BEBO TO RECEIVE AWARD FOR INNOVATION IN BROADCASTING AT 2008 BROADCAST PRESS GUILD AWARDS

April 4, 2008
London, UK - The world's leading social media network Bebo which broadcasts the pioneering online drama KateModern, will receive the Innovation Award for Outstanding Development in Broadcasting at today's 2008 Broadcast Press Guild Awards.

The award is presented to Bebo's president Joanna Shields and the team in recognition of KateModern's ground breaking and innovative contribution to the broadcasting landscape. The Guild acknowledges that Bebo's commissioning of this pioneering online drama has created a new benchmark for broadcasters in the development of programming and creative content on the Web. Bebo is shortlisted for the Innovation Award, together with The BBC iPlayer and the website for Channel 4's Skins.

Joanna Shields said, "To be acknowledged for innovation in such a competitive industry is truly rewarding. KateModern highlights the way in which Bebo has developed social networking, creative content, and a unique revenue model into a pioneering new broadcast platform."

Bebo recently became the world's first global Social Media Network. This radical new vision for online media combines community, self-expression and entertainment to enable its users to consume, create, discover and share content through the dedicated channels on the Bebo website. Unlike its competitors, Bebo offers access to a line-up of high quality programmes and entertainment from professional broadcasters, independent producers and other rights owners and gives users a simple set of tools to curate their favourite online media content and communicate their tastes to everyone in their network. Founded in 2005 as an online community, Bebo has a membership of more than 40 million individuals worldwide and is geared towards an audience aged under 30, with the core of 16-24 year olds spending 2.14 billion minutes on the site per month.

Produced by LG15 Studios, KateModern (http://katemodern.bebo.com) is one of the most successful shows on the web. The forerunner of Snack TV, it is a new form of online entertainment that combines bite-size 1-4 minute show episodes with live interaction. The show, which was commissioned by Bebo in April 2007 received over 35 million views in its first season, over 8 million views since the start of season two, and averages 1.5 million views each week. Using Bebo's social networking tools, fans can catch up on KateModern as well as talk to the characters, cast and producers, solve plot puzzles and suggest future ideas for the show. The Success of KateModern has led to the creation of a wealth of new programming content in the Bebo community that now includes: Sophia's Diary, Conquering Demons and The Gap Year which is soon to be launched. Each show broadcasts and hosts a community of fans on a dedicated Bebo channel.

About the Broadcast Press Guild Awards:

Nominations for the 2008 BPG Innovation Award for Outstanding Development in Broadcasting:

1 - BBC iPlayer, for making TV downloading a mass-market service

2 Bebo, for pioneering online drama Kate Modern (LG15 Studios production for Bebo)

Executive Producer Joanna Shields
Series Producer Pete Gibbons
Head Writer Luke Hyams
Director Gavin Rowe
Director/Editor Yusuf Pirhasan
Line Producer Kelly Brett
Actors: Ralf Little, Tara Rushton, Jai Rajani, Alex Weaver, Lucinda Rhodes, Sam Donovan and Giles Alderson

Bebo Development Team: Ziv Navoth, Evan Cohen, Mark Charkin, Sarah Gavin, Darius Contractor, Wendy Blacksin

3 - Channel 4's Skins for its use of the web and social networks, before and after broadcast

The Lunch on April 4th will take place at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London. Guild Chairman Owen Gibson will present the Innovation in Broadcasting Award.