Lebron James, Diddy, Annie Leibovitz And Jhumpa Lahiri Set To Surprise College Campuses As "Stand In" Professors
mtvU, MTV′s 24-hour college network, today unveiled its on-air, online, on the handset and on campus programming for Fall 2006. With new music and student-produced content at its core, the semester′s lineup will give college students more opportunities to make mtvU their own - from the channel′s music to programming to on-campus events. mtvU opens this semester with its widest reach ever, as the recent addition of marquee schools such as the University of Texas at Austin, Columbia University, Texas A&M and Purdue expand the channel′s reach to over 750 college campuses with combined enrollment exceeding 7 million students.
mtvU programs and events debuting this fall include:
STAND IN - A stellar lineup of global icons will appear on Emmy-nominated "Stand In" this fall, as Lebron James, Diddy, Annie Leibovitz, revered author Jhumpa Lahiri and other major cultural figures surprise college classrooms across the US - offering real life wisdom from those making history today. With mtvU cameras following, each will appear unannounced at an mtvU affiliate school to serve as a "Stand In" professor for a day. MTV premiered the first ever "Best of mtvU Stand In" last semester, and given the ratings success of the special, the network will debut a new year-end feature, showcasing stand out moments from the acclaimed series′ 2006 academic year. Past Stand Ins have included Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, Madonna, Senator John McCain, Sting, Marilyn Manson, Larry David and Kanye West.
SUCKS LESS, WITH KEVIN SMITH - mtvU is teaming up with UCLA′s renowned School of Theater, Film and Television, and iconoclastic director Kevin Smith, to free college students from the bane of weekend boredom. Smith will co-teach the first ever mobisode production class at UCLA, where the students write, shoot and produce the new mtvU series, "Sucks Less, with Kevin Smith." The entire creative process will be documented via short form programming on mtvU′s on-air, online and mobile platforms. Hosted by Smith from his comic book shop in LA, the series will clue students in on the coolest #%@* happening over the upcoming weekend, including movies, video games, music and must-attend events around the country. The mobisodes will simultaneously premiere on Amp′d Mobile phones, mtvU and mtvU.com. Smith will executive produce and serve as mentor; students will be involved in every part of pre-production, production and post-production.
mtvU FRESHMEN FIVE - College students are the prophets of new music and it′s their support which has helped many up-and-coming acts break through to mainstream success. Every semester, the "mtvU Freshman Five" names the five emerging artists poised to jump from college favorites to household names. For the next several months, mtvU will profile these acts on-air, online and on the handset, showcasing their videos, unreleased albums, behind-the-scenes interviews, exclusive live performances and more. On September 25th, the five artists will be profiled on a special episode of "The Freshmen," mtvU′s weekly rundown of new music videos from artists bubbling up on the college scene, hosted by Kim Stolz. Additionally, free downloads from all five of the artists will be available the week of September 25th on URGE, MTV Networks′ digital music service. The Fall 2006 class of the "mtvU Freshman Five" is:
* Tapes n′Tapes - Four-piece indie rock set from Minneapolis whose energetic melodies are sweeping campuses from coast to coast.
* Forward, Russia! - Leeds, UK-based band blending post-punk sounds and angsty vocals into a unique, danceable mix.
* Silversun Pickups - Moody, Los Angeles quartet building steam on the college scene off recently-released standout LP, "Carnavas."
* Mayday! - Miami-reared hardcore/hip hop duo Plex and MC Bernbiz receiving strong support from the college audience.
* Shiny Toy Guns - Emerging electro-pop act from Los Angeles poised to ride catchy, synth-driven sound to superstardom.
2006 mtvU WOODIE AWARDS - This year, the "Woodies" are taking over mtvU, mtvU.com, mtvU Mobile and even MTV and MTV2. The "mtvU Woodie Awards" are the only awards honoring the music voted best by the college audience and have helped launch the careers of top acts including The Killers, Fall Out Boy and Matisyahu. The third annual awards will enable college students to experience the "Woodies" everywhere they live their lives - on-air, online, on the handset and on campus - including:
The entire show premieres on mtvU and mtvU.com November 2nd at 8pm ET, with mtvU.com also offering every moment of the 2006 "Woodies" on-demand and in whatever order viewers wish
A special half-hour version of the "Woodies" debuts on MTV November 4th at 10pm ET, with an encore performance on MTV2 November 5th at 11pm ET
On Tuesday, September 26th, "Breaking Woodie" nominee Chamillionaire hosts a special episode of "Dean¡¯s List," counting down his top ten favorite "Woodie"-nominated videos
The week of October 16th, mtvU will begin showcasing student-produced TV and radio programs with college students debating who should win at this year′s "Woodies" The 2006 "Woodies Tour" will hit twenty college campuses across the country, with "Woodies" voting, cool giveaways and chances to win a trip to this year′s live concert event in New York City
mtvU Mobile will offer a retrospective of stand out moments from the last year′s "Woodies"
mtvU series′ "The Freshmen," "My Shot With¡¦" and "Backstage Pass" will also be overtaken by "Woodies" nominees, presenters and performers in the run up to this year′s show
Voting for the 2006 mtvU Woodie Awards is open to college students nationwide through October 20th on mtvU.com and mtvU Mobile; winners will be announced at a live music concert and event October 25th at Roseland Ballroom in New York City.
BREAKING THE VIDEO: CARTEL - Building on a semester which saw college students from Columbia University and Brooklyn College produce and direct music videos for emerging acts O.A.R. and Damone, "Breaking the Video" returns in Fall 06 - this time with students from Emory University shooting a video for red hot Epic recording artists Cartel. The Atlanta-based quintet was a recent MTV "Discover and Download" artist, is nominated in the "Road Woodie" (Best Tour) category for this year′s mtvU "Woodies," and will now offer a group of lucky college students the chance to make the video for the band′s next single, "Say Anything (Else)."
MIDDLE EAST CO-EXISTENCE HOUSE - On September 3rd, a social and academic experiment unlike any in the country kicked off at Rutgers University when thirteen women - six Muslim, four Jewish, one Arab-Christian, one Catholic-Christian and one agnostic - moved into a single dorm with the goal of encouraging further understanding between the groups, as well as promoting women′s involvement in international conflict resolution and negotiation. mtvU cameras were there to capture the excitement and tension of the girls′ move in day for a piece that premieres on-air and online today. In addition, throughout the semester, the young women will share their thoughts, frustrations and experiences with the world via blogs hosted exclusively on mtvU.com
DEAN′S LIST - The definitive top ten college music countdown, "Dean′s List" returns with a brand new format this semester, each week offering a different college student the chance to serve as "VJ for a day." Students upload their audition via mtvU.com, and every Tuesday morning, mtvU and mtvU.com feature a new guest-host running down their top ten music video picks for mtvU′s national college audience. Submissions are pouring in from colleges and universities across the US, and students from Michigan State, Penn State and Hunter College have already been selected to appear on mtvU and mtvU.com hosting the show. "Dean′s List" will also continue to highlight the top ten videos in heavy rotation on campuses around the country - the most streamed each week on mtvU.com.
WIN A TRIP WITH NICHOLAS KRISTOF AFRICAN VIDEO DIARIES - Last spring, Casey Parks of the University of Missouri won a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to accompany New York Times′ Op-Ed columnist Nicholas D. Kristof on a reporting trip to Africa, and this semester, her video diaries - beamed back weekly from the continent - will premiere on mtvU.com. The vlog will capture her emotions and reactions as she interviews world leaders, witnesses the devastating effects malaria and AIDS are having on the African people, and interviews refugees displaced by the genocide raging in Darfur. Additionally, on October 16th, mtvU will premiere an exclusive post-trip interview with Casey and Nick Kristof on-air and online.
mtvU TAILGATE AND GAME0RZ BALL TOURS - mtvU will hit campuses nationwide this fall, popping up at some of the biggest college football games, offering an exclusive sneak peek of the most anticipated video game releases and profiling local college scenes on-air and online. Starting October 7th, the fully loaded mtvU tailgate bus will begin appearing in tailgate lots, pep rallies and homecoming parades - with a videogame lounge, free eats and awesome giveaways. Additionally, on October 26th, the mtvU game0RZ ball Tour makes its debut, offering a preview of hot, un-released titles and a chance for the best gamer on campus to win a free Microsoft XBOX 360. Every stop on both tours will offer college students the chance to have their school featured on mtvU, from hosting video hours, to serving up their best game day recipes to having their best self-shot tailgating experiences featured on the network. For more information, dates and locations on both tours, visit www.mtvU.com/uconnect.
MEET OR DELETE - Developed in collaboration with HP, "Meet or Delete" is the only show on the planet which gives college students the chance to size each other up and decide if they′d like to meet, based solely on the contents of their hard drives. The show returns this fall with five new episodes, all of which will debut on mtvU and mtvU.com, then roll out internationally across nearly every MTV asset, including MTV.com, MTV wireless, the massive MTV 44 ¨ö high definition TV in Times Square and local MTV channels in Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. The new episodes this fall include a jazzy Filipino funk band looking for a new drummer, an FIT student making a crucial roommate decision and an indie rock group from the University of South Carolina looking to add a new member - perhaps a ukuleleist? - to their mix.
Other student favorites back with new episodes for Fall 06 include "Does This Look Infected," where VJ Jam Jamma Josh takes a hilarious and unreliable look at the health issues facing the college student body; "Fresh Produce," which every Wednesday profiles handpicked batches of student-produced programming uploaded to mtvU.com from campuses across the country; plus "Student Shorts," an every Friday look at the best student-produced live-action and animated short films submitted to mtvU.
