VH1 Country Now CMT Pure Country

CMT relaunched VH1 Country as CMT Pure Country, which will offer uninterrupted country music around the clock from the genre’s classic artists.

CMT Pure Country debuted May 26 with Hank Williams Jr. introducing his 1983 hit video for “The Conversation,” featuring Waylon Jennings. The digital network was available in more than 16 million homes at its launch.

Beginning Sunday, CMT will debut a one-hour music block, “CMT Pure County,” airing weekly Sundays at 9 a.m.

“Pure Country is an exciting new opportunity for the wide range of artists we work with,” CMT vice president of music programming and talent relations Chris Parr said in a prepared statement. “We will use our expertise and talent relationships to create and program another truly unique music experience for the fans.”

CMT Pure Country hopes to serve as a catalyst for music lovers to explore established and emerging artists steeped in the rich tradition of country music. The network will showcase a broad spectrum of artists including Johnny Cash, Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley, Lee Ann Womack, Brooks & Dunn, Tim McGraw, Gretchen Wilson, GarthBrooks, GeorgeStrait, Toby Keith and Willie Nelson.

CMT will launch a separate broadband network, CMT Loaded, later this summer.