The Heartland Network, Luken Communications’ country music and lifestyle television channel, will mark its fifth year on the air Nov. 1. Originally launched as a reincarnation of The Nashville Network, Heartland’s mission has always been to celebrate the legends of classic country and provide a launch pad for the sounds of today, all while entertaining the audience with a collection of country music and lifestyle entertainment, said officials.
To celebrate five years, Heartland has just announced on the air with exclusive local radio partner, Classic Country Q97.3/99.3, a special concert featuring country music legend Charley Pride as well as Sammy Kershaw, Collin Raye and James Otto. Heartland Presents Charley Pride will be held at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Auditorium in Chattanooga on Saturday, Nov. 18. Tickets, ranging from $41.50 to $97, go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.
Review for Charley Pride:
A true living legend, Charley Pride has sold tens of millions of records worldwide with his large repertoire of hits. Pride is a three-time GRAMMY award winner and GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement recipient with 36 chart-topping country hits including “Kiss an Angel Good Morning,” a massive #1 crossover that sold over a million singles. A proud member of both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry, Pride continues to perform worldwide and has toured the United States, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand over the last several years.
Matt Winn, executive vice president and chief technical officer at Luken Communications, remembers the network’s launch fondly. “Even before we launched, everyone at Luken knew we had something really special. It was a late Halloween night, but our Network Operations Center was full of proud Luken team members and their families watching the magic happen as we began broadcasting the network at exactly midnight with Garth Brooks’ ‘Callin’ Baton Rouge’. It’s surreal to think just five years later we’re able to invite Chattanooga to celebrate with this incredible lineup.”
Joel Wertman, president of Luken Communications, said, “We are proud of how far the network has come. Over the past five years, we’ve built a strong and engaged fan base. As one of very few diginets able to offer live content, we’ve partnered with the legendary 650 AM WSM Radio to bring their long-running morning show, Coffee, Country & Cody, to TV viewers across the country. We routinely broadcast live from the Country Music Hall of Fame, as well as carry live Nashville events like Blake Shelton’s Ole Red announcement at the Ryman, Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountains Rise telethon and the recent public celebration of life at the Opry for the late Troy Gentry.”
Since its debut, Heartland has broadcast in HD, an uncommon practice in the diginet industry. Recent full power station launches include markets like Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Chicago. According to Mr. Wertman, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
“In an increasingly crowded marketplace, there’s nothing out there quite like Heartland,” said Mr. Wertman. “We’re in a period of unparalleled growth in not only viewership, but also content. Our team is investing heavily in original programming with an upcoming Americana series and a number of exclusive broadcast specials.”
Heartland features programming comprised of syndicated and first run shows along with digitally restored content pulled from the vaults of Music Row. The program lineup includes WSM Radio’s Coffee, Country & Cody, Reflections with host Keith Bilbrey, Bluegrass Ridge, Country Standard Time, Music City Tonight, Texas Music Scene, Gaither Gospel Hour, Larry’s Country Diner, Country’s Family Reunion and several popular video blocks. The network’s newest additions include Songs and Stories with John Berry and Paula Deen’s Positively Paula. For more information about Heartland, visit www.watchheartlandtv.com or www.facebook.com/WatchHeartlandTV.
Heartland’s Chattanooga Availability:
WOOT Channel 6.1 [HD]
EPB 165
EPB 465 [HD]
Spring City Cable 275
Trenton Telephone 31 [HD]
Chickamauga Telephone 1020 [HD]
Chickamauga Telephone 20
Heartland in Dalton:
WDGA 43.1 [HD]
Optilink 216 [HD]
Charter 13
Heartland in Cleveland:
WTNB Channel 27.1
Charter 5
Comcast 210