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American Top 40 Celebrates 40th Anniversary This Weekend
Host Ryan Seacrest Commemorates AT40 Milestone with Casey Kasem Tribute and Announcement of the Top Artist of the Last 40 Years
AT40 Website to Re-Launch This Weekend
 LOS ANGELES, June 30, 2010 – Premiere Radio Networks is proud to announce that this weekend marks the 40th anniversary of American Top 40 - the most famous countdown show in radio history. As part of the special anniversary weekend, AT40 host Ryan Seacrest will commemorate the milestone with a tribute to the show’s creator and original host Casey Kasem, as well as announce the top artist of the last 40 years. In addition to counting down the current top 40 songs, Seacrest will revisit some of the greatest moments over the last four decades and recognize artists with amazing achievements in music.
The anniversary celebration will continue online with the re-launch of www.AT40.com this weekend. Serving as a one-stop shop for AT40 fans, the new site will feature pop culture, entertainment, music and fashion news; artist bio pages, including songs, chart history and on-air interviews; current and archived charts with direct links to iTunes; photo galleries and much more.
“American Top 40 is the soundtrack to life; it sparks emotion and memories, and has a huge impact on pop culture,” stated Seacrest, music’s number one radio host in the U.S. with a weekly worldwide audience estimated at more than 20 million. “This show is really special to me. Not only because it’s the biggest countdown in the world, but because it’s the one show I grew up listening to as a kid, so I take a lot of pride in hosting the program every weekend.”
“We are immensely pleased with the continued growth and success of American Top 40,” stated Julie Talbott, Premiere Radio Networks president, content and affiliate relations. “Ryan has taken this American institution to new heights worldwide, in addition to creating a platform that engages and impacts millions of people, while increasing advertiser and affiliate demand.”
The anniversary weekend will also kick off the “Lady Gaga Superfan Search.” Presented by Bing.com and StubHub!, Seacrest is asking listeners to prove they are Lady Gaga’s biggest fan by going to www.BING.com/Gaga and uploading a photo sporting their fiercest Gaga fashion. The grand prize winner will be announced on July 23 and will receive tickets to see Lady Gaga at Lollapalooza in Chicago’s Grant Park (August 6-8); tickets to see Lady Gaga in Miami, New York and Las Vegas; as well as hotel accommodations and airfare to each of these shows provided by www.BookIt.com.
American Top 40 was created by Casey Kasem in 1970 and the show became the gold standard of music programming. Seacrest debuted as host of the program in January 2004, and continued the tradition of counting down the Top 40 songs and interviewing the biggest stars in entertainment. The program was also revolutionized with added technology. Building on the interactive quality of American Top 40’s website, the audience was allowed to vote for their favorite songs, enter contests for concert flyaways and communicate directly with Seacrest.
Today, American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest continues to be the number one countdown show in the U.S. and can be heard on nearly 500 radio stations worldwide including markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Singapore, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Beijing and many others. In the Adults 18-34 demo, American Top 40 ranks #1 in several markets including: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, Boston and Detroit. (Source: Arbitron, PPM, WI’10 Jan-Mar, Exact Times, Cume, A 18-34). Advertiser demand is also at an all-time high as American Top 40 boasts a client list that includes StubHub!, FOX Broadcasting, Netflix, GM OnStar, Walmart, E! Entertainment, Progressive Insurance and many others. For more information, please visit www.RyanSeacrest.com. *An electronic press kit featuring a video Q&A with Seacrest; audio of celebrity congratulatory wishes from artists such as Rihanna, Diddy, Christina Aguilera and others; photos and more is available for download here: ftp://production.premiereradio.com.
User ID: AT40 Password: Ryan1 (the link must be opened in Windows explorer to work) ABOUT RYAN SEACREST With his thriving broadcasting career and multiple ventures, Ryan Seacrest is at the forefront of the media and entertainment industry. While hosting and producing multiple television and radio programs, building his Ryan Seacrest Productions banner (RSP) into a leading television production company, and managing myriad brand ventures, Seacrest is redefining what it means to be a successful Hollywood entrepreneur. Seacrest holds preeminent positions in broadcast television, nationally syndicated radio, local radio and cable as both a producer and on-air host. He is celebrated internationally as host of the top-rated primetime talent showcase “American Idol,” and hosts and produces E! News and its red carpet awards show coverage. He also executive produces and co-hosts “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.” Seacrest has been nominated for an Emmy® award in the “Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program” category for his work on “American Idol,” and has also hosted the live network broadcast of the Emmy® awards show. On radio, Seacrest is host of “On Air with Ryan Seacrest,” his market-topping #1 nationally syndicated LA morning drive-time radio show for Clear Channel’s 102.7 KIIS-FM, as well as the nationally-syndicated programs “American Top 40” and “On Air with Ryan Seacrest.”
RSP recently produced the ABC hit show “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution,” and also produces the highest-rated show on the E!, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” as well as “Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami,” which debuted on E! in 2009. Seacrest’s ever growing brand spans beyond media with his many entrepreneurial endeavors. He has extensive deals with brand heavyweights Proctor & Gamble, Coke and Microsoft, and recently announced a strategic marketing and technology alliance with Eventful, Inc.
Originally from Atlanta, GA, Seacrest’s professional career in broadcasting began at the age of 16 when he applied for an internship at one of Atlanta’s top radio stations, WSTR-STAR 94. While working at STAR 94 he finished high school and went on to attend the University of Georgia where he majored in Journalism. Seacrest currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.
ABOUT PREMIERE RADIO NETWORKS Premiere Radio Networks, Inc., a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications, syndicates 90 radio programs and services to more than 5,000 radio affiliations and reaches over 190 million listeners weekly. Premiere Radio is the number one radio network in the country and features the following personalities: Rush Limbaugh, Jim Rome, Ryan Seacrest, Glenn Beck, Bob & Tom, Delilah, Steve Harvey, Blair Garner, George Noory, John Boy and Billy, Big Tigger, Dr. Dean Edell, Sean Hannity, Randi Rhodes, Elvis Duran, Jason Lewis, Kane, Nikki Sixx and others. Premiere is based in Sherman Oaks, California, with 13 offices nationwide. For more information, please visit www.PremiereRadio.com or www.facebook.com/PremiereRadio.
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