Mark Steines of Entertainment Tonight to Host 2008 Miss America Live! Event

- 2008 MISS AMERICA LIVE - Broadcast for the First Time in High Definition - Airs Saturday, January 26, on TLC -

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 17 -- The Miss America Organization and TLC announced today that Entertainment Tonight co-anchor and correspondent Mark Steines will host the 2008 Miss America Live! airing from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, January 26 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed). The two-hour HD event airs as the finale to MISS AMERICA: REALITY CHECK, a four-part special designed to prep the 52 hopefuls for a renewed competition that will redefine what it takes to be Miss America, a relatable "it girl" who can connect with today's modern woman.

From small town Iowa to the red carpets of Hollywood, Emmy-winning journalist Mark Steines has established himself as one of the most trusted and charismatic figures in entertainment news today with his sincerity and signature charm.

Art McMaster, President and CEO for the Miss America Organization stated, "Mark is the perfect choice to host our event. We know that his dedication and commitment to the Miss America program will shine through, and given the fact that Mark is married to one of our most beloved Miss America's, Leanza Cornett, he already offers a great appreciation for the show."

"Mark has been at the forefront of television entertainment news for over a decade, interviewing some of Hollywood's biggest names," says Brant Pinvidic, senior vice president of programming for TLC. It's only natural that he would host one of television's biggest events featuring America's next generation of celebrities."

Steines has garnered numerous journalistic honors and accolades, such as four Emmy nominations resulting in three Emmy wins. He was awarded with a National Iris Award for outstanding reporting and garnered national recognition by the Women's Sports Foundation. Steines was also named one of People Magazine's "Sexist Men in 2004."

Also an actor, Steines has appeared on such television shows as "CSI: NY," "Half & Half," "America's Next Top Model", "Suddenly Susan" and "The Practice" as well as in Sony Pictures NIXON, among others. He recently lent his voice to the hit Disney Channel cartoon "Handy Manny" opposite Wilmer Valderrama, and has performed on stage in an Alhambra Theater production of "Barefoot in the Park."

The Miss America Organization and TLC have teamed Grammy Award-winning producer Anthony Eaton and Emmy Award-winning director Bruce Gowers to helm the 2008 Miss America Live! event.

About TLC

TLC's innovative hit series include perennial fashion favorite What Not to Wear; Little People Big World, now in its third season; Miami Ink and the spin-off LA Ink. The channel defined home design with Trading Spaces and continues to reinvent the genre with Property Ladder, Flip That House and Moving Up. TLC's daytime lineup includes the Emmy Award-winning A Baby Story as well as Take Home Chef, featuring one of People Magazine's Sexiest Men, Curtis Stone. The channel is available in more than 93 million homes in the US, nearly 8 million homes in Canada and through the website at http://www.tlc.com. TLC is part of Discovery Communications which is owned by Discovery Holding Co. (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder and chairman.

About Miss America

The Miss America Pageant -- and the scholarship program itself -- is among the most enduring endeavors in modern American history. From its humble beginnings as a "bathing beauty" contest in the 1920s, the Miss America Organization today 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, helping young women all across the country to reach their dreams and goals. For more information, go to http://www.missamerica.org.

SOURCE TLC
http://www.tlc.com http://www.missamerica.org