ABC.COM GOES COUNTRY WITH TWO ORIGINAL SERIES, INCLUDING "LIVE FROM THE RED CARPET" AT "THE 44TH ANNUAL CMA AWARDS"

ABC.com heads to Nashville, Tennessee to bring fans a true entertaining and intimate look at Country Music's stars with the original series, "Live from the Red Carpet" and "Artist Countdown" for "The 44th Annual CMA Awards," airing WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

For the first time ever, Country Music fans can send in their questions for their favorite artists to be asked during ABC.com's presentation of "Live from the Red Carpet." Hosts Jillian Harris ("The Bachelorette," "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"), Brett Chukerman ("Live from the Red Carpet at the Oscars") and Jake Whetter (Radio Disney on air personality) will ask Country Music's biggest stars these questions from fans during the red carpet segment at "The 44th Annual CMA Awards." These exclusive interviews will stream live on www.abc.com on Wednesday, November 10 (6:00-8:00 p.m., ET) leading up to the network broadcast of the CMA Awards.

"Artist Countdown" returns with six new episodes, offering fans an inside look at the "day in the life" of each CMA Award-nominated artist, varying from hectic rehearsals to relaxing at home. The show will be available on www.abc.com beginning Friday, November 5 and will conclude on Wednesday, November 10, with the following artists featured:

November 5th - Chris Young (nominated for New Artist)

November 6th - Jerrod Niemann (nominated for New Artist)

November 7th - Joey + Rory (nominated for Vocal Duo)

November 8th - Luke Bryan (nominated for New Artist)

November 9th - Little Big Town (nominated for Vocal Group)

November 10th - Dierks Bentley (nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year, Musical Event of the Year)

"We're thrilled to return to Nashville this year and produce programming like the 'Artist Countdown' series and 'Live from the Red Carpet' show that gives fans a deep and intimate connection to their favorite Country Music artists as they prepare for this year's show. Fans this year will be able to ask questions directly of the artists on the red carpet as they arrive, creating a true interactive experience," said David Beebe, director, Video Production for the ABC Digital Media Group.

"The 44th Annual CMA Awards" is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the executive producer, Paul Miller is the director and David Wild is the writer. 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. Visit www.CMApress.com for CMA Awards history, photos, press releases and logos. This is a protected site for the media only with restrictions on use. The public should be directed to www.CMAawards.com.

About ABC.com:

ABC.com's Full Episode Player delivers a high-quality viewing experience to users and premium to advertisers, attracting a young, highly educated and loyal audience. Additionally, ABC.com features an embeddable short-form video player that is home to a variety of content, including original webisodes, exclusive sneak peeks and interviews with the stars of ABC's most popular series. ABC.com is available anytime, anywhere on mobile devices at m.abc.com and on the iPad via the popular ABC Player app.