Exhibit 10.1

   

  

  THIS PROMISSORY NOTE (THIS “NOTE”) HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES
      ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”). THIS NOTE HAS BEEN ACQUIRED FOR INVESTMENT ONLY AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED IN THE ABSENCE OF
      REGISTRATION OF THE RESALE THEREOF UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL REASONABLY SATISFACTORY IN FORM, SCOPE AND SUBSTANCE TO THE

      COMPANY THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.

   

  PROMISSORY NOTE

   

  	Principal Amount: Up to $300,000	Dated as of March 3,
            2021
	 	 


  Heartland Media Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Maker”),

      promises to pay to the order of Heartland Sponsor LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, or its registered assigns or successors in interest (collectively, “Payee”), or

      order, the principal sum of Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) or such lesser amount as shall have been advanced by Payee
      to Maker and shall remain unpaid under this Note on the Maturity Date (as defined below) in lawful money of the United States of America, on the terms and conditions described below. All payments on this Note
      shall be made by check or wire transfer of immediately available funds or as otherwise determined by Maker to such account as Payee may from time to


      time designate by written notice in accordance with the provisions of this Note.

   

  1.           Principal. The entire unpaid principal balance of this Note shall be due and payable in full on the earlier of: (i) December 31, 2021, and (ii) the date on which Maker consummates an initial public offering of its securities (such earlier date of (i) and (ii), the
      “Maturity Date”), unless accelerated upon the occurrence of an Event of Default (as defined below). The principal balance may be prepaid at any time by Maker, at its
      election and without penalty. Under no circumstances shall any individual, including but not limited to any officer, director, employee or shareholder of Maker, be obligated
      personally for any obligations or liabilities of Maker hereunder.

   

  2.           Drawdown Requests. Maker and Payee agree that Maker may request, from time to time, up to Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) in drawdowns under this Note to be used for costs and expenses related to Maker’s
      proposed initial public offering of its securities (the “IPO”), including Maker’s formation. The principal of this Note may be drawn down from time to time prior to the

      Maturity Date upon request from Maker to Payee (each, a “Drawdown Request”). Each Drawdown Request must state the amount to be

      drawn down, and must not be an amount less than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) unless agreed upon by Maker and Payee. Payee shall fund each Drawdown Request no later than five (5) business days after receipt of a Drawdown Request; provided, however, that the maximum amount of drawdowns outstanding under this Note at any time may not exceed Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000). No fees, payments or other amounts shall be due to Payee in connection

      with, or as a result of, any Drawdown Request by Maker.

   

  3.           Interest. No
      interest shall accrue on the unpaid principal balance of this Note.

  
     

    
      
 

  

  
   

  4.          Application of Payments.
      All payments shall be applied first to payment in full of any costs incurred in the collection of any sum due under this Note, including (without limitation) reasonable
      attorney’s fees, then to the payment in full of any late charges and finally to the reduction of the unpaid principal balance of this Note.

   

  5.          Events of Default. The following shall constitute an event of default (“Event of Default”):

   

  a)           Failure to Make
        Required Payments. Failure by Maker to pay the principal amount due pursuant to this Note on the Maturity Date.

   

  b)          Voluntary Bankruptcy, Etc. The commencement by
      Maker of a voluntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, rehabilitation or other similar law, or the consent by it
      to the appointment of or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, custodian, sequestrator (or other similar official) of Maker

      or for any substantial part of its property, or the making by it of any assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the failure of Maker generally to pay its debts as such debts become due, or the taking of corporate action by Maker in furtherance of any of the
      foregoing.

   

  c)           Involuntary Bankruptcy, Etc. The entry of a decree or order for relief by a court having jurisdiction in the premises in respect of Maker in an involuntary

      case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, or appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator (or similar official) of Maker or for any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding-up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of any such decree or order unstayed and
      in effect for a period of sixty (60) consecutive days.

   

  6.          Remedies.

   

  a)           Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default specified in
      Section 5(a) hereof, Payee may, by written notice to Maker, declare this Note to be due immediately and payable, whereupon the unpaid
      principal amount of this Note, and all other amounts payable thereunder, shall become immediately due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of


      which are hereby expressly waived, anything contained herein or in the documents evidencing the same to the contrary notwithstanding.

   

  b)           Upon the occurrence of an
      Event of Default specified in Sections 5(b) or 5(c), the unpaid principal balance of this Note, and all other sums payable with regard to this Note, shall automatically and immediately become due and payable, in
      all cases without any action on the part of Payee.

   

  7.          Waivers. Maker and all endorsers and guarantors of, and sureties for, this Note waive presentment for payment, demand, notice of dishonor, protest, and notice of protest with regard to the Note, all
      errors, defects and imperfections in any proceedings instituted by Payee under the terms of this Note, and all benefits that might accrue to Maker by virtue of any present or future laws exempting any property, real or personal, or any part of the proceeds
      arising from any sale of any such property, from attachment, levy or sale under execution, or providing for any stay of execution, exemption from civil process, or extension of time for payment; and Maker agrees
      that any real estate that may be levied upon pursuant to a judgment obtained by virtue hereof, on any writ of execution issued hereon, may be sold upon any such writ in whole or in part in any order desired by Payee.

  
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  8.          Unconditional Liability. Maker hereby waives all notices
      in connection with the delivery, acceptance, performance, default, or enforcement of the payment of this Note, and agrees that its liability shall be unconditional, without
      regard to the liability of any other party, and shall not be affected in any manner by any indulgence, extension of time, renewal, waiver or modification granted or consented
      to by Payee, and consents to any and all extensions of time, renewals, waivers, or modifications that may be granted by Payee with respect to the payment or other provisions
      of this Note, and agrees that additional makers, endorsers, guarantors, or sureties may become parties hereto without notice to Maker or affecting Maker’s liability hereunder.

   

  9.           Notices. All notices, statements or other documents which are required or contemplated by this Note shall be: (i) in writing and delivered personally or sent by first class registered or

      certified mail, overnight courier service or facsimile or electronic transmission to the address designated in writing, (ii) by facsimile to the number most recently
      provided to such party or such other address or fax number as may be designated in writing by such party or (iii) by electronic mail, to the electronic mail address most
      recently provided to such party or such other electronic mail address as may be designated in writing by such party. Any notice or other communication so transmitted shall be deemed to have been given on the day
      of delivery, if delivered personally, on the business day following receipt of written confirmation, if sent by facsimile or electronic transmission, one (1) business day
      after delivery to an overnight courier service or five (5) days after mailing if sent by mail.

   

  10.        Construction. THIS
      NOTE SHALL BE CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF NEW YORK.

   

  11.         Severability. Any provision contained in this Note
      which is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such
      prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any

      other jurisdiction.

   

  12.         Trust Waiver. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, Payee hereby waives any and all right, title, interest or claim of any kind (“Claim”) in or to any distribution of or
      from the trust account to be established in which proceeds of the IPO (including the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions) and proceeds of the sale of the warrants issued in a private placement to occur in connection with the consummation of the IPO
      are to be deposited, as described in greater detail in the registration statement and prospectus to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with
      the IPO, and hereby agrees not to seek recourse, reimbursement, payment or satisfaction for any Claim against the trust account for any reason whatsoever.

   

  13.         Amendment; Waiver. Any amendment hereto or waiver of any provision hereof may be made with, and only with, the written consent of Maker and Payee.

  
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  14.         Assignment. No
      assignment or transfer of this Note or any rights or obligations hereunder may be made by any party hereto (by operation of law or otherwise) without the prior written
      consent of the other party hereto and any attempted assignment without the required consent shall be void.

   

  [Signature page follows]

  
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  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Maker, intending to be legally bound hereby, has caused this Note to be duly executed
      by the undersigned as of the day and year first above written.

   

  	 	HEARTLAND MEDIA ACQUISITION CORP.	 
	 	 	 	 
	 	By:	 	 
	 	Name:  Robert S. Prather, Jr.	 
	 	Title:   Chief Executive Officer	 


   

  Agreed and Acknowledged:

   

  HEARTLAND SPONSOR LLC

   

  	By:	 	 
	Name:  Robert S. Prather, Jr.	 
	Title:    Member	 
	 	 


  [Signature Page to Promissory Note]