KIDS DISCUSS IMPORTANT 2012 ELECTION ISSUES IN NICK NEWS WITH LINDA ELLERBEE "KIDS PICK THE PRESIDENT: THE ISSUES," PREMIERING MONDAY, SEPT. 17, AT 8 PM (ET/PT) ON NICKELODEON

NEW YORK, Sept. 12, 2012 - Kids might not be old enough to vote yet, but they're watching, listening and have strong opinions about the campaign issues that matter most to them. Those opinions are heard in the Nick News with Linda Ellerbee special, "Kids Pick the President: The Issues," premiering Monday, Sept. 17, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. In the special, kids across the country rank and talk about important issues including same-sex marriage, education, healthcare, taxes, immigration, Iran, energy and jobs. The special features video of presidential candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney talking about the issues, and kids sharing their opinions on what the candidates have to say.

"A smart fellow once wrote that kids tell you what they think, not what they think they should think," says Linda Ellerbee. "We at Nick News agree. We in America choose our presidents based on many things: character, personality, family, religion, their commercials, even their looks, but as many of the kids in this show said, 'We should be focusing on the issues.'"

"The government should stay out of people's lives as much as possible," says Emily from New Jersey.

"I think the school choice debate is the wrong debate to be having. I think the right debate would be, why aren't public schools getting more funding so that they can improve?" says Rashmi from California.

"I don't think candidates are talking enough about global warming," says Isaac from New York. They're gonna be gone, and so it's our problem - the kids' problem."

The kids are not afraid to disagree, even with their own favorite candidate.

"I am a Mitt Romney supporter... but I disagree with him on the issue of same-sex marriage. It's a religious thing, and the government shouldn't be involved in that type of religious stuff," says Luke from Pennsylvania.

Dhruv from Texas respects President Obama, but questions his stance on taxes, "By increasing the tax on just the wealthiest, Obama's kind of sending out the message that if you work hard you're gonna be rewarded by having to pay the government even more."

Nick News, produced by Lucky Duck Productions, is now in its 21st year and is the longest-running kids' news show in television history. It has built its reputation on the respectful and direct way it speaks to kids about the important issues of the day. Over the years, Nick News has received more than 21 Emmy nominations and recently won its ninth Emmy Award for Under the Influence: Kids of Alcoholics in the category of Outstanding Children's Nonfiction Program. Additional Emmy wins for outstanding children's programming include: The Face of Courage: Kids Living with Cancer (2010); Coming Home: When Parents Return from War (2009); The Untouchable Kids of India (2008); Private Worlds: Kids and Autism (2007); Never Again: From the Holocaust to the Sudan (2005); Faces of Hope: The Kids of Afghanistan (2002) and What Are You Staring At? (1998). In addition, in 1995, the entire series won the Emmy. In 2009, Nick News was honored with the Edward R. Murrow Award for best Network News Documentary for Coming Home: When Parents Return from War - the first-ever kids' television program to receive this prestigious award. Nick News has also received three Peabody Awards, including a personal award given to Ellerbee for explaining the impeachment of President Clinton to kids, as well as a Columbia duPont Award and more than a dozen Parents' Choice Awards.

Nickelodeon, now in its 33rd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 17 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).