MTV CLOSES SERIES OPTION DEAL WITH "JERSEY SHORE" CAST MEMBER PAUL "DJ PAULY D" DELVECCHIO

NEW YORK (December 22, 2010) - Chris Linn, MTV Executive Vice President of Programming and Head of Production today announced that the network has closed a series option deal with "Jersey Shore" cast member Paul "DJ Pauly D" Delvecchio. A pilot presentation with Delvecchio was shot by 495 Productions - the production company behind "Jersey Shore" - in September 2010.

"At the heart of 'Jersey Shore' is the unique and genuine cast and Pauly D. truly embodies both qualities," said Chris Linn, Executive Vice President of Programming and Head of Production for MTV. "He's distinguished himself onscreen as the fun-loving, well-coiffed and dependable guy you can't help but want to hang out with. We know viewers are curious about his life away from the shore and we look forward to exploring new possibilities around that."

A true pop culture phenomenon, "Jersey Shore" achieved record ratings during the first half of its sophomore season, consistently beating all television competition in its time slot and becoming the #1* original cable series among P12-34 in 2010 and MTV's highest rated series ever. The show surged to series highs of over 6.7 million viewers, more than doubling the audience for Season One. The second season of "Jersey Shore" resumes on Thursday, January 6.

Paul "DJ Pauly D" DelVecchio was born in Providence, RI on July 5, 1980. His lifelong interest and early passion for music are what sparked his career and that passion brought him right to the top as Delvecchio is one of today's most sought after DJs. Delvecchio started spinning in the club scene at the age of 18 at local spots and private functions. When MTV's highest rated show "Jersey Shore" debuted on-air in 2009, he quickly became known for his impeccable grooming and memorable catchphrases. In 2010, he released his first single "Beat Dat Beat" with Universal Republic Records from the official "Jersey Shore" soundtrack, which quickly rose up the charts and solidified his place in pop culture. He was also nominated for "America's Best DJ" this year alongside the best in the business, earning him one of the highest honors a DJ can receive. Delvecchio continues to tour the world DJ'ing while holding down a Vegas residency. It was also recently announced by Walt Disney World that he will be the featured DJ act in "Disney's Grad Nite 2011" at Magic Kingdom Park.

About MTV:

MTV is the world's premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its Emmy(R), Grammy(R) and Peabody(R) award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile. MTV's sibling networks MTV2 and mtvU each deliver unparalleled customized content for young males, music fans and college students, and its online hub MTV.com is the leading destination for music, news and pop culture. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.