Gearing up for the debut of Grand Ole Opry Live, CMT: Country Music
Television is dedicating an entire week in primetime to the music brand.
Viacom Inc.'s 24-hour country-music network will screen a host of Grand Ole
Opry programming in primetime next week, preceding the premiere installment
of Grand Ole Opry Live Aug. 18 at 8 p.m.
Vince Gill, who is celebrating his 10th anniversary of becoming a member of
the country-music institution, will host the one-hour show. Scheduled to join
Gill are Loretta Lynn, Brad Paisley, Steve Wariner and Sonya Isaacs.
During the week leading up to the premiere, CMT will air five new Opry
specials: Debuts, Back to the Ryman, Inductions, Women
of the Opry and Bluegrass. These tributes will then run from noon to
5 p.m. Aug. 18.
Sweet Dreams: The Patsy Cline Story bridges the three hours until
Grand Ole Opry Live bows on the network.
Going forward, CMT plans to encore the Saturday-night premieres at 11 p.m. on
those nights, then again the next day at 11 a.m.
