Press Releases

NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- 

TO TWEET THIS RELEASE: http://on.vh1.com/VH1_WHouston

VH1 is paying tribute to the incomparable talent of pop music icon Whitney Houston, one of the biggest-selling artists in history, who passed away yesterday in Los Angeles. 

On Monday, February 13th at 9:30 PM/7c, VH1 will premiere the "VH1 News Special -"Whitney Houston: Death of a Diva,"hosted by Janell Snowden and featuring the latest updates on events surrounding her death as well as reactions from attendees at her mentor music mogul Clive Davis's annual pre-Grammy Awards party last night as well as tributes from officials, artists and music executives and fans. 

VH1's new "100 Greatest Women In Music" five-night countdown special premiering on Monday, February 13th at 10 PM/9c will also acknowledge the tremendous loss and salute Houston's legacy and wide-ranging influence.  "100 Greatest Women In Music" will honor female artists who have thrived in the music industry from 1990 to present day, pop, R & B, rap, country and rock. 

On Thursday, February 16th at 11 PM/10c, VH1 will debut "VH1 News Presents Whitney Houston's Greatest Moments," a new special celebrating Whitney Houston's legacy by sharing performances from throughout her storied career which included appearances on VH1 Divas in 1999 and 2003, and VH1 Honors in 1996.

Monday morning's edition of VH1's "Big Morning Buzz Live" will provide updates on the tragedy on VH1's daily dose of pop culture news, chat and entertainment which airs each weekday morning at 10 AM/9c. 

VH1 began airing Houston's music videos in a block last night at Midnight and will continue to run them in the daytime hours, including "I Will Always Love You," "So Emotional," "Greatest Love Of All," "How Will I Know," "I'm Your Baby Tonight," "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," "Saving All My Love For You" and "It's Not Right, But It's Okay." 

VH1 Classic will air a three-hour video tribute "Whitney A-To-Z" comprising her entire video work premiering on Tuesday, February 14 at 12 Noon and 8 PM.  VH1 Soul will continue to air Houston's videos all of today and through the night. 

VH1.com, VH1's Tuner music blog and TheFabLife.com are all featuring a look back at Whitney's life through career-spanning performances (http://www.vh1.com/music/tuner/2012-02-11/whitney-houston-8-greatest-musical-moments/) and photos (http://www.thefablife.com/2012-02-11/whitney-houston-dead-at-48/) and will continue to update readers about the female icon's death and the tributes from around the world. VH1's social media accounts will also do the same.  In addition, VH1.com will post images and reports from last night's Clive Davis event as well as exclusive interview footage from the red carpet at the Beverly Hilton.

For additional information on VH1 follow @VH1 on Twitter or "Like" VH1 on Facebook, and visit VH1.com for all the latest in music and celebrity news.

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 99 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile, VH1Games and extensive broadband video on VH1.com. Connect with VH1 at VH1.com.

** All times ET

CONTACT:Michael Barrett     212-654-3060Michael.Barrett@logostaff.com            

Toni Herron212-846-7528Toni.Herron@vh1.com

SOURCE VH1

NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- BET will celebrate the life and accomplishments of Grammy-award winner and legendary talent Whitney Houston with a special lineup of programming beginning Sunday, February 12. "We are all simply heartbroken by the sudden passing of Whitney Houston. She was among the greatest artists of our time. She was an icon, trailblazer, international phenomenon—an incomparable talent that will forever be missed. Our prayers and condolences go out to her daughter, mother and her entire family. We will always love her," said Debra L. Lee, Chairman and CEO of BET Networks.

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Starting at 11:30 a.m.* today, BET will air coverage, titled BET TRIBUTE TO WHITNEY HOUSTON, on the passing of the singer, who died at 48, followed by an encore presentation of BET HONORS 2010—where she was honored for her extraordinary achievements in the field of entertainment. At 3:30 p.m.*, BET will air Whitney Houston's last televised performance in an encore presentation of CELEBRATION OF GOSPEL 2011. Viewers can also tune in to CENTRIC throughout the day to watch music videos featuring the songstress.

On Monday, February 13 at 6:00 p.m.*, 106 & PARK will pay tribute to the singer's life and legacy with a 3-hour special episode followed by the 9:00 p.m.* premiere of BET HONORS 2012.

BET Programming LineupSunday, February 1211:30 a.m.* - BET Tribute to Whitney Houston1:30 p.m.* - BET HONORS 2010 (encore at 7:30 p.m.*)3:30 p.m.* - CELEBRATION OF GOSPEL 2011

Monday, February 136:00 p.m.* - 3-hour Special Episode of 106 & PARK

For more updates on Whitney Houston, please visit www.bet.com. Viewers can keep up with this developing story on Twitter by following @BET. Additionally, past tributes and performances of Whitney Houston can be seen on BET.com:

• http://www.bet.com/video/bethonors/2010/jennifer-hudson-whitney-houston-tribute-2010.html
• http://www.bet.com/video/bethonors/2010/kim-burrell-whitney-houston-tribute-20102.html
• http://www.bet.com/video/bethonors/2010/whitney-houston-tribute-2010.html
• http://www.bet.com/video/bethonors/2010/whitney-houston-2269611.html
• http://www.bet.com/video/musicnews/2012/sparkle-whitney-houston-mike-epps-news-brief-s1.html
• http://www.bet.com/video/celebrationofgospel/2011/legendary-performance-by-whitn-231962.html

*All times are ET/PT.

About BET NetworksBET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

About CENTRICCentric is a 24-hour music and entertainment channel that reflects the lifestyle and sophistication of today's African-American and multicultural adult viewer.  With a finger on the pulse of an ever-changing beat, its compelling music content fuses Soul, R&B, Neo-Soul, Hip Hop, Reggae, Gospel, Jazz, Old School, New School and everything in between with today's hottest artists. It is a unique mix of music, culture and lifestyle programming that embodies the lives, tastes and aspirations of the CENTRIC viewer: All you. All day. All night.

SOURCE BET Networks

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Rentrak Corporation (Nasdaq: RENT), today announced the official weekend theatrical box office numbers for the weekend period of February10, 2012 through February  12, 2012 according to the company's Box Office Essentials™ theatrical box office data collection and analytical service.

To access the Top-12 grossing motion pictures for the weekend, per data collected as of Sunday, through February 12, 2012, please visit RENTRAK.com.

About Box Office Essentials®Rentrak's Box Office Essentials® and International Box Office Essentials are the theatrical industry's source for comprehensive global box office intelligence.  Boasting a footprint that covers 90% of the worldwide theatrical market, Rentrak is able to provide its clients with box office intelligence for 26 countries, streamlined through one unique system.  Delivered in near real-time, this data is primarily collected through an electronic connection with thousands of theater box offices, allowing users to view online reports from anywhere around the world, while virtually watching the minute-by-minute sale of tickets.  Box Office Essentials® transforms masses of data into a comprehendible view of the market and, as such, is used by every studio as well as many independent distribution entities.

About Rentrak Corporation Rentrak (NASDAQ: RENT) is a global digital media measurement and research company, serving the most recognizable companies in the entertainment industry. With a reach across numerous platforms including box office, multi-screen television, and home video, Rentrak has developed more efficient metrics to be used as database currencies for the evaluation and selling of media. Rentrak is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with additional U.S. and international offices. For more information on Rentrak, please visit www.rentrak.com.

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RENTO

SOURCE Rentrak Corporation

NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Music Entertainment today issued the following statement regarding Whitney Houston:

"Whitney Houston was an icon and a once-in-a-lifetime talent who inspired a generation of singers and brought joy to millions of fans around the world. She had a voice of unmatched beauty and power that changed music forever, and she leaves behind an indelible legacy of timeless songs that will never be forgotten. She also was an important member of the Sony Music family who spent her storied recording career with Arista Records. She will be greatly missed. Our deepest condolences go out to her daughter and her entire family."

SOURCE Sony Music

PITTSBURGH, Feb. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Leo W. Gerard, international president of the United Steelworkers (USW) issued the following statement today on hearing reports of President Obama's budget proposal that's going to Congress, asking millions for a new trade enforcement center and the resources to more effectively enforce U.S. trade laws:

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"President Obama has acted to enforce America's laws against unfair trade since coming to office and announced in his State of the Union address last month, a clear commitment to this effort.  The USW is especially pleased to know the President's budget will be asking for millions of dollars to arm his new Interagency Trade Enforcement Center (ITEC) with the resources needed to fight for American jobs.

"Too many American workers have had their jobs stolen from them by foreign unfair, predatory and illegal trade practices.   Many of our trade competitors agree to the rules, but then fail to abide by them.  Enforcing our laws – and the commitments other countries have made – must be high priority. President Obama is devoting resources to accomplish that goal.

"Our union members work hard and play by the rules. We want a government that will stand up to foreign unfair trade for all American workers.  President Obama has demonstrated a willingness to do just that.

"In his State of the Union message, the President highlighted the success of the trade case brought by the Steelworkers against a flood of tire imports from China that had been decimating employment here.   His leadership has helped to return the industry to stability, put American tire builders back to work and has stimulated the expansion of production and investment here at home.  His efforts deserve, and have, our sincere gratitude.

"The President also highlighted that that we can't lose sight of the importance of our nation's manufacturing sector. It is a key to long-term economic growth and job creation.  Enforcing our trade laws is the key to manufacturing success.

"This President's budget makes an important investment in trade law.  The Republican candidate, Mitt Romney, would jeopardize our successes and reverse course on enforcing the rules. Romney opposed the use of trade laws to support our nation's tire producers, who employ thousands of workers and make great products.   The provision Romney opposed that President Obama used was one agreed to by China when they joined the World Trade Organization. The President's actions were later upheld by the WTO.

Mitt Romney also publicly opposed the stabilization plan for the auto industry that has returned them to profitability and resulted in workers returning to the factories.  Romney said the companies should go bankrupt.  Two weeks ago, the Steelworkers, with elected leaders and the support of others in organized labor, began an effort to ensure that China's unfair and illegal trade practices in the auto parts sector would not go unchallenged. 

Romney's refusal to support America's auto sector would leave the more than 1.6 million workers directly and indirectly employed in the auto parts sector fighting China's predatory trade practices on their own. Romney's record on trade issues would further embolden Chinese leaders and put at risk more jobs here at home."

Contact: Gary Hubbard, 202-256-8125, ghubbard@usw.org; Wayne Ranick, 412-901-8442; wranick@usw.org

SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)