Posted: March 14, 2006

Athletics: Great American Country Joins Country Music Marathon & Half-Marathon as Presenting Sponsor of Post-Race Concert

Phil Vassar Returns as Headliner for Post-Race Concert

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 14, 2006) - Great American Country (GAC), the popular 24-hour country music video network, has joined the Country Music Marathon & ˝ Marathon as a presenting sponsor of the post-race concert for the seventh annual race on April 29, 2006, race organizers announced. The concert this year features an encore performance by country music sensation and Nashville native Phil Vassar.

GAC is currently distributed throughout the United States via cable and satellite television services. The television network was launched in 1995 and reaches nearly 40 million subscribers nationwide. GAC targets the growing number of 25-54-year-old cable viewers who love country music, nicely complementing the Country Music Marathon & ˝ Marathon that expects to welcome more than 23,000 runners and walkers on race day.

"We are extremely excited to have GAC on board as the presenting sponsor of the post-race concert," said Adam Zocks, General Manager of the Country Music Marathon & ˝ Marathon. "The promotion that GAC will provide for the Marathon and the concert will enhance our marketing efforts and bring the event to a national television audience on a year round basis."

In addition to Vassar as the headliner, the final three contestants from the hit television program Nashville Star will open the post-race concert. For the country music hopefuls, who will have advanced through weeks of rigorous competition, it will be the first performance outside the show's studio. As one of the judges for the 2006 edition of Nashville Star, It could be said Vassar is actively involved with selecting his own opening act.

The Country Music Marathon & ˝ Marathon features more than 50 bands and 25 cheer squads providing entertainment and enthusiasm along the 26.2 and 13.1-mile courses. All race participants receive an official race T-shirt, goodie bag, finisher medal and a complimentary ticket to the post-race concert at the Gaylord Entertainment Center. Past headliners include Kenny Rogers, Brad Paisley, Diamond Rio, Jo Dee Messina and Martina McBride.

Tickets for the concert will be sold to the public for $20.00 and will go on sale March 23, 2006. Tickets can be purchased through TicketMaster charge-by-phone at 615/255-9600 or at www.ticketmaster.com or through the Arena Box Office.

For more information on the Country Music Marathon & ˝ Marathon or to register online visit www.CMMarathon.com or call 615/742-1660.

The Country Music Marathon & ˝ Marathon is produced by Elite Racing, Inc. The annual event will attract over 20,000 runners and 100,000 spectators and will benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society , which has raised over $12 million in its six-year history with the Nashville-based event. In addition, the race receives extensive national, regional and local media coverage and will be taped to broadcast nationally on FSN and regionally on Comcast Sports Southeast.

About Great American Country
Great American Country, seen in almost 40 million U.S. households, represents a growing Scripps presence in Tennessee. In addition to Scripps Networks' headquarters in Knoxville, Scripps also owns and operates the television retailer Shop At Home in Nashville as well as two of the state's major daily newspapers, The Commercial Appeal in Memphis and The News Sentinel in Knoxville. The company also maintains its IT enterprise group in Tennessee. Scripps employs about 2,500 people in the state.

About Great American Country and Scripps Networks
GAC is a property of Scripps Networks, which is headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, and Nashville, Scripps Networks is the leading developer of lifestyle-oriented content for television and the Internet, including Home & Garden Television (HGTV), Food Network, DIY Network, FINE LIVING and electronic retailer Shop At Home. Scripps Networks is owned by The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE:SSP), a diverse media concern with interests in newspaper publishing, broadcast television, national television networks, interactive media, and television retailing. Scripps operates 21 daily newspapers, 10 broadcast TV stations, Scripps Howard News Service, United Media and Shopzilla.com.

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