The Country Network
 | A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. (October 2012) |
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| Type | Broadcast television network |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Availability | Nationwide on Roku (available on OTA digital television and LPTV in two markets) (covering 25% of the U.S.)[1] |
| Owner | TCN Country, LLC |
Key people | Tim Eaton, President-CEO, Gary Pfleiger, CFO |
Launch date | January 7, 2009 |
Former names | Artists & Fans Network (2009) American Music Video Network (2009–2010) The Country Network (2010–2013), (2016–present) 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 and original music-based content; its playlist of videos extends from the 1980s through the present day. The network also airs occasional infomercials and traditional advertising.
The network is headquartered in Haltom City, Texas with offices in Nashville, Tennessee, and New York. (Address is: The Country Network, 6125 Airport Fwy Suite 100, Haltom City, TX 76117.)
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. Zuus Country was to be the first of several music video networks of various formats. Only one of these other formats, Zuus Latino, ever made it to air.[2]
In January 2016, the network was purchased by a Texas-based company, TCNCountry LLC, with a 43,000-square-foot studio, production and broadcast facility. TCN Country change the brand back to The Country Network, reviving its original name & logo for the revival of the network.[3][4]
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;[5] the network began airing on Sinclair owned and/or operated stations on October 10, 2010. After Sinclair's original drop of several affiliates in late 2015, the network was down to 24 markets (The contract with Sinclair was expired in June 2017). When TCN Country LLC purchased the network, they immediately started growing the distribution and as of January 30, 2017 the network was up to 54 markets along with the launch of a Roku channel and a slot on smart TVs manufactured by Hitachi and Panasonic.
Current affiliates
| City | Station | Channel TV[6] / RF |
Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
California | |||
| Fresno | KMSG-LD | 39.5 (39) | Cocola Broadcasting |
| Los Angeles | KFLA-LD | 8.1 (8) | Luken Communications |
| Monterey, California | KYMB-LD | 27.6 (27) | Cocola Broadcasting |
| Sacramento, California | KSAO-LD | 49.7 (49) | Cocola Broadcasting |
| San Francisco, California | KCNZ-CD | 28.15 (3) | CNZ Comnunications |
Florida | |||
| Orlando | WRCF-CD | 29.4 (35) | Univision Communications |
Georgia | |||
| Atlanta | WDWW-LD | 28.1 (28) | DTV America |
Idaho | |||
| Boise | KZAK-LD | 49.3 (49) | Cocola Broadcasting |
Iowa | |||
| Des Moines | KCYM-LD | 45.2 (45) | DTV America |
Kansas | |||
| Topeka | KSQA | 12.1 (12) | Barbara Wade (51%) Cooper-Fowler Media (49%) |
| SWKS | KDGL-LD | 23.4 (23) | High Plains Broadcasting, LLC. |
Missouri | |||
| Joplin | KPJO-LP | 49.5 (49) | DTV America |
| Kansas City | KAJF-LD | 21.1 (16) | DTV America |
New York | |||
| New York City | WDVB-CD | 23.1 (23) | LocusPoint Networks, LLC |
North Carolina | |||
| Charlotte | WVEB-LD | 40.2 (14) | DTV America |
Oklahoma | |||
| Oklahoma City | KTOU-LD | 21.5 (21) | HC2 Holdings |
| Tulsa | KZLL-LD | 39.1 (39) | DTV America Corporation |
Puerto Rico | |||
| Ceiba | W18DZ-D | 18.2 (18) | TV Red de Puerto Rico, Inc. |
Tennessee | |||
| Nashville | WJDE-LD | 31.2 (31) | Word Broadcasting Network |
Texas | |||
| Amarillo | KAUO-LD | 15.1 (14) | DTV America |
| Tyler | KDKJ-LD | 27.4 (27) | DTV America |
| Waco | KZCZ-LD | 34.1 (34) | DTV America |
Wisconsin | |||
| Milwaukee | WTSJ-LP | 38.7 (38) | DTV America |
Former affiliates
| City | Station | Channel TV / RF |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany, New York | WXXA | 23.2 (7) | Replaced with OffTrack Betting |
| Albuquerque, New Mexico | KRQE | 13.2 (16) | Replaced with Get-TV. |
| 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 |
| Buffalo, New York | WUTV | 29.2 (14) | Replaced with TBD |
| Canton/Cleveland | WEKA-LD | 41.6 (27) | Replaced by Jewelry Television |
| Cambridge (Boston) | WLVI | 56.2 (41) | Replaced by BUZZR |
| Cedar Rapids | KFXA | 28.3 (27) | Replaced with TBD |
| Champaign-Springfield | WICS | 20.2 (42) | Replaced with Comet TV |
| Charleston | WGWG | 4.3 (34) | Subchannel is now permanently blank. |
| Charleston, West Virginia | WVAH-TV | 11.2 (19) | Replaced with American Sports Network |
| Detroit | WUDL-LD | 19.1 (19) | Replaced by Quest |
| 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. |
| Indianapolis | WUDZ-LD | 28.2 (28) | Replaced by Heroes & Icons |
| 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 |
| Mobile-Pensacola, Florida | WEAR-TV | 3.2 (17) | Replaced with TBD |
| Nashville | WNAB | 58.2 (23) | Replaced by American Sports Network; affiliation later moved to WKUW-LD. |
| Nashville | WKUW-LD | 40.4 (40) | Replaced by Quest |
| Ogden-Salt Lake City | KUCW | 30.3 (48) | Replaced by BUZZR |
| Paragould, AR/Memphis, TN | KPMF-LD | 26.4 (26) | Replaced by BUZZR |
| Phoenix | K38IZ-D | 38.4 (38) | Replaced with Evine |
| Paducah, Kentucky | WDKA | 49.3 (49) | Replaced with TBD |
| 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. |
| Syracuse, New York | WSYT | 68.2 (19) | Replaced with Cozi TV |
| Troy-Montgomery | WIYC | 48.1 (48) | Replaced with WeatherNation TV, then Cozi TV. |
| Wichita | KCTU-LD | 43.6 (43) | Now broadcasting localized classic TV programming. |
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 On-Air, Online". TVNewsCheck.com. May 2, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
- ^ [ 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