CMT UNLEASHES NEW WAVE OF MUSIC ACROSS MULTIPLE SCREENS INCLUDING A DIGITAL MUSIC CHANNEL AND BROADBAND INITIATIVE
03/27/06
CMT LOADED is the First On Demand Network for Country Music Fans
New Launches Join Already Booming Efforts on CMT.com and Wireless Fueled By Exclusive CMT Content
NASHVILLE – March 27, 2006 – As part of its aggressive strategy to expand its music content across multiple media platforms, CMT will re-brand the existing digital country music video channel known as VH1 Country and re-launch it as CMT PURE COUNTRY; as well as launch a separate broadband network called CMT LOADED, it was announced today by Brian Philips, EVP and general manager, CMT and Jason Hirschhorn, chief digital officer, MTVN. CMT PURE COUNTRY will debut on Memorial Day Weekend, while CMT LOADED will bow late this summer.
“Our viewers want to connect with their favorite artists through every path,” said Philips. “CMT PURE COUNTRY and CMT LOADED, combined with our other services, will allow us to deepen our relationship with viewers, while offering more of what country music fans come to CMT for – killer music.”
“With the launch of CMT LOADED, CMT becomes the first country music network to put the power of programming in our audience’s hands,” said Hirschhorn. "LOADED offers our viewers endless opportunities to watch music videos on-demand, stay connected to their favorite programs, or stay up on the latest country music news and more original programming."
CMT PURE COUNTRY is a music video based channel, designed to directly connect with the core country audience. CMT PURE COUNTRY will deliver the sounds and images of country music in its essential form, performed by the genre’s most authentic voices. The network will be a breeding ground for consumers to sample both new and established artists, enhancing their country music experience. Carried in over 16 million homes, CMT PURE COUNTRY will be available via Comcast, Charter, Cox, CableOne, Mediaone, Knology, Cequel II, Armstrong Cable and Blue Ridge Cable.
Serving as a complement to CMT, CMT PURE COUNTRY will feature music videos from such artists as Johnny Cash, Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley, Lee Ann Womack, Brooks & Dunn, Tim McGraw, Gretchen Wilson, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Toby Keith, Willie Nelson and more. The channel is scheduled to launch over Memorial Day Weekend, and will also feature exclusively designed content.
In addition, CMT will debut its new broadband channel CMT LOADED that will feature new, short-form originals; exclusive performances; breaking news and enhanced content from established CMT shows, such as “CMT Insider” and “CMT Top 20 Countdown.” LOADED will be available free and on demand at CMT.com, the definitive online source for all things country.
CMT PURE COUNTRY and CMT LOADED join other CMT services already available to viewers such as CMT.com, CMT Mobile, CMT Video On Demand and through MHD, MTV Network’s high-definition channel.
America’s No. 1 country music Web site, CMT.com hosts an online catalog with thousands of full-length streaming music videos, exclusive album listening parties, CMT Radio and more. CMT.com has grown some 66% in usage over the past year and boasts one of the highest average minutes per user at an impressive 21 minutes.* In 2005, CMT.com introduced its exclusive online performance franchise “Studio 300 Sessions,” which features stripped down acoustic performances from established country music stars and emerging artists filmed live in the CMT studio. CMT.com will utilize the digital music service URGE, launching later this year, to enhance fans’ interactive experience with exclusive CMT music programming, in addition to a broad catalogue of music choices offering more than two million songs across all genres.
To date, CMT Mobile has debuted more than 300 mobisodes including world premiere videos under the “CMT Uncorked” banner, and much of the content available at CMT.com. Wireless subscribers can also access exclusive ringtones from Nashville’s best studio players and recording artists, available on a variety of mobile carriers.
CMT launched video on demand in 2005 which can be seen via Charter, Comcast, Cox and Verizon, and is available through Verizon’s new FiOS IPTV service. Programming includes CMT Spotlight, featuring profiles and performances from country’s hottest artists; the hit series COWBOY U; and premiering in August, the break-through makeover series, TRICK MY TRUCK.
Exclusive CMT programming and music videos can also be seen in high definition on MHD, a music-centric HDTV channel with content drawn from the CMT, MTV and VH1 family of brands. Covering multiple genres of music, the channel features original music based programming as well as HDTV acquisitions and original content including popular series such as CMT CROSSROADS.
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 80.9 million households in the United States. Go to country music’s biggest web site at www.cmt.com.
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PRESS CONTACT:
Lisa Chader 615-335-8405 lisa.chader@cmt.com
Amanda Murphy 615-335-8408 amanda.murphy@cmt.com
* comScore Streaming Media Report 2005
