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Business Wire

Shop At Home Network is teaming up with country music legend Steve Wariner for a live network event in celebration of the Grand Ole Opry, and its 80th year as a staple in country music tradition.

Airing on Shop At Home October 29 at 9 p.m. ET, and simulcast on www.shopathometv.com, the hour-long Opry showcase will feature a live performance by Wariner, along with a viewer call-in question and answer session, and in-depth interview with the artist. Wariner launched his solo career in 1977 with RCA records, forging his first No. 1 country hit "All Roads Lead to You." After a string of more than two dozen Top 10 Country hits and nine more No. 1 songs, Wariner joined the Grand Ole Opry as a member in 1996, 23 years after first appearing on the Opry stage as a bass player for vocalist Dottie West.

"Becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry brought to fruition a dream I'd had since I first performed on that historic stage so many years ago," said Wariner. "It for this reason that I feel moved to be a part of this special Shop At Home event, to celebrate all that 80 years of Opry tradition has meant to me, and to our country music heritage."

During Wariner's appearance, a host of exclusive Opry merchandise will be available to Shop At Home viewers, to honor and commemorate this timeless institution in American culture. One-of-a-kind collectables will include the Grand Ole Opry 80th Anniversary Commemorative Acoustic/Electric Guitar, commissioned exclusively by the Opry to celebrate 80 years of great country music. Crafted by Takamine, the guitar is a limited edition of only 80 units worldwide, brilliantly inlayed with elements of the Opry logo.

Other items available will be the Grand Ole Opry 80th Anniversary Hatch Show Print, autographed by 11 Opry members including Jimmy Dickens and Terri Clark; the Grand Ole Opry 80th Anniversary Picture History Book featuring 175 pages of pictures and prose revealing the 80 most unforgettable moments in Opry history; an American flag flown on the Opry stage, complete with display case and certificate of authenticity; a Grand Ole Opry Calendar highlighting Opry milestones; and the Grand Ole Opry Commemorative Coin Set featuring eight Opry member stars immortalized on lustrous silver coins. Many other Opry collectors' items and miniatures also will be featured on Shop At Home, along with autographed copies Wariner's latest album, "This Real Life" released this August.

"The Grand Ole Opry is the longest and most revered tradition in country music, and its 80th anniversary is a huge milestone in its rich musical and cultural history," said Sandy Conrad, vice president of merchandising for Shop At Home. "Shop At Home is honored to offer viewers an unique and intimate look at this American icon, with the rare chance to capture a piece of that history through the commemorative keepsakes presented on-air."

As the exclusive television home of the Grand Ole Opry, Shop At Home's sister network Great American Country is getting involved in the Opry celebration with 'Opry Month', an entire four weeks of Opry-themed signature specials and star-studded live shows, slated to run throughout October on GAC.

This extensive lineup includes GAC's all new series, GAC Nights, featuring music and interviews from several of the Opry's most contemporary artists. For five days beginning October 10, a new episode will premiere each night at 8 p.m. ET, leading up to the Grand Ole Opry Live! - Live 80th Anniversary Special on October 15 at 9 p.m. ET. The one-time two hour-long event will feature country music's biggest superstars and legends including Garth Brooks, Travis Tritt, Ralph Stanley, Steve Wariner, Diamond Rio and other surprise guests live from Nashville.

To wrap up 'Opry Month' on GAC will be two all-new, episodes of Grand Ole Opry Live!, airing each remaining Saturday in October at 8 p.m. ET. The series will feature Martina McBride on October 22, and Wynonna and Brad Paisley on October 29.

GAC also will be on hand November 14 for the Opry's Carnegie Hall 80th Anniversary Signature Show. On the eve of the 39th Annual CMA Awards in New York City, the Grand Ole Opry will make a triumphant return to the Carnegie Hall stage with performers like Alan Jackson, Trace Adkins, Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Charley Pride, Ricky Skaggs, Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Bill Anderson and Jimmy Dickens.

About the Grand Ole Opry

The Grand Ole Opry presented by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store presents the best in country music live every week from Nashville, Tenn. A uniquely American experience for 80 years, the Opry can be heard on 650 WSM-AM, Stream 137 on Sirius Satellite Radio and www.opry.com. The syndicated weekly program, America's Grand Ole Opry Weekend, airs on more than 200 country radio stations across the country and on the Armed Forces Radio Network, and Grand Ole Opry Live airs each weekend on GAC: Great American Country. The Grand Ole Opry is owned by Gaylord Entertainment (NYSE: GET), a Nashville-based hospitality and entertainment company that also owns and operates Gaylord Hotels and ResortQuest. For more information, visit www.opry.com or www.gaylordentertainment.com

About Shop At Home

Shop At Home is a nationally televised home shopping service that sells merchandise through interactive electronic media, including broadcast, cable satellite television and the Internet (www.shopathometv.com). Shop At Home is a property of Scripps Networks, which is headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, and Nashville, Scripps Networks is the leading developer of lifestyle-oriented content for television and the Internet, including Home & Garden Television (HGTV), Food Network, DIY Network, FINE LIVING and country music network Great American Country (GAC). Scripps Networks is owned by The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE:SSP), a diverse media concern with interests in newspaper publishing, broadcast television, national television networks, interactive media, and television retailing. Scripps operates 21 daily newspapers, 10 broadcast TV stations, Scripps Howard News Service, United Media and Shopzilla.com.