USA Network To Celebrate America's Innovators In A First-Ever Character Approved One-Hour Telecast

The special, Character Approved: Honoring 12 Cultural Trailblazers to Premiere on Tuesday, March 8, 11/10c Immediately Following the Season Two Finale of WHITE COLLAR

Acclaimed Documentarian Phil Griffin to Direct

USA Network announced  the airing of the inaugural Character Approved Awards telecast on Tuesday, March 8 at 11/10c immediately following the season two finale of the hit original series WHITE COLLAR. The one-hour special, CHARACTER APPROVED: HONORING 12 CULTURAL TRAILBLAZERS, features exclusive interviews with twelve real "characters" who are changing the face of American culture.

For the third year, the Character Approved Awards will pay tribute to the honorees who are chosen from a cross-section of creative disciplines: architecture, art, design, fashion, film, food, music, social good, technology, theatre and writing. The special, directed by documentarian Phil Griffin ("When We Were Beautiful," "Britney: For The Record"), will feature each honoree articulating their unique vision, influences and inspiration while illustrating a journey that sets them apart as cultural trailblazers.

The special highlights USA's commitment to providing a national platform for important cultural influencers by introducing them to a broad audience and creating a collective dialogue around their ideas. Honorees will be announced later this week. The announcement was made by Chris McCumber, USA's executive vice president, marketing, digital and brand strategy.

"USA is taking the Character Approved Awards to the next level with our first ever on-air special, coming out of the much talked about finale of one of the hottest shows on television, WHITE COLLAR," said McCumber. "We welcome the twelve honorees to the network's strong roster of characters."

In addition to the telecast, USA will create a digital Character Approved hub at characterapproved.usanetwork.com that will include information on each honoree's past, current and upcoming projects along with exclusive editorial and creative content. Honorees will also be featured on the Character Approved Blog (characterblog.com), a unique digital platform through which people learn, share and voice their opinions 24/7, 365 days per year about the latest and greatest in cultural trends.

Established in 2009, USA's Character Approved Awards is a real-life extension of the philosophy that has made USA the #1 cable network: a commitment to innovative, surprising, inclusive, buzz-worthy and character-driven content. Each honoree is a character in his/her own right, with a distinct voice, personality and style.

The telecast comprises original, exclusive footage shot expressly for the special and allows USA to showcase the Character Approved honorees and share their stories with a broader audience. The special is part of USA's ongoing Character Approved cultural initiative dedicated to the people, places and things that are transforming American culture. For more information on Character Approved, visit characterapproved.usanetwork.com.