NEW
YORK,
Sept. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Nickelodeon is hitting the
campaign trail this fall with Nick News with Linda Ellerbee and its
Kids Pick the President
initiative, offering election-themed educational content on-air and
online -- all leading up to its renowned week-long kids' vote on Oct.
15. The initiative begins with the first of two Nick News
specials, "Kids Pick the President: The Issues" on Monday, Sept. 17, at
8 p.m. (ET/PT), followed by "Kids Pick the President: The Candidates"
on Monday, Oct. 15, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). Immediately following the
Oct. 15
"The Candidates" special, kids will have the opportunity to cast their
vote for whom they think should be the next president at
www.nick.com/kpp.
Throughout
the
history of Kids Pick the President, kids have correctly
chosen the next U.S. president five out of six presidential elections.
The winner of the Kids Pick the President vote will be announced
Oct. 22 on Nickelodeon.
"Through Kids Pick the President,
Nickelodeon continues to connect kids to the electoral process -- the
candidates and issues that are most important to them," said Marva
Smalls,
Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, Chief of Staff for
Nickelodeon Group. "Although not legal voters, kids aren't just
on the
sidelines; they have opinions which deserve to be heard and have a
great influence on their parents."
A
series of new spots featuring kids along with Nickelodeon stars will
roll out on TeenNick at the end of September. The "TeenNick's
Make It
Count" spots, hosted by Nick Cannon,
will focus on the power of voting and the importance of civic
engagement. New educational spots with kids discussing the
candidates
and the electoral process will roll out Oct. 7 on Nickelodeon.
In
"Kids Pick the President: The Issues," kids across the country went
online to rank the campaign issues most important to them, choosing
from same-sex marriage, education, healthcare, taxes, immigration,
Iran, energy and jobs. In "Kids Pick the President: The
Candidates," Nick News
will take kids' questions to the presidential candidates —who will
answer the questions. Kids will then be encouraged to go online
to
www.nick.com/kpp
and vote for the next U.S. president. More than two million kids'
votes were cast online for the last election.
Kids can visit
Nick.com to interact and learn more about the
upcoming
election. They can also play games, take
quizzes about the government, learn about each
candidate, and the
issues.
Kids Pick the President is also incorporated into Nickelodeon's The Big
Help initiative where kids are given tools and information to take
action on issues important to them. For more information, go to
www.thebighelp.com.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 33rd
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 17 consecutive years. For more information or
artwork, visit
http://www.nickpress.com.
Nickelodeon
and
all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks
of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).