James Denton to Host 2006 Miss America Pageant Live From Las Vegas, Saturday, January 21 on CMT

James Denton to Host 2006 Miss America Pageant Live From Las Vegas, Saturday, January 21 on CMT

Denton Also Signs Development Deal With CMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- "Desperate Housewives" star James Denton will host the 2006 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT live from the Aladdin Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, January 21 at 8:00-10:00 PM, ET* on CMT. In addition, Denton has signed a first look development deal with CMT effective immediately.

In a joint statement, Paul Villadolid, vice president, programming and development, CMT; and Art McMaster, president and CEO of the Miss America Organization note, "We're thrilled to have James onboard, as he's a fantastic choice to host the 2006 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT. As a star on TV's hottest show, he brings excitement and class to the pageant, not to mention the added thrill our contestants will have sharing the stage with him."

Villadolid adds, "Moreover, James has a deep understanding of the CMT audience. So the opportunity to develop original shows with James as a producer is a great bonus for us."

"I'm happy to be taking part in Miss America's transition," says Denton. "CMT is a very progressive leader in cable television and I am excited about the pageant being the start of my ongoing relationship with the network. I plan to develop projects with CMT that continue to convey the all American sensibilities with which both the pageant and network were founded."

Perhaps best known for his role as Mike Delfino on the hit ABC series, "Desperate Housewives," Nashville native James Denton began his acting career in the theater and found acclaim in Chicago as a member of The Griffin Theater and The Strawdog Theater Ensemble in such plays as "A Street Car Named Desire." His television credits include "The Pretender," "Philly" and "Threat Matrix," and his film credits include "Primary Colors," "Face/Off" and "That Old Feeling."

Over the past two years, CMT has experienced record growth with 2005 poised to surpass last year as CMT's most-watched year ever. Known for its dedication to music, CMT is America's most popular country music network reaching more than 77.8 million households. In addition to world premiere videos, live concerts and events by established country music artists and new cutting-edge acts, CMT also produces original entertainment programming and specials. CMT is owned and operated by MTV Networks. Log on to country music's biggest website at www.cmt.com.

The Miss America Organization is one of the nation's leading achievement programs and the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. Last year, the Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance. For more information, go to www.missamerica.org. Tickets for the 2006 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT at Aladdin Resort & Casino are available at all Ticketmaster outlets beginning Saturday, November 26 and at www.ticketmaster.com.

*The 2006 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT will air live at 8 p.m. Eastern; 7 p.m. Central; and will be tape delayed to air at 8 p.m. Pacific; and 9 p.m. Mountain.

Source: CMT

CONTACT: Nicole Pope of CMT, +1-615-335-8406, or nicole.pope@cmt.com; or
Jenni Glenn of the Miss America Organization, +1-609-345-7571, ext. 17, or
jenni@missamerica.org; or Susan Madore for James Denton, +1-310-246-4600, or
madoresue@aol.com

Web site: http://www.cmt.com/
http://www.missamerica.org/
http://www.ticketmaster.com/

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