MTV launches “Spankin’ Free Music Week” on September 25^th, showcasing the hottest music and artists today over 75 hours of programming! Additionally, MTV’s new digital music service URGE will feature exclusive downloads of artists such as Vanessa Hudgens, Pink, and Chingy. Read on for more…

 

 

OVER 75 HOURS OF MUSIC PROGRAMMING ACROSS MTV, MTV2, mtvU AND MTV OVERDRIVE DURING “SPANKIN’ FREE MUSIC WEEK” - SEPTEMBER 25^th THRU SEPTEMBER 29^th

 

Special Music Week To Feature Live Dual Screen On TRL and  MTV Overdrive Featuring Performances By Fergie, Nelly Furtado, The Killers, JoJo And The Game, With Appearances by Tenacious D, Ludacris , Diddy, AFI,  James Blunt, Vanessa Hudgens, Chingy, Evanescence, Jesse McCartney & More

 

Free Downloads And Artists’ Playlists Available Throughout The Week On URGE, MTV Networks' Digital Music Service

 

New York, NY – September 21^st, 2006 –MTV: Music Television today announced the line-up for “Spankin’ Free Music Week” – the network’s annual nod to the best in music.  From Monday, September 24^th to Friday, September 29^th, every channel, platform and network of MTV including MTV Overdrive, MTV.com, MTV2, mtvU and more will collectively team up to showcase the hottest music and artists for over 75 hours of music programming. In addition, MTV will offer simultaneous live coverage of “Total Request Live”, on-air and on MTV.com. "Spankin Free Music Week” will offer music lovers FREE music, FREE giveaways and much more…

 

In addition, URGE, MTV Networks’ new digital music service, will offer exclusive downloads of artists such as Diddy, Chingy, Pink, Vanessa Hudgens, Jet, M. Ward, Silversun Pickups and Tapes ‘N Tapes beginning on September 25^th. The tracks will be available exclusively on URGE for free download for 24-hours. Following the free promotion, URGE users will be able to buy the track for 99 cents, or download it as part of their URGE subscription. In addition, URGE features celebrity playlists by -- and features on – “Spanking Free Music Week” artists, including Ludacris, My Chemical Romance, James Blunt, AFI, Nelly Furtado, The Killers, Jesse McCartney and JoJo.

 

·        “Total Request Live” – Weekdays at 3:30pm ET/PT

Hosted by MTV VJs Damien Fahey, Vanessa Minnillo, Susie Castillo, Stephen Colletti and La La Vazquez, this special week has some of the hottest stars in the world of music visiting the MTV studios.  Set to perform live are Fergie, Nelly Furtado, The Killers, JoJo and The Game and more with special appearances by Tenacious D, Diddy, AFI, Jesse McCartney, Vanessa Hudgens, Chingy, Evanescence, James Blunt and Ludacris, who will co-host TRL on Tuesday, September 26^th. Viewers can also catch hot new video premieres by Panic! At The Disco, AFI, James Blunt, Tenacious D and more. In addition, each day during TRL, audience members and viewers will have the opportunity to receive free downloads and playlists from URGE, free movie screenings and much more.

 

·        MTV Overdrive –  www.overdrive.mtv.com

During “Spankin Free Music Week”, Overdrive will offer exclusive live stream performances, backstage interviews with TRL guests, an exclusive Overdrive appearance by Cartel, and daily in depth on demand content.

 

·        “Sucker Free” – Weekdays at 7pm ET/PT

“Sucker Free” kicks off “Spankin' Free Music Week” on Monday, September   25^th and will be hosted by DJ Cipha Sounds. Everyday “Sucker Free” brings you the hottest "Rap Across The Regions". Each day, will focus on the hottest artists and videos in different areas across the country. Viewers will see artists such as The Game, Lupe Fiasco, Ludacris, Diddy, 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Jibbs. In addition, there will be tons of video premieres from Snoop Dogg, Jim Jones, Lil’ Scrappy, Chingy, Mary J. Blige, Kelis & Nas, Young Dro, Akon f/ Eminem and more!! And if that’s not enough for you “Sucker Free” will have FREE music, FREE giveaways and FREE access to the hottest hip hop line-up anywhere. Check out what will be happening everyday:

Monday 9/25 – “Sucker Free” is taking it to the Midwest with an exclusive performance from Chingy. Plus Jibbs and Hector El Father are coming through. And check out Lupe Fiasco as he gives viewers a tour of his home town of Chicago on the day of his album release.

Tuesday 9/26 -  It's back to the east coast and New York City, and “Sucker Free” has a huge line-up - Jim Jones is talking about his banger "We Fly High", Plus G -Unit's Rotten apple Lloyd Banks is coming through and 50 Cent introduces us to the newest member of G-Unit, Hot Rod.

Wednesday 9/27 – Watch as “Sucker Free” goes West with The Game...and Snoop Dogg shows viewers the ropes in the LBC.

Thursday 9/28 – “Sucker Free” closes out the week big with some of the biggest names in the game from the South. Ludacris, Young Buck and Lil Scrappy will all hit the set, plus we've got a huge performance from the man whose girl got a girlfriend...Young Dro.

 

“The Life & Rhymes of…”

“The Life & Rhymes of…” an explosive new breed of hip-hop biography that

takes viewers deep inside the minds of today’s hottest MCs. Each episode of the half hour series features a different rapper at the top of the hip-hop game, telling the stories behind the lyrics that are blasting out of radios across the country. Life & Rhymes will match the fast-paced, attention-deficit attitude of mix tapes by inter-cutting anecdotes, background stories and personal insights with live performances. As the show unfolds, we’ll gain fresh understanding of the inner workings of each artist’s personal approach to making music, and decode some of the hidden meanings of rap’s most famous lyrics. “The Life and Rhymes of…” will be like an all access pass, taking fans behind the scenes and back in the day, to a world that’s never before been revealed.

 

• “The Life & Rhymes of Ludacris”– Monday, September 25^th at 8pm ET/PT

On this episode Ludacris takes us inside his newly buzzed dome, and explains how he went from being a local Atlanta radio DJ to the playa at the forefront of the dirty south sound—and what he had to get off his chest with his new album, Release Therapy.

 

• “The Life & Rhymes of Snoop Dogg” – Friday, September 29^th at 8pm ET/PT

On this episode Snoop breaks down the path of the ultimate O.G., and how he went from rocking gang colors to the ultimate pimp threads. It’s an epic tapestry that leads right up to his new album, The Blue Carpet.  

 

• “MTV Live Leak – The Killers” - Friday, September 29^th at 11pm ET/PT

“The Killers Live Leak” will feature the band as they debut their highly anticipated upcoming album, Sam’s Town, live from MTV’s Times Square studio. “The Killers Live Leak” will also air on MTV2 and MTV Overdrive.

 

 MTV2 will celebrate “Spankin’ Free Music Week” with:

 

·        “Sucker Free Sunday” – September 25^th at 12pm ET/PT

Ludacris kicks off the week, with Sucker Free Sunday during which SFS rolls out Sucker FREEstyles. Over the course of “Sucker Free Week” viewers can check out 8 original freestyles from artists including Lil Jon, Lupe Fiasco, Chamillionaire, Snoop Dogg and Rick Ross.

 

·        “Sucker Free”  – Weekdays at 8pm ET/PT

During the course of “Spankin’ Free Music Week” Sucker Free will be hosted each day by a different hot hip-hop artist.

 

            September 25^th - Yung Joc 

Check out as Yung Joc talks about his favorite new artists, Young Dro and Danity Kane, his favorite places to discover new music online and his first big break playing at The Royal Peacock in Hotlanta.

 

September 26^th – Chamillionaire

Chamillionaire gives advice for up and coming rappers, discusses his thoughts on fellow MC, Yung Joc, and gives the lowdown on where to find the hottest new mixtapes.

 

September 27^th – Rick Ross

Rick Ross discusses his success and how his album Port of Miami debuted at #1, where to find the hottest kicks in Miami, how to pick up the ladies, and  shows off his "bling"

 

            September 28^th – Lil’ Scrappy

Lil’ Scrappy ends the week on Sucker Free by talking about his rumored collaboration with Eminem, his favorite new artists and his upcoming album, Bred2Die, Born2Live.

           

·        “T-Minus Rock” – Weekdays at 2pm ET/PT

On the eve of the release of their highly anticipated sophomore album, Sam’s Town, hot Vegas rockers, The Killers, take over the MTV2 airwaves by hosting T-Minus Rock.

 

 

·         “Unleashed”  – See below for dates

MTV2 will “unleash” new music videos from some of the hottest artists on the network that will premiere in heavy rotation throughout the day.  Video premieres include:

 

            September 25^th – Tenacious D: “The Pick of Destiny”

September 26^th – AFI:  “Love Like Winner”

            September 29^th – Gnarls Barkley: “Gone Daddy Gone”

 

·        “Makes The Video” – See below for dates and times

Throughout “Spankin’ Free Music Week”, MTV2 will debut all new episodes of “Makes The Video” as MTV2 cameras go behind the scenes as some of the biggest artists in music make their next music video masterpiece.  Episodes include:

 

·        “Tenacious D: Makes The Video” – September 25^th at 10am ET/PT

·        “AFI: Makes The Video” – September 26^th at 10am ET/PT

·        “Xzibit: Makes The Video” – September 27^th at 10am ET/PT

·        “+44: Makes The Video” – September 28^th at 10am  ET/PT

·        “Jim Jones: Makes The Video” – September 29^th at 10am ET/PT

 

 

mtvU will celebrate “Spankin’ Free Music Week” with:

 

·        Free URGE downloads of "mtvU Freshmen Five" artists.  Every day during "Spankin' Free Music Week," URGE will offer up a new free download from a Fall 06 "mtvU Freshmen Five" artist, which this semester includes Tapes n' Tapes, ¡Forward, Russia!, Silversun Pickups, Mayday! and Shiny Toy Guns.

 

·         Exclusive, free video premiere every day -- on-air, online and on wireless.  Each day, on all its platforms, mtvU will debut a brand new video from an up-and-coming artist making waves on the college scene.

 

• "Backstage Pass".  On-air and online, mtvU will premiere three new episodes of "Backstage Pass," where hot emerging artists answer college students burning questions submitted via mtvU.com.  College favorites M. Ward, Jurrasic 5 and Silversun Pickups will be featured during "Spankin' Free Music Week" and also pick a batch of their favorite videos, available exclusively on mtvU.com.

 

As part of “Spankin’ Free Music Week” MTV will run several promotions:

 

• MTV is creating thousands of Spankin Free USB keychains to be distributed at concerts and events in various cities.  Recipients will be able to download Urge, and get 2-3 free songs each day offered by Urge the week of September 25th thru September 29th.  It's as simple as Plug in. Download Urge. Get free music. Then use the 64MB USB to store your free music from MTV!

 

• MTV will run a trip promotion in national radio markets. Winners will be flown to New York, put up in a swanky Times Square Hotel, given $200 cash to spend on anything they please, and receive an exclusive Spanking Free Prize Pak; all in the spirit of FREE!  And of course, they will attend “Spankin' Free Music Week” on TRL.  A few of the radio stations scheduled to participate in promotion are: WIOQ/Philadelphia, WPRO/Providence, WJMN/Boston, KDWB/Minneapolis and KKRZ/Portland.  In addition to the national radio promotion, MTV will run a local promotion with hometown radio stations Z100 & Power 105 where listeners will be able to call in to win tickets to TRL from 9/19 thru 9/22.

 

The official sponsors of “Spankin’ Free Music Week” are Nissan, and Wendy’s.

 

 

URGE, available at www.urge.com, features an array of exclusive tracks and editorial across all musical genres. With more than 2 million songs, 18 genres, countless styles, extensive editorials, and exclusives from MTV, VH1, and CMT, URGE makes it easy to enjoy, explore, and get music for your PC or portable music players through a la carte purchases or unlimited subscription downloads.

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  MTV Networks, with more than 100 channels worldwide, owns and operates the following television programming services – MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, VH1, mtvU, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN, VH1 CLASSIC, LOGO, MTVN INTERNATIONAL and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 13 digital services, all of these networks trademarks of MTV Networks.  MTV Networks connects with its audiences through its robust consumer products businesses and its more than 95 interactive properties worldwide, including online, broadband, wireless and interactive television services and also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide.

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CONTACTS:

Melissa Barreto                                               Andrea Manning                                                     
MTV                                                               MTV  

Melissa.Barreto@mtvstaff.com                      Andrea.Manning@mtvstaff.com

Office: 212-846-7226                                     Office: 212-846-4140