NASHVILLE, TN. (Country
Music Association) -
Robin Leach; Emily Procter of "CSI Miami"; Steve R. Schirripa of "The Sopranos"; CBS News Anchor
Hannah Storm and More Report on "Country Music's Biggest Night."
Not all of the celebrities in attendance at "The 38th Annual CMA Awards" will be performing on stage when the event airs live from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on Tuesday, Nov. 9 (8:00 - 11:00 PM/EST) on the CBS Television Network. Several actors, nationally known journalists and entertainment show hosts will be on the CMA Red Carpet, at rehearsals or at other-related festivities reporting on all the events and excitement leading up to "Country Music's Biggest Night."
CBS News anchor Hannah Storm will bring CBS "The Early Show" back to the Grand Ole Opry House for interviews with Toby Keith and Shania Twain, as well as live reports on Tuesday morning, Nov. 9. "CSI: Miami" star Emily Procter ("Calleigh DuQuesne") will join with correspondent Maria Menounos for "Entertainment Tonight's" coverage from rehearsals and the CMA Red Carpet. And Robin Leach, the keeper of champagne wishes and caviar dreams, makes his CMA Awards debut by hosting a 30 minute live pre-show from the Red Carpet for all CBS affiliates owned by the Meredith Corporation. Leach's show is produced by WGCL-TV, the Atlanta CBS affiliate.
"The Sopranos" star Steve R. Schirripa ("Bobby Baccalieri") will serve as correspondent for "The Tonight Show," as he films segments with several of the nominees during their rehearsals, which will air on Thursday, Nov. 11. Former "American Idol" Season Two contestant Kimberly Caldwell will be on hand to check out the musical competition for the TV Guide Channel. The 2003 CMA Media Achievement Award winner Denise Quan returns to cover the CMA Awards for CNN. And April Woodard will report for "Inside Edition."
Katie Cook and Lance Smith will co-host "CMA Red Carpet 2004" for CMT. Cook will also interview artists in the press room for "CMT Insider." Storme Warren will be on hand for GAC's "Country Music Across America." And Elissa Lansdell (aka Mrs. Keech Rainwater of Lonestar) will be on the CMA Red Carpet with CMT Canada.
CMA Awards hosts Brooks & Dunn will host MJI Programming's CMA Awards Preview Special, a three-hour radio special airing Nov. 5-9 in advance of the CMA Awards, featuring music and interviews from the leading nominees. Phil Vassar, who just released his new album Shaken Not Stirred, will host MJI Programming's first-ever live CMA Red Carpet Audio Feed. As the official radio partner of CMA, MJI Programming is also offering a live stereo audio feed of the CMA Awards telecast and a live one-hour backstage post-show with the winners.
Brooks & Dunn will also participate in a CBS television satellite tour on Monday, Nov. 8. During this time, the duo will be seen live on the nationally- syndicated television program "Good Day Live." They will also participate in live or taped interviews with more than 25 CBS affiliates, including Albany, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Indianapolis, Miami, Minneapollis, Nashville, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Sacramento, Salt Lake City and more.
BBC Radio 2 will once again broadcast a live audio special to the United Kingdom from backstage at the Grand Ole Opry House. An edited version of "The 38th Annual CMA Awards" will air on BBC 2 Television on Nov. 13 in the United Kingdom.
More than 400 journalists, reporters and crew members are credentialed for the 2004 CMA Awards. These media outlets are from across the nation and around the globe, including countries such as Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Television shows including "Access Hollywood" and "Extra," and CBS television affiliates from across the country including Birmingham, Chattanooga, Cleveland, Columbia, Kalamazoo, Knoxville, Little Rock, Nashville, New York City, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Saginaw, San Antonio and Syracuse will be on the Red Carpet and in the pressroom. Newswires including Reuters and UPI; and publications such as Entertainment Weekly, Country Music Today Magazine, In Touch Weekly, People Magazine, Rolling Stone, Star Magazine and US Weekly will be covering the glitz and glamour of the event.
Fans can also read about the CMA Awards and its participating artists as well. Associated Press will deliver several CMA Awards-related stories to its subscribing news services over the next week, including features focusing on 2004 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Kris Kristofferson as well as the multi-nominated Brad Paisley/Alison Krauss hit single "Whiskey Lullaby" written by Country Music Hall of Fame member Bill Anderson.
Five-time nominee Kenny Chesney is on the cover of the current issue of Country Weekly which spotlights the CMA Awards.
Two-time nominee Tim McGraw is featured in the November issue of Reader's Digest.
Special Guest Shania Twain is on the cover of TV Guide (Nov. 7-13).
USA Today will have a full page photo essay on the CMA Awards and five-time nominee Gretchen Wilson on Nov. 9.
Horizon nominees Dierks Bentley and Julie Roberts will be featured in the Nov. 7 issue of USA Weekend.
Four CBS video news releases containing artist interview bytes and b-roll from rehearsals will be available for television news outlets via satellite on Sunday night (Nov. 7), Monday morning and evening (Nov. 8), and Tuesday morning (Nov. 9). In 2003 this VNR footage was seen by over 36 million viewers in advance of the CMA Awards.
The CMA Awards are produced by Walter C. Miller, directed by Paul Miller and scripted by David Wild. MJI Programming, a Division of Premiere Radio Networks, is the official radio packager of the CMA Awards, which includes Red Carpet coverage and a stereo-radio simulcast of the event. American Airlines is the Official Airline of the 2004 CMA Awards.
