ISSUE 31 MUSIC EDITION MARCH 26, 2007 What Slumping Sales Mean For Country COUNTRY AIRCHECK IS MOVING Last week’s Wall Street Journal article about the Effective Wednesday (3/28) our address will be continuing industry-wide decline of CD sales (3/21), 1102 17th Avenue South, Suite 205, Nashville, 37212. cited a 20% first quarter drop, with digital sales and New phone is 615-320-1450. Fax is 615-320-1453. ringtones only making up about half the deficit. In Please make a note of it. country, Q1 CD numbers are down closer to 30%, mostly due to variances in the release schedule. Still, Rose points out a few positives for the genre. factors including internet piracy, fewer specialty “We all know country is impacted last by the various music retailers and declining music floor space forms of cannibalization on the web. Country’s also at larger retailers certainly have the attention of enjoying a wave of younger fans who have been led Nashville’s record labels. in by Rascal Flatts and Carrie Underwood. We have a Sony BMG Chairman Joe Galante says it’s too big opportunity if we can maintain our traditional fan early to draw any conclusions about 2007. “Country base and build with this new audience.” is still more stable than other genres,” he says. “And (continued on page 7) we’ve got a great release schedule ahead with Tim McGraw this week, Martina [McBride] next week, Toby Mason Heads CBS Radio Keith [6/12], and Brad Paisley [6/19].” Also on the ’07 Former CBS Radio President Dan Mason has schedule: Big & Rich (6/5) and Rascal Flatts (9/25). returned to the company as President/CEO, replacing Changes in the retail marketplace will be felt the exiting Joel Hollander. Mason will oversee in country, however. “More of the catalog will be CBS Radio’s 144 radio stations after five years as hit and entry level artists will have a tougher time,” an advisor and consultant for the company. Mason Galante says. “The big boys and girls are fine. It’s the joined Westinghouse in 1993 and was President of [records] that aren’t moving as quickly.” CBS Radio from 1995 to 2002. Hollander joined the Show Dog VP/Sales & Marketing Johnny Rose company as President/COO in 2003. says, “There’s definitely reason for concern when CBS Radio owns Country stations in 13 markets: we see the industry take this kind of plunge, but WSOC/Charlotte, WUSN/Chicago, KWLI/Denver, in country we haven’t had the releases to expect WYCD/Detroit, KILT/Houston, KMLE/Phoenix, anything but a decline at this point.” WDSY/Pittsburgh, KUPL/Portland, KFRG-KVFG ©2007 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. To subscribe visit www.countryaircheck.com March 26, 2007 Country Aircheck Music Edition Page 3 & KXFG/Riverside-San Bernardino, CA, KNCI/ DATE CHECK Sacramento, KMPS/Seattle, WQYK/Tampa and WIRK/West Palm Beach, FL. April 24 - Leadership Music Digital Summit www.digitalsummit.org In other news, Universal Music Group Chairman Doug Morris has joined the CBS Corp. board of directors. May 8 - Roy Acuff St. Block Party, Nashville May 15 - 42nd Annual ACM Awards. Sprint Offers Commercial-Free Radio, www.acmcountry.com $0.99 Songs Sprint announced plans today to offer Sprint June 7-10 - CMA Music Festival. Music Store customers $0.99 songs as part of two www.cmafest.com new plans that will also bundle access to as many as 50 commercial-free radio stations. Beginning in early June 13-15 - 7th Annual All About Music TV & April, Sprint will begin offering its customers access Film Retreat to more than 1.5 million songs through agreements www.myspace.com/allaboutmusictvandfilm with EMI Music, Sony BMG, Warner Music Group watering hole the Tin Roof. The acoustic set opened and Universal Music Group, in addition to “thousands with three-week No. 1 “Beer In Mexico,” and among of independent labels distributed by Groove Mobile the Music Row luminaries helping Chesney celebrate and IODA.” the big 3-9 were Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, rockers 3 Subscribers to a $15 per month package will Doors Down, Tracy Lawrence, Kix Brooks, David get 10 commercial-free radio channels (powered by Lee Murphy, Sara Evans and Gretchen Wilson. mSpot), songs from the Sprint Music Store at $0.99 each, exclusive video programming from Sprint Power Radio News View, including a weekly top-song countdown, breaking Personalities: Kevin Cregg, formerly with WSCP/ music news, tour information and artist interviews and Syracuse, has joined WXLF/Rutland-White River performances. For $20 per month, subscribers will Junction, VT-Lebanon, NH for afternoons. get the above plus another 40 commercial-free radio channels and a channel from Sprint TV that features Marketing: Clear Channel/San Antonio’s Marketing music videos, powered by MobiTV. Director Callie Hoch has been upped to Online The Sprint Music Store will also deliver up to Content Director for the six-station cluster, which 10 songs each week for free. The pre-selected songs includes Country KAJA and KRPT. Additionally, Cox are provided through a partnership with independent Radio/San Antonio’s Kirsten Brassell has joined as music labels to expose fans to new music while also the cluster’s Marketing Director. demonstrating the ease with which they can download music from Sprint. Television: WGNA/Albany, NY will host a concert featuring Clay Walker and Neal McCoy on March Chesney & Pals Heat Tin Roof 27 in Clifton Park, NY to benefit the Oatman-Gaitan Birthday boy Kenny Chesney’s no-advance- family. Proceeds go towards the renovation of the warning Keg In The Closet club tour popped up family’s home, currently in progress by ABC’s Extreme in Nashville tonight (3/26) at popular music-biz Makeover: Home Edition. Details at www.wgna.com. ©2007 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Send news to [email protected] March 26, 2007 Country Aircheck Music Edition Page 4 CHECK OUT This week’s releases include: Alabama Songs of Inspiration Volume II (RCA) The follow-up to their 2006 gospel release, Vol. II again features traditional hymnal staples like “Love Lifted Me” and “Precious Memories,” as well as bedrock country (“Will The Circle Be Unbroken”) and the anthem of anthems (“The Star Spangled Banner”). Guest vocalists include Riders In The Sky and Del McCoury. Alabama’s Randy Owen arranged eight of the 13 tracks. Jack Ingram This Is It (Big Machine) Ingram’s 12-cut studio album debut for Big Machine includes familiar tracks “Wherever You Are,” “Love You” and the current single “Lips Of An Angel.” He has writing credit on half the songs including “Ava Adele,” written for his daughter. Other titles include “Measure of a Man,” “Great Divide” and “Don’t Want To Hurt.” Sheryl Crow guests on “Hold On.” Tim McGraw Let It Go (Curb) His first studio album in close to three years, and his 11th to date, Let It Go continues McGraw’s string of albums recorded with his touring band The Dancehall Doctors. Wife Faith Hill duets on “I Need You” and their daughters sing on the single “Last Dollar (Fly Away).) McGraw also scores a co-write credit on “Train #10,” written with Brad and Brett Warren. Upcoming releases: April 3 Alison Krauss A Hundred Miles Or More: A Collection (Rounder) Martina McBride Waking Up Laughing (RCA) Jimmy Buffett, Alan Jackson, George Strait Live At Texas Stadium (MCA) April 17 Bucky Covington Bucky (Lyric Street) Clay Walker Fall (Curb/Asylum) Album release info to [email protected]. Gig Alert: KBUL/Reno has an opening for a midday air talent following the March 8 departure of PD/midday host Cleveland Wheeler. Airchecks and resumes to interim PD Derek Gunn at [email protected]. No calls. (CAT 3/23) Citadel/Spokane has an immediate opening for Marketing Director at the seven station cluster. Resumes to OM Cary Rolfe at 1601 East 57th, Spokane, 99223 or [email protected]. (CAT 3/21) ©2007 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Send news to [email protected] March 26, 2007 Country Aircheck Music Edition Page 5 Industry News TUBE CHECK Country Thunder Records has reached an Tuesday (3/27) – Dierks Bentley, The Tonight Show agreement bringing Heartland over to its roster with Jay Leno, (NBC); Jack Ingram, GAC Nights; from Lofton Creek. Country Thunder’s Herbert Blake Shelton, Clint Black, Crystal Gayle, Joe Nichols, Graham and Lofton Creek’s Mike Borchetta Kenny Rogers, Lee Ann Womack, 100 Greatest Duets finalized the deal late Friday. (3/23) Concert, (CMT); Craig Morgan, American Idol, (FOX). Veteran music journalist Bob Doerschuk has Wednesday (3/28) – Oak Ridge Boys, Master been named Editor of CMA Close Up magazine, Series, (GAC); Luke Bryan, GAC Nights. effective today (3/26). Formerly editor of Musician magazine, Doerschuk replaces Peter Cronin who left Thursday (3/29) – Danielle Peck, Top 20 to pursue other opportunities (CAT 3/19). Doerschuk Countdown, (CMT); Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Merle can be reached at [email protected] or Haggard, Ray Price, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Country Music Across America, (GAC); 615-664-1640. Blake Shelton, Angela Hacker, Top 20 Countdown, Following its recent partnership with (CMT). Ticketmaster and Interactive Corporation, Echomusic has brought on six executives to fill Friday (3/30) – Tim McGraw, Inside Fame, newly created positions. Jay Brown joins as CFO, (CMT); Rodney Atkins, ACM & GAC Presents…; John Brad Henderson is VP/Brand Strategy & Creative, Anderson, Big & Rich, CMT Cross Country. J. David Huffman signs on as VP/Strategic Saturday (3/31) – Tim McGraw, CMT Insider Special Development, Joseph Kustelski has been named Edition; Martina McBride, Little Big Town, Terri Clark, Director/Product Management, Jim Lutz joins as Angela Hacker, Grand Ole Opry Live, (GAC); Billy Ray Senior VP and Justin Williams has been named VP/ Cyrus, My Music Mix, (GAC).