United States Navy," Ford wrote
shortly before his Dec. 26 death.

Betty Ford, Ford's widow, was not at today's ceremony but watched it
from home on the Pentagon Channel, her daughter noted at the ceremony

Vancouver 2010 response to the re-inflation of BC Place Stadium’s roof

Jan 19

 

Denaro Athletes Newsletter - Jan. 20, 2007 Denaro fighters will be in action this weekend in a couple of different organizations. In the IFL, John Gunderson will be making his first appearance for the Reno Lions. Also in action will be John Alessio, Alex Karlexis, and Brendan Seguin fighting for the WEC in Las Vegas, NV! John Gunderson vs. Josh Odom John "Quick Guns" Gunderson makes his IFL debut on Friday, January 19th at the Oakland Coliseum. Gunderson will be representing Ken Shamrock's Lions out of Reno, NV. Gunderson will square off in a lightweight match up against IFL veteran Josh Odom. Gunderson is in great shape and is excited about the opportunity to showcase his skills in MMA's premier league! Photo by www.ifl.tv. For more information log onto www.ifl.tv. John Alessio vs. Brian Gassaway "The Natural" John Alessio looks to get back on the winning track when he faces crafty veteran Brian Gassaway. Both fighters have a wealth of experience and have over 65 fights combined. This match up will take place in the newly re-vamped WEC promotion and the winner will move on to title contention in the welterweight division. John is very focused for this fight and feels he will be the man to beat in the 170 lb. class. For more information log onto www.wec.tv John Alessio is proudly endorsed by Alex Karalexis vs. Olaf Alfonso Alex "Assassin" Karalexis will be on the upcoming WEC card on January 20th. He will square off against heavy-handed Olaf Alfonso from Enseneda, Mexico. Alfonso is known as a dangerous slugger who is not afraid to trade with his opponents from the opening seconds. The fight will take place at The Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. For more information log onto www.wec.tv Alex Karalexis is proudly endorsed by Brendan Seguin vs. Fernando Gonzalez Brendan "The Caucasian Devastation" Seguin looks to make a statement in his WEC debut. He will be taking on dangerous and scrappy Fernando Gonzalez out of Temecula, CA. Brendan promises to not disappoint and has been training extremely hard for his upcoming bout. Both competitors are hungry and this bout could potentially be the fight of the night! For more information log onto www.wec.tv Brendan Seguin is proudly endorsed by Denaro Fighters in Recent Action Chris Leben UFC 66 "Ortiz vs Lidell II", December 30, 2006 at The MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas, NV. Chris "The Crippler" Leben was submitted Saturday night at UFC 66 but showed himself to be a true gentleman in defeat! After controlling the first round with solid striking and great defense, Leben got caught in a tight guillotine choke at 4:03 of the second round. In his post fight interview Leben expressed himself in diplomatic fashion and made no excuse for his loss. Leben is already back at the gym training and does not plan to sit around the losing side of things for too long! Look for Leben to come back strong in his next fight! For more information log onto www.crippler.tv.   Check Out Denaro Athletes On The Web John Alessio www.johnalessio.tv Dennis Davis Edwin Deweese www.edwindewees.tv Melvin Guillard www.youngassassin.com Ed Herman www.edherman.tv Alex Karalexis www.alexkaralexis.com Chris Leben www.crippler.tv Nathan Quarry www.nathanquarry.com Joe Riggs www.joeriggs.tv Lodune Sincaid Evan Tanner David Terrell www.davidterrell.tv © Copyright 2006 Denaro Sports Marketing | Contact Us

Robert Roveta - Denaro Sports Marketing - Building the Complete Athlete www.denaroathletes.com | rroveta@denaroathletes.com | office: 702.451.5038

Jan 16

TORRANCE, Calif., Jan. 16American Honda Motor Co., Inc. will place three television advertisements during the broadcast of this year's Super Bowl on CBS, the company announced today. Two fifteen-second Element advertisements, along with a thirty-second spot highlighting Honda's position as the most fuel efficient car company in America are planned for the February 4th airing.

"The Super Bowl remains one of the best opportunities to reach a wide television audience in one shot," said John Mendel, senior vice president of American Honda. "Many Super Bowl viewers look forward to the commercials almost as much as the game, and Honda has taken this great opportunity to highlight a couple of its key brand values through fun and creative ads."

The three separate advertisements will run during the fourth quarter of the game. Two fifteen-second spots featuring the Honda Element as part of the popular "Crab" campaign will highlight Honda's fun image, and a thirty-second spot called "Slalom" will reinforce Honda's fuel-efficiency leadership.

Consumer information about the Honda products is available at www.honda.com.

Source: American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

Postcards from the Northern Tour: Kugluktuk

John and the team were greeted at the tiny airport by Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik and many community members. School children wore traditional dress and performed traditional drumming, dancing and singing.

After muskox burgers for lunch at the Jimmy Hikok Ilihakvik Elementary school, some kids were very excited to recognize VANOC’s Lara Mussell-Savage. The grade seven students met Lara when they travelled to the 2010 Information Centre in Whistler in October 2005 to build a traditional inukshuk as a gift for VANOC with rocks they brought all the way from Nunavut (read the story on the Aboriginal Youth Cultural Sharing Day for more details). At the assembly, VANOC was delighted to present the school with a donation of lacrosse equipment as a thank you for their journey to Whistler.

The rest of Thursday was filled with a tour of the town, a trip to the elders’ centre for some bannock and tea and a community square dance. The team was delighted by the elders who played the drums and sang – telling stories of their songs and answering all of John Furlong’s many questions. At the dance, the team was entertained by square dancers of all ages. The elders have no worry about this tradition carrying forward in this community – it’s tough to get the youth off the dance floor! The whole VANOC team participated in the square dancing and all enjoyed the lesson.

After a farewell pancake breakfast on Friday, there was an exchange of gifts. John presented the Premier with a Vancouver 2010 flag and, in exchange, John received a gorgeous carving of a polar bear from the Premier who spoke kind words about John being a true friend of the people in the Far North. 

Following the breakfast, talented young athletes (many of which were past Arctic Winter Games competitors) performed a demonstration of traditional sports, including the two foot high kick, the one foot high kick, the finger pull and the head pull. These sports require no special equipment, but much athletic ability. Two athletes from the group will be going to the 2007 Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse to compete in table tennis. 

The weather won out on the group’s quest to find inuksuit in the wild. However, the team received numerous small, hand-made versions from kids in the community which VANOC will cherish for years to come. 

 As our team heads home, many thanks are owed to everyone in the north who helped us make this tour a great success. Vancouver 2010 is excited to see and share so much enthusiasm for Canada’s Games!

Complete list of winners at Monday's 64th annual Golden Globes presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in Beverly Hills, Calif.:

MOTION PICTURES

_Picture, Drama: _"Babel"

_Actress, Drama: Helen Mirren, "The Queen"

_Actor, Drama: Forest Whitaker, "The Last King of Scotland"

_Picture, Musical or Comedy: "Dreamgirls"

_Actress, Musical or Comedy: Meryl Streep, "The Devil Wears Prada"

_Actor, Musical or Comedy: Sacha Baron Cohen, "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan"

_Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson, "Dreamgirls"

_Supporting Actor: Eddie Murphy, "Dreamgirls"

_Director: Martin Scorsese, "The Departed"

_Movie Screenplay: Peter Morgan, "The Queen"

_Foreign Language: "Letters From Iwo Jima," USA/Japan

_Original Score: Alexandre Desplat, "The Painted Veil"

_Original Song: "The Song of the Heart" from "Happy Feet"

_Animated Film: "Cars"

TELEVISION

_Series, Drama: "Grey's Anatomy," ABC

_Actress, Drama: Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"

_Actor, Drama: Hugh Laurie, "House"

_Series, Musical or Comedy: "Ugly Betty," ABC

_Actress, Musical or Comedy: America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty"

_Actor, Musical or Comedy: Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"

_Miniseries or movie: "Elizabeth I," HBO

_Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Helen Mirren, "Elizabeth I"

_Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Bill Nighy, "Gideon's Daughter"

_Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Emily Blunt, "Gideon's Daughter"

_Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Jeremy Irons, "Elizabeth I"

_Cecil B. DeMille Award: Warren Beatty

Cecil B. DeMille Award

Warren Beatty

Best Motion Picture - Drama

Babel
Anonymous Content Production/Una Producción De Zeta Film/Central Films Production; Paramount Pictures/Paramount Vantage

Bobby
Michel Litvak Productions/Bold Films; MGM/The Weinstein Company

The Departed
Warner Bros. Pictures

Little Children
New Line Cinema

The Queen
Granada; Miramax Films

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Penélope Cruz – Volver

Judi Dench – Notes On A Scandal

Maggie Gyllenhaal – sherrybaby

Helen Mirren – The Queen

Kate Winslet – Little Children

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

Leonardo DiCaprio – Blood Diamond

Leonardo DiCaprio – The Departed

Peter O'Toole – Venus

Will Smith – The Pursuit Of Happyness

Forest Whitaker – The Last King Of Scotland

Best Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy

Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan
One America; Twentieth Century Fox

The Devil Wears Prada
Twentieth Century Fox

Dreamgirls
DreamWorks Pictures/Paramount Pictures

Little Miss Sunshine
Big Beach/Bona Fide Productions; Fox Searchlight Pictures

Thank You For Smoking
Room 9 Entertainment/David O. Sacks Production/Contentfilm; Fox Searchlight Pictures

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Annette Bening – Running With Scissors

Toni Collette – Little Miss Sunshine

Beyoncé Knowles – Dreamgirls

Meryl Streep – The Devil Wears Prada

Renée Zellweger – Miss Potter

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy

Sacha Cohen – Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan

Johnny Depp – Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Aaron Eckhart – Thank You For Smoking

Chiwetel Ejiofor – Kinky Boots

Will Ferrell – Stranger Than Fiction

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Adriana Barraza – Babel

Cate Blanchett – Notes On A Scandal

Emily Blunt – The Devil Wears Prada

Jennifer Hudson – Dreamgirls

Rinko Kikuchi – Babel

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Ben Affleck – Hollywoodland

Eddie Murphy – Dreamgirls

Jack Nicholson – The Departed

Brad Pitt – Babel

Mark Wahlberg – The Departed

Best Animated Feature Film

Cars Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation Studio; Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Happy Feet
Kingdom Pictures, LLC; Warner Bros. Pictures/Village Roadshow Pictures

Monster House
Columbia Pictures; Sony Pictures Releasing

Best Foreign Languge Film

Apocalypto (United States)
Touchstone Pictures/Icon Productions; Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Letters From Iwo Jima (Japan, United States)
Warner Bros. Pictures/DreamWorks Pictures; Warner Bros. Pictures

The Lives Of Others (Germany)
Wiedemann & Berg/Bayerischer Rundfunk/ARTE/Creado Film; Sony Pictures Classics

Pan's Labyrinth (Mexico)
Tequila Gang/Esperanto Filmoj/Estudios Picasso; Picturehouse

Volver (Spain)
El Deseo; Sony Pictures Classics

Best Director - Motion Picture

Clint Eastwood – Flags Of Our Fathers

Clint Eastwood – Letters From Iwo Jima

Stephen Frears – The Queen

Alejandro Iñárritu – Babel

Martin Scorsese – The Departed

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

Babel
Written by Guillermo Arriaga

The Departed
Written by William Monahan

Little Children
Written by Todd Field, Tom Perrotta

Notes On A Scandal
Written by Patrick Marber

The Queen
Written by Peter Morgan

Best Original Score - Motion Picture

The Painted Veil (Desplat)
Composed by Alexandre Desplat

The Fountain (Mansell)
Composed by Clint Mansell

Babel (Santaolalla)
Composed by Gustavo Santaolalla

Nomad (Siliotto)
Composed by Carlo Siliotto

The Da Vinci Code (Zimmer)
Composed by Hans Zimmer

Best Original Song - Motion Picture

"A Father's Way" – The Pursuit Of Happyness
Music By: Seal and Christopher Bruce
Lyrics By: Seal

"Listen" – Dreamgirls
Music & Lyrics By: Anne Preven, Scott Cutler, Beyoncé Knowles and Henry Krieger

"Never Gonna Break My Faith" – Bobby
Music & Lyrics By: Andrea Remanda, Bryan Adams and Eliot Kennedy

"The Song Of The Heart" – Happy Feet
Music & Lyrics By: Prince Rogers Nelson

"Try Not To Remember" – Home Of The Brave
Music & Lyrics By: Sheryl Crow

Best Television Series - Drama

24 (FOX)
Real Time Productions/Imagine Television/Twentieth Century Fox Television; FOX

Big Love (HBO)
Anima Sola/Playtone Productions/HBO Entertainment; HBO

Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
Touchstone Television; ABC

Heroes (NBC)
NBC Universal Television Studio/Tailwind Productions; NBC

Lost (ABC)
Touchstone Television; ABC

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama

Patricia Arquette – Medium (NBC)

Edie Falco – The Sopranos (HBO)

Evangeline Lilly – Lost (ABC)

Ellen Pompeo – Grey's Anatomy (ABC)

Kyra Sedgwick – The Closer (TNT)

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama

Patrick Dempsey – Grey's Anatomy (ABC)

Michael C. Hall – Dexter (SHOWTIME)

Hugh Laurie – House (FOX)

Bill Paxton – Big Love (HBO)

Kiefer Sutherland – 24 (FOX)

Best Television Series - Musical Or Comedy

Desperate Housewives (ABC)
Touchstone Television; ABC

Entourage (HBO)
Leverage/Closest to the Hole/HBO Entertainment; HBO

The Office (NBC)
Deedle Dee Productions/Reveille/NBC Universal Television Studio; NBC

Ugly Betty (ABC)
Touchstone Television; ABC

Weeds (SHOWTIME)
Showtime/Lionsgate Television/Tilted Productions, Inc.; SHOWTIME

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Musical Or Comedy

Marcia Cross – Desperate Housewives (ABC)

America Ferrera – Ugly Betty (ABC)

Felicity Huffman – Desperate Housewives (ABC)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus – The New Adventures Of Old Christine (CBS)

Mary-Louise Parker – Weeds (SHOWTIME)

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Musical Or Comedy

Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock (NBC)

Zach Braff – Scrubs (NBC)

Steve Carell – The Office (NBC)

Jason Lee – My Name Is Earl (NBC)

Tony Shalhoub – Monk (USA)

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television

Bleak House (PBS)
Masterpiece Theatre/BBC/WGBH Boston/Deep Indigo; PBS

Broken Trail (AMC)
Butchers Run Films/Once Upon a Time Films/Sony Pictures Television; AMC

Elizabeth I (HBO)
Company Pictures/channel 4/HBO Films; HBO

Mrs. Harris (HBO)
Killer Films/Number 9 Films/John Wells Productions/HBO Films; HBO

Prime Suspect: The Final Act (PBS)
Masterpiece Theatre/Granada/WGBH Boston; PBS

Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Gillian Anderson – Bleak House (PBS)

Annette Bening – Mrs. Harris (HBO)

Helen Mirren – Elizabeth I (HBO)

Helen Mirren – Prime Suspect: The Final Act (PBS)

Sophie Okonedo – Tsunami, The Aftermath (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

André Braugher – Thief (FX)

Robert Duvall – Broken Trail (AMC)

Michael Ealy – Sleeper Cell: American Terror (SHOWTIME)

Chiwetel Ejiofor – Tsunami, The Aftermath (HBO)

Ben Kingsley – Mrs. Harris (HBO)

Bill Nighy – Gideon's Daughter (BBC)

Matthew Perry – The Ron Clark Story (TNT)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Emily Blunt – Gideon's Daughter (BBC)

Toni Collette – Tsunami, The Aftermath (HBO)

Katherine Heigl – Grey's Anatomy (ABC)

Sarah Paulson – Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip (NBC)

Elizabeth Perkins – Weeds (SHOWTIME)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Thomas Haden Church – Broken Trail (AMC)

Jeremy Irons – Elizabeth I (HBO)

Justin Kirk – Weeds (SHOWTIME)

Masi Oka – Heroes (NBC)

Jeremy Piven – Entourage (HBO)

 

 (C) MBN 2007 William Hoehne

Jan 12 

C) MBN 2007 William Hoehne

ACTOR® NOMINEE KEVIN NEALON (WEEDS) TO OPEN THE RED CARPET
FOR THE 13TH ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® JAN. 28 WITH A CHAMPAGNE TAITTINGER TOAST

79th Academy Awards® Nominations to Be Announced Tuesday

Beverly Hills, CA – Nominations for the 79th Academy Awards will be announced tomorrow (Tuesday, January 23) by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis and Academy member and past Oscar® nominee Salma Hayek.

Ganis and Hayek will unveil the nominations in 10 of the 24 award categories at a live 5:30 a.m. news conference at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. More than 400 media representatives from around the world are expected to attend the announcement. Nominations in all categories will be distributed simultaneously to press in attendance and via the Internet on oscar.com, the official Web site of the 79th Academy Awards.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2006 will be presented on Sunday, February 25, 2007, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®.

The Oscars® will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 5 p.m. PST (8 p.m. EST), beginning with a half-hour red carpet arrivals segment, “The Road to the Oscars.”

# # #

©A.M.P.A.S.®

Jan 18

HOUSTON and AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 18 MySpace Inc., and its parent company, News Corp., (NYSE:NWS) have been sued in California state court by four families who allege that their minor daughters were solicited online and then sexually abused by adult MySpace users, according to the law firms representing the families.

Families from New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina filed separate suits Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging negligence, recklessness, fraud, and negligent misrepresentation by the companies. The families are represented by the law firms of Barry & Loewy LLP, of Austin, Tex., and Arnold & Itkin LLP, of Houston.

The plaintiffs include:

-- A 15-year-old Pennsylvania girl, "Julie Doe II," who was lured to a

meeting by an adult MySpace user, kidnapped, and sexually assaulted in

2006. The adult MySpace user is awaiting trial on 12 charges of

unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. (The cause number is SC092421.)

-- A 15-year-old Texas girl, "Julie Doe III," who was lured to a meeting,

drugged and assaulted in 2006 by an adult MySpace user. Houston police

officers and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents located the

girl. The adult MySpace user later pled guilty to sexual assault and is

serving a 10-year sentence in a Texas penitentiary. (The cause number

is SC092423.)

-- A 14-year-old New York girl, "Julie Doe IV," was lured to a meeting by

an adult MySpace user, severely intoxicated with alcohol and illicit

drugs forced upon her, and then sexually assaulted by the adult MySpace

user and his adult friend. The men later were charged with felony

sexual assault and/or felony rape by New York authorities. The friend

of the adult MySpace user pled guilty and is now in a New York

penitentiary. The adult MySpace user is awaiting trial. (The cause

number is SC092424.)

-- Two South Carolina sisters, 14-year-old "Julie Doe V" and 15-year-old

"Julie Doe VI," who were lured to a meeting, severely intoxicated by

alcohol and illicit drugs, and sexually assaulted and raped by two

adult MySpace users. Both men were arrested by South Carolina

authorities and are awaiting criminal prosecution. (The cause number is

SC092422.)

Attorney Jason A. Itkin, of Arnold & Itkin LLP, stated, "Like state attorneys general throughout the nation, we believe that more must be done to ensure that social networking sites are made safer. In our view, MySpace waited entirely too long to attempt to institute meaningful security measures that effectively increase the safety of their underage users."

Attorney Adam J. Loewy, of Barry & Loewy LLP, stated, "Families are the first line of defense for children, but these cases show the practical realities of social networking sites. Blaming the families of abuse victims who were solicited online, as some have done, is a cynical excuse that ignores the fact that social networking sites can lead to heinous abuse by Internet predators. It is now clear that MySpace recognizes that serious security problems exist."

 ANNE HATHAWAY AND DICK VAN DYKE TO PRESENT SAG’S 43RD LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD TO JULIE ANDREWS AT THE 13th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS®
2007 SAG Awards will be Simulcast Live on TNT and TBS Sunday, Jan. 28

NYC Oscar® Party to Be Held at the Legendary St. Regis Hotel

NEW YORK, NY — On Oscar Night®, Sunday, February 25, New York-area members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will celebrate the 79th Academy Awards® at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City.

This marks the second year that the annual party, organized by the Academy’s New York Events Committee, will be held at the St. Regis. The event is open to all East Coast-based members of the Academy.

“Last year’s party was a tremendous success. Our guests enjoyed a delicious meal while watching the Academy Awards telecast,” said Arlene Dahl, chair of the Academy’s Oscar Night party. “The ambience of the hotel is one of sheer elegance.”

Following a cocktail reception in the St. Regis’ Louis XVI Suite, the invited guests will adjourn to the Versailles Room for dinner and viewing of the Awards telecast on the ABC Television Network. The menu will be created by Executive Chef Richard Brown.

“Not only do the festivities and the historic setting of the St. Regis recall the original Academy Awards banquet at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, but the hotel itself has a very strong connection to New York filmmaking, which makes the night even more special for our guests,” added Bud Rosenthal, chair of the Academy’s New York Events Committee.

A 1904 Beaux Arts landmark in the heart of midtown Manhattan, the St. Regis Hotel has been used as a shooting location for many films, including “The Godfather,” “Taxi Driver,” “Miss Congeniality,” “The First Wives Club,” “Hannah and Her Sisters,” “Radio Days,” “Live and Let Die,” and “The Devil Wears Prada.”

The St. Regis Hotel is located at 2 East 55th Street in Manhattan.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2006 will be presented on Sunday, February 25, 2007, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network at 5 p.m. PST (8 p.m. EST), beginning with a half-hour arrivals segment, “The Road to the Oscars®.”

# # #

©A.M.P.A.S.®

Annette Bening, Steve Carell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Teri Hatcher, Ashton Kutcher, Sandra Oh, SAG President Alan Rosenberg, Kyra Sedgwick and Forest Whitaker Will Be Presenters at the 13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®
13th Annual SAG Awards Ceremonies to be Simulcast Sunday, Jan. 28, on TNT and TBS at 8 pm ET/PT

Meet the Oscars®, Los Angeles

Beverly Hills, CA — Fifty Oscars, four statuettes that belonged to a Hollywood legend, two Testimonial Awards and one statuette for the public to hold will be on display at “Meet the Oscars, Los Angeles,” located on the third level of the Hollywood & Highland Center® beginning on Friday, February 9, at 10 a.m. The exhibition will remain open through Saturday, February 24.

“Meet the Oscars, Los Angeles” will provide visitors the opportunity to walk among the displays and be photographed holding an Oscar®, and see the statuettes that were awarded to Katharine Hepburn for her performances in “Morning Glory” (1932/33), “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” (1967), “The Lion in Winter” (1968) and “On Golden Pond” (1981). The Honorary Academy Award® that will be presented to composer-conductor Ennio Morricone and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to be presented to former Paramount Pictures chairman Sherry Lansing will also be on display.

The remaining 50 Oscar statuettes featured in the exhibition will be presented to winners at the 79th Academy Awards® ceremony on February 25.

The exhibition will also feature interactive “Oscar trivia” kiosks, where visitors can test their knowledge of Oscar winners, movie quotes and Academy Awards factoids.

Each Oscar weighs in at 8½ pounds and stands 13½ inches tall. Handmade annually by R.S. Owens & Company in Chicago, the statuettes are made of britannia, a metal alloy, and are plated in copper, nickel, silver and 24-karat gold.

“Meet the Oscars, Los Angeles” will be open Sunday to Thursday from noon to 8 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Saturday, February 24, the exhibition will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2006 will be presented on Sunday, February 25, 2007, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network at 5 p.m. PST (8 p.m. EST), beginning with a half-hour arrivals segment, “The Road to the Oscars.”

# # #

©A.M.P.A.S.®

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- American Film Institute (AFI) today announced the 10th annual installment of its Emmy Award-winning AFI's 100 Years... series. AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies -- 10th Anniversary Edition will count down the 100 greatest movies of all time in a three-hour television event on CBS in June. The program will consider classic favorites and newly eligible films released from 1996 to 2006. AFI will undertake this program every 10 years to mark changing cultural perspectives.

"AFI has created the most comprehensive and credible examination of excellence in American film with the AFI's 100 Years... series," said AFI President and CEO Jean Picker Firstenberg. "And, whether you agree with these lists or not, they have sparked a 10-year conversation on what makes a great movie and why. We are excited to ignite this conversation once again, this year and every 10 to come. Let the debate begin!"

Today's announcement also marks the beginning of a national "conversation" with the public, conducted on the institute's website, www.AFI.com. Movie fans who register online and download the official ballot of 400 films will be eligible to win a chance to attend the AFI Life Achievement Award tribute to Al Pacino, as well as posters and other AFI memorabilia.

Film enthusiasts will also be able to add their own voices to the online conversation by naming their favorite movie of all time, and sharing the reasons for their choices. A video gallery of stars' favorite movies, as well as other interactive features, will also be added during the coming months leading up to the June broadcast.

Since its inception, the AFI program has garnered considerable attention and included AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (1998), 100 Stars (1999), 100 Laughs (2000), 100 Thrills (2001), 100 Passions (2002), 100 Heroes & Villains (2003), 100 Songs (2004), 100 Movie Quotes (2005) and 100 Cheers (2006).

For the 10th consecutive year, the primetime special will be executive produced and directed by Gary Smith; executive produced for AFI by former AFI Board Chair Emeritus Frederick S. Pierce; and produced by Dann Netter and Bob Gazzale. SFM Entertainment LLC is the distributor of the program. Past sponsors of the series have included AT&T, General Motors, Pepsi, Johnson & Johnson, Best Buy, Anheuser-Busch, Colgate-Palmolive, Sony and all major motion picture companies.

About the Jury Process

Today, AFI distributed a ballot with 400 nominated movies to a jury of over 1,500 leaders from the creative community, including film artists (directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, cinematographers), critics and historians.

AFI asks jurors to consider the following criteria in their selection process:

FEATURE-LENGTH FICTION FILM

Narrative format, typically over 60 minutes in length.

AMERICAN FILM

Motion picture with significant creative and/or production elements from

the United States.

CRITICAL RECOGNITION

Formal commendation in print, television and digital media.

MAJOR AWARD WINNER

Recognition from competitive events including awards from peer groups,

critics, guilds and major film festivals.

POPULARITY OVER TIME

Including success at the box office, television and cable airings, and

DVD/VHS sales and rentals.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

A film's mark on the history of the moving image through visionary

narrative devices, technical innovation or other groundbreaking

achievements.

CULTURAL IMPACT

A film's mark on American society in matters of style and substance.

AFI allows five write-in votes per ballot.

Interesting Facts About the Ballot

* All of the 100 honored films from the original AFI's 100 Years...100

Movies list appear on the ballot.

* Henry Fonda is the most represented male actor with 10 films. James

Stewart and Cary Grant each have nine, while Robert De Niro and Jack

Nicholson have eight.

* Katharine Hepburn is the most represented female actor with seven

films. Lillian Gish and Bette Davis each have five.

* 1939 and 1942 are the most represented years with 11 films each.

* Alfred Hitchcock and William Wyler are the most represented directors

with 10 films each. Steven Spielberg and Howard Hawks are represented

with eight films each, and Billy Wilder and George Stevens have seven.

* Ernst Lehman is the most represented screenwriter with six films.

* The ballot includes entries that span from Cecil B De Mille's THE CHEAT

from 1915, to CRASH, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK and

HOTEL RWANDA, all from 2005.

* About 11 percent of the ballot (44 films) comes from the last 10 years,

newly eligible since the original AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies. These

films include, in chronological order: LA CONFIDENTIAL, GOOD WILL

HUNTING, TITANIC, AS GOOD AS IT GETS, AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN

OF MYSTERY, BOOGIE NIGHTS, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN,

RUSHMORE, THE MATRIX, FIGHT CLUB, THREE KINGS, THE SIXTH SENSE, THE

INSIDER, THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, AMERICAN BEAUTY, BEING JOHN

MALKOVICH, REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, GLADIATOR, TRAFFIC, ERIN BROCKOVICH,

SHREK, MOULIN ROUGE!, MEMENTO, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF

THE RING, A BEAUTIFUL MIND, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS,

CHICAGO, THE HOURS, FINDING NEMO, MYSTIC RIVER, PIRATES OF THE

CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE

RETURN OF THE KING, LOST IN TRANSLATION, SIDEWAYS, HARRY POTTER AND THE

PRISONER OF AZKABAN, MILLION DOLLAR BABY, THE AVIATOR, ETERNAL SUNSHINE

OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, SPIDER-MAN 2, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, GOOD NIGHT, AND

GOOD LUCK, CRASH and HOTEL RWANDA.

About the American Film Institute

AFI celebrates its 40th Anniversary in 2007.

AFI is a national institute providing leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media. AFI trains the next generation of filmmakers at its world-renowned Conservatory, maintains America's film heritage through the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and explores new digital technologies in entertainment and education through the AFI Digital Content Lab and K-12 Screen Education Center. As the largest nonprofit exhibitor in the US, AFI ON SCREEN encompasses the annual AFI FEST presented by Audi: AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival -- as well as year-round programming at ArcLight Hollywood and the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, including SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival. AFI AWARDS, the annual almanac for the 21st century, honors the most outstanding motion pictures and television programs of the year, while AFI's 100 Years . . . series has ignited extraordinary public interest in classic American movies. And, during the past 34 years, AFI's Life Achievement Award has become the highest honor for a career in film. Additional information about AFI is available at AFI.com.

Jan 17

Jon Stewart and Cheryl Hines Visit Jack's Rockin' Clubhouse on Two New Episodes of NOGGIN's Hit Music Series Jack's Big Music Show in February

NOGGIN and Nick Jr. to Simulcast 'Groundhog Day' with Stewart on Friday, February 2

Jack's to Feature Never-Before-Seen Kids' Music Videos By The Laurie Berkner Band, Lisa Loeb, The Flaming Lips' Steven Drozd and Blue's Clues' Steve Burns

NEW YORK, Jan. 17 It's a star-studded lineup at Jack's clubhouse, as Jon Stewart and Cheryl Hines visit musical puppets Jack, Mary and Mel this February on NOGGIN's original hit series Jack's Big Music Show. Stewart will play Groundhog News Network reporter Brunk Stinegrouber in "Groundhog Day," which will premiere as a simulcast on NOGGIN* and Nick Jr. on Friday, February 2 (on Groundhog Day) at 12:00 p.m. (ET/PT). On Saturday, February 10 at 12:00 p.m. (ET/PT), NOGGIN, the commercial-free educational network from Nickelodeon, will debut Hines' guest-starring role as professional dog stylist Sudsy Bubblestein in "Mel's Bath Day." Jack's Big Music Show airs regularly Monday through Friday from 1:00 - 1:30 p.m. (ET) and on weekends from 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. (ET) on NOGGIN.

The "Groundhog Day" episode will also feature an original music video collaboration by The Flaming Lips' Steven Drozd and indie rocker and former Blue's Clues star Steve Burns, entitled "I Hog The Ground (Groundhog Song)." On Sunday, February 3, the "Jack's Super Swell Sing-Along" episode will feature a new music video by recording artist Lisa Loeb entitled "Jenny Jenkins."

Jack's Big Music Show is a half-hour live-action series hosted by preschooler puppet Jack and his melodious cast of friends who play everyday at his clubhouse. A platform for kids' music, the series features videos and in- studio performances by popular children's musicians every week, including series regular The Laurie Berkner Band, AudraRox, Nuttin' But Stringz, Angelique Kidjo, Justin Roberts, Music for Aardvarks and Other Mammals, Anne Harris, Rebekah Jordan, The Quiet Two, Dirty Sock Funtime Band, Comic Book Heroes, Leon Thomas, The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, J. Walter Hawkes, The Mighty Weaklings and Andrew Bird.

In "Groundhog Day," Jack is excited for his favorite holiday, Groundhog Day, and he can't wait to find out if Gertrude the Groundhog will see her shadow or not. But the scared groundhog runs into the clubhouse because she's too shy to face all of the people and cameras outside. Jack and the gang learn this is Gertrude's first Groundhog Day as the groundhog that everyone gathers around to see. Brunk Stinegrouber (JON STEWART) from the Groundhog News Network reports on whether Gertrude the Groundhog will face her fears and finally step out of the clubhouse. This episode features new music videos by The Laurie Berkner Band and Steven Drozd and Steve Burns.

In "Mel's Bath Day," Mel becomes really dirty while digging up trombones he buried in the backyard. Jack and Mary try to get Mel into the bathtub but he refuses. Just then, Sudsy Bubblestein (CHERYL HINES) Professional Dog Washer and Stylist, enters the clubhouse after being alerted there is a dirty dog in the area and she is ready to do some serious scrubbing. This episode features new music videos by The Laurie Berkner Band and AudraRox.

The mission of Jack's Big Music Show is to expose and foster an appreciation of music in young children. Music and musical instruments help children expand their universe and develop memory, language, literacy and reasoning skills as well as the cognitive, social and motor skills needed to excel in school. In Jack's clubhouse, music is pure joy -- no expectations and no right or wrong way.

Jack's Big Music Show is produced by Spiffy Pictures and was created and executive produced by David Rudman, Todd Hannert and Adam Rudman.

NOGGIN, the commercial-free, educational preschool network from Nickelodeon, currently reaches 54 million households via cable, digital cable and satellite TV. NOGGIN, which airs from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (ET), is like preschool on tv, with educational programming both on-air and online at www.noggin.com. NOGGIN and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

* All times for Noggin are (ET).

ACTOR® STATUETTES CAST FOR 13th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS®
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2007 SAG Awards™ to be Simulcast Sunday, Jan. 28, on TNT and TBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT, 6 p.m. MT

                                 TABLE 1                          FAVORITE TV PERSONALITY                   "Who is your favorite TV personality?"    Base: All adults             '93 '94  '95  '96 '97  '98 '99  '00 '01  '02* '03  '04 '05  '06   Oprah    Winfrey   2   2    3    3   3    1   2    1   3     1   1    1   1    1    Jon    Stewart   *   *    *    *   *    *   *    *   *     *  =6   =2   2    2    Bill    O'Reilly  *   *    *    *   *    *   *    *   7     5   3    8  =4    3    Hugh    Laurie    *   *    *    *   *    *   *    *   *     *   *    *   *    4    David      6   6    4    5   7    *   *    6   4     3   2   =2   3    5    Letterman    Jay Leno   *   8   10  =10   8   =6   *   =7   6     9   5    5  =4    6    Ray    Romano    *   *    *    *   *    *   *   =7   5     2   4    4   *    7    Kiefer   Sutherland *   *    *    *   *    *   *    *   *     *   *    *   *    =8    Ellen   DeGeneres  *   *    *    *   *    *   *    *   *     * =10    7   6    =8    Conan    O'Brien   *   *    *    *   *    *   *    *   *     *   *    *   7   =8     * The 2002 survey was conducted in January 2003.   "=" means there was a tie for that position                           DROPPED OFF OF LIST IN 2006          Jerry Seinfeld (was No. 8), George Lopez (was No. 9) and                           Tim Allen (was No. 10)                                   TABLE 2               FAVORITE TV PERSONALITY AMONG DIFFERENT GROUPS     AMONG:                                                 2006   Men                                               Bill O'Reilly   Women                                             Oprah Winfrey    Echo Boomers (18-29)                              Conan O'Brien   Gen X (30-41)                                      Hugh Laurie   Baby Boomers (42-60)                              Oprah Winfrey   Matures (61+)                                     Bill O'Reilly    Conservatives                                     Bill O'Reilly   Liberals                                           Jon Stewart   Moderates                                         Oprah Winfrey     Methodology 

  J28941   Q975    The Harris Poll(R) #5, January 17, 2007   By Regina Corso, Director, The Harris Poll, Harris Interactive    About Harris Interactive