USA NETWORK'S NASHVILLE STAR ANNOUNCES STAR-STUDDED CELEBRITY LINEUP FOR SEASON FOUR AND EXPANDS SECOND EPISODE TO 90 MINUTES

Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Kenny Rogers, Sara Evans, Hank Williams Jr., WWE Wrestler John Cena, and Patti Labelle to Appear

NASHVILLE, TENN. -- March 21, 2006 -- NASHVILLE STAR, the nation's top-rated country music series, has blasted out of the gate in an all-new star-studded fashion with some of entertainment's biggest names for the fourth season of the hit talent search series, it was announced today by Jeff Wachtel, USA Network's executive vice president of alternative series & specials. Nashville Star airs Tuesdays on USA Network at 10:00 PM ET/9:00 PM CT.

"We really wanted to book performers and guest judges from varying backgrounds. We even have a pro wrestler joining us this year," explains Wachtel. "Big & Rich kicked off our premiere with unbridled energy and provided the contestants with a lot of great suggestions based on their own experiences in the industry. I think Nashville Star fans will find themselves more excited than ever as the season begins to unfold."

Episode two (March 21), themed "Redneck Revolution," has been increased to a 90 minute episode because producers felt the content to be so compelling. It will open with a live performance from Grammy-Award winning superstar Gretchen Wilson, while Larry the Cable Guy will provide some "Blue Collar Comedy" from the judges' table alongside show veterans Anastasia Brown and Phil Vassar. In the third week (March 28), American music legend Kenny Rogers will take the stage with a performance of his hit song "The Gambler" and WWE Champion John Cena will serve as the guest judge. Viewers of Episode four (April 4) will be treated to an opening performance by multi-platinum recording artist Sara Evans. In episode five (April 11), show host and five time Grammy-award winning superstar Wynonna Judd will perform, while multi-Grammy Award winning musician, producer and composer David Foster will guest judge. In the sixth episode (April 18), renowned R&B artist Patti Labelle will take the rotating judge position. In week seven (April 25), country music superstar Hank Williams, Jr. will open the show. The show finale (May 2) will be action-packed with performances by show co-host and "hick hop" originator Cowboy Troy, Arista Nashville singer/songwriter and show judge Phil Vassar, as well as a return performance by Muzikmafia's Big & Rich.

"We've got all our bases covered, from old country like Hank Williams, Jr. and Kenny Rogers to other music genres like R&B's Patti Labelle," says executive producer Jeff Boggs. "Our celebrity lineup is hotter than ever this year and our contestants are the most talented group yet. It will be addictive television."

NASHVILLE STAR is created by Reveille and executive produced by Ben Silverman ("The Biggest Loser," "The Office") and H.T. Owens ("The Restaurant," "30 Days"). Jeff Boggs will executive produce in association with Reveille again for the second year. The show is produced by Jon Small ("Garth Brooks Live From Central Park," "Billy Joel Live at Yankee Stadium") and his production company, Picture Vision, alongside co-executive producer Mark Koops ("The Restaurant," "Blow Out").

REVEILLE develops produces and distributes new and non-traditional programming formats for television and motion pictures across a variety of genres, including comedy, drama, game, and reality for American and international markets. In addition to selling television formats for independent producers such as NBC Universal Television Studios (USA Network, Sci Fi Channel), BBC Worldwide, Renegade and Princess Productions, Reveille sells its own produced program formats such as "The Restaurant" (NBC), "Blow Out" (Bravo) and "30 Days" (FX). Reveille also distributed the internationally renowned, award-winning "911" documentary and is a world leader in creating integrated marketing opportunities for leading advertisers, developing alternative financing paradigms and selling and distributing television formats in markets worldwide. Reveille has produced projects such as, "Coupling," "The Restaurant", "The Biggest Loser" and "The Office: An American Workplace" for NBC. Cable projects include "Blow Out" for Bravo, "The Club" on Spike, USA Network's "Nashville Star," the Morgan Spurlock project "30 Days" for FX Networks and MTV's "Date My Mom."

USA NETWORK is cable television's leading provider of original series and feature movies, sports events, off-net television shows, and blockbuster theatrical films. USA Network is seen in over 89 million U.S. homes. The USA Network Web site is located at www.usanetwork.com. USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, 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.