CMT'S HIT SERIES "THE SINGING BEE" RETURNS FOR A SECOND SEASON BEGINNING FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2010

NASHVILLE � November 17, 2009 � The buzz is back as CMT's hit series, THE SINGING BEE, returns for a second season beginning Friday, January 15 at 9:00 p.m., ET/PT. Hosted by Melissa Peterman, new weekly, one-hour episodes of THE SINGING BEE promise more laughs and excitement than ever before with new music selections and fierce competitors. Full episodes of the first season of THE SINGING BEE are available online at http://www.cmt.com/shows/series/singing_bee/episodes.jhtml.

Blending a mix of country music with popular favorites from other genres, THE SINGING BEE tests contestants' knowledge of lyrics to well-known songs and those who fail to accurately sing the correct lyrics are eliminated from the competition. Establishing itself as perfect family entertainment, THE SINGING BEE recently ended its original run on CMT and ranks as the network's highest-rated series of the year.

Peterman, who starred in the hit comedy, "Reba", is from Minneapolis, Minn. She has appeared on television in many shows including, "Rita Rocks," "Just Shoot Me," "Surviving Surburbia," the ABC pilot "Cedric," and the Fox pilot "Living with Abandon." Peterman has done voiceovers for "The Pitts" and "American Dad." She recently starred in the independent comedy feature, "Dirty Politics." Additionally, she opened for Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson on their "2 Worlds, 2 Voices" Tour. A familiar face on CMT, Peterman hosted the series CMT COMEDY STAGE and the special REDNECK DREAMS for the network. She is committed to many charities including Muhammad Ali's "Celebrity Fight Night," Habitat for Humanity, The Red Cross, and the non-profit Buzzworks Theatre Company.

THE SINGING BEE is produced by The Gurin Company and JUMA Entertainment. Executive Producers are Bob Horowitz and Phil Gurin. Co-Executive Producers are Lewis Fenton and Brennan Huntington. Claire McCabe along with Bob Kusbit and John Hamlin serve as executive producers for CMT.