Sean "P. Diddy" Combs Turns Up The Heat On MTV As He Creates The Hottest Girl Pop Group Of All Time In "Making The Band 3"

Series Will Premiere On Thursday, March 3rd at 10:00 PM (ET/PT)

New York, NY, January 24, 2005 � Sean �P. Diddy� Combs, the man responsible for the careers of some of the biggest female artists of our generation, including Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez and Missy Elliott, today announced that he has reunited with MTV: Music Television to create the greatest all girl group ever produced for �Making the Band.� The season premieres on Thursday, March 3rd at 10:00 PM (ET/PT) and will chronicle Combs applying his �golden touch� as he forms and develops his all new girl pop group.

Under Combs� masterful eye, 19 of America�s most talented females have been chosen to live together in a loft in New York City�s Soho to compete for their lifelong dream to become pop stars. Living and auditioning under fierce competition, the girls are judged based on their dancing ability, vocal talent, star power and willingness to be part of a group. With no advance notice of when the dreaded cuts will occur or when P. Diddy may spontaneously drop by, the girls face an uncertain future and find out that it takes sweat and tears to reach the high standards that Combs demands from all his artists.

"I take pride in being a starmaker and having had the chance to work with the biggest and most successful women in the music industry. But there is nothing like finding and nurturing new talent and watching their rise to fame," said Sean "P. Diddy" Combs.

�In the last season of �Making the Band,� we watched the members of the hip hop group Da Band struggle under P. Diddy�s tight supervision until the group was ultimately disbanded,� said Lois Curren, Executive Vice President, MTV Series Entertainment �This new season brings us a completely different dynamic as P. Diddy sets out to form a pop group and the drama is sure to ensue with 19 girls living under one roof and fighting for a chance of a lifetime. �

The last season of �Making the Band II,� was watched by more than 40 million viewers, and ranked number one in its time period vs. all basic cable among P12-34.

Background on the judges follows:

Sean �P. Diddy� Combs

Mr. Combs� has established himself as a music pioneer, producing chart-dominating hits for superstar artists like Aretha Franklin, Sting, Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez and Notorious B.I.G. As a solo artist and performer, he�s released four multi-platinum albums and is a three-time Grammy Award winner. In addition to music, Combs has broadened the Bad Boy brand to encompass publishing, management, marketing and advertising, films, restaurants and the highly successful Sean John clothing line, which won him CFDA�s Perry Ellis Menswear Designer of the Year Award last year. Mr. Combs was named one of Time & CNN's "25 Global Business Influentials of 2004� and recently appeared in the Tony-Award winning production of a �Raisin in the Sun� on Broadway.

Johnny Wright

Mr. Wright is the founder of Wright Entertainment Group (WEG) and is best known for managing the careers of many of today�s chart toppers including NSYNC, Justin Timberlake, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, BoyzIIMen, Christina Milian, and Nick Cannon.

Laurie Ann Gibson

Ms. Gibson is one of the most sought after choreographers in the entertainment industry, and has more than four-dozen videos and televised shows under her belt. Through her dedication, unique style and skill, she has helped transform artists including Mary J. Blige and Brandy into superstars.

Doc Holiday

Doc Holiday�s methods have been taught and employed by some of the biggest names in music including Britney Spears, Brandy, O-Town, Tyrese and the Backstreet Boys. Doc has earned a reputation for his unique ability to motivate and mold young artists. His creative talents as a songwriter and producer have made him one of the most sought after vocal coaches in the industry.

Phil Robinson

Mr. Robinson has guided the personal management of Sean �P.Diddy� Combs for the last four years and has been a master at building superstar careers for the last 10 years. He counts Magic Johnson, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige and Usher as clients that he has consulted with in the last year.

Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group (BBWEG) is one of the world's preeminent urban entertainment companies, encompassing a broad range of businesses including recording, music publishing, artist management, television and film production, recording facility, marketing and advertising, apparel and restaurants. With a collection of businesses whose annual sales are quickly approaching $300 million annually and an employee base that is 600 strong, Mr. Combs is largely responsible for the pop appeal of urban entertainment. Formed in 1994, the flagship company of BBWEG is Bad Boy Records. Today, Bad Boy's annual sales have reached an overall average of $100 million with more than 75 million records sold worldwide by an impressive artist roster which includes multi-platinum acts the Notorious B.I.G., Mase, 112, Dream and P. Diddy; platinum artists Faith Evans, Carl Thomas and Black Rob; gold artists Total and Craig Mack; and promising up-and-coming artists such as G. Dep, Loon and Cheri Denis. Bad Boy recently moved to 1710 Broadway New York which will become the corporate headquarters housing all Combs' business entities.

MTV Networks owns and operates the cable television programming services MTV: Music Television, MTV2, Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite, TV Land, VH1, CMT: Country Music Television, and Spike TV, as well as The Digital Suite from MTV Networks, a package of thirteen digital services, all of which are trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks also operates and offers joint ventures, licensing agreements and syndication deals whereby its programming can be seen worldwide.