ABC will be going a little bit country starting in 2006.

The network has signed a six-year contract with the Country Music Association to broadcast the CMA Awards, annually one of the top-rated awards shows on television, beginning in 2006. The awards will move over from CBS, their home for more than 30 years.

As part of the deal, ABC will air a special this summer titled "CMA Music Festival: Country Music's Biggest Party." The two-hour show, which will be taped during the huge annual festival in June, is scheduled to air Aug. 2.

"Country music is America's music, and its value and contribution is undeniable," says Stephen McPherson, president of ABC Entertainment. "... We're committed to making the CMA Awards a bigger television event than it has ever been before, and we're truly grateful to the organization for coming on board and giving us that opportunity. We're thrilled to be able to begin this relationship in the awards' historic 40th year."

The CMA Awards are considered the top prizes in the country-music industry, and the awards show is typically one of the highest-rated specials of the TV season. The most recent awards show, which aired in November, drew close to 18.5 million viewers for CBS -- more than the most recent Golden Globe and Emmy ceremonies and nearly as many as the Grammys (18.8 million).

Separate from the CMA deal, ABC has booked country star and new husband of Renee Zellweger Kenny Chesney for a concert special to air in November.