Indiantelevision.com Team

(24 April 2006 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: US broadcatster MTV has announced the network's latest pro-social initiative, Break The
Addiction. This is a year-long campaign to engage, educate and empower young people to take simple, daily actions that can have a measurable impact in the fight against global warming.

The campaign kicked off a couple of days ago with a channel takeover on Earth Day, 22 April. This includes an on-air, online and wireless messaging campaign about how to help stop global warming,
break-ins to regularly scheduled programming that offer environmental lessons, multiple public service announcements (PSAs), and an MTV News
package introducing the initiative featuring an environmental activist.

MTV's year-long recovery programme aimed at
mobilising a new generation of environmental activists. On-air, online and on wireless, the initiative will connect the audience to simple, daily
tips, as well as in-depth resources, to help them recognise and change habits that harm the environment. Viewers will be directed online to
think.mtv.com to quantify and track their efforts by the amount of carbon dioxide emissions and dollars saved due to changes they commit to making
throughout the year.

Supplemental MTV programming -- both long-form and news packages -- will air throughout the year and the tips will be revealed in daily PSAs on air on MTV, MTV2, and mtvU as well as online and delivered to cell phones. Additional PSAs will appear on mtv.com, mtv2.com, mtvU.com,
MTV Overdrive and mtvU Uber. Through partnerships with StopGlobalWarming.org, National Resources Defense Council (NRDC),
Grist.org, Student PIRGs, Campus Climate Challenge, and Clean Air-Cool Planet, MTV will go beyond the broadcasts to create online and wireless
resources, as well as opportunities for grassroots organising and outreach.

MTV president Christina Norman says, "Throughout history young people have always rallied around issues and generated change, and we know from our constant dialogue with young people that they are concerned about the environment but don't know how to make a difference. Break The Addiction will educate and empower young people with tangible, simple actions and measurable ways to see how their small efforts have big effects."

MTV will theme each month with a concrete message -- from Examine Yourself to Go Paperless to Get Political -- and create corresponding
programming and resources on air, online, on wireless phones and on the ground. Throughout the campaign, young people will be able to access a
number of resources on these platforms, including:

* The Break The Addiction recycle bin on TRL -- MTV's flagship TRL program will host the recycle bin for audience members who literally must recycle to gain entrance to the studio. Throughout the
year, MTV will point to the container as a reminder of simple acts that can make big impacts on the planet.

* think MTV's Carbon Calculator -- This is an online calculator, built in partnership with StopGlobalWarming.org. It enables young people to calculate their carbon and financial savings as
they commit to making changes in their lives.

* Long-form programming and MTV News packages -- MTV programming will explore the issues of global warming, as well as showcase the innovative
ways that young people are fighting to preserve the environment.

* User-generated Content -- MTV viewer ideas will be solicited and showcased through their submission of pictures about how they're stopping global warming.

* Action Center -- Break the Addiction will provide opportunities for young people to take personal, social, and political action to help stop
global warming.

* Online Resources -- think MTV will launch a Break the Addiction website on think.mtv.com to serve as a portal for information about global warming and ways to take action to reduce
one's environmental impact.

Additional on air, online, wireless, and grassroots initiatives will be rolled out throughout the year.
About think MTV
The think MTV initiative includes longform specials, MTV News reports, PSAs, and other special programming dedicated to the issues that young
people care about most. A think MTV icon appears onscreen during programming that has an online counterpart at think.MTV.com, to offer a
range of opportunities for young people to learn about and engage on critical issues at the local or national level. On every page within the
site, young people can search for local volunteer opportunities, contact their political representatives, and register to vote.