Why Do You Hate Country Music?: An Open Letter to CNN

To the President, CEO, and Head Programming Director of Cable News Network (CNN):

Hello. My name is Adam Sheets. I must admit that I don't watch your channel very often. There are a variety of reasons for this, none of which I care to get into at this moment in time. I also understand that the three major networks, as well as Fox News and MSNBC are equally guilty, but seeing as how you bill yourselves as the most trusted name in news, I figured you should be setting the precedent for all of the rest.

A few years back, I recall seeing months of coverage when a lady by the name of Anna Nicole Smith passed away. Ms. Smith was most famous for being a Playboy model and marrying some rich old dude (I'm typing this without looking up the facts, because, frankly, I don't care). I have to ask you why you felt that Ms. Smith's death, tragic as it must have been for her family and friends, was worthy of that much coverage.

Later, you provided roughly the same amount of coverage on the deaths of singers Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. I have nothing bad to say about either individual artistically speaking. Their music wasn't really my thing, but I can see how people could have found enjoyment in it and I recognize their influence in their respective fields.

However, I feel that your news coverage is very discriminatory towards country music. Just this year, country music has lost three legends. Since he was never really a commercial success in mainstream country, I suppose I can reluctantly forgive you for not thoroughly covering the passing of Doc Watson. However, your lack of coverage regarding the loss of Kitty Wells and Earl Scruggs is totally inexcusable.

Remember Whitney Houston? The lady who you spent two months talking about? If not for Kitty Wells, you would have not been talking about her at all. You see, another lady by the name of Dolly Parton happened to write Ms. Houston's biggest hit and here's what Dolly had to say yesterday: "Kitty Wells was the first and only Queen of Country Music, no matter what they call the rest of us. She was a great inspiration to me as well as every other female singer in the country music business."

Without Ms. Wells, you would not have Taylor Swift to gossip about, although that vilifies her influence. For those of you reading this who actually appreciate country music (unlike CNN), we can also thank Ms. Wells for paving the way for Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Connie Smith, and virtually anyone else you can think of. She was the first female solo artist in the history of country music to take a song to number one. So if that isn't worthy of your time and may take away from your endless repeating of the same headlines about the two candidates we'll be hearing about until November, then your channel is not worth my time.

Then there's Earl Scruggs, who also passed away recently. Other than Bill Monroe, Mr. Scruggs was probably the most influential figure in the history of bluegrass (that's the stuff they played in that George Clooney movie, CNN). Virtually ever country or folk artist worth his or her salt would have been willing to vouch for that. Instead it was a two-minute story and a blip at the bottom of the screen.

So here is my question for all of you folks at CNN: why do you hate country music? You may say that both Ms. Wells and Mr. Scruggs were elderly and their deaths were not unexpected. However, this doesn't change the fact that the entire music world and virtually every music fan considered both Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson to be irrelevant at the time of their deaths.

You have no excuse. Your only solution is to fix the problem now. Give Mr. Scruggs' family and country music fans worldwide an on-air apology and then proceed to talk about Kitty Wells' influence for at least the next three weeks.

Sincerely,

Adam Sheets