MTV, Logo to Air All-New IT GETS BETTER Special, 10/9

MTV and Logo today announced that the Emmy®-nominated IT GETS BETTER will return to the two Viacom networks with a new, 60-minute IT GETS BETTER special on October 9 at 11 p.m. ET/PT, just two days ahead of National Coming Out Day. Dan Savage, syndicated columnist, author, and co-creator of the It Gets Better Project, will once again anchor the special, which will share stories and experiences of young people who are growing up LGBT.

On Saturday, the It Gets Better Project was honored by The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Board of Governors with its prestigious Governors Award during the 2012 Creative Arts Emmy® Awards. At the same ceremony, the first “It Gets Better” special was nominated for an Emmy® in the Outstanding Children’s Nonfiction, Reality or Reality-Competition Program category.

The first “It Gets Special” special premiered on MTV and Logo on Feb. 21, 2012 and can currently be viewed on MTV.com. The special focused on the stories of three young people at a crossroads in their lives: a young man struggling to tell his family and friends that he is gay; a lesbian fighting for parental acceptance; and a transgender man preparing to get married.

In September 2010, Savage created a YouTube video with his partner Terry Miller to inspire hope for young people facing harassment. In response to a number of students taking their own lives after being bullied in school, they wanted to create a personal way for supporters everywhere to tell LGBT youth that, yes, it does indeed get better.

In less than two years, the It Gets Better Project has turned into a worldwide movement, inspiring more than 50,000 user-created videos viewed more than 50 million times. To date, the project has received submissions from celebrities, organizations, activists, politicians and media personalities, including President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Adam Lambert, Anne Hathaway, Colin Farrell, Matthew Morrison of "Glee", Joe Jonas, Joel Madden, Ke$ha, S arah Silverman, Tim Gunn, Ellen Degeneres, Suze Orman, the staffs of The Gap, Google, Facebook, Pixar, the Broadway community, and many more.

Savage and his producing partner Brian Pines of Hypomania Content are executive producers of the “It Gets Better” special, along with Ted Skillman and Belisa Balaban of Snackaholic Inc., as well as John Ferriter for Octagon Entertainment. Shannon Fitzgerald and Christy Spitzer are executive producers for MTV, with Tamar Zohar and Brittany Lutz serving as executives in charge of production for the network. The “It Gets Better” special is produced by MTV, Hypomania Content, Octagon Entertainment and Snackaholic Inc.

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®, Grammy® and Peabody® 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 a leading destination for music, news and pop culture. MTV 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 LOGO
Logo celebrates one-of-a-kind personalities, unconventional stories and discovering what’s next—all through a mix of original and acquired entertainment that’s outrageous, smart and inclusive. Entertaining a social, savvy audience of gay trendsetters, Logo also attracts a straight audience that wants to be ahead of the curve. Launched in 2005, Logo is in over 51 million homes across the United States, and is complemented by a federation of online properties, including LogoTV.com, NewNowNext.com, AfterEllen.com, AfterElton.com, and DowneLink.com. Logo is part of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), which features a roster of popular and highly targeted brands that include MTV, Comedy Central, VH1 and Spike TV.

About the It Gets Better Project:
The It Gets Better Project was created to show young LGBT people the levels of happiness, potential, and positivity their lives will reach – if they can just get through their teen years. The It Gets Better Project wants to remind teenagers in the LGBT community that they are not alone — and it WILL get better.

In September 2010, syndicated columnist and author Dan Savage created a YouTube video with his partner Terry Miller to inspire hope for young people facing harassment. In response to a number of students taking their own lives after being bullied in school, they wanted to create a personal way for supporters everywhere to tell LGBT youth that, yes, it does indeed get better.

Two years later, the It Gets Better Project™ has turned into a worldwide movement, inspiring more than 50,000 user-created videos viewed more than 50 million times. For us, every video changes a life. It doesn’t matter who makes it.

ItGetsBetter.org is a place where young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender can see how love and happiness can be a reality in their future. It’s a place where our straight allies can visit and support their friends and family members. It’s a place where people can share their stories, take the It Gets Better Project pledge, watch videos of love and support, and seek help.