Dr. Debbye Turner & Jill Rappaport to Join Analyst David Frei as Commentators for the 130th WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW

Dr. Debbye Turner & Jill Rappaport to Join Analyst David Frei as Commentators for the 130th WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW

Best in Show to Be Crowned at 130th WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW Presented by Pedigree(R), Live on USA Network February 13 and 14 at 8pm ET/PT

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- USA Network announced today that Dr. Debbye Turner and Jill Rappaport will join analyst David Frei as commentators for the 130th WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW. The foremost Dog Show in the world and the second longest continuously held sporting event in the United States (second only to the Kentucky Derby) barks its way into Madison Square Garden on Monday, February 13 and Tuesday, February 14. The announcement was made by Gordon Beck, senior vice president, USA Sports.

Bound to be one of the most exciting years ever, the 130th WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW welcomes CBS personality and veterinarian Dr. Debbye Turner ("The Early Show," Miss America 1990) along with long-time entertainment reporter and NBC personality Jill Rappaport ("The Today Show") to the broadcast, joining expert analyst David Frei (17th straight year on USA).

"We are very excited to have Debbye and Jill joining David this year," said Beck. "This creates an exciting combination of show dog expertise and television entertainment reporting, and these three personalities will make the 130th WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW an even better viewing experience this year."

The field this year will feature over 2,600 dogs representing 165 recognized breeds, competing for the ultimate title of Best in Show. The entered dogs hail from 48 different states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Canada. Leading the way with the most entries are California (277) and New York (249).

The judge for this year's Best in Show will be Mr. James G. Reynolds of Ottawa, Canada. There are 36 judges on the judging panel from 17 states, Canada and England.

This will be the 23rd consecutive year that USA Network has been the home of WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW. Last year's broadcast produced a strong two-night average rating of 2.9 among households that represented a 5% increase from the previous year.

USANetwork.com and westminsterkennelclub.org are teaming up to give fans unprecedented access to the 130th WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW. Streaming video of all Breed competitions, as well as the Junior Showmanship event, will be featured on the official website of Westminster, www.westminsterkennelclub.org. In addition, the USA Network website will have interactive games and activities for dog enthusiasts. Available on www.usanetwork.com/sports/westminsterdogshow/ will be a web game where your human personality will be matched to that of a dog's character; Valentine's Day greeting cards; and a scorecard to determine your choice for Best in Show (with scoring advice of expert David Frei).

For photos of previous WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW events, as well as all USA Network projects, please log on to the NBC Universal Media Village at http://www.nbcumv.com/.

The Westminster Kennel Club is America's oldest organization dedicated to the sport of purebred dogs. Established in 1877, Westminster's influence has been felt for more than a century through its famous all breed, benched dog show held every year at New York's Madison Square Garden. The show is America's second longest continuously held sporting event, behind only the Kentucky Derby. Westminster will stage its 130th consecutive show on February 13-14, 2006, nationally televised on USA Network. For additional information, log on to www.westminsterkennelclub.org.

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.

Contacts:
Brad Bernstein 212-664-4401 brad.bernstein@nbcuni.com
Tom Caraccioli 212-664-4288 tom.caraccioli@nbcuni.com
Farrah Hersh 212-664-4731 farrah.hersh@nbcuni.com

Source: USA Network

CONTACT: Brad Bernstein, +1-212-664-4401, brad.bernstein@nbcuni.com, or
Tom Caraccioli, +1-212-664-4288, tom.caraccioli@nbcuni.com, or Farrah Hersh,
+1-212-664-4731, farrah.hersh@nbcuni.com, all of USA Network

Web site: http://www.nbcumv.com/

Web site: http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/

Web site: http://www.usanetwork.com/sports/westminsterdogshow

Web site: http://www.usanetworks.com/

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