Country Music Television announced Wednesday that it will tie in with new
sister network CBS' Grammy Awards telecast Feb. 21 by airing a live preshow
special, Grammy's Red Carpet Preview.
CMT thus becomes the second Viacom Inc.-owned cable network to link up with
CBS on the Grammys. VH1 announced last week that it would be promoting the
Grammys on its Web site, with a sweepstakes and opportunities for consumers to
order nominees' CDs online.
CMT's hour-long preview, bowing at 7 p.m., will focus on country-music
nominees including the Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, Dolly Parton and George Strait.
The Grammys' live awards coverage will begin at 8 p.m.
The CMT special -- which will also mix in music videos of the nominated
country songs -- will be rerun Feb. 21 and 22.
Viacom president Mel Karmazin told the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau
last week that MTV Networks' cable networks and Web sites would also tie in with
such future CBS events as the Country Music Association Awards and NCAA
basketball.
