Electus Announces K-Town, the First Unscripted Series from its Pop Culture YouTube™ Channel, LOUD, Set to Launch on July 2nd

NEW YORK, May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ben Silverman's multimedia entertainment studio Electus, an operating business of IAC (Nasdaq: IACI), today announced K-Town – the first of many high-impact series from Electus' new pop-culture channel, LOUD, slated to launch on YouTube™ on July 2nd.

Created and executive produced by Tyrese Gibson's HQ Productions, K-Town is a new, dynamic unscripted reality show that explores the lives of incredibly colorful Asian Americans who reside in the heart of Koreatown, Los Angeles - the vibrant Korean culture center that is sandwiched between the bohemian spirit of downtown Los Angeles and the business district of the Miracle Mile. From karaoke bars to night clubs, the series follows the cast as they discover themselves and what it means to be Asian American growing up in the 21st century. To view the exclusive K-Town teaser video, please visit: http://bit.ly/KtownRealityShow

"We are excited to partner with such visionaries as Ben Silverman, Tony DiSanto and Liz Gateley to launch K-Town into the pop-culture stratosphere," said Tyrese Gibson, Founder of HQ Productions. "LOUD is the perfect platform for chronicling the social rituals of this unique Asian American subculture. While nothing about this series is commonplace, the show is highly-relatable as the cast's personal stories, struggles and triumphs are universal." 

"Asians have always been viewed through the media as either exaggerated stereotypes or the one-dimensional model minority," said Executive Producer Mike Le. "K-Town is a celebration of what it's like to be a young Asian in America today.  It's not just about playing the piano and being great at math. We're also sexy, stylish, have swagger, and can party with the best of them."  

Conceptualized by Electus Founder and Emmy and Golden Globe winning producer Ben Silverman (The Biggest Loser, The Office, Mob Wives, Fashion Star) with consultation from DiGa, co-founded by Tony DiSanto and Liz Gateley – the former MTV executives responsible for the creation and development of the biggest hits in the network's history (Jersey Shore, Teen Mom, Laguna Beach, The Hills, 16 and Pregnant), LOUD will be the newest home for fresh, edgy, entertaining series featuring celebrities as well as popular YouTube™ talent, creating the perfect blend of unique characters and buzz-worthy content that will launch into the collective cultural consciousness.

"When Tony and I first met with Tyrese and his producing partners, we quickly realized that the concept behind K-Town was a very unique, untapped subculture in American media. We instantly saw it as a fertile ground for a highly entertaining, unscripted show that would play incredibly well to the LOUD audience," said Liz Gateley, Co-Founder, DiGa. "In the same way the culture of Jersey Shore has their own lingo and philosophies, the K-Town cast has theirs and audiences will become enthralled with the individual personalities and fascinating lifestyles depicted in the show."

"We are proud to make true on the promise of programming a YouTube™ channel where we can find a home for a show like K-Town that challenges what is traditionally shown on television in so many ways," said Drew Buckley, COO and Head of Digital at Electus. "We're looking forward to creating even more TV-quality programming by and for the YouTube™ audience."

The cast of K-Town includes:

• Jasmine (@JASMINECHANG089): A hairstylist who was born and raised in Koreatown. Whether it's her platinum blond locks or her loud infectious laugh, Jasmine is the undeniable center of attention wherever she goes.

• Scarlet (@Scarlet_Chan): A former exotic dancer who is sexually liberated and not afraid to express it. Scarlet is a self-admitted troublemaker who is introduced to the Koreatown scene by her close friend, Jasmine.

• Violet (@violetcriMEs): A single mother and the drama queen of K-Town. Whether she's at work as a bartender at Vibe, a popular nightclub in Koreatown, or posting gossip on her much read and dreaded blog, drama and boys follow her wherever she goes.

• Steve (@MohawkSteve): Known as "Mr. K-Town," Steve is the quintessential "drink all night, sleep all day" type of guy who possesses the uncanny ability to strike a lasting impression on any girl.

• Joe (@JoeKtownCha): As the owner of Reflective Productions, Joe runs the biggest Asian nightclub in all of Los Angeles, which positions him at the epicenter of the K-town nightlife. Joe is weighed down by the pressures of the competitive Koreatown party scene while simultaneously juggling family responsibilities and his intense gym routines. 

• Young (@Younglee11): A promoter for the TAO Group, the hottest nightclub group in Las Vegas, Young comes to K-Town to fulfill his life-long dream of being an international star.

• Cammy (@cammychung): Known as K-Town's sweetheart, Cammy is a waitress at the most iconic bar in Koreatown.

• Jowe (@ITZJOW3): The self-proclaimed "Prince of K-Town" who drives a fast car and lives a fast life.

K-Town is created and executive produced by HQ Productions (Tyrese Gibson, Mike Le, Eugene Choi, and Eddie Kim) and executive produced by Electus (Ben Silverman, Drew Buckley, Evan Bregman) and DiGa (Tony DiSanto, Liz Gateley).

Officially launching on Monday, July 2nd, Electus will announce The LOUD Channel's full talent and programming slate in the coming weeks.  Viewers can subscribe to The LOUD Channel for trailers and show updates at http://www.youtube.com/loud.  For additional information or to connect with LOUD's social media platforms, please visit: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LOUDYouTube; Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LOUDYouTube; 
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/103051581188938584231

About Electus

Electus is the first integrated multimedia entertainment studio to unite producers, creators, advertisers and distributors under one roof and produce all forms of content for distribution across a variety of platforms around the world. Headed by Ben Silverman in partnership with IAC [NASDAQ: IACI], the company connects advertisers, distributors and content creators early on in the development process, enabling marketers and advertisers to be a true partner in campaigns and content creation. Electus International, the global distribution arm of Electus, is responsible for all international sales and distribution for Electus' programming and its studio partners as well as programs and formats from other well-known 3rd party providers. For more information on Electus, visit www.electus.com.

About DiGa

DiGa Vision, LLC is a newly formed, full-service entertainment production company co-founded by Tony DiSanto and Liz Gateley.  DiGa, which means "to speak" in Spanish and is a combination of DiSanto and Gateley's last names, will create, develop and produce prime-time cable and network reality and scripted television programming, feature films and digital content. DiGa's signature style and unique voice reflect the pop culture relevance, distinctive visuals and seamless execution that DiSanto and Gateley are well recognized for.

About HQ Productions

HQ Productions is the multimedia entertainment company started by Grammy-nominated singer and star of Fast Five and the Transformers franchise, Tyrese Gibson. HQ Productions develops and produces original content for film, TV, music, publishing and digital. Previously, HQ Productions produced the reality series First In for the BET network and published the bestselling comic book Mayhem through Image with The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman. HQ Production's music division, Voltron Recordz, produced and released Gibson's latest album, Open Invitation.    

Media Contacts 
Electus
Stacy Simpson
212.314.3470
[email protected]

Sunshine Sachs
Jessica Berger / Dani Dalesandro
212.691.2800
[email protected] / [email protected]

SOURCE Electus