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International Entertainment News

Thursday, September 06, 2007

On September 29 Nickelodeon, Nicktoons Network and Nick G.A.S. Go Dark to Celebrate Fourth Annual Worldwide Day of Play and Urge Kids to Join the 750,000 Who Have Registered in Network's Fight Against Childhood Obesity

On September 29 Nickelodeon, Nicktoons Network and Nick G.A.S. Go Dark to Celebrate Fourth Annual Worldwide Day of Play and Urge Kids to Join the 750,000 Who Have Registered in Network's Fight Against Childhood Obesity

Nickelodeon Returns to the Air with the Finale of the Let's Just Play Go Healthy Challenge at 6 p.m. ET/PT on Nickelodeon and the Premiere of Back at the Barnyard at 9 p.m. ET/PT

14 Countries to Participate in More Than 1,000 Worldwide Day of Play Events

NEW YORK, Sept. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 29, Nickelodeon, along with its sister digital networks including Nicktoons Network and Nick G.A.S., will go off the air for an afternoon (12 to 3 p.m. ET/PT) in celebration of Nickelodeon's signature Worldwide Day of Play. This year marks the fourth annual event for Nickelodeon and its sister networks which will go dark, along with Nick.com, to inspire kids to participate in the fight against childhood obesity. Nickelodeon returns to the air at 3 p.m. ET with healthy messaging and the finale of the Let's Just Play Go Healthy Challenge at 6 p.m. ET/PT, followed by new episodes of Just Jordan, iCarly, Zoey 101, Tak and the Power of Juju, SpongeBob SquarePants and the premiere of Back at the Barnyard at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Over the course of 2006-07, through the Let's Just Play Go Healthy Challenge almost 750,000 kids have pledged on www.nick.com/letsjustplay to help lead healthier lives. The program was created by Nickelodeon, in partnership with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a joint initiative of the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association. The initiative aims to empower kids to change the outcome of their generation and to adopt healthier lifestyles with plans for better diet and exercise.

For the past six months, the Let's Just Play Go Healthy Challenge has followed Kenderick and April, two real kids, as they strived to get healthier. Kenderick, a 13-year-old Arkansan, signed up for the Challenge to make a dramatic change in his life. At the end of the experience, Kenderick lost 36 pounds and April, a 13-year-old from Pennsylvania accomplishers her goal of becoming more active and participating on a school athletic team. The finale of their on-air journey highlights Kenderick as he competes in the Conway Kids' Triathlon, having learned how to bike and swim, and April as she participates in her first match with her volleyball team. We also meet a middle school student from Colorado who took the Challenge, discovered a passion for soccer and lost 30 pounds along the way.

The Worldwide Day of Play Saturday, September 29 on-air schedule is as follows (all times ET/PT):

   -- 10 a.m. to Noon - A Saturday cartoon line-up morning line-up features      interstitials that catch viewers up on the progress the Let's Just Play      Go Healthy Challengers have made over the past five months.    -- 12 noon - Go Healthy Challengers Kenderick and April and Slime Across      America hosts Mark and Ryan help viewers turn off Nickelodeon,      Nicktoons Network and Nick G.A.S.    -- 12 noon to 3 p.m. - Nickelodeon, Nicktoons Network and Nick G.A.S. are      dark.      Viewers are directed, via an animated loop, to go outside and be active      in celebration of Worldwide Day of Play.    -- 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. - Go Healthy Challengers Kenderick and April, their      parents and coaches, along with Slime Across America hosts Mark and      Ryan return to host a SpongeBob SquarePants marathon.  Special TEENick      talent will make surprise appearances to congratulate Kenderick and      April on completing the Let's Just Play Go Healthy Challenge.  Names of      organizations hosting Worldwide Day of Play events will scroll across      the screen.    -- 6 p.m. - Nickelodeon airs the half-hour finale of the 2007 Let's Just      Play Go Healthy Challenge    -- 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. - Brand new episodes of Nickelodeon original      programming air including the premiere episode of Barnyard at 9 p.m.      - 6:30 p.m. New Just Jordan:  "Dead Man Joaquin"      - 7:00 p.m. New Zoey 101: "Zoey's Ribs"      - 7:30 p.m. New iCarly: "iWanna Stay with Spencer"      - 8 p.m. New Tak and the Power of Juju: "Zaria's in Charge" / "Bad        Luck's Back"      - 8:30 p.m. New SpongeBob SquarePants: "Fungus Among Us" / "Le Big        Switch"      - 9 p.m. Premiere of Back at the Barnyard: "Escape From the        Barnyard"/"Snotty Boy Story"  

MORE THAN 1,000 EVENTS SCHEDULED AND AN ESTIMATED 250,000 KIDS TO PARTICIPATE

IN WORLDWIDE DAY OF PLAY

Nickelodeon has worked with various strategic partners through the year to spread the Let's Just Play message at the local level and kick start a kids movement to help fight childhood obesity. Many of these partners have joined with the network to help celebrate Worldwide Day of Play. More than 250,000 kids are lined up to participate in more than 1,000 Worldwide Day of Play events in all 50 states and across 14 countries. Highlights of some of the events taking place on September 29 include:

   -- Nickelodeon channels in South East Asia, Australia, and New Zealand      will all lead Let's Just Play events throughout 2007 to provide an      opportunity for kids to change attitudes and raise awareness about      their health and well being.    -- Nickelodeon teams up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC to celebrate      Worldwide Day of Play with the 3rd Annual Big Brothers Big Sisters of      NYC Race for the Kids sponsored by RBC Dain Rauscher: A Nickelodeon      Worldwide Day of Play Event, in Riverside Park.  With over 3,000 kids      expected to participate, the day will kick off at 10 a.m. and will      consist of a 5K Run/Walk followed by a family festival, Nickelodeon      costume characters and activities that celebrate play.  Additionally,      Nickelodeon's Slime Across America tour will be a part of the event.    -- Nickelodeon's longstanding Let's Just Play partner, Boys & Girls Clubs      of America, hosts over 370 Worldwide Day of Play events in 50 states      and 7 countries that will reach more than 36,000 kids.    -- The Alliance for a Healthier Generation hosts more than 500 events      reaching almost 80,000 kids in local communities across the country on      September 29 to help celebrate Nickelodeon's Worldwide Day of Play and      their Go Healthy Month.  Planned events include festivities at the      Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, where an      estimated 6,000 kids and families are expected to attend.      Additionally, the Alliance will host events with organizations      including local YMCA's and Parks and Recreation Departments in      communities across the country to celebrate Go Healthy Month and      Nickelodeon's Worldwide Day of Play that will offer kids fun physical      activities and educational information.    -- This year Nickelodeon joined with the National Football League as a      partner for its Let's Just Play campaign.  Thirteen of the NFL's      leading teams will host events in celebration of Worldwide Day of Play,      reaching more than 4,000 kids.  On September 25, players from the      Carolina Panthers will be in North Carolina to help push play with      various activities.  An estimated 1,000 kids from the Charlotte public      schools are expected to attend.  Additional teams participating in      Worldwide Day of Play activities include: Pittsburgh Steelers,      Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia      Eagles, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Cleveland      Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins.    -- The Nickelodeon Family Suites by Holiday Inn will host Worldwide Day of      Play games all day on-site, including a SpongeBob Relay, Hula Hoop      Madness, Hot Krabby Patty, Jelly Fish Toss and more.         NICKELODEON AWARDS GRANTS TO ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPROVE HEALTH   

Nickelodeon's "Let's Just Play Giveaway" is a unique grant-giving program that empowers kids to bring much-needed dollars to their schools and communities to enhance physical education, recreation and nutrition programs. Through its past Giveaway and Grants Programs (2004-2007), Nickelodeon has provided more than $2.5 million to more than 400 schools and community-based organizations nationwide.

The network announces the continuation of the Let's Just Play Giveaway in October through January, where it will award more than $300,000 to 60 schools and organizations over the course of the three months. Kids between the ages of six and 15, with the help of a teacher or parent, can enter the "Let's Just Play Giveaway" by logging onto www.nick.com/letsjustplay, beginning September 16. To qualify for the Let's Just Play Giveaway, each organization is required to participate in the Worldwide Day of Play in their community.

About the Alliance for a Healthier Generation

The William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association partnered in May of 2005 to create a new generation of healthy Americans by addressing one of the nation's leading public health threats - childhood obesity. The goal of the Alliance is to stop the nationwide increase in childhood obesity by 2010, and to empower kids nationwide to make healthy lifestyle choices. The Alliance positively affects the places that can make a difference to a child's health: homes, schools, restaurants, doctor's offices and communities. For more information on the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, please visit: www.HealthierGeneration.org.

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon is currently in its fifth year of its award-winning pro-social initiative, "Let's Just Play." Nickelodeon uses its multimedia platforms and the "Let's Just Play" campaign, working with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and other partners, to reach millions of young people across the country and spread the message of the movement to create a healthier generation. The network has committed more than $30 million and 10% of its air to health and wellness messaging. Nickelodeon recently announced that it will limit the use of its licensed characters on food packaging to products that meet the "better for you" criteria as established by marketing partners in accordance with governmental dietary guidelines beginning in 2009.

In November 2005, "Let's Just Play" entered into a partnership with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to combat the spread of childhood obesity with the Let's Just Play Go Healthy Challenge. The Let's Just Play Go Healthy Challenge is Nickelodeon's initiative to model positive healthy behaviors, inspire kids to be leaders in making healthy choices, and measure their commitment to a healthy lifestyle. For more information visit www.nick.com/letsjustplay.

Nickelodeon, in its 28th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost 94 million households and has been the number-one- rated basic cable network for 13 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE: VIA.B) .

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Nickelodeon

CONTACT: Joanna Roses, +1-212-846-7326, or Thamar Romero,
+1-212-846-7491, both of Nickelodeon; or Ben Yarrow, of The William. J.
Clinton Foundation, +1-212-348-0360; or Meredith Isola, of the American Heart
Association, +1-202-785-7925

Web site: http://www.nick.com/
http://www.healthiergeneration.org/


Profile: International Entertainment

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