The Search is on for America's Next Country Music Star as USA Network's NASHVILLE STAR Returns for Its Highly-Anticipated Fourth Season

The Search is on for America's Next Country Music Star as USA Network's NASHVILLE STAR Returns for Its Highly-Anticipated Fourth Season

Nationwide Local Market Auditions Kick-off in Los Angeles on October 21st Season 4 to Premiere in March 2006

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- NASHVILLE STAR, USA Network's original grassroots talent search to find America's next great country music star and the nation's top-rated country music program, will give another talented and deserving artist their big break when the show returns for its fourth season, it was announced today by Jeff Wachtel, USA's executive vice president of original programming.

"NASHVILLE STAR works because it showcases the best untapped musical talent on television," explains Wachtel. "One thing we've learned over the past three seasons is that there's an incredible pool of talented performers whose voices have yet to be heard."

"I had been in Nashville for a decade writing songs," says first season winner Buddy Jewell. "NASHVILLE STAR landed me a record deal and gave me the opportunity to perform my own songs on the show in front of millions of Americans each week -- with fan reactions via email and through my website. It would have taken me years to get that sort of dedicated fan base without the support of those people who followed the show," says Jewell.

NASHVILLE STAR will launch a national casting tour beginning at the Saddle Ranch Chop House in Universal City, Los Angeles, on October 21 from 12:00- 6:00pm and continuing on to 16 cities across America including Chicago, Dallas, DC, Portland, Atlanta and Las Vegas.

CASTING TOUR SCHEDULE

October 21 Los Angeles, CA October 29 Chicago, IL October 29 Morgantown, WV October 29 Phoenix, AZ October 29 Oklahoma City, OK November 5 Dallas, TX November 5 Lincoln, NE November 5 Raleigh, NC November 5 Tampa, FL November 12 Portland, OR November 12 Washington, DC November 12 Pittsburgh, PA November 12 Atlanta, GA November 18 Nashville, TN November 21 Indianapolis, IN November 30 Houston, TX December 8 Las Vegas, NV

How it works: 1. Those auditioning will have one minute to perform a song off an approved song list. 2. A select few of the most talented will be invited back the next day for a chance to sing either two (2) cover songs from the approved song list or one (1) song off the list and one (1) original song. 3. The top contestants then proceed to one of two regional competitions to again audition for a chance to appear on the show.

The auditions are open to women and men, ages 18 and over (as of January 1, 2006), who think they have what it takes to become the next NASHVILLE STAR. Updated information on auditions including cities, locations and times, song lists and applications can be found on http://www.usanetwork.com/nashvillestar/.

As in the past, the winner of this season's NASHVILLE STAR will receive a major music recording contract with a top-level record label. But even runners-up come away with something most country music artists work years to achieve. "Nashville Star was like a ten-week audition in front of every record label VIP in Nashville and country music fans across the country," says season one runner-up Miranda Lambert.

The first three seasons of the series have launched the careers of promising artists including Jewell, Lambert and 2005's Erika Jo. Jewell debuted his self-titled CD at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and was eventually certified gold by the RIAA. Runner-up Miranda Lambert became a household name when her "Kerosene" became the highest-selling debut album of 2005. She is currently a front-runner for CMA's Horizon Award honoring new talent. Erika Jo, the most recent NASHVILLE STAR, landed at No. 5 on the same chart with her self-titled debut CD and at No. 27 on the Hot 200 Album Chart (all genres), outselling Kenny Chesney, Gretchen Wilson, Big & Rich, Tim McGraw and Shania Twain, among others.

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. 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 http://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.

Source: USA Network

CONTACT: Kristin Schulman, +1-212-413-5222, kristin.schulman@nbcuni.com, or Tom Caraccioli, +1-212-664-4288, tom.caraccioli@nbcuni.com, or Kathy Best, +1-615-383-0412, kathy@frontpagepublicity.com, or Mary Hilliard Harrington, +1-615-383-0412, maryhilliard@frontpagepublicity.com, all of USA Network

Web site: http://www.usanetwork.com/ http://www.usanetwork.com/nashvillestar

------- Profile: Ent