MTV’s Video Music Awards, at Radio City Music Hall on Aug. 31, will be seen and heard by more fans than ever before.

The show will be carried by its broadband Overdrive channel, MTV2, mtvU, the channel’s high-def channel MHD, international MTV World and Urge, the net’s digital music initiative with Microsoft.

The potential viewing audience could top 1.3 billion via MTV’s global network of 50 channels.

Jack Black is hosting the show, with planned performers Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Panic! at the Disco, The All-American Rejects, T.I., The Killers, Ludacris w/Pharrell and The Raconteurs.

We asked MTV President Christina Norman six questions in honor of the ’06 edition.

How will this year’s MTV Video Music Awards be different from all previous shows?
Aside from the number of multiple platforms carrying it to a larger potential audience than ever before, for the first time ever, voting for the General Category will be opened to all music fans online and not just a select group of industry and viewers, like you knuckleheads at HITS.

Will you make your entrance this year riding the back of a Harley with Tommy Lee? Heard Tommy’s Harley is out of gas from Pam, so we’re carpooling with Kid Rock.

With all the multiple platforms carrying the VMAs, how come I can’t receive the show through my teeth fillings? That’s funny, Lil Jon and Paul Wall can. You just need to subscribe to our new platform, MTV Grillz.

Will Jack Black be shot only from the waist up if he wears his Nacho Libre tights?
No. But if he puts on Madonna’s pink leotard with the tights we’re going straight to commercial.

If Mel Gibson’s agent called and said his client would like to read from the Torah on the show, what would you say? Mazel tov.

Will you seat Tom Freston and Les Moonves next to each other in the audience?
We already ran out of tickets, so we had to put them in the mosh pit with Sumner.