Michigan Government Television
A public affairs initiative of Michiganís cable industry.
111 S. Capitol Ave.
4th Floor, Romney Building
Lansing, MI 48909

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bill Trevarthen
October 29, 2002 (517) 373-4250

MGTV Will Air Live National Student Parent Mock Election
EXTRAVAGANZA
November 1st Program
Will Feature Chaille Stovall,
World's Youngest Feature Filmmaker,
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow and
Chris Thomas, Director of Elections

(Lansing, Michigan)óMichigan Government Television (MGTV) will air a special live two-hour program featuring the results of voting by Michigan students in the National Student Parent Mock Election (NSPME) on Friday, November 1st, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The Extravaganza is produced by MGTV and the Genesee Intermediate School District, with support from Comcast Cablevision and abc 12 in Flint.

Originating from the Genesee ISD building in Flint and distributed statewide by satellite to MGTV's cable television affiliates, the Mock Election Extravaganza will include a keynote address by U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, interviews with Senator Stabenow, Chris Thomas, Director of Elections, and the young filmmaker Chaille Stovall, mock election results, and a political cartoon contest.

MGTV and the Genesee ISD are partners in Michigan's participation in the National Student Parent Mock Election, the nation's largest voter education program, which is funded by the U.S. Congress. Participating students will vote for state and national offices via the internet or paper ballot between Tuesday, October 29, and Friday, November 1, 2002. Results for all statewide races will be reported during the live Extravaganza November 1st. National results for the NSPME are reported that night on CNN.

Featured guest for this year's Mock Election Extravaganza will be Chaille Stovall, the world's youngest feature filmmaker, whose 2000 documentary film "Party Animals," produced for HBO, covered the race for the presidency that year. The 12-year old Chaille (pronounced Shally) achieved a stunning success in the world of election coverage by interviewing all of the major candidates for president that year. As the New York Times reported in an October 10th, 2001, article about Stovall's "Party Animals," "Chaille's wry commentary about the election process is interspersed with interviews, which can be both tough and comic. Meeting Florida Governor Jeb Bush, he asks, 'Are you jealous of your brother?' "

Chaille, who is currently working on two more documentaries for HBO, had produced three shorter films prior to "Party Animals", including his 1999 video on religion "Looking 4 God," for which he interviewed both the Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Dalai Lama.

Students will participate in all aspects of the Mock Election Extravaganza, acting as hosts for the interviews and reporting election results. The audience for the program will include students from Genesee County, Howell High School, and Ovid Elsie High School. In addition, students will also join in the interviews via compressed video from a number of remote sites, including Indian River, Leland, and Chassell. On-air hosts for the show are MGTV executive director Bill Trevarthen and abc 12 news anchor Glenda Lewis.

MGTV, a non-profit 501 (c) 3 corporation, is a public affairs initiative of Michiganís cable television industry and reaches more than 1.5 homes, schools, and businesses served by cable television in Michigan. To check for the availability of MGTV's programming in your area and a channel number, visit MGTV's website at www.mgtv.org.

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