THE 43rd ANNUAL CMA AWARDS TO BE BROADCAST LIVE NOVEMBER 11 ON ABC

ABC and The Country Music Association announce that "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards" will air live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee on WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"The CMA Awards is �Country Music's Biggest Night' and is one of the most highly anticipated events for our industry each year," said CMA Chief Executive Officer Tammy Genovese. "It's a night to applaud our best and brightest performers, songwriters, record producers and music video directors. And we are ready to make this the most outstanding Awards broadcast to date."

The 2008 CMA Awards, held in Nashville during November Sweeps (Nov. 12), ranked behind only the Academy Awards and Grammy Awards during the 2008-2009 season for awards shows among Total Viewers. With "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards," ABC won Wednesday night in both Total Viewers (15.9 million) and Adults 18-49 (5.0/13). Nearly 35 million viewers watched all or part of the ceremony. The 2008 CMA Awards came in No. 7 for the week in the 18-49 demo and No. 9 for the week in Total Viewers, according to Nielsen.

The CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by the 6,000 industry professional members of CMA, which was the first trade organization formed to promote an individual genre of music in 1958.

Winners of "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards" will be determined in a final round of voting by eligible voting members of the Country Music Association. CMA Awards balloting is officiated by the international accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP.

"The CMA Awards recognizes the best of our format. Our artists and music resonate with people from all walks of life, and that's what makes this �Country Music's Biggest Night,'" Genovese said.

The eligibility period for the 2009 CMA Awards is July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. All voting for "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards" will be conducted online. The first ballot and instructions will be e-mailed June 30 to CMA members in good standing who are eligible to vote. Voting for the first ballot closes at 5:00 p.m., CT, July 16.

The second ballot will be e-mailed to CMA members Aug. 11. Voting for the second ballot closes at 5:00 p.m., CT, Aug. 24. The final nominees in each of the 12 categories will be announced in early September.

The third and final ballot will be e-mailed to CMA members Oct. 16. Voting for the CMA Awards' final ballot ends at 5:00 p.m., CT, Nov. 3.

"The 43rd Annual CMA Awards" is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is executive producer, Paul Miller is director. The special will be shot in high definition and broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound.

The first "CMA Awards Banquet and Show" was held in 1967. The following year, the CMA Awards was broadcast on NBC Television for the first time � making it the longest running annual music awards program on network television. The show aired on NBC through 1971, and on the CBS Television Network from 1972 through 2005.

Premiere Radio Networks is the official radio packager of the CMA Awards, including a stereo-radio simulcast of the gala event. American Airlines is the official airline of the 2009 CMA Awards. Chevy: the Official Ride of Country Music.