VH1 RULES THE AIRWAVES WITH THE SERIES PREMIERE OF "THIS IS HOT 97" ON MONDAY, MARCH 31 AT 10:30 PM ET/PT

Unscripted Comedy Series Follows the Crew of Outrageous And Fun Personalities At This Iconic Radio Station

NEW YORK, NY - March 6, 2014 - Known as the place "Where Hip Hop Lives," New York's globally recognized, #1 radio station HOT 97 WQHT is teaming up with VH1 to take viewers on a behind-the-scenes look into the Big Apple's go-to destination for Hip Hop and R&B with the debut of "This Is HOT 97." Premiering on VH1 March 31 at 10:30 PM ET/ PT, "This Is HOT 97" is a 30-minute unscripted series that gives viewers a comedic look inside this iconic radio brand. HOT 97 is home to a crew of outrageous and fun personalities in the music industry. The series will also feature cameos from the well-known celebrities who regularly visit HOT 97 as on-air guests including Kanye West, Macklemore, Rick Ross, Mack Wilds, Wale and many more.

HOT 97 may be the global mecca of Hip Hop and R&B music, yet this cast of characters functions more as a family than a group of coworkers. From an outsider's perspective, HOT 97 is a well-oiled machine churning out music, news and pop culture, but when the "ON AIR" sign goes off; viewers will see that this cast is just as lovingly dysfunctional as any other family. This crew goes hard for each other, but above all they live, eat and breathe HOT 97.

The primary cast of "This is HOT 97" consists of:

Ebro Darden- As the no-nonsense program director of HOT 97, Ebro is the middle man between the corporate office and the gang. However after joining the morning show, the line between boss and co-worker has gotten a little blurry for the rest of his team.

Funkmaster Flex- A hip hop innovator since the early days, Flex is the "godfather" of HOT 97 and rules the weeknights from 7PM to midnight. His on-air rants, big ego and short temper sometimes get him into trouble with rappers, celebs and his fellow DJs, as he continues to drop "bombs" on the airwaves, premiering the newest music in Hip Hop. But don't let his brash on-air personality fool you - Flex is as big a teddy bear as they come.

Angie Martinez- Dubbed "The Voice of New York" and "queen bee" of the station, Angie is the ultimate stop for any artist or actor in the entertainment industry. Second to none in the business, her afternoon drive slot earns some of the most enviable ratings in the nation.

Cipha Sounds- Cipha may be modest, but he's a big deal in this world and has worked his way up at HOT 97 over the last sixteen years. He's also DJ'd for Jay-Z, Mos Def, and Rihanna, as well as serving as house DJ on "Chappelle's Show."

Rosenberg- This morning show member is a music snob and loud about it. But up-and-coming artists should rejoice in his volume, because he's the lone voice pushing underground artists at HOT 97, which is integral to this station staying on top.

Laura Stylez- As the wide-eyed newbie of the morning show, and the nicest, she's the little sister at the station that covers all things fashion and pop-culture.

Miss Info- Even though she's often labeled as a gossip columnist, she really is an investigative journalist and is respected in the hip hop community. Anyone will tell you, don't trust something is true until Miss Info declares it so.

The cast is rounded out by Ebro's 'right hand' Karlie Hustle and features more of the station's DJs and producers including DJ Enuff, Big Dennis, Shani Kulture, and Drewski.

Each episode of "This Is HOT 97" will draw upon the ambitions, rivalries and quirky personalities of the cast to capture all of the comedic and sometimes downright awkward moments that happen at the station on a daily basis. Tune in to the series premiere of "This Is HOT 97" Monday, March 31 at 10:30 PM ET/ PT on VH1.

For more information, fans can visit ThisIsHOT97.VH1.com and tweet along during episodes using #ThisIsHot97.

"This Is HOT 97" is executive produced by Mona Scott-Young for Monami Entertainment and Toby Barraud, Stefan Springman, Mala Chapple and Ian Gelfand for Eastern. Susan Levison, Brad Abramson and Stephen Mintz are executive producers for VH1. Co-executive producer for Eastern is David Digangi and Vivian Gomez is coordinating producer for VH1.

About VH1

VH1 delivers the ultimate mash-up of music, pop culture and nostalgia for adults who still want to have fun. VH1 is available in 99 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile and VH1.com and @VH1, the hub for all things music and pop culture. VH1 is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

About HOT 97

HOT 97 (WQHT FM) is the world's first all Hip-Hop station and has held the dominant position in New York for over ten years. HOT 97 is best known for its celebrity on air talent, such as Angie Martinez (Grammy nominated artist) and Funkmaster Flex (television host, multiple gold records), as well as being the world's premier source for Hip Hop music culture. HOT 97 TV is an online and mobile destination for original web series, celebrity content, concerts and music videos. For more information, please visit www.hot97.com, facebook.com/hot97official, or twitter.com/hot97

About Emmis Communications

Emmis Communications Corporation is a diversified media company, principally focused on radio broadcasting. Emmis operates the 9th largest publicly traded radio portfolio in the United States based on total listeners. Emmis operates 19 FM and three AM radio stations in New York, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Austin, Indianapolis and Terre Haute, IN.