diff --git a/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py b/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
index 8ebbfe78f..3c47eb9dc 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
@@ -165,6 +165,8 @@ class YoutubeDL(object):
 
     def __init__(self, params=None):
         """Create a FileDownloader object with the given options."""
+        if params is None:
+            params = {}
         self._ies = []
         self._ies_instances = {}
         self._pps = []
@@ -173,7 +175,7 @@ class YoutubeDL(object):
         self._num_downloads = 0
         self._screen_file = [sys.stdout, sys.stderr][params.get('logtostderr', False)]
         self._err_file = sys.stderr
-        self.params = {} if params is None else params
+        self.params = params
 
         if params.get('bidi_workaround', False):
             try:
diff --git a/youtube_dl/downloader/http.py b/youtube_dl/downloader/http.py
index 14b88efd3..8407727ba 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/downloader/http.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/downloader/http.py
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ class HttpFD(FileDownloader):
                     return False
             try:
                 stream.write(data_block)
-            except (IOError, OSError):
+            except (IOError, OSError) as err:
                 self.to_stderr(u"\n")
                 self.report_error(u'unable to write data: %s' % str(err))
                 return False
diff --git a/youtube_dl/extractor/__init__.py b/youtube_dl/extractor/__init__.py
index a39a1e2f4..1e8fd1f8e 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/extractor/__init__.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/extractor/__init__.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ from .channel9 import Channel9IE
 from .cinemassacre import CinemassacreIE
 from .clipfish import ClipfishIE
 from .clipsyndicate import ClipsyndicateIE
+from .cmt import CMTIE
 from .cnn import CNNIE
 from .collegehumor import CollegeHumorIE
 from .comedycentral import ComedyCentralIE, ComedyCentralShowsIE
diff --git a/youtube_dl/extractor/cmt.py b/youtube_dl/extractor/cmt.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..88e0e9aba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/youtube_dl/extractor/cmt.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+from .mtv import MTVIE
+
+class CMTIE(MTVIE):
+    IE_NAME = u'cmt.com'
+    _VALID_URL = r'https?://www\.cmt\.com/videos/.+?/(?P<videoid>[^/]+)\.jhtml'
+    _FEED_URL = 'http://www.cmt.com/sitewide/apps/player/embed/rss/'
+
+    _TESTS = [
+        {
+            u'url': u'http://www.cmt.com/videos/garth-brooks/989124/the-call-featuring-trisha-yearwood.jhtml#artist=30061',
+            u'md5': u'e6b7ef3c4c45bbfae88061799bbba6c2',
+            u'info_dict': {
+                u'id': u'989124',
+                u'ext': u'mp4',
+                u'title': u'Garth Brooks - "The Call (featuring Trisha Yearwood)"',
+                u'description': u'Blame It All On My Roots',
+            },
+        },
+    ]
diff --git a/youtube_dl/extractor/mtv.py b/youtube_dl/extractor/mtv.py
index ed11f521a..f1cf41e2d 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/extractor/mtv.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/extractor/mtv.py
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ class MTVIE(MTVServicesInfoExtractor):
     def _real_extract(self, url):
         mobj = re.match(self._VALID_URL, url)
         video_id = mobj.group('videoid')
-        uri = mobj.group('mgid')
+        uri = mobj.groupdict().get('mgid')
         if uri is None:
             webpage = self._download_webpage(url, video_id)