MTV Latin America's Second Annual 'MTV Video Music Awards Latin America 2003' To Air Via Broadcast In Latin America

    MIAMI, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- MTV Networks Latin America announced today
 that the second annual "MTV Video Music Awards Latin America 2003" will air on
 MTV's global network and select broadcasters in Latin America such as Mexico's
 Televisa (Canal 5).  The announcement was made today by Pierluigi Gazzolo,
 Senior Vice President, Distribution, MTV Networks Latin America.
     The event will take place on Thursday, October 23, 2003 at the Jackie
 Gleason Theater in Miami Beach and air live on MTV Latin America and MTV2 in
 the U.S. at 9PM ET/PT (8PM en Mixico, 10PM Chile y Argentina).  Following its
 premiere, the MTV VMALAs will broadcast on MTV U.S. Saturday, November 1 at
 11PM ET/PT and be made available to MTV's 44 channels around the world
 including MTV's 10 channels in Europe, eight channels in Asia, MTV Brasil and
 MTV Russia reaching a potential 380 million households world wide -- a viewing
 audience of over 1 billion people.
     Additionally, select terrestrial outlets in Latin America will carry the
 show. These include: Televisa's Canal 5 in Mixico, RCTV in Venezuela, Colmed
 in Dominican Republic, Corp. Medcom in Panama, Ecuavisa in Ecuador, Artear in
 Argentina, and REDPAT in Bolivia.
     "Having the opportunity to air this year's show on broadcast outlets
 throughout Latin America in addition to the Pay-TV audience allows us to
 significantly expand our viewership," said Gazzolo.  "The VMALA transmission
 will help solidify the MTV brand among our current viewers and will serve as
 an excellent vehicle to drive MTV Latin America into the homes of potential
 viewers."
     Hosted by famed Mexican/international actor, Diego Luna, this year's show
 will feature live performances by Spanish singer and songwriter Alejandro
 Sanz; Argentine Gustavo Cerati, ex-lead man of legendary "rock en espaqol"
 band Soda Stereo; Dido; Mexicans Cafi Tacuba; Control Machete; The Mars Volta;
 punk band Sum 41; Chilean band La Ley; rock legend Iggy Pop; and up-and-coming
 singer/songwriter Natalia Lafourcade.
     The line-up of presenters and show participants has expanded with the
 recently announced additions of Juanes, Kelly Osbourne, Alex Lora,
 Molotov, Charly Alberti, Kinky, Daisy Fuentes, Plastilina Mosh, Elan, Moenia,
 Aterciopelados, Mana, La Oreja de Van Gogh, Zach de la Rocha and Los
 Prisioneros, among others.  These celebrities join Catupecu Machu,
 Robbie Rosa, Vicentico, and Diego Torres -- all of whom were previously
 announced presenters.
     It was also announced that sponsorship for this year's "MTV Video Music
 Awards Latin America" is sold out.  For the second consecutive year, top
 brands Coca-Cola, Visa International Latin America and Caribbean and Sony
 Ericsson Mobile Communications return as official panregional sponsors of the
 event.  In addition, McDonald's and Panasonic have joined as panregional
 sponsors, while Yop and Sol will sponsor the Mexico transmission only.  Coca-
 Cola, a long-time partner of the channel, will host an all-expense-paid
 contest where Latin American winners and their guests will fly to Miami to
 experience the VMALAs.
     Tied with five nominations each are Cafi Tacuba, Natalia Lafourcade,
 Molotov, and La Ley, followed by Argentine Gustavo Cerati, Colombian Juanes,
 and Mexican band Mana with four and ex-Fabulosos Cadillacs' Vicentico with
 three nominations.  The winner for each category was chosen by viewers who
 cast their votes exclusively online at MTV Latin America's website MTVla.com
 between September 11 and October 8, 2002.  Harris Interactive(R), a worldwide
 market research and consulting firm, acting as a private auditor will tabulate
 the results for the "MTV Video Music Awards Latin America."
     Charlie Singer (SVP Programming/Production, MTV Latin America) will
 executive produce. Audrey Morrissey (a veteran of many MTV productions and
 award shows, and producer of "Alejandro Sanz MTV Unplugged," "La Ley MTV
 Unplugged," and "Conexion MTV") will serve as producer; and Manny Rodriguez
 ("Alejandro Sanz MTV Unplugged," "La Ley MTV Unplugged") will direct.
     MTV has a long history of creating exciting music events with 10 locally
 produced awards shows annually, around the world; and the "MTV Video Music
 Awards Latin America" will make 11 award shows.  Additional MTV award
 ceremonies include the MTV Japan Video Music Awards (Japan), MTV Asia Awards
 (Singapore), CCTV-MTV Mandarin Music Honors (China), MTV Mandarin Awards
 (Taiwan), MTV Philipinas (Philippines), MTV Penghargaan (Indonesia), MTV
 Europe Music Awards, Video Music Brasil Awards, MTV Movie Awards (U.S.), and
 MTV Video Music Awards (U.S.).  Many award shows such as the MTV Video Music
 Awards and the MTV Movie Awards are customized for international audiences by
 MTV channels around the world, offering viewers a unique local perspective to
 a global event.
 
     MTV Latin America, a unit of MTV Networks Latin America, Inc., is a 24-
 hour Spanish-language cable television network that airs music programming to
 more than 13 million households in Spanish-speaking Latin America.  The
 network is delivered via satellite to cable, MMDS, UHF broadcast and direct-
 to-home viewers aged 12-34.  MTV Networks Latin America, Inc., a unit of
 Viacom International, owns and operates MTV Latin America and Nickelodeon
 Latin America, which have regional headquarters in Buenos Aires, Mexico City
 and Sao Paulo (for Nickelodeon only) and operating headquarters in Miami.
 
     MTV Networks International includes the premier multimedia entertainment
 brands MTV: Music Television, VH1, Nickelodeon, TMF (The Music Factory) and
 KinderNet seen in more than 374 million households in 164 countries and 18
 languages via 71 locally programmed and operated TV channels and 38 Web sites.
 The company's diverse holdings also include interests in television
 syndication, publishing, home video, radio, recorded music, licensing &
 merchandising and two feature film divisions, MTV Films and Nickelodeon
 Movies.  MTV Networks is a unit of Viacom International Inc.
 (NYSE:   VIA, VIA.B).
 
 

SOURCE  MTV Networks Latin America