Obama and Romney to Appear on 2012 CMT MUSIC AWARDS Tonight

Political rivals, incumbent President Barack Obama and Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney will appear in a comedic opening segment of the CMT MUSIC AWARDS, hosted by Toby Keith and Kristen Bell, premiering live tonight, Wednesday, June 6 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on CMT and CMT.com.

Political candidates have made appearances on the CMT MUSIC AWARDS in the past. In 2008, Republican presidential candidate John McCain, and Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama all taped cameos as a part of the show's open. With this year's Presidential race in full swing, both Obama and Romney immediately accepted the offer to appear on CMT.

"The President and Governor Romney each understand the reach of the CMT audience, particularly on our highest-rated night of the year," said Brian Philips, President, CMT. "They're each great sports, they're 'in on the joke', and they each went out of their way to deliver great moments for CMT. Tune in at the top of the show or you'll miss them!"

For more information as it becomes available, follow CMT's new Twitter handle (@CMT), hashtag #CMTawards and become a fan of the CMT MUSIC AWARDS on Facebook.

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.