SMIRNOFF Goes in for Round Two with Television Premiere of Master of the Mix Season 2

NORWALK, Conn., Oct. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- SMIRNOFF®, the world's best-selling vodka, is mixing it up once again with the Season 2 premiere of their successful reality television show, Master of the Mix. With high demand from fans, SMIRNOFF is partnering with BET to bring hip hop enthusiasts and deejay purists the reality TV content they crave.

Amongst the changes from last year, the Master of the Mix cast from this second season is filled with deejays from all walks of life, from all over the United States. Cast members were chosen by master judge, Kid Capri and previous Season 1 contestants, who embarked on a cross-country casting tour to bring the best underground talent together for the second season of Master of the Mix. After being chosen, contestants now face revered producer and host, Just Blaze, world famous DJ, Kid Capri, nightlife maven, model and actress Amber Rose, and Master of the Mix Season 1 runner-up and noted DJ, Vikter Duplaix, who will help to determine who will be crowned the next mix master.

"Master of the Mix Season 1 was such a successful, innovative dive into branded integrated content that we couldn't imagine not coming back for a second season," said David Tapscott, Brand Director, SMIRNOFF. "Plus the show gives us the opportunity to personify the vision and personality of the brand. SMIRNOFF is all about taking the night from ordinary to extraordinary through careful consumption, and our Master of the Mix show and cast members help bring that to life - whether on set or not."

Viewers can see who made the cut and who got scratched on the multi-city casting tour when the show premieres on BET at midnight on Saturday, November 5, 2011. The People's Champ choice, DJ Wicked, will also make his on-air debut thanks to the SMIRNOFF Facebook community voting him to the show as a wild card contestant.

After the casting kick-off, viewers will follow top contestants from Los Angeles to New York on a Master of the Mix tour bus, where the chosen DJs will be put into unique deejay experiences and judged on their technical ability, track selection, originality, and crowd response. At the show's end, the final contestants will battle it out for the judges but the viewers and Facebook fans of Master of the Mix will ultimately decide who joins DJ Scratch in carrying the Master of the Mix title. Once decided through online voting at www.Facebook.com/MasterOfTheMix, the crowned DJ will take home $250,000 in cash and prizes.

"Bringing back Master of the Mix for a second season was absolutely a no brainer for the network," said Raymond Goulbourne, EVP of Advertising Sales, BET Networks. "We had such a positive response from viewers, who showed us very positive numbers during the show's timeslot, and we're confident that this year we'll continue to grow an even larger fan base."

The show will air Saturdays at midnight EST beginning November 5, 2011 on BET, the nation's leading provider of and premier brand for quality entertainment, music, and news television programming for the African-American audience. The show re-airs on Saturdays at 10:30 p.m. EST and 1:30 a.m. EST starting November 12, 2011 on Centric, a 24-hour music and entertainment channel with its finger on the pulse of an ever-changing and sophisticated African-American audience. Check your local listings for further details.

Master of the Mix is produced by GTM, a 360 degree marketing and content development agency, who, in partnership with Electus, serve as the show's creators and executive producers.

For additional information, please visit www.masterofthemix.com or check out www.facebook.com/MasterOfTheMix for photos and behind-the-scenes coverage.  And while mixing it up, always remember to enjoy SMIRNOFF responsibly.

About SMIRNOFF
SMIRNOFF, the world's number-one selling premium spirit and the top-selling flavored vodka in North America, traces its heritage back to 19th century Russia, and the brand was revived in the United States in 1934.  In a January 2005 New York Times blind taste test of 21 world-class vodkas, SMIRNOFF was named its "hands-down favorite." SMIRNOFF has always been known for quality vodka and is enjoyed responsibly in 130 countries around the world.   For more information, log on to www.SMIRNOFF.com.  

About Diageo
Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, beer and wine. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Windsor, Buchanan's and Bushmills whiskies, SMIRNOFF, Ciroc and Ketel One vodkas, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Jose Cuervo, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is a global company, with its products sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

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