TV One's 'Bill Bellamy's Who's Got Jokes' Heads to Germany on USO Entertainment Tour to Tape Semi-Finals at U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern

TV One's 'Bill Bellamy's Who's Got Jokes' Heads to Germany on USO Entertainment Tour to Tape Semi-Finals at U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern

- Two semi-final episodes of the comedy competition to be judged by soldiers stationed on base -

SILVER SPRING, Md., May 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Working in conjunction with the USO, Bill Bellamy's Who's Got Jokes?, TV One's signature 'clean' comedy competition series heads to Germany this week to tape the semi-finals of the upcoming season in front of an enthusiastic audience of U.S. soldiers and their families stationed at the U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern, home of the largest military community outside the U.S.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080522/NETH071 )

On Saturday, May 24, Bill Bellamy and his comedy crew, which includes Man on the Street Rodney Perry and the show's referee, the "Pope of Comedy" Tommy Ford (of "Martin," which also airs on TV One), will tape two shows at U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern's Rhine Ordnance Barracks Special Event Warehouse at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., whittling down eight contestants to the final two. The new season is expected to premiere in October 2008. In addition to taping the episodes, the show's hosts will also visit wounded service members at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (May 24) and perform stand-up comedy for troops stationed at U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart (May 26) and Spangdahlem Air Base (May 27).

In the semi-final episodes, a panel of judges will be selected from among the soldiers attending the taping, and all of the troops attending the show will have some input into selecting the finalists. The final winner of the season's competition will be selected by the TV One viewing audience before the end of 2008.

"It is an honor for Farcor Studios and TV One to work with the USO and bring 'Bill Bellamy's Who's Got Jokes?' to the men and women of the U.S. armed forces who are putting their lives on the line for our country, and we are delighted that we can bring a little laughter into their lives," said TV One President and CEO Johnathan Rodgers. "As an Army veteran and the son of a career Army officer, I especially cherish this opportunity."

"The USO is extremely pleased that TV One and Bill Bellamy have volunteered their time and talents to entertain and support our troops in Germany this Memorial Day weekend," says USO President and CEO Edward Powell. "What better way to pay tribute to our men and women in uniform than by taking one of TV One's most popular television shows directly to the troops and bringing laughter into their lives on one of America's most important holidays."

"Performing for service men and women abroad, many of whom are in transit to combat areas, is a unique privilege," said Bill Bellamy. "We are especially happy that they will be playing a role in helping to select the next winner of the 'Who's Got Jokes?' competition."

In "Bill Bellamy's Who's Got Jokes?," TV One, FarCor Studios and Bill Bellamy hit the road each year in search of the hottest rising comics in the USA, who are competing to be crowned "Jokes" champion. The unique twist? Comics must keep it clean, and will be docked points for swearing and/or raunchy routines.

The one-hour series is produced for TV One by FarCor Studios. Executive producers are Ralph Farquhar, Dwayne Corbett and Bill Bellamy. The show was created by Ralph Farquhar.

Launched in January 2004, TV One ( http://www.tvoneonline.com/ ) serves 43.4 million households (Nielsen May 2008 estimate), offering a broad range of lifestyle and entertainment-oriented original programming, classic series, movies, fashion and music designed to entertain, inform and inspire a diverse audience of adult African American viewers. TV One's investors include Radio One (Nasdaq: ROIA and ROIAK; http://www.radio-one.com/ ), the largest radio company that primarily targets African American and urban listeners; Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA and CMCSK; http://www.comcast.com/ ), the leading cable television company in the country; The DirecTV Group; Constellation Ventures; Syndicated Communications; and Opportunity Capital Partners.

About the USO

The USO (United Service Organizations) provides morale, welfare and recreational services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, Blackwater Worldwide, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Gallery Furniture, S & K Sales Co., and TriWest Healthcare Alliance. Other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381), have joined thousands of individual donors to support the USO. For more information, please visit our Web site at http://www.uso.org/.

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Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080522/NETH071
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: TV One

CONTACT: Lynn McReynolds for TV One, +1-410-268-0275,
lynn@mcreynoldselek.com

Web site: http://www.tvoneonline.com/
http://www.uso.org/
http://www.comcast.com/
http://www.radio-one.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment