Food Network's Super Chef Battle: An Iron Chef America Event and HGTV Dream Home 2010 Tour to Get Special Encore Airing on Local Stations

NEW YORK, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Food Network and HGTV are teaming up with two local TV stations, WPIX-TV in New York and WTXX-TV in Hartford, Conn., to bring Cablevision subscribers the chance to view two encore presentations from the popular lifestyle networks' blockbuster New Year's weekend programs.

Viewers in the New York Tri-State area will be able to see the unprecedented culinary competition Super Chef Battle: An Iron Chef America Event in a special, one-time airing on Sunday, January 10th from 8-10pm ET on WPIX-TV (New York's Channel 11) and on WTXX-TV (Hartford's Channel 20). The special episode, which premiered on Food Network on January 3rd, stars Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Emeril Lagasse and White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford in an unprecedented culinary competition.

HGTV fans will also see HGTV Dream Home 2010 Tour in a special one-time airing on Friday, January 8 at 3pm on WPIX.

"We have the greatest fans in the world," said Brooke Johnson, president of Food Network. "Nobody likes the situation, with Cablevision customers being the only viewers in the country who can't watch our networks as we introduce a number of new special and series in January. These encore presentations are just a small way to say 'thank you' for their support and understanding while we do everything we can to get our networks back on Cablevision."

In Super Chef Battle, Iron Chef America commentator Alton Brown explains that the Chairman has sent the three Food Network chefs to Washington, D.C. for a very special battle and introduces Chef Cristeta Comerford, who will also take part in the competition. The group is then greeted by Michelle Obama, who explains that the chefs will be allowed to use anything found in The White House Kitchen Garden to help them create their meals. After receiving their challenge, the chefs are split into two teams: Flay and Comerford versus Batali and Lagasse. The chefs immediately head to the garden where they are tasked with harvesting their ingredients. Then it's off to Kitchen Stadium where the battle begins. Each team must produce five dishes that showcase the ingredients they selected from the garden and that represent the ultimate American meal. The judges include: chef and best-selling cookbook author Nigella Lawson; Olympic gold medalist Natalie Coughlin; and actress, author and designer Jane Seymour. Ted Allen (Chopped) assists as a guest floor reporter. Iron Chef America is produced by Triage Entertainment.

Installed in the spring of 2009 under the Obama Administration, The White House Kitchen Garden measures approximately 1100 square feet and is located on the west side of the South Lawn. The four-season herb, fruit and vegetable garden features 75 varieties of seeds planted in slightly raised beds using succession planting methods. Cultivated by White House staff and volunteers, produce from the garden and honey from the adjacent beehives are available to the White House Chefs for preparing meals for the First Family and for official functions, and all extra food is donated to Miriam's Kitchen, a soup kitchen near the White House.

In the HGTV Dream Home 2010 Tour, viewers will see the new, contemporary Pueblo-style home, as enchanting as its southwestern location near Santa Fe, New Mexico. The HGTV Dream Home 2010 is part of a $2 million grand-prize package that includes a 2010 GMC Terrain and $500,000 that will be awarded to one lucky viewer in March.

FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network and Web site that strives to be way more than cooking. The network is committed to exploring new and different ways to approach food - through pop culture, competition, adventure, and travel - while also expanding its repertoire of technique-based information. Food Network is distributed to more than 98 million U.S. households and averages more than 9 million unique Web site users monthly. HGTV (www.HGTV.com) is America's leader in home and lifestyle programming, HGTV is distributed to more than 98 million U.S. households and is one of cable's top-rated networks. The network's companion website, HGTV.com, is the nation's leading online home and garden destination, attracting an average of 5 million unique visitors per month. Both Food Network and HGTV have branded programming airing in more than 150 million homes.

Owned by Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), Food Network is headquartered in New York, while HGTV operates out of Knoxville, Tenn. Scripps Networks Interactive also owns Travel Channel, DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Great American Country (www.gactv.com) and Fine Living Network (www.fineliving.com).

ABOUT PIX 11

Founded in 1948 and owned by Tribune Broadcasting, a division of the Tribune Company, WPIX-TV has long been regarded as a groundbreaking station in New York. In September 2006, WPIX became the flagship station of the CW Television Network, and its successful primetime programming, award winning news, extensive library of hit movies, first-run programs, off-network sitcom favorites, quality children's programming and public affairs shows, as well as outstanding event coverage, have contributed to the station's success. WPIX has earned over 170 Emmy Awards, including two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Morning News Program and multiple Emmy Awards for Outstanding Newscast. The station has been honored with numerous other awards for excellence in reporting, news coverage, public affairs, specials and features. In addition, WPIX has been the official home of the New York Mets since 1999. For more information, please visit wpix.com.

ABOUT TXX 20

WTXX-TV is owned by Tribune Broadcasting, a division of the Tribune Company, and is an affiliate of the CW Network in Hartford, CT. For more information, please visit wtxx.com.

SOURCE Scripps Networks