NICK NEWS WITH LINDA ELLERBEE JUMPS IN THE GENDER EQUALITY GAME WITH "WHAT IS TITLE IX AND WHY DO YOU CARE?" PREMIERING TUESDAY, JAN. 13, AT 8 P.M. (ET/PT) ON NICKELODEON

NEW YORK - Jan. 9, 2015 - Crystal's true passion is basketball. The 16-year-old from Murfreesboro, Tenn., is being recruited by colleges and plans to play in the WNBA, but that dream might not have been possible without a law that most kids have never heard of -- Title IX. Nick News With Linda Ellerbee covers gender equality in the brand-new half-hour special, "What is Title IX and Why Do You Care?" premiering Tuesday, Jan. 13, at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.

"I wouldn't be here without Title IX," says former U.S. Women's National soccer player and Olympic Gold medalist Mia Hamm. "I look at my life and the importance that sports and education is played every step of the way. And having those opportunities, all of that is because of Title IX."

After Title IX was passed in 1972, no school that received federal money could discriminate on the basis of gender. Since then, there has been a 1000% increase in girl's participation in high school sports, but the playing field isn't always equal.

At Westview High School in Beaverton, Ore., parents and kids noticed a lot of discrepancies between the boys' baseball and girls' softball programs. Tess, 14, who is a softball player says, "The boys' batting cages were a lot bigger than ours and they were completely enclosed and ours weren't. It was fence with plastic over it and it wasn't well insulated. It gets really cold in there."

Juan, 17, a soccer player from Austin, Texas, believes that Title IX may interfere with his dream of playing professionally. "If I were a female, I think I would have more of a chance of a Division I scholarship in Texas," he says.

Lizzie, 16, from Austin, Texas, says, "Growing up, I was really interested in science and math. And I feel like a lot of the adults in my life thought, 'maybe she'll be a teacher, maybe she'll be a writer.' Throughout my entire life, I've sort of been told that I'm not going to be a scientist or a mathematician."

"If we are to encourage all American kids to take the science and technology road, we must make certain that road is smoother for girls than it is now," says Ellerbee.

Priya, 16, from Austin, Texas, is an advocate spreading awareness of the importance of Title IX. "We kind of have seen through our work that Title IX, its power truly lies in its use by the people," she says. "And once people know about the law, know where it can be used, then they can take it a step further and really change society with this law."

Nick News, produced by Lucky Duck Productions, is now in its 23rd 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 tenth Emmy Award for Forgotten But Not Gone: Kids, HIV & AIDS in the category of Outstanding Children's Nonfiction Program. Additional Emmy wins for outstanding children's programming include: Under the Influence: Kids of Alcoholics (2011); (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 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.

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 35th 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 20 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).