Country music’s most popular video countdown show is ending. CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown is ceasing production after more than a decade on television.
- Cody Alan and Carissa Culiner host CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown.
- Billboard notes the show is the only remaining original music program produced by CMT.
- The cancellation is part of a broader trend in country music.
Why Is CMT Cancelling the Hot 20 Countdown?
The decision to end the show is part of massive changes at Paramount Global, CMT’s parent company, and comes as three respected behind-the-scenes staffers were let go from the network.
The announcement comes less than eight months after the CMT Music Awards were put on indefinite hiatus.
CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown Final Show
The last episode of CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown will come at the end of December.
This means that—if the program keeps with its Saturday and Sunday at 9AM ET schedule—the final countdown should take place the weekend of Dec. 26.
Host Cody Alan turned to social media to invite fans to celebrate the show’s long history:
cmt
Alan has been with CMT since 2009 and has been a part of several TV and radio programs.
He joined Alecia Davis and Katie Cook at the start of Hot 20 Countdown on Jan. 5, 2013, and it quickly became a go-to destination to see your favorite artists on the regular.
Alan also took advantage of non-CMT opportunities. Specifically, he joined SiriusXM as morning host on The Highway after Storme Warren left in 2023.
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Carissa Culiner’s next step is less clear. She’s been a heavy presence on the show since spring 2022 and is still actively promoting her interviews on her personal Instagram page.
Country Music News and TV Outlets That Have Closed
While CMT is still on the air, the cable channel’s programming is a shell of what it used to be. Re-runs of shows including Roseanne, Reba and The Golden Girls dominate programming, with music videos often only airing between 2AM and 7AM.
Country fans have had to adapt to find a reliable source for news and entertainment over the last decade. Here is a partial list of outlets that have either closed or changed significantly:
- TNN — Became Spike TV in 2003.
- GAC — Became GAC Family in 2021.
- Country Weekly — Published its last issue in May 2016.
- Rare Country — Closed in March 2018.
- Sounds Like Nashville — Last published news in 2022.
- One Country — Ended news coverage to focus on giveaways.
- American Country Countdown Awards — Ended after 2016.
- CMT — Ceased news coverage and purged archives in 2024.
- The Boot (owned by Taste of Country’s parent company) — Moved to syndication in 2024.
See the Most Played Country Song from the Year You Were Born
Who had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
