Beside airing on NBC, country music fans will get the chance to see the singing competition on the country music channel, after the channel signed a deal to rebroadcast the show.
- May 27, 2008
AceShowbiz - Breaking news comes from the country music singing competition "Nashville Star", as new reports said that the show will not only air on NBC but also on CMT. That decision happens after the county music cable channel signed a deal with its current owner NBC and the show creator Reveille that allows the channel to rebroadcast episodes from the upcoming music competition which will be premiered on June 9.
This year will also be the singing competition's sixth season since it was first started in 2003. This season will also mark the first time the show aired on NBC after previously airing on USA Network for five consecutive seasons.
Commenting on the reason CMT decided to rebroadcast the show, the channel's programing strategy Mary Beth Cunin said, "With CMT favorites like Billy Ray Cyrus, John Rich and Jewel, this show is a natural fit for our audience."
Meanwhile, one the managing directors of Reveille, Howard T. Owens, also commented about the partnership saying, "Partnering with CMT is a strategic move by Reveille and NBC to create a brand affiliation for Nashville Star with the biggest television outlet for country music. To repurpose on CMT was the only natural distribution fit."
The new season will be hosted by Billy Ray Cyrus, replacing last season's host Jewel Kilcher who will be one of the judges this season. Meanwhile, beside the "Intuition" singer, other judges that have been tapped to give advices for the contestants are John and Jeffrey Steele.
Not just new judges and host, the Nashville Star's sixth season will also have new rules, such as the age limit, which has been lowered down from 18 to 16 this year. Beside that, this season the contestants will not only be limited for solo singers only, as duos or trios are welcome to compete at the event. As for the prize, beside getting a recording contract, the winner of the singing competition will also have the chance to sing at the upcoming Beijing Olympics.
