CMT RADIO NETWORK AND WESTWOOD ONE ANNOUNCE NEW WEEKLY RADIO PROGRAM, “CMT RADIO INSIDER”
09/05/06
Lance Smith and WUSN Chicago’s Lisa Dent, To Host Weekly One-hour
Entertainment News Program Beginning September 9
NASHVILLE – September 5, 2006 – CMT Radio Network and Westwood One have announced CMT RADIO INSIDER, a new one-hour, entertainment weekly radio program beginning Saturday, September 9. Hosted by CMT TOP 20 COUNTDOWN’s Lance Smith and Lisa Dent of WUSN Chicago (US99), the program will be available each week to country radio stations across America and will blend the latest in music news with the week’s hottest country hits, as well as entertainment updates from guest correspondents Katie Cook and Lisa Lee, both from CMT INSIDER.
“CMT RADIO INSIDER with hosts Lance Smith and Lisa Dent will have the same emphasis on late-breaking and important country music news and entertainment as CMT INSIDER, and now radio stations across America will have the opportunity to provide this experience to their listeners,” said Joe Zanger, senior producer and managing editor of CMT Radio.
Launching on major market stations across the United States, including Dent’s hometown station of WUSN Chicago (US 99.5) as well as KTYS-FM Dallas (96.7 The Twister), KBEQ-FM Kansas City (Q104) and WGH-FM Norfolk (Eagle 97.3),CMT RADIO INSIDER will be available to stations via .mp3 download at the CMT Radio Network page at Westwood One.com.
Lance Smith, a Nashville native, is host of CMT TOP 20 COUNTDOWN and joined CMT as the network’s first VJ in 2001. As one of the on-air representatives of the network, Smith has been present at all important industry functions during his tenure including five CMA Awards, three ACM Awards, two Grammy Awards and one American Music Awards, as well as all of the CMT MUSIC AWARDS broadcasts. In addition to his regular series hosting duties, Smith brings his own unique style to hosting specials such as CMT AT SUMMERFEST and SPRING BREAK specials with Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban and Kenny Chesney, and is a weekly entertainment correspondent on CMT INSIDER.
Lisa Dent is a seasoned radio industry veteran with over 25 years of experience. Since taking her place at WUSN in Chicago in 2002, Dent has moved her midday radio program from 16th to 2nd place among the 42 radio stations in Chicago and currently has one of the biggest country radio audiences in the nation. Lisa was awarded CMA Major Market Personality of the Year in 2005 and is a two-time ACM nominee.
The CMT Radio Network has over 137 active stations with an average quarter hour cume rating of 555,400 listeners. The CMT Radio Network is a broadcasting partner to Westwood One and seeks to provide the most complete coverage of music and entertainment news available to country radio stations around the United States. Stations interested in airing CMT RADIO INSIDER or interested in becoming a CMT Radio Network affiliate should contact Westwood One.
CMT, America’s No. 1 country music network, carries original programming, specials, and live concerts and events, as well as a mix of videos by established country music artists and new cutting-edge acts, including world premiere exclusive videos. Founded March 6, 1983, CMT, owned and operated by MTV Networks, reaches more than 83 million households in the United States. Go to country music’s biggest web site at www.cmt.com.
Westwood One (NYSE: WON) provides over 150 news, sports, music, talk, entertainment programs, features and live events. Through its subsidiaries, Metro Networks/Shadow Broadcast Services, Westwood One provides local content to the radio and TV industries including news, sports, weather, traffic, video news services and other information. SmartRoute Systems manages traffic information centers for state and local departments of transportation, and markets traffic and travel content to wireless, Internet, in-vehicle navigation systems and voice portal customers. Westwood One serves more than 5,000 radio stations. Westwood One is managed by CBS Radio. For more information please visit westwoodone.com.
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PRESS CONTACTS:
Natasha Powell 615-335-8412 natasha.powell@cmt.com
Peter Sessa 212-641-2053 peter_sessa@westwoodone.com
