COMEDY CENTRAL® Unveils CC Studios And Names Allison Kingsley As Vice President Of Digital Development To Run New Division

NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --  COMEDY CENTRAL has created CC Studios, a new, in-house creative initiative that will develop content, concepts and talent for digital platforms, it was announced today by Kent Alterman, President, Content Development & Original Programming, COMEDY CENTRAL and Erik Flannigan, Executive Vice President, Digital Media, Viacom Entertainment Group.  Allison Kingsley has been named Vice President of Digital Development, COMEDY CENTRAL and will oversee CC Studios and the development of original digital content for the #1 brand in comedy.

CC Studios will serve as a destination where comedy and technology collide across multiple platforms to produce original shareable content for millennials.  The goal is to provide a creative playground for the comedy community where comedians, directors, writers and animators can develop and cultivate their passion projects and further engage their peers and fans.  CC Studios will offer a home for established talent, as well as strive to nurture new voices, concepts and future franchises, all with social strategies integrated into every stage of development.  Kingsley and her CC Studios team are additionally responsible for developing and initiating branded entertainment projects in collaboration with COMEDY CENTRAL's integrated marketing and sales teams.

"Allison uses techy words I don't understand, so I know she's the right person for the job," says Alterman.  "Plus, as an added bonus, she has a great comedy sensibility."

"Allison not only gets the Comedy Central filter, but she is helping to expand it by developing content beyond video as well," said Flannigan. "CC Studios talent will be playing with everything from animated GIFs to voice mail to comic strips."

"CC Studios is an outlet for veteran and upcoming comedians to develop and incubate their ideas for whichever platform best serves the content," said Kingsley.  "We're excited to launch a supportive environment where the talent community can be inspired by social media and technology to create the work they love."

Projects currently available for viewing and in development include:

• "Couched"
  Host Ben Hoffman spends a weekend crashing in a house full of college dudes.  Ben's mission: get to know the typical Comedy Central fan as he prepares for production of his own show – "The Ben Show" (debuting February 28 on Comedy Central).

• "Bro-Dependent"
  H. Michael Croner and Greg Worswick of the renowned Groundlings comedy troupe play Zack and Anderson – best friends who are equal parts douchebag, idiot and hopeless bromantic.

• The Lucas Brothers - Title TBD
  Co-hosts Keith and Kenny bring their laid back twist to a morning show.  Featuring sketches, interviews and guests like NBA stars Reggie Evans, Andray Blatche and Iman Shumpert, the show will tackle the guys' favorite subjects - sports, music and video games. 

• "Behind Amy Schumer"
  A web series that gives "behind the scenes" insight into the life of burgeoning superstar Amy Schumer as she creates and stars in her first TV series ("Inside Amy Schumer" premieres on Comedy Central in April).

Before joining COMEDY CENTRAL, Allison Kingsley was Vice President, Digital at Ovation, where she was responsible for the day-to-day management of the department, including fiscal and editorial oversight of Ovationtv.com, integrating on-air/branded initiatives into the digital platform, developing the award-winning Ovation social community of artists, and supervising growth of all social media platforms.

In the digital environment, Kingsley was also the General Manager and Co-Founder of Bushleaguetv.com, a comedic sports and video game site funded by DECA and designed for the 18-34 male demo.

In addition to her strong digital media skills, Kingsley has had an extensive background in television production and comedy development.  Her producing experience includes the series "Significant Others" on Bravo and "Freeride" for Fox, both created by Rob Roy Thomas, along with pilots for Fox and VH1.  Theatrically, Kingsley produced the long-running comedy "Beverly Winwood Presents: The Actors Showcase," which featured a cast of 20 comedians including Melissa McCarthy, Jennifer Coolidge, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash and was directed by Tony Sepulveda.  She also served as Executive Director of The Groundlings, managing the famed comedy club and improvisation school.

Available on-air, online and on-the-go, COMEDY CENTRAL (www.cc.com) is the #1 brand in comedy and is owned by, and is a registered trademark of, Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA and VIAB).  For up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs visit COMEDY CENTRAL's press Web site at www.cc.com/press and follow us on Twitter @ComedyCentralPR for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB) is home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms in more than 160 countries and territories.  With approximately 170 media networks reaching more than 600 million global subscribers, Viacom's leading brands include MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, BET, CENTRIC, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., TeenNick, Nicktoons, Nick at Nite, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV Land, Spike TV and Tr3s.  Paramount Pictures, America's oldest film studio and creator of many of the most beloved motion pictures, continues today as a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.  Viacom operates a large portfolio of branded digital media experiences, including many of the world's most popular properties for entertainment, community and casual online gaming.  For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com.

SOURCE COMEDY CENTRAL Corporate Communications