SINGER/SONGWRITER ASHANTI TO SERVE AS MENTOR FOR THE NEXT EPISODE OF "MTV'S TOP POP GROUP" THIS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 AT 10:00 P.M. ET/PT

Voting Opens Immediately Following Broadcast at TopPop.MTV.com as America Decides Who Will Ultimately Be the Top Pop Group

New York, NY (September 16, 2008) � Facing yet another challenge on "MTV's Top Pop Group," this week the eight remaining competitors will have access to invaluable advice from an industry pro that will give them a winning edge. Songstress Ashanti will be the second mentor for the groups on MTV this Thursday, September 18 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. All-star rapper and actress Eve was the first mentor on the premiere episode. This week, Ashanti will help each group to refine their unique sound and style for their performance that will hopefully convince the judges, Michelle Williams (Destiny's Child), Taboo (Black Eyed Peas) and choreographer Brian Friedman, that they should not be eliminated. Voting opens immediately after the broadcast at http://toppop.mtv.com for fans to show their support for their favorite group.

MTV has welcomed nine of the greatest undiscovered music groups to the stage for a chance to win $100,000 on "MTV's Top Pop Group," produced by BBC Worldwide America. Each week, a new celebrity coach will come in to mentor the groups on everything from choreography and harmony to style and stage presence. With dreams of stardom on the line, the groups will not only need to impress the mentors and expert panel of judges in the studio, but more importantly, the viewers at home, as they decide who makes it to the next round by voting via text messaging, phone and online. The two weakest groups as determined by voting will give what may be their final performance in a fight to stay another week. At the end of each show, one group will be eliminated, until the last group standing can claim the title of "MTV's Top Pop Group."

Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, actress and author, Ashanti burst onto the music scene with her 2002 smash hit debut self-titled album. The album landed at the #1 spot on both the Billboard Top 200 and R&B album charts, selling a whopping 504,593 units in its first week. Her first week set a Sound scan record as the most albums sold by any debut female artist in the chart's history, granting her a spot in the Guinness book of world records. Simultaneously, Ashanti also secured the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart and the R&B/Hip Hop Singles & Tracks chart with her song, "Foolish." She made Billboard history by having her first three chart entries land in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time. She is the first female to accomplish this feat previously only attained by the Beatles. That year she was awarded 8 Billboard Awards. Her album "Ashanti" also won the Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album. In addition, that year she won 2 American Music Awards and the Soul Train Aretha Franklin Entertainer of the year Award. Her follow-up release, "Chapter II," debuted in the no. 1 slot on the Billboard Album Chart and spawned two Top-10 singles. In addition to her Grammy, she's also won an NAACP Image Award, Numerous Soul Train Awards, Lady of Soul Awards, and Nickelodeon's Kid Choice Award, along with many other nominations including an MTV Movie Award nomination for "Coach Carter." Ashanti's other albums include "Ashanti's Christmas", "Concrete Rose", and a remix album titled, "Collectibles by Ashanti". Ashanti brings her best game and more on her fourth studio album, the aptly titled The Declaration, released in June 2008, as the most complete and compelling offering of her career.

"MTV's Top Pop Group" is produced by BBC Worldwide America. The show is executive produced by Allison Wallach of BBC Worldwide America, Richard Hopkins of Fever Media, and co-executive produced by Adam Paul. Liz Gateley, Maira Suro, Lauren Dolgen and Maitee Cueva are the executives overseeing the project for MTV.

About BBC Worldwide America

BBC Worldwide America (BBCWA) is part of BBC Worldwide - the main commercial arm and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). BBCWA has headquarters in New York and Los Angeles and brings together all of BBC Worldwide's businesses in the U.S. � including cable channel BBC America and a bi-coastal production division responsible for the smash hit "Dancing with the Stars."

About MTV

MTV is the dynamic, vibrant experiment at the intersection of music, creativity and youth culture. For over 26 years, MTV has evolved, challenged the norm, and detonated boundaries�giving each new generation a creative outlet and voice that entertains, informs and unites on every platform and screen. On-air, MTV has been the number one rated 24 hour ad-supported cable network P12-24 for 16 straight years. Online, MTV.com scored double-digit growth in 2007 and MTV launched 15 dynamic online communities and eight new virtual worlds. On the go, MTV Mobile is the #1 music brand in the wireless space � delivering 90% more streams than in 2006. And MTV's successful sibling networks MTV2, mtvU and MTV Tr3s each deliver unprecedented customized content, super-serving music fans, college students and young American Latinos like no one else. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.