Oxygen Network Issues America's Hot Musician TV Show a Cease-and- Desist Letter Effectively Canceling the Show's Debut on the Network

In a bizarre turn of events, American Youth Symphony (AYS), producers of America's Hot Musician www.americashotmusician.org, have been issued a Cease-and-Desist Letter prohibiting the show from associating with it, the trade name The Oxygen Network, the very network the show is set to air its July 7th debut on.

Washington, DC (PRWEB) June 11,2007 -- In a bizarre turn of events, American Youth Symphony (AYS), producers of America's Hot Musician www.americashotmusician.org, have been issued a Cease-and-Desist Letter prohibiting the show from associating with it, the trade name The Oxygen Network, the very network the show is set to air its July 7th debut on.

The letter dated June 1, 2007 states in part that Oxygen "recently learned that American Youth Symphony began advertising that the AMERICA'S HOT MUSICIAN program is coming to the THE OXYGEN NETWORK on July 7, 2007."

The letter goes on to demand that "AMERICAN YOUTH SYMPHONY immediately cease and desist in its use of THE OXYGEN NETWORK....on press materials..." (To view the complete Cease and Desist letter and the American Youth Symphony response please click on www.americashotmusician.org/CeaseDesist.html )

However, American Youth Symphony who claims that the network not only knew of the usage as far back as February 2007, but that the network helped to facilitate the inevitable usage of the The Oxygen Network trade name when it booked the paid time slot for the show.

"This development obviously frustrates our ability to air the debut of the show on Oxygen because we cannot list the show in TV Guide, conduct needed PR for the debut nor sell advertising to vendors. What are we supposed to say, America's Hot Musician debuts in TV limbo land?," says Gregory Charles Royal, AYS Artistic Director and creator of the show.

AYS was particularly taken aback when it received the letter, it claims on June 10th, because Royal had just met in New York on June 8th with an Oxygen development executive, to drop off a rough cut of the first episode and to discuss an alternate time slot for the program where according to Royal, there was no mention of the situation. As peculiar is that according to records, the letter was issued a day following full payment to the network for the July 7th time slot.

"We feel very disappointed in the manner in which these events have transpired, particularily because kids from all across America who are truly excited about the mission of the show have already come to Washington, DC to begin taping," says Susan Veres, AYS Executive Director.

The purpose of the show is to promote instrumental music within the MTV/Hip Hop generation.

AYS says the show, however, will debut in the first week of July. They are currently negotiating with DirecTV for a weekday time slot and will initiate an emergency campaign to offer the show as a nationally syndicated barter with a weekly satellite uplink.

The trick will be keeping current advertisers and luring new ones amidst the show's uncertain schedule.

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