Jay Kushner Named Vice President and General Tax Counsel for Viacom

Jay Kushner Named Vice President and General Tax Counsel for Viacom

NEW YORK, June 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Jay Kushner has been appointed Vice President and General Tax Counsel of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:and)(NYSE:VIA.B), it was announced today by Michael J. Dolan, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Viacom. Mr. Kushner, who reports to Mr. Dolan, will be responsible for the worldwide tax affairs of Viacom and its subsidiaries.

Before joining Viacom, Mr. Kushner was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Young & Rubicam Inc., a diversified advertising agency and marketing services company with 11,000 employees in approximately 100 countries and approximately $2 billion in net revenues. Before that, he served as Senior Vice President of Treasury and Tax at Y&R. In this position, Mr. Kushner assisted Mr. Dolan and his executive team in the initial public offering and ultimate sale of the company. Prior to his time there, Mr. Kushner led the International Tax operations at PepsiCo and was an executive with Cooper & Lybrand.

"Having worked with Jay at both PepsiCo and Young & Rubicam, I know the impact of his extensive expertise in domestic and international tax matters will be felt immediately at Viacom," Mr. Dolan said. "And, as we navigate the intricacies of creating two new businesses at Viacom, his leadership and past experience will be invaluable. He's the perfect addition to our already best- in-class Tax team and a critical asset to Viacom as we move into our next phase."

Mr. Kushner said, "I couldn't be more thrilled to join this exciting company at such an extraordinary time. I look forward to applying all the skills I've developed over the last 24 years, and to helping Mike and his dedicated team through this history-making transition."

Mr. Kushner's appointment follows the unexpected passing of Jack Carpenter in March 2005. Mr. Carpenter had held the position of Vice President and General Tax Counsel since May 2000.

Mr. Kushner graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in Political Science, and received his J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law in 1981.

Viacom is a leading global media company, with preeminent positions in broadcast and cable television, radio, outdoor advertising, and online. With programming that appeals to audiences in every demographic category across virtually all media, the company is a leader in the creation, promotion, and distribution of entertainment, news, sports, music, and comedy. Viacom's well-known brands include CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, VH1, BET, Paramount Pictures, Infinity Broadcasting, Viacom Outdoor, UPN, TV Land, Comedy Central, CMT: Country Music Television, King World, Spike TV, Showtime, Paramount Parks, and Simon & Schuster. More information about Viacom and its businesses is available at http://www.viacom.com/.

Source: Viacom

CONTACT: Carl Folta, +1-212-258-6352, carl.folta@viacom.com, or Julia Phelps, +1-212-846-5288, julia.phelps@viacom.com, both of Viacom

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

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