May 3, 2021, Issue 754 Market Analysis: Providence In the March PPMs, Hall WCTK/Providence had and 8.1 share – the second largest of any Country station in the nation (RATS 4/22). WCTK also finished second in both Persons 6+ and Persons 25-54 in the Providence book and has placed in the top two in nine of the past 13 monthlies. Such lofty perches have become routine for “Cat Country 98.1,” so Country Aircheck spoke to PD Kevin Palana and dug into the numbers to understand why. In a challenging year for the Country format, WCTK’s success starts with what Palana calls a “lean and mean” staff. Last May, midday host Courtney Kelley moved to the Cat Country Morning Show joining 10-year station vet Brian Kevin Palana Mulhern. Then in July, longtime PD Bob Walker transferred to the company’s Florida stations; The Zodiac Chiller: KRWQ/Medford, OR’s Bryce Burtner (r) Palana found himself adding programming to his Dir./Production and and Top 40 sister KIFS’ Gemineye present the $165,195 raised afternoon drive responsibilities. Rounding out the moves was the addition during their 18th Annual St. Jude Radiothon, pushing the cluster’s of part-timer Brendan Sharp to track the last three hours of the midday total to more than $3 million since 2004. shift, with Kelley tracking the first two. While the pandemic forced many stations to broadcast using alternate Music For Mom setups, Cat Country’s small staff With Mother’s Day coming up this weekend, meant they could continue business Country Aircheck compiled a list of some of the as usual in their studios while biggest “mom songs” to help with programming, maintaining social distance. whether for imaging or spiking-in over the Palana says the lockdown played weekend. Let us know if we missed any using a part in WCTK’s ratings gains over #CAMusicForMom. the past year. “The station that’s taken the hit here is the AC [WWLI], the at-work station,” he says. “When people have a LAUREN ALAINA/Like My Mother Does (2011) choice, they gravitate toward the Rock station [WHJY] or Cat TUCKER BEATHERD/Momma And Jesus (2017) Country.” Though WKLB/Boston does put a listenable signal GARTH BROOKS/Mom (2014) into most of the market (and pulled a 1.9 share in the March GLEN CAMPBELL & STEVE WARINER/ book), Palana focuses on WWLI and current market leader The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (1987) WHJY as his primary competitors. Lauren DIAMOND RIO/Mama Don’t Forget To Pray (continued on page 6) Alaina For Me (1991) ©2021 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] May 3, 2021 Page 3 JIMMY DEAN/I.O.U. (1976) News & Notes MERLE HAGGARD/Mama Tried (1968) iHeartMedia has joined with P&G for Can’t Cancel Pride, a FAITH HILL/You Can’t Lose Me (1996) virtual relief benefit for the LGBTQ+ community, June 4 at 9pm W. JENNINGS & W. NELSON/Mammas Don’t local time. The event will broadcast on iHM stations nationwide Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys (1978) and via the iHeartRadio app, stream on iHM’s YouTube, Facebook JUDDS/Mama He’s Crazy (1984) and IGTV pages and air on iHeartRadio’s PrideRadio.com. MIRANDA LAMBERT/Mama’s Broken Heart (2013) Faith Hill Audacy has partnered with mental health innovator LONESTAR/Mr. Mom (2004) Genomind to bring mental health conversations into the PATTY LOVELESS/How Can I Help You mainstream and end the stigma surrounding mental health. Say Goodbye (1994) Genomind will sponsor Audacy’s I’m Listening Daily Capsules, DUSTIN LYNCH/Momma’s House (2020) 60-second PSAs, as part of the year-long “I’m Listening” initiative. MARTINA MCBRIDE/In My Daughter’s Eyes (2003) RAB’s Business Accelerated initiative is offering a two- Dustin MARTINA MCBRIDE/Teenage Daughters (2011) Lynch part presentation series – “What’s Driving The Auto Industry?” TIM MCGRAW/I Called Mama (2020) and “Radio Works For Automotive Part 2” – May 19 and 26, T. MCGRAW & F. HILL/Meanwhile Back At respectively. Details and registration here. Mama’s (2014) The Independent Broadcasters Association (IBA) continues JAMIE O’NEAL/Somebody’s Hero (2005) its members-only webinar series May 6 at 2pm ET with “The FCC BLAKE SHELTON/The Baby (2002) EEO Rules And How To Survive Them.” Information here. SHENANDOAH/Mama Knows (1988) USRN syndicated Backstage Country will be hosted by Carrie TAYLOR SWIFT/The Best Day (2008) Underwood Chris Lane, Maren Morris & Ryan Hurd, Dylan Scott, Old CARRIE UNDERWOOD/Don’t Forget To Dominion and Lady A during the month of May. Remember Me (2006) Chicago’s Windy City Smokeout lineup includes Dierks CARRIE UNDERWOOD/Mama’s Song (2010) Bentley, Darius Rucker, Brett Eldredge and Jon Pardi. The CLAY WALKER/’Fore She Was Mama (2007) event is slated for July 8-11 at United Center. More here. WILKINSONS/26 Cents (1998) Austin Radio Network Country KOKE/Austin will hold its Kokefest 2021 Aug. 6-7 at Hutto Park at Brushy Creek. Headliners are Clay Walker and Koe Wetzel; complete lineup and Chart Chat additional information here. Congratulations to Jake Owen, Stacy BMLG’s Conner Smith will join songwriter Andrew Pates and Blythe, Ali Matkosky and the Big Loud artist Jimmy Charles for Songs For Sound’s annual gala May 22 promotion team on landing this week’s No. in Franklin, TN. The event benefits those with hearing loss. More here. 1 with “Made For You.” This is Owen’s ninth Mentoring And Inspiring Women In Radio (MIW) has chart-topper and third since signing on with changed its status to a 501(c)(3) charitable entity in an effort to Big Loud. Songwriters are Benjy Davis, Joey expand reach, enhance mentoring opportunities and magnify the Jake Owen Hyde and Neil Medley. organization’s mission of strengthening radio’s next generation of Kudos to Lee Adams, Shelley Hargis female leadership. Gaines and the Broken Bow crew on scoring 33 first-week adds Norsan Media, which recently purchased Country WYKB/ for “Thinking ‘Bout You” by Dustin Lynch featuring MacKenzie Fernadina Beach, FL from NIA Broadcasting for $1 million, Porter. This is Lynch’s fifth time atop the add board, the last time has flipped the station to Latin Hip-Hop/R&B. being in March 2019 with his subsequent No. 1 “Ridin’ Roads.” Dexter is selling Country KDEX-AM/FM/Dexter, MO to Finally, new weights can be found on page 13. Dropped from Emry Palmer Johnson’s KDEX, Inc. for $150,000. the panel is KVOO/Tulsa. Cal Hunter’s Independence Rock Media is purchasing ©2021 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] May 3, 2021 Page 6 Country KYCT/Shasta Lake, CA from the Estate of Richard OFF THE RECORD Comras for $60,000. Edison Research will present its annual Moms and Media An Off The Record conversation with Play It study Thursday, May 6 at 2pm EDT. Register here. Again CEO Ryan Dokke: There wasn’t a lifelong dream of being in The non-profitOperation Song is releasing “A Salute to the record business. I thought I was going to play Gold Star Families” Friday, May 28. The eight-track album was baseball but fell into radio at 17. The transition composed professional songwriters teamed with loved ones of to records started with Scott Borchetta and Jack fallen military heroes, transforming their stories into song. Purcell calling me in 2007 about a secondary or regional position that didn’t work out. When Lesly Simon called about Arista in 2010, it felt like the Market Analysis: Providence right time. One thing just led to another. RYAN DOKKE (continued from page 1) Falling into radio just means I told my high school guidance counselor I wanted to do my job-shadow paper about a baseball player, but they told me that wasn’t a real job. March 2021 Nielsen PPM Rank Seemed like a real job for Ken Griffey, but okay. They said I was good Persons 25-54 at public speaking, so how about shadowing a DJ? I did, and that led 1. WHJY (Rock) to part-time work, then full-time, and I ended up as a PD by the time I WCTK Music Composition was 21. That set the path. 2. WCTK (seven-day spins analysis) I grew up listening to KMPS/Seattle, which Becky Brenner was 3. WWLI (AC) programming. I wanted to know how and why she made that station 4. WBZ (Sports) sound the way it did. I was fortunate enough to get to meet her and 5. WPRO (Top 40) have her put me on in weekends. Working at that station for a couple of years was one of the highlights of my radio career. When I’m not living and breathing country, I lean toward Need For CURRENT music that is positive and uplifting – especially considering all Speed: Aside from the tough things going on in the world. That typically means Cat Country’s 30- GOLD 26% Contemporary Christian. I’m a huge fan of Francesca Battistelli, For year heritage, Palana King & Country and Zach Williams. I also love everything from Pink believes there is another 47% Floyd to the Eagles to ELO. We’re seeing awesome growth for Walker Montgomery. He’s simple factor in the RECURRENT got country music in his blood. Literally. And our young artist/writer station’s success: tempo. Dylan Marlowe did one of the most creative things I’ve seen by re- “We gravitate toward 26% writing Olivia Rodrigo’s “Driver’s License” as if he were answering her.