New RTN stations added for ‘Gene Williams Show’

Gene Williams Press Release Households jump to 60 million weekly for Branson show Along with the likes of James Garner, Tom Selleck, Robert Wagner and Johnny Depp, Gene Williams has joined RTN's family of stars with his weekly "Gene Williams Country Television Show" that is taped live in Branson, Mo. This partnership pushes the Lucas Oil sponsored "Gene Williams Country Television Show" to more than 60 million households to which the show is telecast. "This is a natural progression for my television show. Retro Television Network first went on the air in July of 2005 in Little Rock with Equity Broadcasting, a station that has supported my show since its beginning more than 40 years ago. RTN has amazed supporters and critics alike with its fast paced growth and commitment to quality," said Gene Williams, the star and creator of the show. "My show has added seven new stations and I expect to add 30 more in the near future." The "Gene Williams Country Television Show" is part of RTN's main focus in 2008 of the new "Classic Hits All Day - Fresh Talk All Night" format. With the 2009 switch to digital television, RTN has added many affiliates in 2007 and 2008. The newest stations to add the "Gene Williams Show" are KSHV, Shreveport, and KZUP, Baton Rouge, in Louisiana; WBLU in Lexington, Ky.; KOTA in Rapid City, S.D.; WAWS in Jacksonville, Fla., WJBF in Augusta, Ga.; and WRDE, Salisbury, Md./Rehoboth Beach, Del. The program will air at 5 p.m. on Sundays. Also recently, the show was added to the line-up in Atlanta, Ga. on WSB and is seen Sundays at 9:30 a.m. A winner of three 2007 National Telly Awards, the Gene Williams Show features celebrity guest stars such as Mickey Gilley, Ed McMahon, the Oak Ridge Boys and Roy Clark. Celebrities perform with Williams' band, the Country Junction Band, and are interviewed up-close-and-personal by the legendary Williams and his co-host Katie Lynn. "This continues my pledge of adding new cities where viewers will become Branson fans and enjoy the show's country music, our comedy and our great band. In the Country Junction Band we have some of the best pickers in Branson and country music. We also have some of the best guest stars," said Williams whose celebrity line-up is impressive. In addition to Gilley, McMahon, the Oak Ridge Boys and Clark, Williams has welcomed Johnny Cash's band The Tennessee Three, Doug Kershaw, Barbara Fairchild, Sons of the Pioneers, Jimmy Osmond, the Osmonds, Helen Cornelius, Leona Williams and Bob Anderson. The Blackwood Brothers, Dave Somerville, Charlie Louvin, Narvel Felts, Margo Smith, Jim Owen, Cal Smith, Stonewall Jackson, Norma Jean, Mary Lou Turner, Little Jimmy Dickens, Jean Shepard, Bill Anderson, Porter Wagoner, Buck Trent, Wanda Jackson, Johnny Lee, Fred Travalena and Razzy Bailey have also guest starred on his stage. The Gene Williams Show, taped live with a studio audience for the past seven years in Branson, is at home at the Gene Williams Showcase Theatre at the Branson Mall on the world famous Hwy. 76. Admission for the studio audience is free and the doors open at 1 p.m. with taping at 2 p.m. Three shows are taped approximately every third Sunday. Taping dates are Nov. 30 and Dec. 7 and in 2009: Jan. 4 and 25, Feb. 15 and March 8 and 29 and more. Williams is credited with having the largest syndicated country music television show not affiliated with Nashville (where his show is telecast) and with breaking ground for country television. The Telly Award-winning "Gene Williams Show" began in 1963 in Arkansas and is now the longest running television show taped in Branson. In 2006 Williams' television show was listed as the most popular TV show in national ratings on WNGS Buffalo/Rochester, N.Y. It was also listed as a favorite TV show in the national magazine, "Maxim." Williams began his career in the country music field as a DJ on Memphis' KWAM in 1957 and was named 1961 Grand Ole Opry DJ of the Year. Two movies he made about country music featured more than 39 Grand Ole Opry stars including Ray Price, Carl Smith, Jordanaires, Kitty Wells, Little Jimmy Dickens, Grand Ole Opry Square Dancers, Marty Robbins, Webb Pierce, Ernest Tubb, June Carter, Bill Monroe, Duke of Paducah and Faron Young. Williams is an inductee to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame and has been nominated to two halls of fame, the Branson Entertainment Hall of Fame Museum and the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame. He holds an honorary doctorate degree in television and broadcast communications in recognition of his commitment to the industry from St. Martins College. Williams' co-host Katie Lynn has received the Branson Entertainment Awards Best Support Vocalist twice for her work in the "Mickey Gilley Show." She has worked with Gilley for more than eight years and also worked with Jim Owen for seven years. In addition to her singing career, she is a real estate agent. She and the guest star perform each week with the Country Junction Band. In addition to RTN, the show can be seen on a mixture of ABC, NBC, CW, FOX and MY networks across the country in cities such as Albany, N.Y., Branson, Mo., Buffalo, N.Y., Burlington, Vt., Cadillac, Mich., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Cheyenne, Wyo., Colorado Springs, Colo., Columbia, S.C., Denver, Eugene, Ore., Fayetteville, Ark., Flynt, Mich., Fort Smith, Ark., Green Bay, Wis., Idaho, Jonesboro, Ark., Lafeyette, La., Las Vegas, Nev., Little Rock, Ark., Marianna, Fla., Marquette, Mich., Memphis, Tenn., Mt. Vernon, Ill., Myrtle Beach, S.C., Nashville, Tenn., Niagara Falls, N.Y., Oxford, Miss., Panama City, Fla, Pittsburgh, Provo, Utah, Pueblo, Colo., Raleigh, N.C., Reno, Nev., Ripley, Miss., Roanoke, Va., Rochester, N.Y., Roseberg, Ore., Salt Lake City, Utah, Satillo, Miss., San Francisco, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Santa Barbara, Calif., Savannah, Ga., Seattle, Spokane, Wash., Springfield, Mo., St. Louis, Syracuse, N.Y., Toledo, Ohio, Tri-Cities, Tennessee and Virginia, Tupelo, Miss, and Waterloo, Iowa. Branson Missouri Branson Online