ION TELEVISION ANNOUNCES GRAMMY-NOMINATED SAXOPHONIST DAVE KOZ AS BANDLEADER FOR NEW ORIGINAL SERIES, "THE EMERIL LAGASSE SHOW"

NEW PREMIERE DATE SCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY, APRIL 18

Emeril Lagasse Welcomes Celebrity Guests and Musicians On Variety Show Filled with Celebration and Cuisine

New York, NY - March 8, 2010 - Emeril Lagasse is ready to show viewers that there's more to him than - BAM! Today, ION Television announces that Grammy-nominated saxophonist Dave Koz has been named the bandleader for its first original non-scripted series, "The Emeril Lagasse Show." Viewers will feel like part of the celebration as they are welcomed to join Emeril's home-like set each week. Emeril, with the help of his band, led by Dave Koz, will welcome celebrity guests and musicians to break news and break bread as he shares his world, his friends and his passion for food with the studio and home audience.

The new weekly, entertainment television show featuring celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse will premiere on Sunday, April 18, at 8:00 PM, ET. The one-hour variety show combines Emeril's love of food, entertaining, music and fun as he gives new meaning to the term, "let the good times roll."

"The pairing of Dave Koz as bandleader with Emeril Lagasse reinforces the fun and vibrant energy this show will deliver each week," said �The Emeril Lagasse Show' Executive Producer Karen Katz. "This is a wonderful opportunity to show the many sides of Emeril Lagasse. He is not only America's adored chef, but also a master showman, musician and host, who is now introducing viewers to more than just food. What we'd like audiences to see is that some of the best and happiest times take place in our own living rooms, where food, friends and music set the stage for great fun. Having world-class musician Dave Koz as our bandleader will jazz up the festivities that much more."

Every episode of "The Emeril Lagasse Show" will feature a themed-celebration, with the series' premiere to kick off with a proper "Housewarming Party," where some of Emeril's special friends and new neighbors will drop by to welcome him to the neighborhood. Other themes will include "Sports Night," in which Emeril throws a big tailgater on the set with one of America's favorite sports heroes; "Now That's Italian" features a world renowned Italian chef who stops by for an Italian cooking duel with Emeril; "Heartland/Country" celebrates the music and food of our nation's heartland with one of Nashville's favorite music stars; "Family Show" welcomes kids and all things family, including Emeril's son E.J., who cooks up his own signature dish; and "Emeril's Favorite Things" lets fans get up close and personal with our host.

Six-time Grammy nominee Dave Koz (www.davekoz.com) has established himself as a multi-platinum artist, humanitarian, entrepreneur, radio host and instrumental music advocate, and was recently honored with a sidewalk star on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame. He has played with musical luminaries including Burt Bacharach, Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Celine Dion, Kenny Loggins, U2, Luther Vandross and Rod Stewart. His body of best-selling work, most on the Capitol Records label, includes the gold-certified Lucky Man; The Dance, which spawned five Top 5 contemporary jazz hits; Saxophonic, which produced four more singles hits and garnered two Grammy nominations; the Grammy-nominated At the Movies; and Dave Koz-Greatest Hits, a retrospective collection of his smash singles.

Koz serves as a radio personality on both the Smooth Jazz Radio Network and serves as host of the Dave Koz Radio Show, which is nationally syndicated nationwide. The founder of Rendezvous Entertainment, Koz also works with the Starlight Children's Foundation, the Grammy Foundation Artists Committee as well as with NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences) and the board of Governors of the Grammy Foundation.

National TV personality Chef Emeril Lagasse is the chef/proprietor of thirteen restaurants across the country. Emeril (www.emerils.com) is the best-selling author of fourteen cookbooks including his latest, Emeril 20-40-60: Fresh Food Fast. In September 2002, Emeril established the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to support and encourage culinary arts and education programs for children. As of November 2009, Emeril Lagasse Foundation has given over $3.2 million to children's causes in New Orleans and on the Gulf Coast.

About ION Television

ION Television (www.iontelevision.com) is a general entertainment network which reaches over 97 million U.S. television households via its nationwide broadcast television, cable and satellite distribution systems. Launched in 2006, ION Television features popular TV series and movies from the award-winning libraries of CBS Television, NBC Universal, Twentieth Television and Warner Bros. Parent company, ION Media Networks, Inc., owns and operates the nation's largest broadcast television station group. Using its digital multicasting capability, ION Media Networks has launched the digital TV brands qubo, a channel for children focusing on literacy and values, and ION Life, a channel dedicated to active living and personal growth. It also has launched Open Mobile Ventures Corporation (OMVION), a business unit focused on the research and development of portable, mobile and out-of-home transmission technology using over-the-air digital television spectrum. For more information, visit www.ionmedia.com.