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| Type | Broadcasttelevision network |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Headquarters | Haltom City, Texas |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | TCN Country, LLC |
| History | |
| Launched | January 7, 2009 |
| Former names | Artists & Fans Network (2009) American Music Video Network (2009–2010) ZUUS Country (2013–2016) |
| Links | |
| Website | tcncountry.com |
The Country Network is an American cable, streaming andbroadcasttelevision network that specializes in broadcastingcountry musicvideos and exclusive original music-based content; itsplaylist of videos extends from the 1990s through the present day. The network also airs occasionalinfomercials and traditional advertising.
The network is headquartered inHaltom City, Texas, with offices inNashville, Tennessee, and New York.
The network first launched on January 7, 2009, as theArtists & Fans Network; the music video that inaugurated the network was theKid Rock video "All Summer Long". AFN was first carried onsatellite throughDirecTV 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 theAmerican Music Video Network, and rolled out the programming with a new look and feel. On February 15, 2010, the company was renamedThe Country Network to represent its focus on country music. Around this time, The Country Network began to transition into a digital multicast network, carriedover-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 asZuus Country. Zuus Country was to be the first of several music video networks of variousformats. Only one of these other formats,Zuus Latino, ever made it to air.[1]
In January 2016, the network was purchased by a Texas-based company, TCN Country LLC, with a 43,000-square-foot studio, production and broadcast facility. TCN Country changed the brand back to The Country Network, reviving its original name and logo for the revival of the network.[2][3]
In 2021, The Country Network, after having previously placed its online Web stream behind apaywall, launched TCN FAST (Free Advertising Supported Television), a free online feed of the channel that is distributed through advertiser-supported over-the-top streaming services.
As of 2013, Zuus Country hastelevision stations in over 41television 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 withSinclair Broadcast Group in August 2010 to be carried ondigital subchannels of Sinclair stations in most of itsmedia markets;[4] 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 aRoku channel and a slot onsmart TVs manufactured by Hitachi and Panasonic.
As of 2019, most of The Country Network's affiliates are low-powered stations controlled byHC2 Holdings or its subsidiaryDTV America.
| City | Station | Channel TV[5] /RF | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
California[edit] | |||
| Bakersfield | KCBT-LD | 34.5 (34) | Cocola Broadcasting |
| Fresno | KMSG-LD | 39.5 (29) | Cocola Broadcasting |
| Los Angeles | KFLA-LD | 8.1 (8) | Roy Mayhugh |
| Monterey | KMBY-LD | 27.6 (27) | Cocola Broadcasting |
| Sacramento | KSAO-LD | 49.7 (14) | Cocola Broadcasting |
| San Francisco | KCNZ-CD | 28.15 (3) | Poquito Mas Communications |
Florida[edit] | |||
| Orlando | WRCF-CD | 29.4 (35) | Univision Communications |
Georgia[edit] | |||
| Atlanta | WDWW-LD | 28.1 (28) | DTV America |
Idaho[edit] | |||
| Boise | KZAK-LD | 49.3 (35) | Cocola Broadcasting |
Indiana[edit] | |||
| Fort Wayne | WLMO-LD | 2.4 (2) | Metro Video Production |
Iowa[edit] | |||
| Des Moines | KCYM-LD | 45.2 (26) | DTV America |
Kansas[edit] | |||
| Topeka | KSQA | 12.1 (12) | Barbara Wade (51%) Cooper-Fowler Media (49%) |
| Sublette, Kansas | KDGL-LD | 23.4 (23) | High Plains Broadcasting, LLC. |
Kentucky[edit] | |||
| Bowling Green | WDNZ-LD | 11.3 (11) | Daily News Broadcasting Company |
Missouri[edit] | |||
| Joplin | KPJO-LD | 49.5 (31) | DTV America |
| Kansas City | KAJF-LD | 21.1 (16) | DTV America |
North Carolina[edit] | |||
| Charlotte | WVEB-LD | 40.2 (14) | DTV America |
| Durham | WUBX-CD | 31.1 (24) | L4 Media Group, LLC |
Oklahoma[edit] | |||
| Oklahoma City | KTOU-LD | 21.5 (21) | HC2 Holdings |
Puerto Rico[edit] | |||
| Ceiba | W18DZ-D | 18.2 (18) | TV Red de Puerto Rico, Inc. |
Tennessee[edit] | |||
| Nashville | WJDE-CD | 31.2 (23) | Word Broadcasting Network |
Texas[edit] | |||
| Amarillo | KAUO-LD | 15.1 (14) | DTV America |
| Austin | KADF-LD | 20.2 (20) | Bridge Media Networks |
| Waco | KZCZ-LD | 34.1 (20) | DTV America |
| Houston | KBPX-LD | 46.6 (27) | Word Broadcasting Network |
| Dallas | KJJM-LD | 34.7 (34) | HC2 Holdings |