Academy and mtvU Launch Second Annual Oscar Correspondent Contest

Press Release from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Beverly Hills, CA (October 28, 2009) — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and mtvU, MTV’s 24-hour college network, today announced their second annual “Oscar Correspondent Contest,” giving college journalists nationwide the chance to win a trip to Los Angeles to cover red carpet festivities and backstage activities at the 82nd Academy Awards.

From October 26 through December 18, college students are invited to submit a video at http://oscars.mtvu.com [1], showcasing their broadcast journalism skills and proving why they deserve to cover the Oscars®. All videos submitted must be from teams made up of one anchor and one videographer. The Academy and mtvU will select the top ten videos to be posted online at mtvU.com, where students and other viewers can watch and vote for their favorite journalists from January 20 through February 10.

The three teams whose videos capture the most votes will advance to the final round of online voting from February 16 through March 2. All three teams will be flown to Los Angeles to cover Academy Awards pre-events, including the Animated Feature Symposium, Foreign Language Film Award press event, the Makeup Artist and Hairstylist Symposium and the Governors Ball preview.

The Grand Prize-winning team will be revealed on Saturday, March 6, at an Academy press conference. The anchor and videographer will be awarded a spot on the red carpet for the 82nd Academy Awards arrivals, as well as credentials for access to backstage press rooms. The winning team’s coverage will be aired on MTV News and mtvU. The two finalist teams will receive bleacher seats along the red carpet and admission to an Oscar viewing party.

Last year, Faheem Ahmed and Anish Patel from Rice University captured the Grand Prize and covered the red carpet at the 81st Academy Awards. Runners-up Megan Telles and Andrew Huse of San Diego State University, and Justin Shackil and Garry Van Genderen of Fordham University earned bleacher seats along the red carpet along with admission to an Oscar viewing party.

For a complete list of rules and regulations for the “Oscar Correspondent Contest,” please visit http://oscars.mtvu.com [1].

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

About mtvU

Broadcast to more than 750 college campuses and via top cable distributors in 700 college communities nationwide, mtvU reaches upwards of 9 million U.S. college students – making it the largest, most comprehensive television network just for college students. mtvU is dedicated to every aspect of college life, reaching students everywhere they are: on-air, online and on campus. mtvU programs music videos from emerging artists that can’t be seen anywhere else, news, student life features and initiatives that give college students the tools to advance positive social change. mtvU owns and operates the College Media Network, the largest interactive network of online college newspapers in the United States, and RateMyProfessors.com, the Internet’s largest listing of collegiate professor ratings. The College Media Network comprises nearly 600 campus publications, with a combined enrollment of over 5.5 million students, reaching an average of 5 million unique users each month. RateMyProfessors.com reaches approximately 2.9 million college students each month, via the site’s more than 6.6 million student-generated ratings of over 1,000,000 college professors. For more information about mtvU, and a complete programming schedule, visit www.mtvU.com [2].