REVEREND AL SHARPTON SERVES AS THE ULTIMATE CAREER COUNSELOR IN SPIKE TV's NEW SERIES "I HATE MY JOB"

The First Career Makeover Show Premieres On Spike TV This Fall

NEW YORK, NY, June 29, 2004 -- Step aside Donald Trump...move over Simon Cowell - there is a new star of reality television who is more street smart and tougher than all the competition put together - Reverend Al Sharpton. The former Democratic Presidential candidate will serve as the ultimate career counselor and motivational coach in Spike TV's I Hate My Job, the first ever career makeover show. The new 8-episode series, premiering this fall, follows eight guys who quit their jobs and are given three months to pursue and obtain the job they've always wanted with the help of Spike TV.

"Reverend Sharpton came from a modest upbringing and became a major political force and Presidential candidate," notes Kevin Kay, Executive Vice President Programming and Production, Spike TV. "He's lived the American Dream so he's the perfect person for our eight contestants to learn from." "I fully support the message of this show - if you hate your job and want a change - get up and do it!" declared Rev. Sharpton. "And I look forward to guiding these neophytes on a successful and enriching career path."

In each episode, Rev. Sharpton and fellow "Life Counselor," California psychologist Stephanie Raye, will help the contestants in their pursuit of the job they've always wanted. From doling out weekly assignments to providing valuable advice, Sharpton will use his own personal successful work experience to help these once-despondent guys to exciting new careers. Along the way, Sharpton and Raye will sit on a panel to decide which of the contestants is worthy of continuing on his new career path. Joe Houlihan, Gayle Gilman, and Rick De Oliveira of RDF Media are executive producers of I Hate My Job. Peilin Chou is Executive in Charge of Production for Spike TV. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Rev. Al Sharpton became a licensed and ordained Minister at the age of 10 by Bishop F.D. Washington in 1964. A graduate of Brooklyn College, Rev. Sharpton founded the National Youth Movement in 1971. After serving as Road Manager for James Brown for nearly a decade he entered the political arena and ran for New York State Senate in 1978. Sharpton is the Founder and President of the National Action Network. He was a candidate for New York City Mayor in 1997 and U.S. Senate in 1992 and 1994. In 2004, he was a Democratic Presidential candidate.

After the Fight, A Fight Over Britain's 'Big Brother'

In an effort to prevent a repeat of last week's melee that broke out in the house used for the taping of the British version of Big Brother, producers Endemol and the TV network Channel 4 have removed a contestant named Emma, who was involved in the brawl, maintaining that although she was no "no more to blame for the events of Wednesday night than anyone else" moving her out "was the best course of action to ensure the welfare and safety of all the housemates." The incident triggered angry protests from a variety of sources. David Wilson, a professor of criminology who worked as an adviser to the program, quit, saying that he could no longer be associated with a program that "provoked interpersonal violence for entertainment." Charles Kennedy, leader of the Liberal Democrat party, issued a statement saying: "Reality TV has become more and more extreme. The Big Brother producers dubbed this series 'Big Brother gets evil' and designed the format to create tension and trouble, which they presumably thought would make acceptable viewing. Nobody wants to clamp down on ideas or stop TV being inventive; but this is becoming an increasingly ugly spectacle."