CAMERON BANCROFT HOSTS, WITH ALL-STAR GUESTS JASON PRIESTLEY AND COLIN JAMES IN SERIES PREMIERE ON MARCH 29th.

Top communities vie for Kraft Hockeyville title and a live NHL Exhibition game. Hundreds of communities from across Canada are vying for the title. But which one best exemplifies the heart and soul of Canadian hockey spirit? The search for Canada's most spirited hockey town unfolds on Wednesday, March 29 at 8:00 p.m. on CBC Television as KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE debuts live from Kingston, Ontario.

Canadians young and old have gone to great lengths to claim the Kraft Hockeyville title and win the ultimate honour of hosting a live NHL exhibition game. From signing petitions, to hanging signs in store windows, to officially changing their town's name to Hockey B.C., to spelling out Hockeyville in bales of hay, communities have gone all out to demonstrate why their hometown best fits the equation of "Community Spirit + Hockey = Hockeyville". The winning community will also receive a $50,000 gift card from The Home Depot for upgrades to their local arena, and $10,000 in hockey equipment from CCM/Reebok. The four runners-up will also be awarded the $10,000 equipment prize.

The seven-part series will be hosted by Canadian actor and hockey enthusiast Cameron Bancroft. Each week, Bancroft, along with his regional co-hosts, will showcase communities from across Canada, sharing funny, heartwarming and touching stories from big cities to small rural towns. Bancroft's regional co-hosts include actor Marc Hickox (Atlantic region co-host); actor Mark Day (Northern region co-host); radio personality Colleen Rusholme (Central region co-host); comic actor Michaela Washburn (Western region co-host); and comedian Derek Thompson (Pacific co-host).

Hundreds of applications poured in between January to March 19 from communities in every province and territory. Episode one will announce and showcase the top communities that have made it through the initial round. These "teams" will go head-to-head in spirited competition throughout the series, and will be judged by a celebrity panel - featuring former NHL player Mike Bossy, Olympic medalist Catriona Le May Doan and Hayley Wickenheiser, a member of Canada's women's Olympic gold medal-winning hockey team - and the Canadian home audience.

Anchored live from Kingston, ON, the first show will also feature special guests musician Colin James, actor/director Jason Priestley, CBC's Ron MacLean and Don Cherry, comedian Ron James, Olympic medalist Danielle Goyette and hockey greats Ron Ellis, Yvan Cournoyer, and Troy Crowder.

Each show throughout the KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE series will be punctuated with engaging entertainment, including musical guests, comedians, celebrity cameos and stories from hockey moms and dads. At every stage, the competition is organized by the five Hockeyville regions: Atlantic; Central; West; Pacific; and North. Beginning in episode three, viewers will be able to vote for their favourite regional teams, helping determine which communities will make it to the next round.

The judges and the voting public will decide who is Kraft Hockeyville on Sunday, June 11 at 8 p.m. ET on CBC Television. The community that best demonstrates teamwork, passion and the true spirit and culture of hockey in the nation will be declared the winner.

For more information on CBC'S KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE visit www.cbc.ca/hockeyville.

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Kraft Foods

Kraft Foods is the world's second-largest food and beverage company. For more than 100 years, we've been dedicated to helping people around the world eat and live better. Hundreds of millions of times a day, in more than 155 countries, consumers reach for their favorite Kraft brands including Kraft cheeses and dinners, Nabob and Maxwell House coffees, Delissio pizzas, Oreo cookies, Ritz and Wheat Thins crackers and chips, Philadelphia cream cheese, Toblerone and Côte d'Or chocolates, Post cereals, and Kraft Peanut Butter. Kraft has also recently introduced a growing range of better-for-you Sensible Solution products.

CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. CBC/Radio-Canada reaches Canadians through eight national radio and television networks, its full-service Web sites, local/regional stations and affiliates, as well as the digital television channel Country Canada, and the continuous music network Galaxie. In addition, CBC/Radio-Canada has forged partnerships with other broadcasters and is a partner in The Documentary Channel and satellite radio through Sirius. Through this array of activities, CBC/Radio-Canada brings diverse regional and cultural perspectives into the daily lives of Canadians in English, French and eight aboriginal languages.

*Telecast schedule

KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE ON CBC TELEVISION 2006 TELECAST SCHEDULE

Episode 1 - Wednesday, March 29, 8 pm (1 hour)

Viewers meet the host -- actor Cameron Bancroft -- and regional co-hosts, and learn how communities compete over the weeks to earn the title of Kraft Hockeyville. Top teams are announced in this round. The show also highlights some of Canada's celebrated personalities -actor Jason Priestley, comedian Ron James and hockey greats Yvan Cournoyer, Ron Ellis, Danielle Goyette and Troy Crowder, along with CBC's Don Cherry and Ron MacLean -- as they share their own hockey experiences, along with a special appearance by musician Colin James. To advance to the next stage, communities must submit a two-minute video by April 9 highlighting why they should be considered for Kraft Hockeyville 2006.

Episode 2 - Wednesday, April 5, 8 pm (2 hours)

Viewers learn the fun, quirky and heartwarming stories that make up the fabric of Canada's most spirited communities in the running for the Hockeyville title. Special guests include Olympic medalists Vicky Sunohara and Jayna Hefford, and musicians Kim Stockwood and Wendell Ferguson.

Episode 3 - Wednesday, April 12, 8 pm (1 hour)

Community video submissions are highlighted throughout the show as judges, who include Hayley Wickenheiser, Catriona Le May Doan and Mike Bossy, choose the first set of 10 communities to advance to the next stage of the Hockeyville competition. Special guests include former NHLers Mike Gartner and Howie Meeker. Audience voting begins as viewers choose their top five communities from this week's regional finalists.

Episode 4 - Wednesday, April 19, 8 pm (1 hour)

Remaining community video submissions are featured as judges choose the second set of 10 communities to advance to the next stage of the Hockeyville competition. Audience voting continues to choose the viewers' top five communities, by region. The 25 communities that advance to the next stage (20 from judges and 5 total from viewers) must submit a one-minute endorsement video by May 26, featuring someone who is not on their team highlighting why that community should win the Kraft Hockeyville title.

Episode 5 - Tuesday, June 6, 8 pm (1 hour)

The competition heightens as endorsement videos are highlighted. Celebrity guests and co-hosts lead team projects in each community, where teams demonstrate their spirit and ability to pull together for a common goal. At the end of the episode, viewers and judges have the difficult task of narrowing the list of Canada's most passionate communities from 25 to 10.

Episode 6 - Friday, June 9, 8 pm (1 hour)

The Kraft Hockeyville competition continues as the Top Ten of Canada's most spirited hockey communities - two from each of the five Hockeyville regions -- are announced. Representatives from these finalists square off at Kraft Hockeyville's Hot Stove round-table grilling. Hockeyville judges narrow the list to the top five finalists, one from each region.

Episode 7 - Sunday, June 11, 8 pm ET LIVE (1 hour)

Kraft Hockeyville competition intensifies as five of Canada's most passionate hockey communities are profiled in a special live coverage finale show. The tension builds - until the Kraft Hockeyville winner is announced!

Supporting photography available at www.cbc.ca/imagegallery

For more information, please contact:

Netta Rondinelli or Shauna Simons

Media Profile: Tel: (416) 504-8464 or 1-888-504-8464

Email: / shauna@mediaprofile.com