"LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT" COMING TO LOCAL BROADCAST STATIONS FIVE DAYS A WEEK THIS FALL

Emmy and Golden Globe Award-Winning Drama Will Debut September 21 on Stations in More Than 98% of U.S.

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA-September 9, 2009-Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" is set to debut September 21 in Monday-Friday broadcast syndication.

The hit crime drama has been sold by NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution to local broadcast stations covering more than 98% of the U.S. for its five-day-a-week national broadcast syndication debut.

"It's exciting to see 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' get the opportunity to run as a strip on local broadcast stations this fall," says Dick Wolf, the show's creator and executive producer. "This series continues to thrive in all day-parts, so we hope this new iteration will bear fruit."

"We've always been about storytelling and we're thrilled 'SVU' will be on broadcast stations weekdays so that viewers can get a daily fix of our show," says Executive Producer Neal Baer.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" has been sold to stations from Fox, CBS, Sinclair, Sunbeam, LIN, Granite, Meredith, Local TV, Hearst, Media General and other leading groups. The series has been sold to the Fox owned and operated stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Washington D.C., Houston, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Orlando and Baltimore.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," which is set to enter its 11th season on NBC this fall, chronicles the life and crimes of the Special Victims Unit of the New York Police Department. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Media Studios and Emmy Award-winner Dick Wolf's second installment of the "Law and Order" brand.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" finished the 2008-2009 season as NBC's highest-rated entertainment program in households and averaged 9.3 million total viewers per episode, according to Nielsen Media Research data. It was also the #1 program in its Tuesday 10 p.m. time period among adults 18-49, averaging a 3.3 rating in the key demo.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" was also the #1 weekend syndicated hour in Adults 18-34 and Adults 18-49 (tie) for the 2008-2009 TV season. The series continues to be appointment viewing in weekend syndication, building on its lead-in in markets across the country, including New York (+45%), Los Angeles (+100%) and Chicago (+36%).

Earlier this summer, the series received another four Emmy Award nominations, including Mariska Hargitay for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Hargitay, who plays Detective Olivia Benson on "SVU," won the lead actress Emmy in 2006 and was honored with a Golden Globe Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series in 2005.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" has received numerous citations from community-based organizations for the social issues it tackles and the cast members are frequently recognized for the work they do off-screen to promote personal health and safety and other volunteer efforts and initiatives.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Media Studios. Wolf, is creator and executive producer, Neal Baer (NBC's "ER," "China Beach"), Ted Kotcheff ("Fun with Dick and Jane," "Weekend at Bernie's") and Peter Jankowski are executive producers.

About NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution

NBC Universal is a leader in providing entertainment programming to the domestic and international marketplaces. The NBC Universal Television Distribution division is responsible for the global distribution of NBC Universal product to all forms of television throughout the world. This includes distribution of current and library film and television product, including formats and non-scripted programming, in the pay, free, and basic markets, as well as the domestic syndication of first-run syndicated TV programs and theatrical and TV movie packages.

Current and upcoming first-run strip syndicated programming at NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution includes, Access Hollywood, Deal or No Deal, The Jerry Springer Show, The Martha Stewart Show, Maury and The Steve Wilkos Show. Current first-run weekly syndicated programming includes The Chris Matthews Show, The Wall Street Journal Report with Maria Bartiromo and the off-network distribution of 30 Rock, The Office, House, Heroes, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and much more.