Nickelodeon Hits the Campaign Trail With Election-Themed Content, Leading Up to October Kids’ Vote

    Nick's Kids Pick The President Election Connection Team -- Featuring

Lily Collins, Lil' JJ and Pick Boy -- To Report From Conventions For On-Air

and Online Coverage



    Two New Nick News with Linda Ellerbee Election Specials to Premiere in

August and October



    NEW YORK, Aug. 20 /EMWNews/ -- Nickelodeon is throwing its splat

into the political ring with a fall season's worth of presidential and

election-themed content, all gearing up for its renowned kids' vote in

October. From Aug. 24 to Oct. 12, the network will air new interstitial

content about the U.S. presidential campaign, along with two brand-new Nick

News specials. Additionally, Lily Collins, Lil' JJ and Pick Boy --

Nickelodeon's Kids Pick the President Election Connection Team -- will

follow the campaign trail by providing kids with an insider point-of-view

at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.



    All this leads up to the Kids Pick the President kids' vote which

begins Oct. 12. Historically, kids have correctly chosen the next U.S.

president four out of five presidential elections. This election year's

vote follows Nickelodeon's first-ever kids' primary, held earlier this

year, where kids correctly forecasted this year's candidates: Senators John

McCain and Barack Obama.



    "This presidential election has ignited so many young people to become

more involved," said Marva Smalls, Executive Vice President of Public

Affairs for Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group. "We want to connect our

audiences to the process -- the candidates and issues. Kids -- although not

legal voters -- don't want to be on the sidelines."



    A series of educational and humorous spots featuring the Kids Pick the

President Election Connection Team will be introduced on-air and online in

conjunction with the Democratic National Convention, on Aug. 25. The

Election Connection Team will report from the conventions, profile the

candidates, and get out the word about the Kids Pick the President kids'

vote. Lil' JJ will also serve as blogger-extraordinaire on nick.com with

up-to-the minute details of his experiences at the conventions.



    Leading up to the Kids Pick the President online vote, where kids can

choose their presidential candidate of choice, the Emmy Award-winning Linda

Ellerbee will host two new half-hour Nick News specials. In "Tales from the

Trail," premiering Aug. 24, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT), Nick News will follow kids

who are rooting for, and actively campaigning for, Senator Barack Obama and

Senator John McCain. The special will provide a glimpse into what will take

place at the Democratic and Republican Conventions. In the final Kids Pick

the President special, which premieres in October, Nick News will take

kids' questions to the presidential candidates and then encourage kids to

go online to http://www.nick.com/kpp and vote for the next U.S. President.



    Teachers can also find Nickelodeon's Cable in the Classroom program's

election-themed lesson plans online at http://www.teachers.nick.com.



    Nickelodeon, now in its 29th year, is the number-one entertainment

brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids

first in everything it does. The company includes television programming

and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer

products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films.

Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 96 million

households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 14

consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos

are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).