FOX to Air New Country Music Awards Show

The FOX TV network is throwing its Stetson into the country music ring with the 'American Country Awards,' a new awards show that puts fans in charge of choosing the winners. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the show will premiere on December 6, broadcasting live from Las Vegas.

Bob Bain -- the executive behind the Teen Choice Awards, which added two new country categories this year -- will be the executive producer of the new show. Although the music industry continues to face financial woes, country music awards shows have attracted fairly healthy audiences, especially when broadcast against repeats of regular programming.

Country music album sales dropped 9.1 percent during the first half of the year, but album sales in other formats reportedly had double-digit declines, making country music the healthiest of the lot. Credit the crossover appeal of Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum and other country musicians for the extra album sales and what FOX execs apparently hope will translate into viewers for a show which will air on the heels of the always highly-rated CMA Awards (set for broadcast on ABC November 10).