Emmy Award(R) Winner Mark Burnett Returns to Helm the 17th Annual 2008 MTV Movie Awards

NEW YORK (Map) - NEW YORK, March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Mark your calendars!! MTV today announced that revolutionary, Emmy Award(R) winning producer, Mark Burnett will return as executive producer for the 2008 MTV MOVIE AWARDS for the second year in a row. The 2007 MTV Movie Awards was watched by over 20 million viewers on its premiere night and was the #1 rated telecast in television for the night among P12-34. The seventeenth annual show will again premiere LIVE on MTV, Sunday June 1st from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, CA. With the legendary golden popcorn up for grabs in such eccentric categories as "Best Kiss," "Best Villain," and "Best Comedic Performance," the 2008 MTV MOVIE AWARDS promises to be as memorable as ever.

"I'm looking forward to incorporating the viewers more than ever before because I consider the MTV Movie Awards to be the most relevant movie award show in America today," said Mark Burnett. "This show honors the movies that millions of young Americans go to see. We will again highlight the interactive culture that is young America."

"The MTV Movie Awards always draws the biggest stars in film and this year is already shaping up to be no exception," said Van Toffler, President, MTV Networks Music, Logo and Films Group. "The audience's favorite movie and music talent combined with Mark Burnett's uncanny ability to push the envelope and the show being live makes for a concoction sure to set off tons of unexpected watercooler moments."

The celebrity-filled event is MTV's irreverent nod to the typical awards shows celebrating the year's best in movies, stand-out musical performances and more. Hailed for clever, one-of-a-kind film parodies, sexy lip-locking moments from the likes of Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen, and outrageous acceptance speeches such as Mike Myers' ode to Austin Powers with a mojo-induced dance number, the MTV Movie Awards has produced some of the most unforgettable and outrageous moments in award show history!

One of the driving forces behind reality television and a true visionary, Mark Burnett has enjoyed a long history of executive producing Emmy Award(R)-winning television. Some of Mark Burnett's trademark shows include "Survivor," "The Apprentice," "Are you Smarter Than a 5TH Grader?," "Martha Stewart," "Rock Star," "Contender," "On The Lot" and "My Dad is Better Than Your Dad." Burnett's entrepreneurial spirit pioneered the success of the reality "unscripted" drama series, garnered skyrocketing ratings and introduced millions worldwide to an entirely new television genre. He is also credited with revolutionizing product integration on television and creating new multimedia platforms, such as "Gold Rush" for advertisers and online audiences.

The 2007 MTV Movie Awards averaged a 3.5 P12-34 rating, up 9% versus the previous year. On MTV.com, Movie Awards content reached 1.6 million people a 68% gain over the previous year's awards; and experienced triple digit growth up 200% in visitors and over 300% in Movie Awards streams.

Nominees for the 2008 MTV MOVIE AWARDS will be announced in the spring. And for more on movies check out http://www.mtv.com/movies/.

About MTV

MTV is the dynamic, vibrant experiment at the intersection of music, creativity and youth culture. For over 26 years, MTV has evolved, challenged the norm, and detonated boundaries -- giving each new generation a creative outlet and voice that entertains, informs and unites on every platform and screen. On-air, MTV has been the number one rated 24 hour ad-supported cable network P12-24 for 16 straight years. Online, MTV.com scored double-digit growth in 2007 and MTV launched ten dynamic online communities and six new virtual worlds. On the go, MTV Mobile is the #1 music brand in the wireless space -- delivering 90% more streams than in 2006. And MTV's successful sibling networks MTV2, mtvU and MTV Tr3s each deliver unprecedented customized content, super-serving music fans, college students and young American Latinos like no one else. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Wanna know more? Come on in...www.mtvpress.com.

About Mark Burnett Productions

Mark Burnett Productions (MBP) is a leading production company for both primetime television and the internet. MBP revolutionized television with hits such as Survivor (CBS), The Apprentice (NBC), The Contender (ESPN), Rock Star: INXS (CBS), the Steven Spielberg and Dreamworks Television co-production On The Lot (FOX), and the smash hit Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (FOX). In the summer of 2007, MBP entered the world of Award Shows, when Mark Burnett served as executive producer for the 2007 MTV Movie Awards. MBP also partnered with AOL in 2006 on the highly successful interactive adventure Gold Rush, the first-ever unscripted project to be produced exclusively for the internet. In addition, MBP has established a scripted division and is developing comedies and dramas for television as well as major feature films. Since 2001, MBP has garnered a total of 48 Emmy nominations. In 2007, Mark Burnett was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame.