CMT isn’t boycotting Taylor Swift, despite old online claims

Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift hasn’t been banned from Country Music Television despite an old satirical post that’s regaining traction online. 

“In a move that shocked the country music community and beyond, Country Music Television (CMT) has announced a permanent boycott of Taylor Swift,” a Sept. 16 Facebook post said. “Bold decision accompanied by harsh statement ‘Her music is worse than Garth Brooks.’”

This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)

Paramount, which owns CMT, didn’t immediately respond to PolitFact’s questions about the claim. But we found no press releases from the company or other credible evidence, such as public statements or news coverage, to corroborate the Facebook post. 

Rather, an April post on CMT’s website featured three of Swift’s music videos in a story about past CMT Music Awards winners for Video of the Year.  

What’s more: We found a nearly identical report of CMT denouncing Swift on a self-described satire site. 

“Breaking,” the Feb. 14 headline said. “CMT issues lifetime ban on Taylor Swift, ‘She’s worse than Garth Brooks.’”

This blog post is clearly labeled satire. 

This Facebook post isn’t. We rate it False.