NBC’s “Today” show is in search of a suburbanite to give us the dish on what's happening in their neighborhood. If you'd like to be a suburban correspondent for a day, send us a two-minute videotape showing us a behind-the-scenes look at your town. From the dirt on the soccer field to the who-can-top-this competitiveness among families, show us what it's like to live on your street or cul-de-sac. See complete rules below:
1. HOW TO ENTER
“GIVE US THE DISH”. To enter, make an original video in either VHS, DVD or mini DV format videotape of yourself demonstrating to us why you should be chosen as a feature suburban reporter for a segment on the Today Show (the “Video”). The Video should give us the dish about what’s going on behind the scenes in your neighborhood, and should last no longer than two minutes. In addition, please tell us, in a typewritten essay of 500 words or less (the “Essay”), a little bit about yourself and why you believe you’re well suited to report on the challenges of family life in the suburbs. By entering, you and everyone appearing in the Video agree that the Video may be broadcast on TODAY and in promotions and advertisements for TODAY. Videos must not include any music or singing. Videos and Essays must be original, truthful, unpublished, created solely by the submitting entrant, must not have been submitted in any other competition, and must not infringe upon any rights of any third party, including but not limited to copyright, trademark, and rights of privacy and publicity. Any events included in the Video must be authentic and unstaged. Entrants may not accept anything of value in return for the inclusion of any material in their Video or Essay. Entrants must also disclose to TODAY their connection with any person, product or company mentioned or depicted in their Video or Essay. All Videos and Essays become the property of NBC Universal, Inc. ("NBC") and will not be acknowledged or returned. Limit one entry per entrant. Multiple entries received from any household will void all such additional entries. Entries that are incomplete, illegible, postage due or corrupted are void and will not be accepted.
Mailing Instructions: Print your name, address, telephone numbers (daytime and evening) and email address on a label affixed to your Video, and also include this information on your Essay. Send the Video with the label, and your Essay, in a single package, to the following address: TODAY, NBC, c/o “THE SEARCH FOR TODAY’S SUBURBAN CORRESPONDENT,” 30 Rockefeller Center, New York, New York 10112. All entries must be received by 5:00 PM Eastern Time on September 16, 2005.
2. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA You must be a legal U.S. resident physically residing within the Continental United States (residents of Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico and Guam are excluded from entry and participation). In addition, you must live at an address in a suburban community. You must also be 18 years of age or older as of August 19, 2005.Persons who are currently under contract as a news reporter, television correspondent or anchor are not eligible. Employees of the NBC Universal, Inc., MSNBC Cable, LLC, their respective advertising and promotion agencies, their parent, subsidiary and joint venture companies, as well as members of their immediate families and households (including children, spouses and siblings and/or persons living in the same households as such persons (whether related or not)) are not eligible. TODAY reserves the right to exclude anyone convicted of a crime (other than moving violations of a misdemeanor type that did not involve personal injury, drugs or alcohol), and entrants may not be elected officials or currently contemplating a run or running for any political office (local, state or federal). TODAY reserves the right to exclude entrants for these or any other reasons, in TODAY’s sole editorial discretion. Please note that by entering you agree to undergo a background check conducted by TODAY and, if necessary, to sign waiver forms authorizing the release of personal and background information.
3. SELECTION OF THE FINALISTS
Five finalists will be selected by TODAY judges on a rolling basis as Videos and Essays are received, beginning on August 19, 2005, from eligible entries received. The judges will select the entries based on the following criteria in their sole discretion: 25% compelling nature of Video report, 25% appearance, 25% presentation, 25% based on Essay (clarity of writing and extent of qualifications to report on family life in the suburbs). Each Finalist may be required to submit to a background check. If for any reason any of the Finalists do not meet any of the above eligibility requirements in TODAY’S sole discretion, the Judges may select an alternate finalist. The decisions of the Judges are final and entrants agree to be bound by these decisions. Entrants agree that TODAY may record and broadcast TODAY advising entrant that he or she has been selected as a finalist.
Potential finalists will be contacted during the weeks of September 20th through October 10, 2005, and must agree to make themselves available during that period, for potential on-air appearance and announcement, and additional tapings during the TODAY show, if they are a chosen Finalist. Potential finalists must agree to keep in strictest confidence and not to disclose to any person, including other entrants, family members, or any other third party, any information whatsoever concerning the fact that they are potential finalists. Finalists must also sign authorizations and releases required by TODAY in order to remain eligible to participate in the competition.
4. FINALIST COMPETITION ON TODAY AND
Following the announcement of the Finalists, from approximately September 20, 2005 through October 10, 2005, Finalists must agree to make themselves available in their town (or in another location selected by TODAY in its sole discretion) to tell their story and agree to be interviewed, for possible broadcast by TODAY. Finalists must agree that all footage recorded by TODAY may or may not be used by TODAY, in any manner and any medium, in the sole discretion of TODAY.
In addition, Finalists agree to make themselves available for a potential on-air appearance on TODAY and to otherwise be available to TODAY, in the broadcast studio in New York (or in another location selected by TODAY in its sole discretion), on dates selected by TODAY. On these dates, Finalists may be asked, among other things, to give interviews and to be videotaped. All dates are in TODAY’s sole discretion, and are subject to change.
TODAY viewers will then be asked to visit the TODAY Web Site at www.today.msnbc.com and vote online to determine the winner. If there is a tie, the winner will be chosen by NBC Judges in their sole discretion.
5. THE PRIZE
The Winner will appear as an unpaid special feature reporter on a segment of TODAY at a date and time to be specified by TODAY, in their hometown, or another location to be determined by NBC, in the sole discretion of TODAY. TODAY in its sole discretion shall determine the length, content and nature of the appearance. The right to appear on TODAY cannot be transferred or rescheduled or redeemed for cash.
TODAY reserves the right to substitute the appearance or elements thereof with a prize of equal or greater value at their sole discretion. TODAY further reserves the right to postpone or cancel the broadcast of the appearance for any reason, in the sole discretion of TODAY. The winner shall be responsible for applicable taxes and other expenses.
6. WINNER’S NAME
For a copy of the winner’s name, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope after October 5, 2005 to: The Today Show, Attention: “The Search for Today’s Suburban Correspondent ” 30 Rockefeller Center, New York, New York 10112. Requests will be fulfilled/name will be posted, after the winners name has been verified.
7. GENERAL CONDITIONS AND RELEASES
1. By entering, you agree to participate in telephone interviews with TODAY, to appear on the TODAY show for the Finalist introduction and profile if you are one of the five finalists chosen, to perform the tasks as directed by TODAY, to permit a film crew to shoot footage of you and your home or another location to be determined by NBC in it’s sole discretion, and to travel to New York and make yourself available to appear on TODAY at TODAY’s direction. Reasonable travel expenses, including standard hotel, transportation and meals in connection with the Finalists’ in person appearance on TODAY, and any publicity and promotion activities required by TODAY, will be paid for by TODAY. Travel and hotel arrangements to be arranged by TODAY. TODAY, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to provide ground transportation in lieu of air transportation.
2. Finalists agree to make themselves exclusively available to TODAY for publicity and promotion from the day entrant prepares entry to the final on-air appearance of the winner, and must agree that they will not allow interviews by other media outlets, including television, magazines, newspapers, radio, and internet, unless authorized by TODAY during this time.
3. Entry in this competition constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) to use entrant’s Video, Essay, name, city, state, likeness, appearance and voice on TODAY and all other media for purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity without additional compensation.
4. Finalists may not wear apparel that contains recognizable commercial logos during their appearances on TODAY. Finalists’ on-air wardrobes are subject to TODAY’s approval in its sole discretion.
5. The program reserves the right to make public personal information about the contestants on-air, prior to, during, or following the competition. Contestants acknowledge that TODAY may disclose negative information regarding a contestant that may be more or less favorable than similar information disclosed by TODAY regarding other contestants.6. In all disputes, TODAY is the sole judge and its actions are final.
7. Except where prohibited, all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the entrant and NBC in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the state of New York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the state of New York, or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the state of New York. If any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to the Official Rules, or the breach of any term hereof, cannot be otherwise resolved, it shall be resolved by binding arbitration conducted in the County of New York, and administered by JAMS in accordance with its Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures or subsequent versions thereof (the “JAMS Rules”). The JAMS Rules for selection of an arbitrator shall be followed, except that the arbitrator shall be an experienced arbitrator licensed to practice law in New York.
8. DISCLAIMER
All entrants and Finalists assume all liability for any injury or damages caused or claimed to be caused by their participation in this Contest. All entrants and Finalists release NBC Universal, Inc. and their respective advertising and promotion agencies, their parents, subsidiaries and joint venture companies, as well as their respective officers, directors, and employees, from any such liability, even if caused by their negligence.
NBC, and its respective advertising and promotion agencies, their parent, subsidiary and joint venture companies, as well as their respective officers, directors, and employees assume no responsibility for any injury (including but not limited to any personal injury that may occur while on NBC premises or during tasks performed in connection with this contest), damage or losses of any kind to any entrant, or to any entrant’s or other person’s computer, relating to or resulting from participating in this contest, including downloading materials or software. NBC and its respective advertising and promotion agencies, their parent, subsidiary and joint venture companies, as well as their respective officers, directors, and employees are not responsible for technical, hardware, software, or telephone malfunctions of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed incorrect, incomplete, inaccurate, garbled or delayed electronic communications caused by the user or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in this event or by any human error which may occur in the processing of the entries in this event.
Entrants and not NBC shall be responsible for any content that is deemed libelous, defamatory, slanderous or invasive of another’s privacy in any stories shared by entrants at any point in this contest.
NBC is not responsible for errors or failures of any kind, for inaccurate transcription of entry information, for errors in any promotional or marketing materials, for errors in these rules, for any human or electronic error, or for entries that are stolen, misdirected, garbled, delayed by computer transmissions, lost, late, damaged, or postage due.
TODAY reserves the right to terminate the entry period prior to its scheduled end date and to choose among entries received prior to the date of such termination.
Entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by the decisions of the voting viewers and judges, whose decisions are final. Failure to comply with these rules may result in disqualification from this contest. NBC reserves the right to permanently disqualify any person it believes has intentionally violated these rules, including but not limited to making any effort to undermine the integrity of the voting.
No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited or restricted by applicable federal or state laws and regulations.