Radiohead, MTV EXIT and USAID Music Video Collaboration to Raise Awareness About Human Trafficking Wins Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award

November 4, 2009

HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL MUSIC VIDEO FOR RADIOHEAD'S SONG ALL I NEED HAS NOW GARNERED 16 AWARDS INTERNATIONALLY

SINGAPORE and HONG KONG, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development, Radiohead and MTV EXIT music video collaboration received the prestigious 2009 Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award at a ceremony in Hong Kong. The USAID-MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) campaign in partnership with influential UK-rock band Radiohead produced the innovative music video for their song All I Need off the album In Rainbows.

The incredibly successful music video created by Sydney-based agency Colman Rasic Carrasco premiered globally in 2008 and represents an innovative and creative example of fusing musical content with MTV's cutting edge pro-social messaging. It has now won 16 awards from 8 festivals and competitions internationally including Cannes Lions and One Show Awards.

The Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award was established in 2001 by the Asia Broadcasting Union (ABU), the Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA), and UNICEF. The Award is given each year to the best television programme on children's rights produced in the Asia-Pacific region. It recognizes the efforts of broadcasters in pursuing both the production of top quality children's programming and better news coverage of children's issues. There is only one category and one winner each year.

"I think it is cool that MTV is taking on this issue. The video is a powerful piece and I hope that the emotion of the song will jump out at people in the context of these images of exploitation," said Thom Yorke of Radiohead. He added, "Radiohead is proud that the song and the video will help to raise awareness of this issue around the world."

"We are honoured to receive this prestigious award. The video is a product of a lot of people's dedication to protecting the rights of children," said Simon Goff, Executive Director of MTV EXIT. "The international reception of the video has been truly overwhelming and we hope that it has inspired people to get involved and join the fight against modern-day slavery."

The All I Need video was filmed in Australia by Oscar-winning cinematographer, John Seale (The English Patient, Cold Mountain), and award-winning director, Steve Rogers. It provides insight into the realities of trafficking; emphasizes that everyone risks playing a role in the trafficking chain; and provides a link to information about how viewers can help end exploitation and trafficking. The video itself is shown in split screen: one side depicting a day in the life of a young child from an affluent, developed community; the other showing the day in the life of a child being forced to work in a sweatshop.

The MTV EXIT campaign in Asia and the Pacific is produced in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development. MTV EXIT television programming is produced rights-free and free of charge for all broadcasters and organisations. All the programming is also available to be streamed and downloaded from www.mtvexit.org.

Awards for Radiohead and MTV EXIT -- All I Need

    --  Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award 2009
    --  New York Festival Awards 2009 -- United Nations Honorary Award, 1 Gold
        Medal for TV/Cinema Advertising, 2 Silver Medals for Innovative
        Advertising
    --  One Show 2009 -- Bronze Pencil for Branded Content
    --  D&AD 2009 -- In Book for Music Video
    --  International ANDY Awards 2008 -- Bronze ANDY for Film
    --  Cannes International Advertising Festival 2008 -- Bronze Lion for Film
    --  One Show Entertainment Awards 2008 -- 2 Bronze Pencils for Best Use of
        Music and Special Screening

    --  AWARD Awards 2008 -- 1 Silver and 4 Bronze Pencils for Craft in
        Television and Cinema

About Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking is defined by the United Nations as "the recruitment, transportation, and receipt of a person for sexual or economic exploitation by force, fraud, coercion, or deception" in order to make a profit. The UN estimates that at any one time there are 2.5 million trafficked victims in the world, with the majority of these victims in Asia and the Pacific. It is the second-largest illegal trade after drugs, with criminal traffickers earning over US $10 billion every year through the buying and selling of human beings. Often, victims are young men and women -- the MTV demographic -- who are guilty only of wanting a better life for themselves and their families.

MTV EXIT

The MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) campaign is an award-winning multimedia initiative to raise awareness and increase prevention of human trafficking and exploitation. MTV EXIT was launched in Europe in 2004, in partnership with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida, and expanded across Asia with USAID in 2007. MTV EXIT has produced many MTV documentaries and other programming on trafficking, including Traffic: An MTV EXIT Special, presented by Lucy Liu; Inhuman Traffic, presented by Angelina Jolie; over a dozen localized language versions presented by Asian celebrities; short films; public service announcements; and animation. MTV EXIT and Radiohead collaborated on an anti-exploitation video for their song All I Need, which premiered across MTV's global network in 2008. MTV EXIT has also established partnerships with over 100 non-governmental organizations, distributed hundreds of thousands of anti-trafficking brochures in over 25 languages, and reached out to millions of young people through anti-trafficking messages at concerts and music festivals featuring R.E.M., Radiohead, The White Stripes, The Hives, Thievery Corporation, Placebo and hundreds of other international & local artists. For more information see www.mtvexit.org.

About MTV Networks in Asia and the Pacific

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. MTV Networks in Asia and the Pacific comprises three distinctly branded channels in the region reaching more than 400 million households: MTV, the world's largest television network and the leading multimedia brand for youth; Nickelodeon, the leading entertainment brand dedicated exclusively to kids; and VH1, the music video network that keeps adult viewers connected to the music they love. In Asia and the Pacific, MTV and Nickelodeon's businesses also include branded consumer products, program sales and digital media comprising of 19 websites, three broadband services and various mobile platforms. MTV Networks in Asia and the Pacific has a total of 25 channels which are seen via 24-hour and programming blocks.

About USAID

The United States Agency for International Development, is an independent U.S. government agency that receives foreign policy guidance from the U.S. Secretary of State. Since 1961, USAID has been the principal U.S. agency to extend assistance to countries world-wide recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms. See www.usaid.gov for more information.

The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, have provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for nearly 50 years.

Public Information: 202-712-4810

SOURCE U.S. Agency for International Development