For Immediate Release:	April 11, 2006
For More Information:	Rob Hooper, MTV Networks International, hooper.rob@mtvne.com, +44 (0) 20 7478 6520 Kristi Gorman, MTV Networks International, kristi.gorman@mtvn.com, +1 212 846 6261
Sponsor Organization:	MTV Networks International
Formed in January 2005, The Staying Alive Foundation encourages young people to take concrete action in protecting themselves and their communities against the multiple threats posed by the spread of HIV and AIDS, and to fight discrimination faced by people of all ages living with HIV and AIDS.
LONDON/NEW YORK – 11 APRIL 2006: Timothy Thomas has been named Executive Director of The Staying Alive Foundation, a global grant making and advocacy organisation that operates in affiliation with but separately from MTV Networks International. In this role, Thomas is responsible for furthering the Foundation’s mission while providing the overall vision, leadership and motivation for this not-for-profit public charity. Based in New York, Thomas will report to the Foundation’s Board of Directors. As Executive Director, Thomas is charged with leading the Foundation as it continues to establish grant-making and fundraising communities as well as to reach numerous potential grantees around the world. Thomas also has overall management responsibility, ensuring the Board, staff and systems work to maximise the Foundation’s impact. “Tim’s talent for driving innovative projects related to social issues will be invaluable as The Staying Alive Foundation continues to mobilise youth in their critical grassroots HIV and AIDS prevention efforts,” said Bill Roedy, Vice Chairman of MTV Networks, Ambassador for UNAIDS, and Chairman of the Board for The Staying Alive Foundation. A 15-year veteran in the sexual and reproductive health field, Thomas has worked across a wide range of not-for-profit public charities and pro-social initiatives. Most recently, for the last five years, he served as an independent consultant for a broad array of clients. During this time he worked on a number of HIV and AIDS-related projects, including building GlaxoSmithKline’s community-based corporate social responsibility program on HIV and AIDS, devising and implementing a public information strategy for The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, and serving as the chief communications and policy consultant for The International Council of AIDS Service Organisations. Prior to consulting independently, Thomas served as a senior consultant for London-based InterScience (1998-2001) where he was responsible for the agency’s sexual and reproductive health clients, principally the Rockefeller Foundation. Thomas started his career at The Population Council (1991–1998), where he held a number of positions that culminated into Special Assistant to the President for External Relations. Thomas holds a Masters of Fine Arts from New York University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Iowa State University. The Staying Alive Foundation is an international not-for-profit public charity that acts separately from but complements the objectives of MTV Networks International’s award winning HIV and AIDS prevention campaign, Staying Alive. In January 2006, the Foundation presented its first ever series of grants, entitled The Staying Alive Awards, which benefited 25 young people and four youth-focused health organisations in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. The Staying Alive Awards, totalling $33,500, were made possible by a contribution from the M·A·C AIDS Fund. The purpose of the grants were to assist young people in the continuation of their grassroots HIV and AIDS prevention efforts, to help them strengthen such efforts and to inspire others to get involved. More Information about The Staying Alive Foundation can be found at http://www.staying-alive.org. About the Staying Alive Campaign Launched in 1998, Staying Alive is a multimedia global HIV and AIDS prevention campaign that challenges stigma and discrimination associated with HIV and AIDS as well as empowers young people to protect themselves from infection. The Emmy award-winning campaign consists of documentaries, public service announcements, youth forums and Web content. Staying Alive provides all its television programming rights-free and at no cost to 3rd party broadcasters globally to get crucial prevention messages out to the widest possible audience. The Staying Alive campaign is a partnership between MTV Networks International, Family Health International’s YouthNet, Kaiser Family Foundation, UNAIDS, UNFPA, Sida, and Creative Review. More information about Staying Alive can be found at http://www.staying-alive.org. MTV Networks International is also an active member of the United Nations-supported Global Media AIDS Initiative (GMAI). In addition to serving as Ambassador of UNAIDS, Mr. Roedy is Chair of the GMAI’s Leadership Committee. About MTV Networks International MTV Networks International includes the premier multimedia entertainment brands MTV: Music Television, VH1, Nickelodeon, TMF (The Music Factory), VIVA, FLUX, IFILM, The Box, Paramount Comedy and Game One seen in 479.5 million households in 171 territories and 28 languages via 122 locally programmed and operated TV channels and 100 Web sites. The company’s diverse holdings also include interests in television syndication, digital media, publishing, home entertainment, radio, recorded music, licensing & merchandising and two feature film divisions, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. MTV Networks is a unit of Viacom International Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).