• by Fern Siegel , November 15, 2007

It's official--Don Imus is going country. The "Imus in the Morning" radio drive-time show, airing on WABC, will also be simulcast on RFD-TV, which reaches 30 million viewers in rural America.

Rural Media Group has signed a five-year agreement to air "Imus" exclusively on RFD-TV and RFD HD, a cable net available in all 50 states. Imus returns to the airwaves with his team, including newsman Charles McCord. The show will air live on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. "Imus in the Evening," a rebroadcast of the morning's program, will air in prime time on RFD HD from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

"Imus in the Morning" will be broadcast on Citadel's WABC radio station in New York, and will syndicated nationwide by ABC Radio Network.

"Don's passion and understanding of rural America fits in so well with our ongoing effort to bridge city and country folks with this cable channel," said Patrick Gottsch, founder and president of Rural Media Group.

RFD-TV has been broadcasting for seven years. It is currently distributed to nearly 30 million homes nationwide on DirecTV, Dish Network, Mediacom, Charter, Suddenlink, Bresnan, NRTC and NCTC cable systems. Programming includes an array of shows focused on agriculture, horses, the rural lifestyle, and traditional music, uplinked via satellite from Northstar Studios in Nashville, Tenn.

The company's future strategies include offering Imus video programming via VOD, streaming, and podcasts.