COMEDY CENTRAL(R) is High on Willie Nelson! Network to Roast American Icon

NEW YORK, Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- COMEDY CENTRAL is firing up one big joint Roast and 75th birthday celebration for music legend Willie Nelson. Nelson is sure to take a hit and then some during this star-studded event which will tape in Los Angeles on Thursday, April 17. The "COMEDY CENTRAL Roast of Willie Nelson" will air in early June.

"Willie Nelson is the original outlaw who has blazed the way for so many in the music and entertainment industry," said Elizabeth Porter, senior vice president, specials and talent for COMEDY CENTRAL. "We are honored to celebrate Willie's 75th birthday with a night of smoking hot comedy."

The "COMEDY CENTRAL Roast Of Willie Nelson" will be executive produced by Joel Gallen from Tenth Planet Productions, who also executive produced and directed the "COMEDY CENTRAL Roast Of Flavor-Flav," the Emmy-Nominated "COMEDY CENTRAL Roast Of William Shatner" and the "COMEDY CENTRAL Roast Of Pamela Anderson." Mark Rothbaum serves as producer and Elizabeth Porter is the executive in charge for the network.

COMEDY CENTRAL, the only all-comedy network, currently is seen in more than 91 million homes nationwide. COMEDY CENTRAL is owned by, and is a registered trademark of, Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned division of Viacom Inc.'s MTV Networks. COMEDY CENTRAL's Internet address is http://www.comedycentral.com/. For up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs visit Press Central, COMEDY CENTRAL's press Web site at http://www.comedycentral.com/press.

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom , is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. MTV Networks, with more than 140 channels worldwide, owns and operates the following television programming services - MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, VH1, mtvU, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN/THE N, VH1 CLASSIC, MTVN INTERNATIONAL and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 13 digital services, all of these networks trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks connects with its audiences through its robust consumer products businesses and its more than 300 interactive properties worldwide, including online, broadband, wireless and interactive television services and also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide.