NBC News and Citi Announce New Book: Operation Money: A Financial Guide for Military Service Members and Families

Free E-Book for Military Families by NBC’s TODAY 

Financial Editor Jean Chatzky Available Now

Chatzky Gives Practical and Useful Tips On Saving, Spending and Planning

NEW YORK, NY— October 21, 2014 — NBC News and Citi on Tuesday announced the release of Operation Money: A Financial Guide for Military Service Members and Families, a free e-book for veterans and their families by Jean Chatzky, bestselling author and financial editor of NBC’s TODAY.

The e-book addresses the financial impact from deployments and regular relocations, as well as how to make the most of military benefits. It features actionable advice, including a step-by-step guide to reducing debt, information on the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, and tips on military service clauses in lease contracts.

Operation Money: A Financial Guide for Military Service Members and Families is now available for iPad, Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and various Android devices. This free resource can be read online at http://www.operationmoneybook.com or downloaded from online retailers, including Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and iTunes.

Many military families struggle to find affordable childcare and housing or save for the future. Today, 65% of military families say they experience stress when it comes to their finances, according to Blue Star Families. The e-book – with chapters including “Budgeting Boot Camp,” “Homeownership,” “Cars,” “Protecting Your Family,” and “Finance for Caregivers” – offers financial management strategies specifically tailored for military families and veterans.

“When it comes to their finances military families experience stresses that are different – and often more severe – than other families,” said Jean Chatzky.  “I’m delighted to have been able to work with NBC News and Citi to provide them with a free resource to lead them in the right direction.”

Citi is committed to advancing financial education and employment opportunities in the veterans community. Citi’s support for Operation Money complements the work of Citi Salutes, a company-wide initiative, led by Citi Community Development with employees across the firm, which supports servicemembers and their families through career development opportunities, banking services, and partnerships with leading veterans organizations. 

“With Citi Salutes, we address the financial capability challenges servicemembers may face, and work with partners to develop solutions for the various stages, from deployment to civilian employment,” said Bob Annibale, Global Director of Citi Community Development. “We are pleased to support Operation Money as a widely available and free e-book, and we will continue to stand behind our military veterans and their families.”

"The financial aspect of transitioning out of the military and into a new job or career is one of the most difficult and complicated aspects facing our service men and women. It is Citi's hope that this book will help military families make the transition with the least amount of disruption,” said Suni Harford, Managing Director and Head of North America Markets at Citi.

This is NBC News and Citi’s second e-book project, following the publication of Heroes Get Hired: How to Use Your Military Experience to Master the Interview, which is available for download at http://www.heroesgethired.com. The e-book was produced with the support of Blue Star Families, Military Spouse Corporate career network, Corporate America Supports You, and Veterans Plus.

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About NBC News
NBC News is a global leader in news across all broadcast and digital platforms. Its leading and award-winning television news broadcasts include NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, TODAY, Meet the Press and Dateline, as well as primetime specials and breaking news reports. The rapidly-growing NBC News Digital Group, along with the well-established NBC News Radio with 750 stations nationwide, provide continuous content to consumers wherever they are, whenever they want it. NBC News also operates Peacock Productions, an award-winning in-house production company, and the NBC NewsChannel affiliate news service. NBC News is part of the NBCUniversal News Group, a division of NBCUniversal, which is owned by Comcast Corporation.

About Citi

Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.

Media Contacts:
Farrin Jay
(212) 664-4825
farrin.jay@nbcuni.com

Kamran Mumtaz
(212) 793-7682
kamran.mumtaz @citi.com

The Real Reason Enhanced eBooks Haven't Taken Off (Or, Evan Schnittman Was Right... For the Most Part)

Originally published on Digital Book World

According to a recent article on the Futurebook blog, so far no publisher has proven that Evan Schnittman, industry thought-leader and current executive vice president and chief marketing and sales officer of Hachette Book Group, was wrong when he declared enhanced ebooks and apps essentially dead and a non-starter for publishers during a presentation at London Book Fair in 2011 (he was with Bloomsbury at the time). Further, with Book Expo 2014 coming up, the topic of enhanced ebooks is conspicuously missing from the agenda. Though there are one or two such panels scheduled during the IDPF Digital Book conference, what does it mean when there are no general sessions planned to address this subject? Does it signal that most publishers have given up on spending the time and resources on developing interactive reading experiences? Have they simply determined there's no real market for these kinds of digital products? Was Evan Schnittman correct? Overall, I'd venture to say, for the most part, the answer is a resounding yes.

Despite plenty of debate as to whether or not enhanced ebooks have merit, not enough attention has been paid to the real reason digital books featuring embedded video, audio, and other forms of interactivity haven't resonated with readers:

The main problem is that the market as it currently exists does not allow publishers to deliver the same enhanced product across all current digital platforms, whether it be Apple's iPad, Amazon's Kindle Fire, Barnes & Noble's Nook, or Kobo's Arc. And when you stop and think about it, no other content creator is faced with this conundrum.

We often compare publishing to the music industry, and yes, record companies have been dealing with fast moving changes of their own over the years, but regardless of the medium, if you and I are standing in line at Starbucks and I ask if you've heard Beck's new album and liked this song or that, you will know what I'm talking about because regardless of how you ultimately heard the tracks, whether by CD, vinyl, or download, we both heard the songs the way the artist intended. And the same goes for most other forms of media. For example: Did you binge watch all seven seasons of Breaking Bad? Well so did I, but you rented the DVDs while I streamed episodes on my iPad during my commute on the train. Played Call of Duty with your gaming buddies over the weekend? I did too and we're able to enthusiastically share our first-person shooter experiences even though you have an Xbox and I've got a Playstation. And that's how it's pretty much always been with print editions of books as well, whether bought from a brick and mortar store, online, or checked out of the local library. Like music, TV shows, games, movies, etc., the hardcover or trade paperback delivered the same content in the same format no matter what shelf it was pulled from.

Seems obvious that this is the way things should be because it's a more unified experience for consumers. 

But here's the thing -- that's just not the case when it comes to ebooks of any type, but especially when describing ones enhanced with audio, video, and other interactive features.

While I was at NBCUniversal we produced a number of highly interactive projects using Apple's proprietary iBooks Author ebook platform in support of television programs, films, and corporate initiatives. The most popular was Grimm: The Essential Guide, which was a big hit with fans of the show, reaching upwards of 250,000 downloads. In addition to reading about the series, the ebook offered unique options to view 3D models of Wesen (the monsters); get a 360 degree view inside Rosalie's Spice Shop; use a palette to draw a favorite character, and much more. All cool, fun stuff for iBookstore customers to enjoy, right? Well, yes and no, because even within an Apple-centric universe there were boatloads of Grimm fans that were eager to experience this digital companion only to learn they couldn't because they owned iPhones and iPods, but not iPads. And the reason? Because ebooks created using iBooks Author can only be viewed on iPad; disappointed viewers wanted to know why. And if that wasn't frustrating enough, when Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet users downloaded this free, awesome ebook they saw promoted on TV or social media, those versions didn’t even include any of these features since neither device, at least at the time, could support them. In other words, we had to release a simpler, flatter, more traditional book-like product, which was a compromise of our original vision.

And therein lies the rub.

If publishers can't widely distribute enhanced ebooks across all channels then they will simply never gain traction by word of mouth, reviews, or with promotions (and I mean ones that don’t require the necessary asterisk to explain in fine print that the iBooks version features this, the Kindle version features that, and the Google Play version features neither). Those in the trenches of day-to-day ebook development at Disney, HarperCollins, Workman, Wiley, S&S, Random House, DK, Atavist, and others know exactly what I'm talking about and are nodding their heads.

So, am I suggesting we throw in the towel and stop pushing the digital storytelling envelope? My answer is not just no, but a resounding one at that!

And that's because eventually Apple will most likely figure out how to make IBA projects viewable on iPhones and iPods and for all I know it could be as soon as tomorrow. And Amazon's recent purchase of Comixology suggests it has plans to make interactive reading more dynamic on the Kindle Fire, which would be great since ebook sales from the Kindle store represents the lion's share of the market.

Schnittman's bold stance didn't surprise me because in January 2011, just a few months before the London Book Fair, we had a similar conversation over drinks in Paris while participating in an international publishing exchange. Ultimately, I agreed with his point in regards to fiction, or immersive reading, after sharing my experience developing the iPhone app for Cathy's Book, the first young adult transmedia project that paved the way for Scholastic's hit 39 Clues, The Amanda Project, Aisling's Diary, and several others. The influential print edition first published in 2006 was a success, but the app, which came out three years later, not so much. I had to concede such ambitious projects weren't sound investments economically for traditional publishers and that the promotional window, particularly for novels, provided less opportunity to ever recoup the costs of production. This probably remains the case for most publishers, even the large ones. But I don't believe anyone in our industry has ever suggested that all ebooks should be enhanced, and even Schnittman recognized during the London Book Fair the potential for enhancements in "how to" and academia.

Having just wrapped up my role as lead producer of JFK: 50 Days, a 2010 video enhanced project by Perseus Books Group that received a good amount of attention, including from the New York Times -- I felt then, and still do today -- that select non-fiction titles can be even better when paired with curated video/audio/etc. And the more evergreen the topic, the better the chance to re-promote year-after-year or to be discovered repeatedly in Google searches.

The Meet the Press 65th anniversary ebooks I recently had the privilege to produce reaffirmed that belief and serve as great examples of bringing history to life in digital book form. It's one thing to read about an appearance on MTP by Eleanor Roosevelt in 1957, but it's another entirely to actually watch that moment accompanied by a few informative paragraphs that put her comments into historical context.

The Futurebook post concludes that 3.5 years after London Book Fair 2011 we now know people prefer to just read straight text and don't want these enhancements. But given the distribution challenges I described earlier, I think one can not come to such a conclusion with any certainty. Readers can't determine what they do or don't prefer if they aren’t aware of what they’re missing.

Mike Shatzkin, another industry thought-leader, wrote a blog post more than a year ago asking "How far away can it be for the NBC News book on a national election...", which we actually did publish in November of 2012 called Election Night. It’s an insightful read and features terrific archival footage from 1948, the dawn of television, right up until President Obama's re-election to office. During an appearance on MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews said to author Stephen Battaglio, "Congratulations on finally justifying having one of these hi-tech books..." and “I don’t think you can not buy this if you’re a true junky like me.” Such coverage resulted in hundreds of people that evening choosing to download the enhanced edition over the standard one when presented with the option.

I'm confident there are audiences equally anxious for well produced digital books featuring enhancements with purpose. This is the key: that interactive ebooks be developed with the long term in mind, with less expectation of being a blockbuster, but instead be elegantly simple in design/functionality, as well as entertaining, educational and utilitarian. Like the enhanced Everything Language series embedded with audio that was released during my time at F+W Media, which in print, includes a CD. Or the Everything Baby Sign Language book, which includes a DVD in the back of the print edition, but the same videos were repurposed and featured within the enhanced eBook. Interactive titles like these make perfect sense in digital form to consumers and become part of the slow burn for publishers that can result in a consistent stream of revenue, year-after-year.

In the late 1990s, Internet pioneer Josh Harris launched an experimental, video-based art project called, Quiet: We Live In Public, which invited 100 volunteers willing to appear on webcam 24/7, capturing their every movement. It was a challenging, technological feat that led the way for reality TV. More than 15 years later such an online endeavor would be a piece-of-cake in our world of YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Facetime, and Pinterest where we’re literally all connected and share everything about our daily lives. I feel we’re in a similar moment in time when it comes to interactive reading and that eventually enhanced ebooks, or whatever they’ll be called years from now, will become more mainstream. And that is why I passionately believe it's more important than ever to keep innovating, to keep redefining reader engagement, and to keep the conversation going with our ebook retail partners until it’s possible to present the same interactive digital product to everyone, everywhere.

Hopefully such discussions will return to Book Expo 2015.

Until then, you can find me in the trenches.

Comcast Commemorates 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington Across Multiple Platforms

Interactive Website Chronicles Civil Rights Movement History on HisDreamOurStories.com; Video Interviews with Civil Right Leaders, Including Rev. Billy Kyles, Mamie Chalmers, Rep. John Lewis, and Former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young to be Available through Xfinity On Demand, Online, Comcast Newsmakers and E-Book

PHILADELPHIA, PA – August 22, 2013 – To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a major milestone of the Civil Rights Movement where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech, Comcast has created a first of its kind video compilation to help chronicle the history and impact of the movement. Called His Dream, Our Stories, the package includes more than 80 unique and personal interviews with civic leaders, elders, clergy, and activists, and will be available on Xfinity On Demand and online through October 12th and permanently at HisDreamOurStories.com.

Through commentary and archived footage, His Dream, Our Stories chronicles the March on Washington, the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement through interviews from influential leaders, including Rev. Billy Kyles, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young, Ernest Green of the Little Rock Nine, political leaders like Rep. John Lewis and attendees of the March on Washington, the Detroit Walk to Freedom and the Selma-Montgomery March. Other topics include sit-ins of the 1960s, the Atlanta Student Movement, Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike of 1968 and the impact and legacy of the Civil Rights Movement on minority communities of all types.

In addition to viewing the full library of interviews, visitors to HisDreamOurStories.com will be able to submit their own stories commemorating the 50th anniversary of this pivotal event in our nation’s history. Users will also be able to discover and learn about civil rights organizations which continue to work toward equality and freedom, including the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, the National Urban League, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Civil Rights Museum.

“Comcast and NBCUniversal are proud to contribute to this anniversary with such compelling content about the fight for civil rights,” said Charisse R. Lillie, Vice President of Community Investment, Comcast Corporation, and President of the Comcast Foundation. “It’s important to remember Dr. King’s legacy, and this unprecedented interactive multimedia package enables stories to be shared like never before.”

In addition to HisDreamOurStories.com, which serves as the ongoing online location for footage, features and finding and sharing information about the Civil Rights Movement, Comcast and NBCUniversal are making the content available across a variety of other platforms as part of current and planned coverage of the August 28th March on Washington anniversary.

• His Dream, Our Stories e-book: In late August, an educational e-book from NBC Publishing including 25 videos and an introduction from news journalist Lester Holt will be available to download for free on iTunes, Amazon and Nook stores.
• MSNBC: Will feature His Dream, Our Stories content online.
• And much more!

Additionally, anyone interested in utilizing the rich content library of His Dream, Our Stories can embed any of the videos to share content on their own websites, blogs and social media platforms.

For more information about Comcast and NBCUniversal’s diversity and inclusion efforts, visit www.comcast.com/diversity.

About Comcast Corporation:
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates 30 news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

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Media Contact:
Katie Lubenow
Katie_Lubenow@comcast.com
215-286-5691

NBCUniversal's “The More You Know” Unveils Interactive eBook, Growing Up Online, In Collaboration with NBC News

eBook featuring NBC News Journalists Provides Internet Safety Tips for Parents, Teachers and Kids in Spanish and English

NEW YORK, June 10, 2013 – In support of National Internet Safety Month in June, NBCUniversal’s The More You Know, in collaboration with NBC News, has launched Growing Up Online, a free, interactive eBook for parents, teachers and kids about digital literacy and Internet safety.  The first release from The More You Know Learning Series, Growing Up Online offers informative, media-rich tools to help parents in discussions with their children about using technology responsibly and safely, as well as entertaining video comic books focused on real-life situations that might arise when kids go online. The eBook features NBC News journalists including Brian Williams, Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker and Dr. Nancy Snyderman speaking about the importance of keeping kids safe online.

Growing Up Online is available as a free download on Apple’s iBookstore for iPad and iPad Mini, Barnes and Noble’s Nook Tablet, Amazon’s Kindle Fire, Kobo, as well as online for desktop and laptop viewing at www.themoreyouknow.com.

“When 52% of children have access to a mobile device and one in three kids has experienced cyberbullying, we are proud to provide resources and tools so that people can address the pressing issue of how to navigate the digital world securely,” said Beth Colleton, NBCUniversal Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility.

In collaboration with leading experts from Common Sense Media and NetSmartz Workshop (an education program of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children),Growing Up Online addresses the increasing concern around kids’ online privacy issues and cyberbullying in a unique way.

“We all have a part to play to ensure that our kids are navigating the digital world safely and responsibly” said Jim Steyer, CEO and Founder, Common Sense Media. “The eBook content is relevant and practical, and it's organized to encourage conversations between parents and kids. With the right tools and guidance, every kid can thrive with media and technology."

The eBook will soon be made available for Google Play for Android devices along with Spanish language editions releasing to all of these retailers in the coming weeks.

"Our goal in teaching Internet safety is to empower families and their children to make smarter and safer decisions when they are online," said National Center for Missing & Exploited Children CEO, John Ryan. "Education is critical and this free resource teaches families how they can enjoy the benefits of the Internet while avoiding some of the risks."

To download Growing Up Online and learn about digital safety and internet security, visit http://www.themoreyouknow.com/ebooks/ and start a conversation with your kids.

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About "The More You Know"

For more than two decades, NBCUniversal’s Emmy award-winning The More You Know public service campaign has given viewers easy-to-use, concrete, manageable steps to help set realistic change in motion. This multi-platform campaign, through its public service announcements, digital content, programming and community outreach efforts and The More You Know Learning Series eBooks, focuses on some of the country’s most important social issues in the core areas of education, diversity, health and the environment. The More You Know partners with leading nonprofits and government agencies to ensure we deliver the most credible, useful, timely information possible.

For more information contact:

Amanda Collins
(212) 664-4732

Amanda.Collins@nbcuni.com

Les Miserables: The Musical Phenomenon Now Available for Free on the iBookstore

Universal Pictures Launches the Studio's First Multi-Touch Book Created with iBooks Author

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Dec. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Pictures announced today the release of the free Multi-Touch book Les Miserables: The Musical Phenomenon, a digital companion to the highly anticipated musical epic Les Miserables, which hits theaters nationwide on Christmas Day. This represents Universal Pictures' first book created with iBooks Author, Apple's digital book creation app. Available exclusively on the iBookstore, Les Miserables: The Musical Phenomenon was created in partnership with NBCUniversal Digital Publishing and entertainment marketing company Bemis Balkind.

Highlighting the timeless music, celebrated performers, intricate costumes and sweeping cinematography of the film, the book presents an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the artistry of Les Miserables. It includes exclusive interviews, photo galleries and video, musical performances, interactive timelines and more.

Doug Neil , senior vice president of digital marketing, Universal Pictures, stated: "We're thrilled to provide a digital experience for fans of Les Miserables that enhances the vision of the film's director, Tom Hooper . The interactivity of the digital book allows for an immersive experience, putting readers in the world of Les Miserables before they experience the phenomenon in theaters."

Curt Doty , who heads up the digital group at Bemis Balkind, added: "Our philosophy on building these new touchpoints is to create a beautiful, illustrated book and enhance it with content and Multi-Touch interactivity. We always want these to have a balance of the written word, amazing photography and compelling interactive content."

"We are very proud to be associated with this terrific project and to make it available to readers familiar with both the musical and Victor Hugo 's classic story," said Michael Fabiano , vice-president and general manager of NBC Publishing. "This enhanced book is simply a great way of experiencing Universal's behind-the-scenes magic and is sure to reach a whole new fan base as well."

The book details the 28-year history of Les Miserables the musical, as well as highlights each major cast member in the new film and showcases their musical performances with video clips from the movie. Some of the unique interactive features include the "Character Relationships" widget, which allows fans to see how each character is related to the others, and the timeline, which establishes key events in the course of this epic story that is told over 33 years.

Les Miserables: The Musical Phenomenon is available worldwide for free, exclusively on the iBookstore at iTunes.com/iBookstore. The "Les Miserables: Highlights from the Motion Picture Soundtrack" is also available on the iTunes Store at www.iTunes.com/LesMis.

About Les Miserables
Les Miserables is the motion-picture adaptation of the beloved global stage sensation seen by more than 60 million people in 42 countries and in 21 languages around the globe and still breaking box-office records everywhere in its 28th year. Helmed by The King's Speech's Academy Award®-winning director, Tom Hooper , the Working Title/ Cameron Mackintosh production stars Hugh Jackman , Oscar® winner Russell Crowe , Anne Hathaway , Amanda Seyfried , Eddie Redmayne , Aaron Tveit , Samantha Barks , with Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen . www.lesmiserablesfilm.com.

About Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is part of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. Comcast Corporation owns a controlling 51% interest in NBCUniversal, with GE holding a 49% stake.

About NBC Publishing
NBC Publishing is a division of NBCUniversal Media, LLC that focuses on developing digital publishing projects from content created within the NBCUniversal and Comcast family of properties, as well as publishing original works with outside authors and publishing partners. www.nbcpublishing.com.

About Bemis Balkind
Bemis Balkind draws on the heritage of their conceptual, iconic marketing solutions to develop the structural interfaces that carry marketing and entertainment content effectively for the connected consumer. Based in New York and Los Angeles, they have been creating memorable movie marketing campaigns since 1968 including Rosemary's Baby, Alien, Forrest Gump , Black Swan and Snow White and the Huntsman. The company is led by the legendary brand strategist Aubrey Balkind and film-marketing veteran Peter Bemis .

“Election Night” - New eBook Available From NBC Publishing

NEW YORK, NY – November 5, 2012 – On the eve of the election, NBC Publishing announces the release of Election Night: A Television History by media journalist Stephen Battaglio. As seen on NBC’s TODAY show, the book is a fascinating and revealing look at the evolution of U.S. presidential election night broadcasts since 1948 and how this televised event continues to galvanize the nation every four years.

Battaglio explores the technical advancements in vote counting, the aggregation of live coverage from the field, the compilation of polling information, the process of calling a state for a candidate, and how the drama ultimately unfolds in the energetic control room. Through the lens of NBC News, Election Night highlights commentary by legendary news figures such as Chet Huntley, David Brinkley, John Chancellor, Tom Brokaw, Tim Russert, and Brian Williams and many iconic moments that have made history.

Drawing from the extensive assets of the NBC News Archives, Battaglio takes his readers through each of the sixteen presidential races since the dawn of television beginning with Truman vs. Dewey in 1948 to today. The enhanced edition contains more than an hour of video from the archives of NBC News featuring some of television's most memorable appearances by major political figures in U.S. history including Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, John F. Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, George McGovern, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, John McCain, and Barack Obama among many others.

With engaging anecdotes from industry professionals, photographs, and memorabilia from each political campaign, Election Night provides a "behind-the-scenes" account of the political campaigns and network coverage giving readers unprecedented inside access to history in the making.

NBC Publishing will release a free chapter featuring Battaglio’s soon-to-be-written coverage of the upcoming 2012 election during the month of November.

Election Night: A Television History is a must read for history buffs, political junkies, and television enthusiasts everywhere. Both enhanced and non-enhanced versions will be available for purchase wherever eBooks are sold.

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About the Author

Stephen Battaglio is the business editor for TV Guide Magazine. He has also written about the television industry for The New York Times, Fortune, the New York Daily News and The Hollywood Reporter. He is the author of David Susskind: A Televised Life the 2010 biography of the influential talk show host and TV producer. In 2011, he wrote From Yesterday to Today:  a pictorial history of the first 60 years of NBC's Today. Battaglio has appeared as a media commentator on numerous TV and radio programs including CBS Sunday Morning, NBC Nightly News, Entertainment Tonight, NPR's Morning Edition, NBC's Today, ABC's Good Morning America, MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, WOR's The Joan Hamburg Show and Inside Edition. He was also featured as a television historian in Pioneers of Thirteen, a 2012 TV documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of WNET. He lives in New York City.

About NBC Publishing

NBC Publishing is a division of NBCUniversal Media, LLC that focuses on developing digital publishing projects from content created within the NBCUniversal and Comcast family of properties, as well as publishing original works with outside authors and publishing partners. http://www.nbcpublishing.com

For more information contact:

Marie Wicht

NBC News

e: marie.wicht@nbcuni.com

NBC Publishing to Release Enhanced eBook, Mick and Keith: Never Stop

Intimate Exclusive Interviews Add to Rolling Stones 50th

September 6, 2012 - New York - In recognition of the 50^th anniversary of the Rolling Stones comes MICK AND KEITH: NEVER STOP, a video-enhanced eBook featuring exclusive interviews with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards conducted by rock journalist and former TODAY show music correspondent, Rona Elliot.

MICK AND KEITH: NEVER STOP, released by NBC Publishing, features Elliot’s interviews—produced by NBC’s TODAY show—with the Rolling Stones frontmen along with her reflections on their enduring legacy. The eBook also includes images of the band from famed rock photographers Henry Diltz, Bob Gruen, and Ebet Roberts, plus an original cartoon by New Yorker cartoonist Harry Bliss.

While Elliot has interviewed the individual members of the Stones many times over the years, the intimate access to Mick and Keith granted during a break from the band’s legendary Steel Wheels tour resulted in two insightful and distinct conversations. Seen here at the top of their game, Mick and Keith’s individual personalities uniquely unfold through their humor, charm, and candor.

With Mick sitting in New York’s Waldorf Astoria clad in an elegant suit, and Keith lounging barefoot in an inside-out T-shirt fresh off his boat in Antigua, the two answer Elliot’s questions on everything Stones, including: whether they knew “Satisfaction” was a hit right away, their disparate reflections on the innocence of their early fans, and whether they see their band as a “family” or a “gang”. Even for die-hard Stones fans who think they know everything about these two icons, these interviews reveal Mick and Keith as never before.

For Elliot, this release is highly personal, having worked for over a decade to make her TODAY show interviews, from the NBC News Archives, available to those with a passion for rock ‘n’ roll. MICK AND KEITH: NEVER STOP is part fan letter, part memoir, and highlights Elliot’s work as a music journalist and historian.

“I have been so fortunate in my life’s work to meet, interview and form trusted relationships with music legends that we all love and respect…and Mick and Keith are right at the top of any list, mine to be sure,” says Elliot. “Music has always been my animating passion! So, I’m thrilled to be able to share this with other Stones fans. These interviews were remarkable then, and are perhaps even more so now, as they celebrate 50 years together. The enhanced eBook makes this a personal experience for everyone, and absolute fun, too!”

“We are so thrilled to be working with Rona Elliot, a trailblazer in the world of rock journalism, and to have the opportunity to publish these rare and in-depth interviews for both die-hard fans and those yet to discover these icons of rock ‘n’ roll,” said Michael Fabiano, General Manager and Vice President of NBC Publishing.

The enhanced eBook will be available for iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch, Nook Color, Nook Tablet, and the Kindle App for iPad.

MICK AND KEITH: NEVER STOP will be available on October 2, 2012.

To view and/or post video montage teaser, please visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFxt00Crwh0.

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About NBC Publishing

NBC Publishing is a division of NBCUniversal Media, LLC that focuses on developing digital publishing projects from content created within the NBCUniversal and Comcast family of properties, as well as publishing original works with outside authors and publishing partners. For more information visit http://www.nbcpublishing.com.

About Rona Elliot
Music journalist Rona Elliot has provided intimate looks at the lives of some of rock’s greatest writers and performers including the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, U2, Sting, Billy Joel, Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye and Ray Charles. She has been a cultural and musical eyewitness throughout an illustrious career that has included working at Woodstock, the legendary music festival; in the groundbreaking 1970s San Francisco underground radio scene; as VH1’s first-ever news anchor; and for 10 years as the Music Correspondent for NBC’s Today show. She has always offered music fans a unique and first-hand account of those she knew and interviewed, and continues her work as a Board Member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum, and currently serves on the GRAMMY Museum’s Education Advisory Committee.

For more information contact:

Marie Wicht
NBC News
e: marie.wicht@nbcuni.com