Casey Patterson Named Senior Vice President, Event Production and Talent Development, Spike TV and TV Land

Casey Patterson Named Senior Vice President, Event Production and Talent Development, Spike TV and TV Land

NEW YORK, March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Casey Patterson has been named senior vice president, event production and talent development, Spike TV and TV Land, it was announced jointly today by Doug Herzog, president, MTV Networks Entertainment Group and TV Land president, Larry W. Jones. Patterson, who most recently served as senior vice president of talent development and casting for Spike TV, will immediately be responsible for the creation and execution of brand-defining event programming and other talent-driven content for TV Land and Spike TV as well as oversee talent development for these two popular consumer brands within the MTV Networks Entertainment Group.

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In this newly-created position, Patterson is now responsible for fostering and overseeing Spike TV and TV Land's relationships with major Hollywood film studios -- in tandem with each network's respective national ad sales and marketing teams -- to offer partnership opportunities and oversee the formation of network tie-ins, custom programming events and other talent offerings as they relate to major film releases and other, high profile projects. Patterson will oversee all facets of the Spike TV and TV Land event production and talent development department, which previously was responsible solely for Spike TV.

"Casey's leadership in creating distinctive and meaningful tent-pole events for Spike TV has been invaluable in strengthening the bond we have with our viewers, advertisers and the Hollywood community," said Herzog. "She has proven to be a valuable member of the network's executive team since its inception and we look forward to her bringing her wealth of knowledge and experience to TV Land in this expanded role within the MTV Networks Entertainment Group."

"Casey's proven track record in event production and talent development makes her a natural choice to lead TV Land's Hollywood agenda," explains Jones. "Her strong relationships with studios, artists, agencies, managers and publicists will deepen TV Land's brand as we superserve the entertainment needs of consumers in their 40s."

Since joining Spike TV (formerly TNN) in 2000, Patterson has played a central role in the overall development of Spike as an entertainment destination for men and has been instrumental in the creation of attention- getting programming events that have become a staple of the network's offerings. In 2002, she helped create the "Video Game Awards," which is now considered to be the premiere awards showcase for the gaming industry. Capitalizing on the popularity of horror, sci-fi and fantasy entertainment, in 2006 she co-created the "Scream Awards," and achieved global success when it was licensed to programmers in 175 countries last year.

In 2007, Patterson created the "Guys Choice Awards," which recognizes leaders from the worlds of sports, entertainment and the internet including Will Ferrell, James Gandolfini, Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, among others. Patterson also created "True Dads," Spike TV's pro-social initiative designed to promote the importance of men playing active roles in the lives of their children.

As she has with Spike TV, Patterson's new TV Land responsibilities include creating, developing and overseeing event production for new signature tent- pole specials like the "TV Land Awards," -- an annual salute to past and present stars of television -- for which she has served as consulting producer since its inception in 2002.

Prior to Spike TV, Patterson, an Emmy-nominated producer, also served as director of talent development at VH1, where her contributions were central to the success of several high-profile events including: "The Concert for New York City;" "VH1 Vogue Fashion Awards;" "VH1 Divas Live;" "Saturday Night Live 25th Anniversary Special;" and "The Concert of the Century at the White House." She was also a talent producer for FOX's "Billboard Music Awards," NBC's "Concert for America" and CMT's "Flameworthy Awards." She was also a co- creator of the syndicated series, "The Sharon Osbourne Show." Overall, Patterson has been in the entertainment industry for 17 years and was recently named "A Woman to Watch in Entertainment" in 2008 by Multichannel News.

Spike TV is available in 96.1 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) , MTV Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com.

TV Land continues to build the ultimate entertainment brand on all platforms for consumers in their 40s and 50s. Armed with a slate of original programming, newly acquired classic and contemporary TV, hit movies and its redesigned website -- TVLand.com -- the network is uniquely positioned to super serve the first generation of Americans who grew up alongside television. The network's program mix features original programming, popular dramas, sitcoms and westerns in a fun-filled, pop culture environment featuring a roster of popular shows including "All in the Family," "M*A*S*H," "The Andy Griffith Show," and "Just Shoot Me," which joined TV Land in January, 2008. In the coming months, the network will roll out a slate of new original series' such as "She's Got The Look," "Family Foreman" and "The Big 4-0" as well as more episodes of the hit show "High School Reunion." TVLand.com, the network's Emmy Award-winning website, is devoted to all aspects of entertainment including TV, music and movies and features full- length episodes, a movie trailer database and over a dozen radio stations. TV Land is now seen in over 90 million U.S. homes.

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Source: Spike TV and TV Land

CONTACT: David Schwarz, Spike TV, +1-212-767-8639; Paul Ward, TV Land,
+1-212-258-7704

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

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Profile: International Entertainment