Viacom Media Networks Strengthen Ad Sales Team With Two Key Promotions

Viacom Inc., the parent company of the Nickelodeon brand, has announced the news in the following Press Release, from PRNewswire, the promotion of two key executives within the companies Music and Entertainment Ad Sales group. Effective immediately, Jeannie Scalzo, a twenty-year veteran of Viacom, has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Music Sales, with responsibility for MTV, MTV2, mtvU, VH1, VH1 Classic and Palladia sales efforts; and Ellen Dominus, who is also a twenty-year veteran of Viacom, has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Entertainment Sales, with oversight for CMT, COMEDY CENTRAL, SPIKE, and TV Land sales efforts. Based in New York, Scalzo and Dominus will report directly to Jeff Lucas, Head of Sales for Music and Entertainment at Viacom:

Viacom Media Networks Strengthen Ad Sales Team With Two Key Promotions

Jeannie Scalzo Promoted to Senior Vice President, Music Sales; Ellen Dominus Promoted to Senior Vice President, Entertainment Sales

NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2013 /Viacom News Release via PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA) today announced the promotion of two key executives within its Music and Entertainment Ad Sales group. Effective immediately, Jeannie Scalzo has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Music Sales, with responsibility for MTV, MTV2, mtvU, VH1, VH1 Classic and Palladia sales efforts; and Ellen Dominus has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Entertainment Sales, with oversight for CMT, COMEDY CENTRAL, SPIKE, and TV Land sales efforts. Based in New York, Scalzo and Dominus will report directly to Jeff Lucas , Head of Sales for Music and Entertainment at Viacom.

(Download image - Photo of Jeannie Scalzo, Senior Vice President, Music Sales, Viacom Media Networks. (PRNewsFoto/Viacom Inc.): http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130219/NY61409-a )
(Download image - Photo of Ellen Dominus, Senior Vice President, Entertainment Sales, Viacom Media Networks. (PRNewsFoto/Viacom Inc.): http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130219/NY61409-b )

In their new roles, Scalzo and Dominus will provide the critical strategic link between Viacom's Music and Entertainment Ad Sales group and the channels it supports. They will work closely with channel leadership to drive sales strategy and products that are consistent with each brand, its content, and its overall goals. Scalzo and Dominus will also foster collaboration among Ad Sales, Integrated Marketing, Programming, Scheduling and Digital to develop marketing solutions that leverage the company's creative and strategic capabilities in full to achieve client objectives.

"Our clients want more than a simple off the shelf approach to marketing solutions; they want deep custom partnerships that use every creative tool in our shed to get their messages to our audiences," said Lucas. "Jeannie and Ellen live and breathe our brands, and have an unrivalled command of how to make those brands best work for clients on every platform."

Scalzo is also a twenty-year veteran of Viacom, and during that time she has held a number of roles in both Sales and Integrated Marketing across MTV and VH1. Most recently, Scalzo served as Senior Vice President of Integrated Marketing for MTV, MTV2, mtvU, a role in which she worked closely with sales to grow revenue and develop cutting edge integrations. Earlier, Scalzo served as Vice President of MTV 360 Brand Sales. Throughout her career at Viacom, Scalzo has worked with clients across all of MTV and VH1's primary advertiser categories, but she has worked most extensively with the Studio category, where she has consistently built partnerships and grown revenue. Scalzo first joined Viacom as an Account Executive with VH1 Ad Sales.

Dominus most recently served as Vice President of Music and Entertainment Ad Sales, a role in which she developed and implemented sales strategy for COMEDY CENTRAL, SPIKE, CMT, and TV Land. Also a twenty-year veteran of Viacom, she has held executive sales positions with oversight of MTV, MTV2, mtvU, VH1, VH1 Classic and Palladia as well. Dominus has cultivated and maintained client relationships across a wide variety of categories, and has a particular consultative sales and marketing expertise on the Millennial Generation. Prior to joining Viacom, Dominus served as a National Broadcast Buyer at BBDO.

About Viacom

Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA) 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 over 160 countries and territories. With media networks reaching approximately 700 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, Tr3s, Paramount Channel and VIVA. Paramount Pictures, celebrating its 100th year in 2012 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. Keep up with Viacom news by following Viacom's blog at blog.viacom.com and Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/Viacom.

SOURCE Viacom Inc.

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British Web Sensations Sophia Grace And Her Cousin Rosie To Guest Star In Upcoming New Episode Of "Sam & Cat"

The British daily tabloid newspaper The Daily Mail is reporting in an article on their official website, the Mail Online, that, while Sophia Grace and her cousin Rosie, two English schoolgirls from Harlow in Essex who became famous and developed a huge following when their online streaming video of Sophia Grace rapping to Nick Minaj's hit Super Bass, with Rosie dancing at her side became a viral success on YouTube, were on the US talk show (chatshow) "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" talking about their brand new illustrated story book called "Tea Time With Sophia Grace And Rosie", which debuted at number two in the New York Times children's best sellers list, it was also announced that the two cousins will be making their acting debut by guest starring in an upcoming new episode of Nickelodeon's brand new original comedy show "Sam & Cat"! In their guest appearance on the new Nick sitcom, the pair, Sophia, aged 9, and Rosie, aged 5, play two little English girls called Gwen and Ruby, respectively, two con artists who Sam Puckett (Jennette McCurdy) and Cat Valentine (Ariana Grande) inadvertently babysit. To date their online YouTube video has amassed more than 40 million views:

Now Sophia Grace and Rosie debut second on the New York Times children's best sellers list... and land first acting role

Just two years ago they were normal schoolgirls growing up in a quiet English town.

But after being catapulted into the spotlight with a viral YouTube video, Sophia Grace and her cousin Rosie developed a huge following.

And now the cousins from Harlow in Essex have made the crossover to bona fide stars, after their new book debuted at number two in the New York children's best sellers list.

The pair appeared on Ellen DeGeneres' chatshow on Monday, to promote their illustrated story book Tea Time With Sophia Grace And Rosie.

The book is priced at $17.99 and aimed at three to six-year-olds, and was only outsold by Emeraldalicious (Pinkalicious), the latest title in a best selling series by Victoria Kann.

'Do you even understand how big a deal that you debuted at number two on the New York Times Best Sellers List for the Children’s Books?' asked Ellen, before going on to talk about the girls first acting role - on Nickelodeon's Sam & Cat.

Busy girls: The cousins meet Katy Perry on the red carpet at the Grammys; they have a recurring spot on the chatshow Ellen where they interview celebrities

Sophia, nine, said they enjoyed filming the guest spot on the children's TV show.

'It was brilliant. I love it.

'In the program we’re two English little girls and Sam and Cat are babysitting us and I’m called Gwen and she (Rosie) is called Ruby and we’re con artists.'

It is thanks to Ellen that Sophia Grace and Rosie, five, have made the crossover from web sensation to child stars, after she invited them onto her show in 2011.

They were the passing sensation of the day, after a video went viral of Sophia Grace rapping to Nick Minaj's hit Super Bass, with Rosie dancing at her side. To date it has amassed more than 40million views.

Their interview with Ellen was meant to be a one-off appearance, with the cousins and their families flying in from England.

But their excitement at meeting Nicki Minaj, with Sophia Grace screaming 'You're real, you're real', and their natural behaviour in front of the camera, charmed the U.S.

The pair were granted a recurring spot on the popular chatshow in which they interview celebrities while dressed in the pink tutu.

Last week the cousins, once again wearing their tutus, were at the Grammys.

Sophia tweeted: 'Congratulations @carrieunderwood on winning a Grammy, It was a SO good singing to you on the red carpet'. And they were pictured chatting to Katy Perry.

The girls remain living in the UK but jet to America for up to a month at a time, with Sophia's father Dominic Brownlea documenting the trips on his Twitter page.

'Nearly time to leave, Its been a great 3 weeks in #LA, Thank you @TheEllenShow @TheGRAMMYs , Be back soon,' he wrote on Sunday.

Nick Jr. UK Starts To Air The Brand New Animated Short-Form Series "Big Block SingSong"

Big Block SingSong has announced the exciting Nickelodeon UK News in a Tweet (post) on their official Twitter profile page (@bigblockshow) that Nickelodeon UK's preschool channel, Nick Jr. UK and Ireland, has started to premiere and show the brand new animated preschool series "Big Block SingSong", and are currently showing each brand new episode as musical shorts inbetween programmes at 9.55am and 3.25pm!

Big Block Singsong is now airing on TV in the UK. Catch it every day at 9.55am and 3.25pm on Nick Jr. UK @NickJrUK.

"Big Block SingSong" is a brand new 49 x two-minute animated musical interstitial preschool series that was created and is produced by Toronto-based Goddard/Brown. Each episode stars block-like characters who sing topical, humorous songs. The series is targeted towards kids ages three and up.

UK's CITV To Air The "Big Time Rush" Nickelodeon TV Movie, "Big Time Movie", On Wednesday 20th February 2013

CITV, the children's television arm and channel of ITV, the British commercial public service television network, have announced in a Tweet (post) on their official Twitter profile page (@ChildrensITV) that CITV will be showing the original Nickelodeon TV movie, "Big Time Movie", which is based on the hit Nickelodeon comedy series and Nickelodeon boy band "Big Time Rush" on Wednesday 20th February 2013 at 2.00pm, as part of the channels February school half-term holidays schedule line-up!:

Don't forget, we've got the Big Time Movie airing this Wednesday at 2pm. Up next this afternoon, it's Fleabag Monkeyface.