The Country Network
 | |
| Type | Broadcast television network |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Availability |
Nationwide (available on OTA digital television and LPTV in two markets) (covering 25% of the U.S.)[1] |
| Owner | TCN, LLC |
Launch date | January 7, 2009 |
Former names |
Artists & Fans Network (2009) American Music Video Network (2009–2010) The Country Network (2010-2013) ZUUS Country (2013-2016) |
Official website | tcncountry.com |
The Country Network is an American digital broadcast television network that specializes in broadcasting country music videos; its playlist of videos extends from the 1980s through the present day. The network also airs occasional infomercials (mostly for country music compilation albums) in prime time and other high dollar day parts (as well as throughout late-night and overnight).
The network is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.
History
The network first launched on January 7, 2009 as the Artists & Fans Network; the music video that inaugurated the network was the Kid Rock video "All Summer Long". AFN was first carried on satellite through DirecTV on channel 236.
In August 2009, after suffering from financial problems, Southern Venture Capital Group sold all the assets of the company to one of the founders, Warren Hansen, who then changed its name to the American Music Video Network, and rolled out the programming with a new look and feel. On February 15, 2010, the company was renamed The Country Network to represent its focus on country music. Around this time, The Country Network began to transition into a digital multicast network, carried over-the-air on broadcast television stations across the United States as well as the first broadcast network to simulcast to Roku, iPhone, iPad, web, and other OTT outlets.
On May 20, 2013, Zuus Media announced its acquisition of The Country Network. On June 1, 2013, Zuus Media announced the rebranding as Zuus Country.[2]
Zuus Country lost many of its Sinclair affiliates on October 31, 2015, the day that Sinclair's joint venture network with MGM Television, the sci-fi-centric Comet, launched.
In January 2016, the network announced that it would break away from Zuus Media & under new ownership on January 29, 2016, Zuus Country was rebranded & shifted back to The Country Network, reviving its original name & logo for the revival of the network.[3]
Affiliates
As of 2013, Zuus Country has television stations in over 41 television markets in 26 states, covering approximately 34 million over the air households an 18 million cable subscribers. ZUUS Country (at the time, still named The Country Network) signed a deal with Sinclair Broadcast Group in August 2010 to be carried on digital subchannels of Sinclair stations in most of its media markets;[4] the network began airing on Sinclair owned and/or operated stations on October 10, 2010.
Current affiliates
| City | Station | Channel TV[5] / RF |
Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile-Pensacola, Florida | WEAR-TV | 3.2 (17) | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Phoenix | K38IZ-D | 38.4 (38) | Adrian Quinones |
| Fresno | KMSG-LD | 39.5 (39) | Cocola Broadcasting |
| Los Angeles | KHIZ-LD | 39.1 (2) | DTV America |
| Monterey, California | KYMB-LD | 27.6 (27) | Cocola Broadcasting |
| Sacramento, California | KSAO-LD | 49.7 (49) | Cocola Broadcasting |
| San Francisco, California | KFTL | 28.15 (3) | LocusPoint Networks, LLC. |
| Orlando | WRCF-CD | 29.4 (35) | LocusPoint Networks |
|
| |||
| Boise | KZAK-LD | 49.3 (49) | Cocola Broadcasting |
| Terre Haute | WUDZ-LD | 28.2 (28) | DTV America |
| Cedar Rapids | KFXA | 28.3 (27) | Second Generation of Iowa, LLC (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) |
| Topeka | KSQA | 12.1 (12) | Barbara Wade (51%) Cooper-Fowler Media (49%) |
| Wichita | KFVT-LP | 40.3 (40) | DTV America |
| Paducah | WDKA | 49.3 (49) | WDKA Acquisition Corporation (operated through LMA by Sinclair Broadcast Group) |
| Detroit | WUDL-LD | 19.1 (19) | King Forward, Inc. |
| Buffalo | WUTV | 29.2 (14) | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| New York City | WDVB-CD | 23.1 (23) | LocusPoint Networks, LLC |
| Syracuse | WSYT | 68.2 (19) | Bristlecone Broadcasting |
| Canton/Cleveland | WEKA-LD | 41.6 (27) | DTV America |
| Enid/Oklahoma City | KBZC-LD | 42.4 (42) | DTV America |
| Ceiba | W18DZ-D | 18.2 (18) | TV Red de Puerto Rico, Inc. |
| Charleston | WGWG | 4.3 (34) | Howard Stirk Holdings (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) |
| Nashville | WKUW-LD | 40.4 (40) | DTV America |
| Paragould, AR/Memphis, TN | KPMF-LD | 26.4 (26) | DTV America |
| Houston | KBPX-LD | 46.1 (46) | Ion Media Networks |
Wisconsin
// Milwaukee II [WTSJ-LP]] II 38.7 (38) II DTV America
Former affiliates
| City | Station | Channel TV / RF |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany, New York | WXXA | 23.2 (7) | Replaced with OffTrack Betting |
| Augusta, Georgia | WRDW-TV | 12.3 / (12) | Replaced by Antenna TV. |
| Baton Rouge | WLFT-CA | 30.3 | Was replaced by TV Scout, then replaced by Get-TV. |
| Baltimore, Maryland | WBFF | 45.3 | Was replaced by This TV, which was displaced from 45.2 by WeatherNation TV. |
| Belmont-Charlotte | WJZY | 46.4 / (47) | Contract was terminated with purchase by Fox Television Stations and station's conversion to Fox; subchannel removed July 1, 2013. |
| Bessemer (Birmingham) | WDBB | 17.2 (18) | Replaced with full-power simulcast of WBMA-LD for central part of Birmingham market after Sinclair's acquisition of that station's ABC affiliation. |
| Bloomington (Peoria) | WYZZ-TV | 43.3 (28) | Replaced by Get-TV |
| Cambridge (Boston) | WLVI | 56.2 (41) | Replaced by BUZZR |
| Champaign-Springfield | WICS | 20.2 (42) | Replaced with Comet TV |
| Charleston, South Carolina | WGWG | 4.1 (34) | Replaced with Heroes & Icons |
| Charleston, West Virginia | WVAH-TV | 11.2 (19) | Replaced with American Sports Network |
| Flint | WSMH | 66.3 | Replaced with Comet TV |
| Fresno | KGPE | 47.2 | Replaced with duplicate SD signal of 47.1; affiliation moved to KMSG-LD. |
| Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point | WXLV-TV | 45.2 (29) | Replaced by American Sports Network |
| Homewood (Birmingham) | WTTO | 21.2 (28) | Replaced by Get-TV |
| Hutchinson (Wichita) | KMTW | 36.2 (35) | Replaced by get TV, which was moved from the station's third subchannel. |
| Jacksonville | WTLV | 12.2 (13) | Replaced by Soul of the South Network, then Antenna TV |
| Las Vegas, Nevada | KVCW | 33.3 (29) | Was replaced by This TV, which was displaced from 33.2 by MyNetworkTV. |
| Milwaukee, Wisconsin | WCGV-TV | 24.2 (25) | Replaced with Comet TV |
| Nashville | WNAB | 58.2 (23) | Replaced by American Sports Network; affiliation later moved to WKUW-LD. |
| Ogden-Salt Lake City | KUCW | 30.3 (48) | Replaced by BUZZR |
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | WPGH-TV | 53.2 (43) | Replaced by Get-TV |
| Raleigh, North Carolina | WLFL | 22.2 (27) | Replaced by American Sports Network |
| Sacramento, California | KSAO-LD | 49.7 (49) | Replaced by The Family Channel |
| San Antonio, Texas | KABB | 29.2 (30) | Replaced with Comet TV |
| St. Louis, Missouri | KDNL-TV | 30.3 (31) | Removed for Get TV on 30.2. |
| Troy-Montgomery | WIYC | 48.1 (48) | Replaced with WeatherNation TV, then Cozi TV. |
References
- ↑ "The Top 25 Digital Broadcast Networks". TVNewsCheck.com. 17 June 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- ↑ ZUUS Media Announces The Launch Of Its Next Generation Music Video Network, PR Newswire, May 20, 2013.
- ↑ The Country Network returns onair & online
- ↑ "Sinclair links with The Country Network to fill digital TV tier". Television Business Report. August 23, 2010. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
- ↑ Rabbitears.info results on ZUUS Country