April 20, 2006

NEW YORK - CSTV continues to build on its leadership in college sports as it will broadcast 500 live events, while connecting more college fans to more sports in more ways than anyone else during the 2006-2007 season, it was announced today at CSTV's first-ever upfront presentation.  The announcement was made at CSTV's Fieldhouse Studio at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan.

In addition to the ambitious schedule of live events, CSTV is adding several exciting original entertainment series', enhancing its existing franchises with multi-media components and launching exclusive broadband content.

"CSTV goes deeper than anyone else, beyond the scope of game coverage with storytelling, access and a national platform for both the marquee and under-served college sports," said Tim Pernetti, CSTV Senior Vice President of Programming and Talent.  "We program CSTV with the fan in mind and want to connect them with the teams, sports and games they are most passionate about.  This season we will offer more unique programming, providing fans what they want, when they want it, and how they want to get it."

This fall's live events will include football, men's and women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, field hockey and water polo. 

CSTV'S FOOTBALL NATION will include the top contests from the Mountain West Conference, Conference USA and the network's newest partner, Navy.  The most storied college football program makes its CSTV debut on November 11 when the Fighting Irish take on Navy.  One of college football's fiercest rivalries will be seen exclusively on CSTV on Saturday, September 9 when Colorado travels to Colorado State.  The battle of the Lone Star State will appear on CSTV when Texas Tech battles TCU on Saturday, September 16.

Other live sports highlights include the WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL AVCA MATCH OF THE WEEK on Sunday nights, culminating with six conference championships. NCAA SOCCER ON CSTV will include a weekly game and an unprecedented seven conference championships.  CSTV will also be the home to exclusive NCAA championships in men's water polo and field hockey.

CSTV's live event coverage continues throughout the school year with its three-year-old Friday night hockey franchise covering the top games from the CCHA, ECAC, Hockey East, WCHA, Atlantic Hockey and the CHA. NCAA Basketball on CSTV will include more Conference USA, Mountain West Conference and Atlantic-10 men's and women's basketball games than any other outlet.

"Live events are just one layer of our broad-based multi-media programming strategy at CSTV," Pernetti said.  "We deliver on all platforms.  This fall CSTV original production will debut new, unique compelling programming."

New original series, produced by CSTV, include GO PRO...OR GO HOME, in which 18 of the top indoor volleyball players receive a crash course in the beach game.  The team of two left standing as beach volleyball champions at the CSTV COLLEGIATE NATIONALS will earn their professional stripes, a bye into their first AVP event.  CSTV will continue to re-invent ways to bring fans closer to the programs they love with THE BIG WHISTLE as 16 candidates go at it to win a coveted job as a Division I men's basketball coach.  BRAIN FREEZE is a twist on a classic quiz show.  In CSTV's version college teams will compete against each other with no regard to sport, conference, level or sex.  The network will also give some of the top coaches in the nation a day off when a famous alum returns to campus to be COACH FOR A DAY.

CSTV will also be on the lookout for top college sports journalists who will try to prove they have THE WRITE STUFF in a reality series, which will result in the most talented multi-media reporter in the nation earning a staff job at Sports Illustrated.

CSTV also continues to offer customized, personalized programming on its multi-media platforms.  This season, the stakes have been raised with even more original content with several series produced exclusively for broadband on CSTV.com.

The shows include THE BRIAN CURTIS SHOW, featuring CSTV's resident insider, TAILGATES AND TRADITIONS, EXIT STAGE LEFT, in which college athletes try their hand at acting and trUe STORY, which utilizes CSTV's college newspaper wire service U-Wire to find the true inside stories on college campuses.

CSTV has renewed GAMETRACKER LIVE, CRYSTAL BALL, THE #1 COLLEGE SPORTS SHOW, GENERATION NEXT, ONE-2-ONE, DOG DAYS and TRAINING CAMP and will improve the overall fan experience with several multi-media initiatives with distribution online, on hand-held devices, via digital download and video on demand.

NEW ORIGINAL CSTV PRODUCTIONS

GO PRO...OR GO HOME - This groundbreaking reality series chronicles the struggles of 18 of the top graduating women volleyball players on a quest for a spot as professional beach stars on the AVP tour. These women took a crash course in the nuances of the beach game from legendary players Karch Kiraly, Holly McPeak and current Olympic Gold medalist Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor.  After the camp, the field is narrowed to eight, who pair up into teams to compete in CSTV's COLLEGIATE NATIONALS in Reno.  The championship duo receives a wild-card slot on the AVP Tour to compete as professionals this summer. CSTV will cover all of the action on and off the sand as the women live together, train together and compete against each other.

THE BIG WHISTLE - is a competition show where qualified and aspiring coaches prove their ability in strategy and play design, fundraising, booster coddling and recruiting.  Some will crack, others will use smoke and mirrors, one will win and undoubtedly have earned his or her title. This show is complete with fan interaction in a comprehensive online offering where everything from voting to exclusive footage is available.

BRAIN FREEZE - This fast-paced trivia game, which is full of surprises, pits teams of college athletes against each other in a general knowledge trivia contest regardless of sport, conference, division level or sex of the participants. 

COACH FOR A DAY - The life of a college coach, especially those at the helm of a major program, can be hectic and stressful, so CSTV will give them a day off.  Legends of college sports will go back to school and act as "substitute" coach for a day.

THE WRITE STUFF - CSTV is developing this series in partnership with Sports Illustrated  identifies the top collegiate newspaper sports editors and reporters in the nation and puts them through a gauntlet of tasks, assignments, and challenges to win the brass ring in sports journalism - a staff job at SI.

EXCLUSIVE BROADBAND SERIES

THE BRIAN CURTIS SHOW - Featuring CSTV resident insider, Brian Curtis, the series showcases his comprehensive knowledge of all things college sports while going up close with all the players, coaches and big wigs in the games.

TAILGATES AND TRADITIONS - The ultimate fan experience is detailed in this series that takes you into the parking lots, the alumni clubs and the fan clubs. 

trUe STORY - This in-depth series scours the nation to find the hidden gems in the college sports world as told by the reporters from CSTV's student-run, national collegiate wire service, UWire.

EXIT STAGE LEFT - The most skilled athletes in the country try their hand in a performance of another sort, classic, scripted theater.

RETURNING SERIES WITH ENHANCED MULTI-MEDIA COMPONENTS

GAMETRACKER LIVE - The extension of CSTV's patented Gametracker technology on CSTV.com, which brings fans the live play-by-play of thousands of events with real-time statistics and graphics. The reach will be expanded this year to handheld devices so you can take the game with you.  On television, GAMETRACKER brings you scores, news, highlights and analysis.

CRYSTAL BALL - The prediction show that takes a look into the future of college football and basketball will be back with added online components including more irreverence from the experts and deeper insight while looking ahead.  Online fans will also be able to take on the experts.

THE #1 COLLEGE SPORTS SHOW - This power hour offers one-on-one discussions with the players, coaches, athletic directors, administrators and fans while looking into the college sports stories people are talking about.  This year, CSTV will introduce an online national awareness campaign stressing the importance of face painting, screaming at games and 500-mile road trips to lacrosse games.

GENERATION NEXT - The weekly series, starring nationally renowned expert Tom Lemming during the football recruiting season and CSTV/CBS Sports analyst Seth Davis covering basketball recruitment, is the leading source in tracking the futures of the top high school players in the country.  This season, the franchise will expand with an online database following the top 100 recruits across all sports.

ONE2ONE - The interview series, which featured National Basketball Player of the Year J.J. Reddick of Duke, Olympic skier and Colorado State receiver Jeremy Bloom and North Carolina head basketball coach Roy Williams this past season, will again speak to the biggest names and newsmakers in college sports.  This year, the show will include streaming online video and a great deal of background about the interview subject on line.

DOG DAYS and TRAINING CAMP - Dog Days, an award-winning series, lets viewers see what it's like to compete in preseason football practices, basketball conditioning drills or how grueling it is to be a member of the Jackson State marching band (which won a National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications Vision Award).  Training Camp takes fans behind the most successful programs in college sports to learn the process to success, the philosophy, the training, and the techniques that go into the making of a national champion.  An online instructional database will include Texas star softball pitcher Cat Osterman explaining how to throw her un-hittable rising fastball and Syracuse guard Gerry McNamara teaching the art of the jump shot.

About CSTV Networks

CSTV Networks, Inc., now part of the CBS Corporation, is the leading digital and cable programming company dedicated to college sports. Connecting more fans to more college sports than any other company, its many platforms for programming distribution include CSTV: College Sports TV, televising regular-season and championship events for 35 men's and women's college sports; CSTV.com and its network of more than 250 official athletic sites; CSTV All Access, broadband services providing live audio and video of more than 7,000 events annually; as well as satellite television and radio, in-flight entertainment, wireless networks and more.  Further information is available at www.CSTV.com.