On heels of historic government report on alcohol, drugs, and health,
a commercial-free television special featuring celebrity talent and
keynote speaker U.S. Surgeon General Murthy will air Friday, November 18
across all major Viacom networks
Friday's program will also premiere Viacom-produced "Listen," a
public service ad campaign to raise awareness, connect people to help,
and inspire hope through stories of recovery
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Global media brand Viacom and national non-profit Facing Addiction
announced today the airing of a 30-minute commercial free television
special on Friday, November 18 to ignite a national conversation about
addiction as a public health epidemic. The event coincides with the
release of the first-ever
U.S. Surgeon General report on alcohol, drugs, and health.
This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161117006488/en/
Taped at the Paramount Theater in Los Angeles, California, Listen:
Facing Addiction in America will combine live discussion with
musical performances to spur open dialogue, celebrate the success found
in recovery, and empower friends and family to support those struggling
with this chronic illness. Dr. Drew Pinsky and MTV News senior
correspondent Ana Marie Cox will co-host the event, which will feature
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist
Joe Walsh, award-winning R&B artist Mario, Detroit rapper Royce Da 5'9",
comedian Gary Owen, actor Danny Trejo, professional skateboarder Brandon
Novak, bar consultant and Spike TV personality Jon Taffer, activist and
Logo TV alum Brandon Kneefel, U.S. Army veteran and author Shilo Harris,
as well as leading advocates and Americans from across the country who
have been impacted by addiction.
Friday's special will also launch "LISTEN, " a national PSA campaign
produced by Viacom Velocity, the company's in-house creative content
agency, in partnership with the Ad Council, the largest producer of
public service campaigns in the U.S. The campaign, which centers on the
theme of empathetic listening, will direct audiences to resources where
they can find information and get help for themselves or their loved
ones.
"Addiction has touched the lives of a large majority of our fans, as it
has tens of millions of Americans. We're proud to be working with Facing
Addiction and the Surgeon General to break down the barriers of shame
and stigma associated with this illness, and to spread the message that
recovery is possible for everyone," said Ali Jannello Tuck, Vice
President of Corporate Social Responsibility for Viacom. "Viacom isn't
afraid to tackle tough social issues, and in the face of this crisis, we
urge people to listen, to inform themselves, and to act with compassion
to help save lives."
"Viacom and the Surgeon General are taking unprecedented action this
week on what has become a leading cause of death for young people in
America," Greg Williams, Co-Founder of Facing Addiction. "As an
organization working to bring the best resources together to save lives
and support the 45 million Americans directly impacted by addiction,
Facing Addiction, realizes that turning the tide on the addiction crisis
is going to require new bold action from all sectors. We are grateful to
be partnering with these committed stakeholders who will launch a
productive and science-informed campaign on addiction like our country
has never seen before."
"We need to change the way we see addiction - not as a moral failing but
as a chronic illness that we should approach with the same determination
as we do diabetes, heart disease, and cancer," said U.S. Surgeon General
Vivek H. Murthy. "All of us have a role to play in ending this crisis.
Awareness initiatives, like the Viacom ‘Listen' campaign, can help
change negative attitudes surrounding addiction."
Listen: Facing Addiction in America will air Friday on BET,
Comedy Central, CMT, Logo, MTV, MTV2, MTV Classic, MTV Live, Spike, TV
Land, and VH1. Please check your local listings for airtimes.
For more information please visit: www.heretolisten.com
About Viacom
Viacom is home to premier global media brands that create compelling
television programs, motion pictures, short-form content, apps, games,
consumer products, social media experiences, and other entertainment
content for audiences in 180 countries. Viacom's media networks,
including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, Spike, BET, CMT, TV
Land, Nick at Nite, Nick Jr., Channel 5 (UK), Logo, Nicktoons, TeenNick
and Paramount Channel, reach over 3.9 billion cumulative television
subscribers worldwide. Paramount Pictures is a major global producer and
distributor of filmed entertainment.
For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com.
Keep up with Viacom news by following Viacom's blog at blog.viacom.com
and Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/viacom.
About Facing Addiction
Facing Addiction (www.facingaddiction.org)
is a national non-profit organization dedicated to unifying the voice of
the over 45 million Americans and their families directly impacted by
addiction. Facing Addiction is bringing together the best resources in
the field in order to reduce the human and social costs of addiction,
every year, until this public health crisis is eliminated. The
organization was launched in historic fashion on October 4th, 2015 from
the National Mall at the UNITE
to Face Addiction Rally when for the first time tens of thousands of
individuals joined together with major musicians, politicians, actors,
athletes, models, journalists, and authors to end the collective silence
surrounding addiction and recovery.
For more information, visit www.facingaddiction.org.
About the Ad Council
The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history
of marshaling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries
to deliver critical messages to the American public. Having produced
literally thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most pressing social
issues of the day, the Ad Council has affected, and continues to affect,
tremendous positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action, and
saving lives. To learn more about the Ad Council and its campaigns,
visit adcouncil.org,
like us on Facebook,
follow us on Twitter,
or view our PSAs on YouTube.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161117006488/en/
Press:
For Viacom:
Alex Rindler, 617-290-8813
Alex.Rindler@viacom.com
or
For
Facing Addiction:
Tim Sullivan, 732-816-0239
tsullivan@facingaddiction.org
Source: Viacom
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