CMT's HIT SERIES "GONE COUNTRY" FINALE AIRING THIS FRIDAY, MARCH 7

Cast Including Bobby Brown, Carnie Wilson, Dee Snider, Diana DeGarmo, Julio Iglesias Jr., Maureen McCormick and Sisq� Perform their Country Songs -- Host John Rich Announces the Winner

NASHVILLE � March 3, 2008 � It all comes down to this Friday, March 7 on the hit series GONE COUNTRY when multi-platinum singer/songwriter John Rich announces the series winner, the cast member most worthy of country stardom. Pacing as CMT's highest rated original series ever, GONE COUNTRY uproots a motley crew of mainstream musicians including Bobby Brown, Carnie Wilson, Dee Snider, Diana DeGarmo, Julio Iglesias Jr., Maureen McCormick and Sisq� and moves them to Nashville to learn the finer points of country music. In this special one-hour season finale premiering Friday, March 7 at 8:00 p.m. � 9:00 p.m., ET/PT, the final performance is upon the cast, and their nerves are on edge as they prepare to present Nashville with the country songs they have written.

In the GONE COUNTRY finale, the cast enters the Wildhorse Saloon, but before they perform, they prepare with rehearsals, sound checks and hair & make-up. Rich then arms the gang with one of the things that inspired him most as a performer, an inspirational prayer and a pep talk from his father, a preacher. The cast takes the stage to perform � and in the end, only one remains as the GONE COUNTRY winner.

For two weeks, the cast has prepared for this moment by competing against one another in challenges that test their ability to adapt musically and physically to a country music lifestyle, both on and off the stage. The group has performed alongside Gretchen Wilson and the MuzikMafia, received a crash course in southern cooking, learned the importance of giving back to the community and how to best prepare for their foray into the country genre. Each contestant was paired with two Nashville songwriters who guided them in writing lyrics and music for their country single.

GONE COUNTRY is executive produced by David Garfinkle and Jay Renfroe of Renegade 83 Productions. Marc Oswald serves as executive producer. Melanie Moreau and Bob Kusbit serve as executive producers for CMT.

CMT, a unit of Viacom's MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), is the leading television and digital authority on country music and Heartland entertainment, reaching more than 87 million homes in the U.S. CMT and its website, CMT.com, offer an unparalleled mix of music, news, live concerts and series and is the top resource for country music on demand. The network's digital platforms include the 24-hour music channel, CMT Pure Country, CMT Mobile and CMT VOD.

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