"DICK CLARK'S NEW YEAR'S ROCKIN' EVE WITH RYAN SEACREST 2009" AIRS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31 LIVE ON ABC

Fergie Will Host West Coast Party and Perform; Kellie Pickler is Times Square Correspondent

For the 37th consecutive year, "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2009" will lead America into the New Year when Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest host specials starting at 10:00 p.m., ET, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31 on the ABC Television Network.

Singer/songwriter Fergie returns to perform and host the West Coast party portions of the specials, and for the first time country star Kellie Pickler will be the Times Square correspondent, reporting on other happenings in and around New York City. This year will include performances from both New York and Hollywood, and the American tradition of Dick Clark counting down to midnight will once again take place during the three-and-a-half hours of specials from Times Square in New York City.

The festivities will kick off with "Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2009" from10:00-11:00 p.m., ET, featuring performances live from New York's Times Square.

During "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2009, Part 1" (11:35 p.m. - 1:05 a.m., ET), in addition to reporting on the final minutes of 2008 and the traditional Times Square countdown to midnight, the show will feature music performances from both Hollywood, California and Times Square in New York.

Wrapping the night's activities will be "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2009, Part 2" (1:05-2:05 a.m., ET), when musical acts will continue the party into the early hours of the New Year with additional performances from Hollywood.

Multi-platinum, three-time Grammy award-winning, international superstar Fergie, who joined The Black Eyed Peas in 2002, released her solo debut, "The Dutchess," in 2006. "The Dutchess," which spent an astounding 94 weeks on the Billboard 200 albums chart, sold over 6 million copies worldwide and achieved triple-platinum status in the United States. Its success was propelled by the hit singles "London Bridge," "Fergalicious" (#1), "Glamorous" (#1), "Big Girls Don't Cry" (#1), "Clumsy (#2)" and "Finally." Fergie is the first artist since Christina Aguilera (in 2000) to score three #1s from one album.

Singer/songwriter Kellie Pickler continues to entertain us since her debut on "American Idol" in 2006. Her first album sold more than 800,000 copies, and she made history with her self-titled, sophomore album upon its release in October this year, when she became only the sixth country artist to have her first two albums debut at #1 on the Billboard Country Album Chart. The multi-nominated and awarded Pickler's current single is "Best Days of Your Life," which she wrote her friend and fellow artist, Taylor Swift.

"New Year's Eve with Dick and Ryan is a time honored tradition and all of us at dcp and ABC are delighted that Fergie will once again host our West Coast event, and thrilled that Kellie Pickler will be amidst the revelry and party goers at Times Square," said Orly Adelson, president of dick clark productions.

The specials are presentations of dick clark productions, Inc. Executive producers are Dick Clark, Ryan Seacrest and Orly Adelson. Larry Klein produces.