April 20, 2009 Issue 137 Channel Changes Becoming Clearer Clear Channel is once again about to change the face of radio as we know it. The company issued a pair of press releases last week (CAT 4/15) that described what they were doing and, ostensibly, why. But few know the reality of how those words will translate to day- to-day station operations. To recap, CC announced plans to “improve program quality” under a multi-point effort that would “raise the bar for radio programming across all dayparts and platforms.” The release went on to say PDs will have access to “Premium Chesney Swings Into Action Choice,” explaining the new plan includes “the launch of new Kenny Chesney’s Sun City Carnival Tour opened Friday in programming and makes programming and on-air talent Uncasville, CT, and Country radio -- and by extension Country that’s proven to be most popular with audiences, available Aircheck -- was there. WCTK/Providence morning show Technical more broadly to local program directors in all markets for Director Amanda Leonardo filed this report on the show’s first night: all day parts.” “It comes as no surprise that the sold-out concert at Mohegan Sun While no one from Clear Channel is speaking on the record Arena had fans on their feet the entire show,” she says. “You never about what all this means for local stations, and details are very know what stops Kenny is going to pull out next. Simply walking on sketchy – an email even went out last Friday telling OMs to to the stage is never an option. So, with fans’ attention focused on stop talking about the upcoming moves – here’s what we have his twelve-man band on stage, Chesney entered from the back of put together from a number of sources. This is unofficial and an the arena on a cable-suspended seat while singing ‘She Thinks My intelligent guess based on all the folks we talked with: Tractor’s Sexy.’” • April 29: That’s the expected target date for full Details: The swing is suspended completely with cables and there implementation details and marching orders. is no track, allowing Chesney to move in any direction over the floor (continued on page 5) seats he wants. The seat is also low over the crowd. ©2009 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] April 20, 2009 Country Aircheck Weekly Page 2 “If I want to take somebody a beer in the back of section six or whatever, I could,” Chesney said in a press release issued this afternoon. MY TUNES : MUSIC THA T SHAPED MY LIFE Back to Leonardo: “‘Out Last Night’ was a crowd pleaser and KIIM/Tucson PD Buzz Jackson discusses the audience already knew the lyrics and helped Kenny sing it,” his most important songs, artists or concerts: she says. “Split screens of different views are continually displayed 1. Garth Brooks, Orlando, 1993: I’ve seen on the huge screens. Blue disco ball-like lighting shines on the him a couple of times since, but the first is always the one I remember as the most amazing. audience during ‘I Go Back,’ and a slideshow of local monuments 2. Madonna, NYC’s Radio City Music Hall ran throughout ‘Back Where I Come From.’ and Phoenix’ Glendale Arena: I saw her “The chrome-trimmed stage and his classic, fan-favorite tracks give on the same day, 21 years apart. Madonna a vintage feel to the show, mixed with a Caribbean undertone. The Buzz Jackson defined the 80’s for me and hearing her addition of Wailers Band member Drummie Zeb was a perfect fit. The music brings back great memories from show came to its official conclusion with Kenny’s masterful cover of high school and college. John Cougar Mellencamp’s ‘Jack and Diane.’ His encore was ‘Don’t 3. Jeff Bates/Love Song: This song was on the radio constantly Blink,’ during which he seemed to get a little choked up. There’s no around the time my daughter was born. doubt he poured his heart and soul into the night’s performance.” 4. Michael Peterson/From Here To Eternity: I proposed to my wife Dena on stage at a Peterson concert in Florida to this song. Coscos In Good Spirits 5. Tim McGraw, Everywhere: Every song on that album could have been a single. It was like a greatest hits album all in itself. “I’m sitting at our property right now wondering how I’m going • A highly regarded song or album you’ve never heard: to put this all back together.” So said BPP’s Rocco Cosco Monday Anything by Kanye West. afternoon (4/20) from the two acres of tornado distributed wreckage • An “important” piece of music you just don’t get: This will that used to be his home in Murfreesboro, TN. sound like sacrilege, but anything by The Beatles. I think I’m just a Last Thursday, Cosco’s friends in the music and radio biz staged a couple of years too young. benefit to help get the family on their feet. “I thought everybody had • An album you played or listened to incessantly: Jamey the time of their lives,” he says of the event. “It was a great morale Johnson, That Lonesome Song. An epic album. boost for my family. • One obscure or non-country song everyone should listen to “We just got into a rental house today,” he says. “The storm right now: Clint Black, The Galaxy Song. displaced so many families, something like four or five hundred, that it took us 10 or 11 days to get in. Of course, we only had a couple boxes of stuff.” Cosco says they are moving aggressively to clean up and rebuild. “We’re out here with Bobcats and dumpsters trying to get going. Physically I’m doing well and the boys are healing up good. The guys at BPP have been terrific about letting me take care of things, but this process takes patience. I may need to jump back into work soon just to keep sane. “The thing that I kept hearing Thursday night, over and over from all kinds of people in this business, was, ‘We’re here for you. It’s a brother down.’ That was really an emotional thing to hear. Everybody’s spirits Storm Passed: BPP’s Rocco Cosco with Curb’s April Rider, who took the have been lifted – that night was just what we needed.” lead in organizing a tornado benefit for the Cosco family less than a week after their house was destroyed. ©2009 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] April 20, 2009 Country Aircheck Weekly Page 3 Around The Horn BIR T HDAYS Radio vet Maureen Lesourd has been named VP/Programming & Wednesday (4/22) - Glen Campbell, Kellie Coffey, Cleve Francis, Heath Distribution for Citadel Media. Lesourd will oversee the company’s Wright (Ricochet), Joe Devine nine 24-hour formats as well as other products. Friday (4/24) – Rebecca Lynn Howard, Richard Sterban (Oak Ridge Boys), WKHX/Atlanta morning co-host Cadillac Jack is in the Georgia Lori Evans, Christy McDonald, Tim McFadden ([email protected]) Ensemble Theatre’s The Buddy Holly Story at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center running through April 26. Jack, who had a small speaking Saturday (4/25) – Rob Crosby, April Rider ([email protected]), Suzette Tucker role in the sitcom Hope & Faith a few years go, plays DJ and Holly Sunday (4/26) – Jay DeMarcus (Rascal Flatts), Dean Dillon, Duane Eddy, manager Hipockets Duncan. Monte Warden, Alan Brewer ([email protected]), Jeff Huskins Former Sony/Nashville publicist Jensen Sussman Monday (4/27) – Herb Pederson, Michael McNamara has officially launched Sweet Talk Publicity offering services from media campaigns to tour press, special event coverage and more. Current clients include are $35 each and $300 for tables of 10 here. Allison Kaplan, Rink Entertainment, Susan G. Trisha Yearwood will be participating in National Women Build Komen For The Cure Greater Nashville Affiliate Week May 2-10 for Habitat for Humanity, building homes with and Women Rock For The Cure. Contact her at Jensen Sussman volunteers in Tulsa and her hometown of Monticello, GA. Learn [email protected]. more here. The 2009 Canadian Country Music Awards will be held Sept. 13 in LeAnn Rimes will sing the National Anthem as Vancouver, British Columbia’s General Motors Place. The show takes part of the ceremonies leading up to the Kentucky places during the CCMA’s Country Music Week Sept. 10-13 and will Derby May 2. It will be the first live performance of include performances from Johnny Reid, Doc Walker and Terri Clark. the “Star Spangled Banner” by a recording artist on Derby Day. St. Jude Roundup Steve Wariner Steve Wariner, will be releasing LeAnn Rimes WFRE/Frederick, MD raised $167,527, its highest Country c.g.p., My Tribute to Chet Atkins June 23. Cares for St. Jude total to date, with its 3rd annual radiothon last Actor and CMA Award-winning director for week (4/16-17). This 20% increase from the year before does not “Whiskey Lullabye” Rick Schroder will direct the music video for include the $5,700 generated from the station’s online auction. TelluRide’s debut single “Pencil Marks” this week in Los Angeles. Other totals include: Dwight Yoakam returns to the big screen in the sequel Crank: High Voltage, which is in theatres now. He reprises his role as • KRRV/Alexandria, LA, $50,044 “Doc Miles” from the 2006 film.