Thug Life Army

Viacom Inc. and the Henry J. KaiserFamily Foundation today announced the launch of a new set of public service advertisements (PSAs) featuring hip-hop artist Common, promoting testing as part of their Emmy and Peabody Award-winning KNOW HIV/AIDS public education initiative.  The television, radio, and outdoor messages mark the second wave of the groundbreaking "Knowing is Beautiful" series that launched in June,which seek to redefine how young people think about HIV testing and to eliminate the associated stigma.

The PSAs are the latest installment of a $380 million media commitment Viacom has made toward HIV/AIDS public education since 2003 as part of its on going collaboration with the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The KNOW HIV/AIDS partnership also includes HIV-themed programming and free print and online informational resources.  In addition to the new PSAs, HIV/AIDS-themed showsand specials will air across Viacom properties in the weeks leading up to World AIDS Day.  These programs will highlight the impact of HIV/AIDS in the United States and around the world.

Drew E. Altman, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Kaiser Family Foundation, said, "The unique combination of public service messages,HIV storylines in popular TV shows and special in-depth programming makes KNOW HIV/AIDS a powerful force in informing people about HIV testing and other waysthey can protect themselves."

Sumner Redstone, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Viacom, said,"Since the beginning of the campaign, KNOW HIV/AIDS has done a tremendous jobof educating and influencing at-risk groups. Today, this newest evolution of the campaign, draws on an icon of hip-hop culture to powerfully communicate the initiative's life saving messages and ensure that they resonate with communities that are most adversely affected."

Working with the ad agency, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Viacom and Kaisercreated the nine PSAs (four television, three radio and two outdoor) which feature the "Knowing is Beautiful" tagline. The ads use popular and a spirational images of beauty to reach those most at-risk and delivers the message through a unique approach that plays off hip-hop culture.  The television spots showcase the importance of getting tested through original spoken word poetry written and performed by Common for the campaign. As thenarrator, Common describes the scenes of four different characters who find themselves in their own respective moments of intimacy or contemplation.  All of the spots reveal the characters wearing a small adhesive bandage thatsignifies an HIV test, while Common's poetry underscores the personal empowerment of having been tested for the disease.  The radio ads are tailored to similar scenes that allow listeners to hear Common's powerful message.  Inaddition to Common, radio messages were also recorded by well-known spokenword artists Black Ice and Bassey Ikipi. The outdoor billboards highlight the self-confidence of knowing one's HIV status by displaying Common wearing a small adhesive bandage himself.

All of the PSAs are tagged with the KNOW HIV/AIDS website (http://www.knowhivaids.org) to allow viewers to find a local testing center or more information.

Grammy Award-winning artist Common stated, "It was really important for meto be involved with a campaign that is raising awareness of HIV/AIDS.  I had an uncle succumb to HIV, so I''ve personally felt the impact of the disease.It's important for everyone to be aware that this disease doesn''t just affecta single race or sexual orientation. The ''Knowing is Beautiful'' campaign was especially important to me because I''m a true advocate of taking care of andloving ourselves, and that's really what this campaign is about.  So I was glad to be a part of the mission to help raise the consciousness aboutHIV/AIDS."

In total, 21 testing-focused "Knowing is Beautiful" PSAs (13 from the first wave and eight from the second) will run across Viacom's broadcast networks CBS and UPN; cable networks MTV, Nick at Nite, VH1, BET, TV Land,Comedy Central, CMT: Country Music Television, Spike TV and Showtime;184 Infinity Broadcasting radio stations, a majority of which are in the top 50 markets; and billboard, bus and bus shelter advertising faces in the nation's largest markets.

Also as part of the World AIDS Day activities, Viacom's broadcast ancable networks will air 15 HIV/AIDS-related specials, news programming and events.  CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1, BET and Showtime will feature content that will raise awareness and humanize the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS fortheir audiences. CBS'' Cold Case will highlight the 20-year history of theHIV/AIDS epidemic, using that show's unique retrospective format.  As part ofthe Staying Alive campaign, MTV will globally premiere Save the Humans, aseries of four PSAs about AIDS'' impact on humanity.  In addition, MTV International and CNN International are collaborating on Staying Alive: An MTV& CNN News Special, which will air on CNN's international and MTV's world wide channels. MTV's international channels will also air a variety of additional locally produced programming and PSAs. MTV UK & Ireland, in collaboration with Virgin Unite and Paramount, will host Eyes Wide Open, a live music and comedy event, which will air on MTV and Paramount.

Additionally, MTV's sexual health campaign in the U.S., Fight For Your Rights: Protect Yourself, will premiere on both MTV and mtvU Campus Guide to Safer Sex, which focuses on how college students are protecting themselves and dealing with STDs and unintended pregnancy. Fight For Your Rights: Protect Yourself will also debut new public service announcements titled "GetPerspectives" about sexual health issues, and an MTV News segment also will be aired about the disease. Nickelodeon will air Living With AIDS: A Story of Three Kids, a Nick News special edition about three children living with AIDS.VH1 will re-air its award-winning AIDS: A Pop Culture History, produce a special news package, and debut new public service advertising as part oftheir partnership with The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Through its Rap It Up campaign, BET will feature a special edition of 106 & Park; debut the two winning films from the Rap It Up/Black AIDS ShortFilm Competition, Walking On Sunshine and Tangy's Song, which both explore the impact of HIV/AIDS on African American women; and provide special coverage and stories on BET Nightly News. Showtime will air It's My Party, a film about an architect nearing death from AIDS, and My Life in Verse, a short film about a creative writing class for HIV-positive people.