'Community Auditions' Stars on Verizon's FiOS TV

BOSTON - "Star of the day, who will it be?"

FiOS TV subscribers who grew up in New England may remember that catchy phrase as the theme song of "Community Auditions," the longest-running entertainment television show in history. Now it's back, better then ever.

The Boston-based talent show, which was one of New England's most popular TV shows and a forerunner of today's popular national TV talent shows, is the first featured entertainment programming on Verizon's new FiOS1 Local Zone video-on-demand channel.  Eight "Community Auditions" programs - six from the two most recent seasons and two classic shows - are now available to view.

FiOS1 Local Zone will feature New England-based TV programming - including news, sports and entertainment - for FiOS TV subscribers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. (Subscribers can find FiOS1 Local Zone by clicking the On Demand button on their remote, then scrolling to FiOS1 Local Zone or by typing in "Local Zone" on the search bar.)

Each Sunday morning for 37 continuous years ending in 1987, "Community Auditions" provided viewers with song, dance, magic tricks, comedy routines and laughs, both intentional and otherwise. Although "Gunsmoke" may have been the longest-running network TV show, "Community Auditions" topped that record by 17 years. In spring 2007, after a 20-year hiatus, the show returned as "Community Auditions: Star of the Day."

"We are thrilled to be able to offer 'Community Auditions: Star of the Day' to our customers," said Ellen Corcoran, Verizon senior vice president of marketing, Northeast region. "Folks who grew up in New England loved the show and now are going to be able to fall in love all over again."

Chuck Armstrong, president of Armstrong Interactive Inc., producer of "Community Auditions," said: "It's a thrill to have 'Community Auditions' as the inaugural programming for FiOS1 Local Zone. 'Community Auditions' continues to be the quintessential local talent show for New England, and it's great entertainment for the entire family. It's a perfect fit for the new FiOS TV channel."

FiOS1 Local Zone carries the recent finals and championship from the new edition of "Community Auditions," as well as shows from years past. Those vintage shows include performances from contestants who have gone on to become celebrities, including comedian Sarah Silverman, who hails from New Hampshire; and actor Scott Grimes of the TV show "ER," who grew up in Dracut, Mass.

Viewers of FiOS1 Local Zone can watch performances by the recent grand champion winner - Danny McClain of Cambridge, a graduate of the Berklee College of Music - and the other three finalists: Anna Lawrence of Arlington, a student at the Manhattan School of Music; Jason Paulino of Hudson; and Carissa Scudieri of Wakefield, also a student at Berklee.

Videos and photos of the finalists can be found on YouTube as follows:

Danny McClain:
Dave Maynard Grand Champion winner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P6vSKIpBDc

Anna Lawrence:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KB4qXiRBgU

Jason Paulino:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NojkjPA_UrQ

Carissa Scudieri:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ8oOETDF_M

All four singers will repeat their championship performances on April 25 at the Square One Mall in Saugus, and on May 2 at the South Shore Plaza in Braintree.

FiOS TV is delivered on Verizon's 100 percent fiber network, the only network that brings fiber all the way to a customer's home. Verizon's FiOS TV offers a better TV signal, more channels, more high-definition programming, including 105 HD channels and more than 1,400 video-on-demand titles each month. It is available in more than 90 communities in Massachusetts and 12 communities in Rhode Island.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 80 million customers nationwide.  Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 224,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $97 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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