| Nancy O'Dell RETURNS to Host EIC's '2009 PRISM Awards Showcase' |
| Awards to be Aired September 26 via Simulcast with FX, E!, ION |
| Life, Lifetime Real Women, mtvU, National Geographic, ReelzChannel, Retirement Living TV, and Starfish TV |
| Los Angeles, Calif. (September 26, 2009) -- The Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC), the premiere non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of health and social issues, today announced that preeminent entertainment reporter Nancy O'Dell will return as host of the 2009 PRISM Awards Showcase airing September 26, 2009. Ms. O'Dell will assist the EIC in honoring actors, writers, artists, directors, and producers whose work accurately portrays mental illness and substance abuse. The Access Hollywood anchor has covered The Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, and Golden Globes and has contributed to both The Today Show and Dateline. Terry Crews (Everybody Hates Raymond) and health media personality Dr. Reef Karim will join as guest co-hosts. |
| This year, the PRISM Awards Showcase will be simulcast on multiple networks: the FX network (EIC's airing partner for the last six years), and additional partners E! Entertainment, ION Life, Lifetime Real Women, mtvU, National Geographic Channel, Retirement Living TV, ReelzChannel, and Starfish Television Network. |
| "This year's show is poised to be our most successful to date," said Brian Dyak, president and CEO of EIC. "Not only do we have Nancy O'Dell on-board as host, but the simulcast will greatly expand the PRISM audience and inform more people of the organization's mission to bring the power and influence of the entertainment industry to bear on health and social issues." |
| "FX is thrilled to continue its' strong partnership with EIC for the seventh straight year," said John Landgraf, president of FX Network. "We have seen first-hand the strong commitment EIC shows to these awards and are pleased to continue to help make the show available to viewers and to see its reach expand to even more venues." |
| The 2009 PRISM Awards Showcase's primary simulcast will air at 4:00 p.m. on September 26th with an encore at 1:00 a.m. on September 27th. The mtvU airing will be at 8:00 p.m. and the National Geographic Channel airing will be at midnight PT / 3 a.m. ET. Additional airings on Retirement Living TV will be at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET on both Monday (9/28) and Friday (10/2), as well as at 1 p.m PT / 4 p.m. ET on October 3rd and at 8 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. on October 4th. E! is making the show available free on-demand through Time Warner Cable and other cable carriers. |
| Ted Harbert, President & CEO, Comcast Entertainment Group added: "It is an honor for E! to once again partner with EIC for this important event. We are excited to help make the show available to even more viewers through our VOD offerings in addition to the television simulcast. Through the network's Play-A-Part initiative, E! is committed to supporting pro-social causes." |
| "ION Life's mission is all about celebrating positive living," said Marc Zand, Senior Vice President, Business Affairs and Digital Networks, ION Media Networks "We are honored to be able to share with our viewers this wonderful tribute honoring the many people who have made a difference through entertainment." |
| "Lifetime Real Women is devoted to airing true and honest stories on issues important to women," said Meredith Wagner, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs, Lifetime Networks. "LRW is proud to partner with EIC on the PRISM Awards Showcase as part of our long-standing commitment to using our entertainment platforms to promoting the importance of women's health." |
| "For years, mtvU has partnered with the Jed Foundation on its Peabody Award-winning campaign 'Half of Us' to shatter the stigma surrounding mental health and empower young people to support each other," said Chris McCarthy, Senior Vice President of Strategic Development and Digital TV Networks, MTV. "We're excited to work with the EIC to bring the PRISM Awards directly to college students so we can continue to generate awareness on these critical issues." |
| Stan Hubbard, President and CEO, ReelzChannel TV, added: "Movies, which are the focus of all programming at ReelzChannel, address the entire spectrum of social issues and touch everyone's lives. With that enormous influence comes responsibility. We are pleased to participate in the simulcast of this important event that recognizes those who shoulder that responsibility, and we're proud to be associated with the fine work of the Entertainment Industries Council." |
| "Substance abuse among older adults is often not discussed, but studies indicate that 10 percent of the people entering drug rehab facilities are over age 50," said Elliott Jacobson, VP of Programming at Retirement Living TV. "RLTV is proud to broadcast the Prism Awards and shed more awareness on substance abuse among older Americans." |
| "Starfish Television Network is about making a difference. By recognizing the truthful portrayal of addiction and mental health issues, PRISM encourages discussion about these often hidden subjects. We are honored to broadcast the PRISM Awards Showcase and congratulate all the winners in making a difference with their work," said Joseph Lake, Starfish CEO. |
| The PRISM Awards Showcase is produced by EIC. The PRISM Awards Showcase collaborators includes Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) and FX Network. This year's show features Anne Hathaway, Chandra Wilson, Jessica Lange, Benjamin Bratt, Bryan Cranston, Dr. Phil, Dr. Drew, Sharon Lawrence, Andrea Bowen, Mariette Hartley, Christian Clemenson, Stephen Root, Gary Anthony Williams, JoBeth Williams, Henry Simmons, Cassidy Freeman, Navi Rawat, Dee Wallace, Jayne Brook, Tammy Blancherd, and Danny Arroyo. Shadoe Stevens lends his distinct voice as announcer. |
| The show is executive produced by Brian Dyak, Lawrence Scot Deutchman and Marie Gallo Dyak and is written by Deutchman and Brian Dyak. Angela Snow is Supervising Producer. |
| The PRISM Awards' Entertainment Industry Partners include the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), Entertainment Merchant Association (EMA), Hollywood Radio & Television Society (HRTS), Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), International Documentary Association (IDA), National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE), National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), Screen Actors Guild (SAG), Women in Film (WIF), Writers Guild of America East (WGAE), and Writers Guild of America west, Inc. (WGAw). |
| About Entertainment Industries Council |
| A non-profit organization, EIC was founded in 1983 by leaders of the entertainment industry to bring the power of the industry to bear on health and social issues. The organization is considered one of the premiere success stories in entertainment education and information resources for entertainment creators, through innovative and time-proven services and methods of "encouraging the art of making a difference" from within the industry. |
| EIC addresses health issues such as drug, alcohol, and tobacco use and addiction; firearm safety and injury prevention; sun safety and skin cancer prevention; human trafficking; terrorism and homeland security; mental health and mental illness, including bipolar disorder, depression and suicide; diabetes; seat belt use and traffic safety; and HIV/AIDS prevention. For more information, please visit www.eiconline.org. |
| About SAMHSA |
| SAMHSA is a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation's substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services delivery systems. |
| About Airing Partners |
| FX Network is the flagship general entertainment basic cable network from Fox. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in more than 94 million homes. The diverse schedule includes an award-winning line-up of original series, an established film library with box-office hits from 20th Century Fox and other major studios, and an impressive roster of acquired hit series. |
| E! Entertainment Television is a 24-hour network with programming dedicated to entertainment and available in 96 million homes. It is operated by Comcast Entertainment Group, along with E! Online; The Style Network, the destination for women 18-49 with a passion for relatable, inspiring and transformational lifestyle programming (64 million); G4, the #1 podcasted cable network in America, offering gaming, technology, animation, interactivity and "geek culture" for males 18-34 (65 million); and FEARnet, the premier horror and thriller destination on demand, online and on mobile devices. The E! Everywhere initiative is dedicated to making E! content available on all media platforms any time and anywhere from online to broadband video to wireless to radio to VOD. For more information please visit www.eonline.com |
| ION Life, launched in February 2007, is the country's first multiple platform network with programming dedicated to the celebration of positive living, which will entertain, inform and inspire viewers to live up to their personal best. It features content covering fitness, diet & nutrition, pro-social and community engagement, travel & adventure, design & décor, and all categories promoting personal growth and achievement. Parent company, ION Media Networks, Inc. owns and operates the nation's largest broadcast television station group plus several TV networks including ION Televisionand Qubo. For more information, visit www.ionmedia.com |
| Lifetime is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, Lifetime is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital (including myLifetime.com) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company. |
| mtvU is MTV Networks' Peabody and Emmy Award-winning 24-hour college network - the largest and most comprehensive media network just for college students. The heart of the channel is the emerging music students live their lives to, including music videos and a range of series profiling the up-and-coming acts bubbling on the college scene. Broadcasting to 750 campusesand over7.5 million college students nationwide, mtvU can be seen in the dining halls, fitness centers, student lounges and residence halls on campuses throughout the country. For more information, please visit www.mtvu.com |
| National Geographic Channel (NGC) is a joint venture between National Geographic Ventures (NGV) and Fox Cable Networks (FCN). Since launching in 2001, NGC initially earned some of the fastest distribution growth in the history of cable and more recently the fastest ratings growth in television. NGC has carriage with all of the nation's major cable and satellite television providers, making it currently available to nearly 68 million homes. For more information, please visit www.natgeotv.com. |
| ReelzChannel (www.ReelzChannel.com) is the only cable/satellite network and website dedicated to "Everything About Movies - 24/7." The network features entertaining original programs that offer a fresh perspective on the movies, from behind-the-scenes to what to see tonight. ReelzChannel covers movies wherever they are playing - in theaters, on DVD, VOD, and premium channels. In addition to cable and telco carriage in markets across the country, ReelzChannel is carried via satellite on DIRECTV (Channel 238) and DISH Network (Channel 299), and is currently reaching more than 35 million homes nationwide. |
| Retirement Living TV (RLTV) is the only cable network dedicated to serving the needs of adults 50+ with information and entertainment that inspires and enhances the perception of aging. The network has Emmy award-winning programming that addresses a variety of subjects and genres including health, finance, travel, reality, comedy and drama. For more information, log onto www.rl.tv/. |
| Starfish Television Network is a revolutionary channel that gives voice to charitable organizations and helps them to better fulfill their missions by airing news, entertainment, documentaries and other programming about giving and service 24 hours a day - at no cost to the organization. Starfish exists to tell the stories of the individuals and organizations that are making a difference...in their lives, in their communities and around the world. Starfish is carried on DISH Network, and can also be viewed on the internet at www.starfishtv.org. |
| # # # |
Find Us On 
EIC - Entertainment Industries Council - Encouraging the Art of Making a Difference
