CMT ADDS SIX ARTISTS TO ITS 2014 "LISTEN UP" ROSTER

Cole Swindell, Dan + Shay, David Nail, Jerrod Niemann, Sundy Best and Thomas Rhett to Join CMT's 2014 LISTEN UP Campaign

Danielle Bradbery Kicks Off Year with Five Performances Available Exclusively at Listenup.CMT.com or on the CMT Artists App

NASHVILLE - February 27, 2014 - CMT has added six stars on the verge of breaking out to its 2014 LISTEN UP campaign, selecting acts from across major and indie labels, as well as unsigned artists. Cole Swindell, Dan + Shay, David Nail, Jerrod Niemann, Sundy Best and Thomas Rhett will be highlighted across CMT platforms throughout the year in a multi-platform initiative introducing their music to a passionate music fan-base. Viewers will get an inside look at the personal lives and careers of these artists through live performances, new photos, social chats and interviews that showcase why fans should "listen up." Additional LISTEN UP artists will be named later this year.

Danielle Bradbery kicked off the 2014 class officially last week, debuting five new performances exclusively at www.listenup.cmt.com, and on the just-launched CMT Artists App for iPhone. The five-song set includes her hit single, "The Heart of Dixie," as well as "Talk About Love," "Never Like This," "My Day" and "Wild Boy," from her Big Machine Records debut album.

"The idea behind LISTEN UP is to introduce fans to artists on the rise or artists who are about to take the next big step in their career. It is music discovery at its core," said Leslie Fram, SVP of Music Strategy, CMT. "We're excited to get behind this diverse mix of incredibly talented artists, and LISTEN UP is just the first of many opportunities to highlight them across CMT."

CMT launched LISTEN UP in 2011 as a way to showcase emerging artists online. Since then, the franchise has expanded to take advantage of the network's broad reach across television, radio and on its social networks. More than 22 artists have been featured, including recent alums Hunter Hayes, Kacey Musgraves, Brett Eldredge, Cassadee Pope, Brantley Gilbert, Lauren Alaina, Charlie Worsham, Jana Kramer, Dustin Lynch, Casey James and Jon Pardi, among others.

For more information, visit www.listenup.cmt.com, like CMT on Facebook and follow @CMT on Twitter using #ListenUp to join the conversation.

CMT, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the leading television and digital authority on country music and entertainment, reaching more than 92 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.