IT�S THE PARTY OF THE YEAR�. ABC INVITES YOU TO �CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL: COUNTRY MUSIC�S BIGGEST PARTY�

Country Music�s Biggest Stars -- Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Hank Williams Jr., Wynonna and Many More -- Scheduled to Appear

Summer is about to get a little hotter when some of today�s biggest Country music sensations hit the Nashville stage in a four-day party and music celebration for the special, �CMA Music Festival: Country Music�s Biggest Party.� Filming June 8-11, the two-hour special will air MONDAY, JULY 24 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Scheduled to appear at the festival are Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Sugarland, Hank Williams Jr., Wynonna and many more still to be announced. This is the second time ABC will broadcast this special -- which invites the whole country to America�s biggest Country music bash -- since the original Fan Fair� was launched in 1972.

In addition to incredible, never before televised music performances, the special will capture the heart of the CMA Music Festival -- the unique bond between the Country music artists and their fans. Taped exclusively for the special, the cameras will follow the stories of several festival fans who will have their dreams come true when they are granted a surprise, once-in-a-lifetime meeting and personal encounter with their favorite Country music stars.

�At ABC we�re always looking to raise the bar in great music programming, and this year�s CMA Music Festival has it all: Red hot music performances, the most passionate fans and the most exciting Country music artists in the world, all with the non-stop festive backdrop of Nashville,� said Andrea Wong, executive vice president, Alternative Programming, Specials and Late-Night, ABC Entertainment. �We�re thrilled to present this unique and fun special to television viewers this summer.�

The annual music festival is unlike any other, with 40 hours of autograph signings by Country music�s biggest names and up-and-comers, 70 hours of concerts, more than 400 artists and celebrities, and a party list of 145,000 avid, singing and dancing-till-dawn fans.

�If you love great music, the high-wattage energy of a stadium concert and behind-the-scenes stories that will melt your heart and affirm everything that is wonderful about Country music, then this is the TV special for you,� said CMA Chief Operating Officer Tammy Genovese. �This is a celebration of America�s music on America�s favorite network, and it is not to be missed.�

�The fans and their relationship with the artists and their passion for the music is the cornerstone of the Festival,� said Genovese. �That relationship and our artists� ability to deliver an unbeatable stage performance is what sets this special apart. It is a terrific platform for reaching music enthusiasts with a front-row seat to some of today�s most dynamic entertainers.�

�CMA Music Festival: Country Music�s Biggest Party,� which is executive-produced by Robert Deaton and directed by Gary Halvorson, with air with Spanish subtitles via secondary closed captioning. The 2006 CMA Music Festival is organized and produced by the Country Music Association.

A TV parental guideline will be posted closer to airdate.