This Fall, BET Offers Hard-Working Americans the Chance to 'PAY IT OFF'

New Innovative Game Show, Hosted by Actress/Comedienne Kim Coles, Gives Contestants the Opportunity to Pay Off Their Debts

PASADENA, Calif., July 30 -- In these tough economic times, wouldn't it be nice to get out of the red and on the path to financial freedom? Everyone is looking for some relief, especially debt relief. This fall, BET introduces groundbreaking new game show PAY IT OFF, which gives contestants the chance to change their lives and pay off mounting debt. Hosted by actress/comedienne Kim Coles, the one-hour show premieres Wednesday, September 30, at 10:00 p.m.*

PAY IT OFF is the first game show of its kind specifically aimed at helping individuals defray their bills and debts - one expense at a time. While most game shows focus primarily on the mechanics of the game play, PAY IT OFF focuses on the personal debt dilemmas of everyday people.

This unique game show is divided into five rounds with increasing levels of difficulty within each round. As the game play progresses, the contestant has a chance to win more money to pay towards his/her debt. If the contestant makes it successfully through all five rounds, he/she then has the chance to earn $25,000 in the final bonus round!

"Everything I have done in my career has led me to this point, and the opportunity to be the first African-American female game show host on primetime television is amazing; how could I say no? PAY IT OFF is timely, exciting and wonderful, and I'm glad I get to be the one handing out the cash to people in need," said host Kim Coles.

Four-time NAACP Image Award nominee Kim Coles is best known for her five-season turn as the unforgettable "Synclaire" on FOX's hit comedy series, Living Single. Since then, Coles has starred on numerous hit television programs, including Frasier, Six Feet Under, One on One and VH1's popular series Celebrity Fit Club. She also recently co-hosted the NBC daytime talk show In the Loop with iVillage. A well-known comedienne, Coles is now ready to take on her biggest challenge yet: game show host.

PAY IT OFF is executive produced by Rob Lob and Sam Sokolow of SokoLobl Entertainment and Michael Binkow of Five Binks, Inc.

Viewers can visit www.bet.com/OnTV/BETShows for more information about PAY IT OFF.

*All times ET/PT

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA) (NYSE: VIA.B), 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 98 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; BET Digital Networks - BET J, 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 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.