Issue 225 and the Nominees Are
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
January 10, 2011 Issue 225 And The Nominees Are... The second annual Country Radio Broadcasters/Country Aircheck Awards nominees are listed below. Finalists in 28 records and radio categories were culled from nominations made by the country industry via the internet over eight weeks at the end of last year. Voting commences immediately at www.crbawards.com and runs through Jan. 28. Awards will be presented during the CRS 2011 New Faces of Legends Of The Call: A group of Los Angeles radio legends gather for Country Music Show March 4 in Nashville. a holiday lunch. Pictured are (back row, l-r) Saville Kellner (Black Card Radio), Kurt Kelly (Kurt Kelly VO & Production), Joel Denver (All Access Major Market Station Medium Market Station Music Group), Randy West (VO & TV game show announcer), Don Barrett KEEY/Minneapolis KFDI/Wichita (LARadio.com publisher), Art Vuolo, Jr. (Radio’s Best Friend), Charlie Cook (Country consultant), Gregg Ogonowsk (Bob Orban Communications), WQYK-FM/Tampa WAMZ/Louisville Kevin Carter (R.A.M.P. editor) and (front row, l-r) “Shotgun Tom” Kelly WUSN/Chicago WBCT/Grand Rapids (KRTH), Wally Clark (media consultant), Jim Hampton (Greenhouse WXTU/Philadelphia WIVK/Knoxville Marketing Group), Jhani Kaye (KRTH & KTWV), Don Whittemore (formerly WYCD/Detroit WYRK/Buffalo with RCA) and famed LA/syndication personality Charlie Tuna. Large Market Station Small Market Station 2010 Sales: As (Bad As) Expected? KAJA/San Antonio KATM/Modesto, CA On the good-news/bad-news spectrum, country music’s KASE/Austin WKSF/Asheville, NC increasing album sales market share is tempered be the fact that WCOL/Columbus, OH WTHI/Terre Haute, IN the genre’s sales were still off 5.2%. And that’s with late year WFMS/Indianapolis WUSY/Chattanooga, TN releases from Blake Shelton, Zac Brown Band, Kenny Chesney, WMIL/Milwaukee WXBQ/Johnson City, TN Toby Keith, Darius Rucker, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, Reba and more. (continued on page 4) Of course, album sales have been in unrelenting decline since ©2011 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] January 10, 2011 Country Aircheck Weekly Page 3 2004, according to Nielsen SoundScan numbers. The nearly 44 THE PAGE THREE PIC million units sold in 2010 follows a little more than 46 million in 2009, and so on. A far cry from numbers that were in the 70+ million range just a few years back. So what does it all mean? For perspective we turned to Country Aircheck sales consultant (also known as Show Dog-Universal VP/Sales & Marketing) Bill Kennedy. “None of what’s going on is new or unexpected,” he says. “People are buying tracks where once they might have bought Bill Kennedy albums. And it’s all complicated by the economic issues that started in October 2008. We’ve been treading in a new normal since everything started going south.” Is the continuation of this decline strictly about the economy, or is Hair Staff: This week, a shot of the KPLX/Dallas crew circa 1983. it the ongoing erosion of the album? “It’s probably a combination of Pictured (l-r, standing) are middayer Jack Monroe, afternoon host the two,” Kennedy says. “But country fans are more loyal than those Mike McBride, night host Mac Daniels, morning man Terry Dorsey and PD Bobby Kraig. Pictured (l-r, kneeling) are staffer John Bibbs and OM of other genres and when it’s one of their favorite artists, they buy in. Dan Halyburton. Seriously. Send your style-challenged nostalgia pic Taylor Swift isn’t having any problem selling whole albums.” to [email protected]. If there is a silver lining, it’s that this evaporation hasn’t caught anyone by surprise. “Labels have adjusted their business plans accordingly,” Kennedy says. “If you had an artist you used to receive alerts via email, AOL IM, Yahoo! Messenger, MSN forecast at 1 million units, you scale it back to 500,000. You Messenger, Jabber and Google Talk. LDR also has integrated make some up with downloaded tracks, streaming income and tools for stations seeking to automatically post information to video sales. In terms of way labels function, we’re a really good their Facebook pages related to times when listeners can vote for example. Our overhead is very reasonable and a lot of other labels which songs should play next, as well as new Twitter features. have made those adjustments accordingly. We’ve had to – it’s been For details, click here. going on for five years.” There is upside to be found, thankfully. “One area that isn’t News & Notes talked about much is that we’re seeing some growth in the CMT.com will webcast the Live In Nashville: international world for country. There are now a half-dozen artists, the JaneDear girls concert Thursday (1/13) at Toby being one of them, who are doing well. He’s going back in 6pm CT from Nashville’s 12th and Porter. The 2011 for his second run overseas in the last three years.” duo will preview tracks from their self-titled As for 2011, Kennedy’s making no predictions, but .... “I can debut album, which hits stores Feb. 1. almost guarantee if the economy gets better our business will, too.” Nectar Media has launched Radio Nectar, JaneDear Girls a remnant advertising service offering radio LDR Gives Listeners More Control stations with unsold advertising inventory the opportunity to McVay New Media’s Listener Driven Radio has added generate revenue. For details call 615-852-6852 or email here. functionality so that listeners can receive a text message to their Singer/songwriter Courtney Cole has inked a publishing mobile device when their favorite songs play. They can also deal with Black River Music Publishing. The Mandeville, ©2011 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] January 10, 2011 Country Aircheck Weekly Page 4 LA native studied Commercial Voice and Music Business at CHECK OU T : 1/11 Nashville’s Belmont University prior to interning at Black River. Back Porch Productions has created a gifting-suite Steel Magnolia Steel Magnolia (Big Machine) experience available for multi-act music festivals focusing Can You Duet winners Joshua Scott Jones and primarily on the country market. The company’s first tour stop is Meghan Linsey wrote and co-wrote seven songs on their 12-track self-titled debut. Singles “Keep WWKA/Orlando’s K92 All-Star Acoustic Jam. Call 615-669- On Lovin’ You,” “Just By Being You (Halo And 1010 or click here for details. Wings)” and “Last Night Again,” as well as a cover Music Publisher Big Yellow Dog celebrates its 13th year and of The Ranch’s “Homespun Love” are featured. Scott Borchetta 13 No.1 songs by signing a long-term extension with Josh Kear, executive produced and Dann Huff produced. writer of Lady A’s “Need You Now and Carrie Underwood’s The Grascals & Friends Country Classics With A “Before He Cheats.” BYD has also signed “Big Al” Anderson. Bluegrass Spin (Cracker Barrel) In order of appearance, Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Dolly Parton, Tom T. Hall, Darryl Worley, Charlie Life Note Daniels, the Oak Ridge Boys and Joe Nichols guest Our thoughts and prayers are extended to artist manager Al on the Grascals’ 13-track mix of country classics and Bunetta and his wife Dawn following the death of their son Juri originals. “Tiger By The Tail,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Pain Of Lovin’ You” Bunetta, who passed Sunday (1/9) from injuries sustained in a and “White Lightning” are among the songs. Terri Clark, Randy Owen, car accident late Saturday night. A memorial service will be held Ansley McLaurin, Steven Seagal and those mentioned above also appear on the “I Am Strong” bonus track. A portion of the proceeds will Friday (1/14) at 3pm at Rehoboth United Methodist Church (2601 benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Available at Cracker Barrel. Cage’s Bend Rd, Gallatin, TN 37066). Flowers are welcome and the family asks that donations be made in Juri’s name to Small World Adoption Programs by mail (Small World Adoption And The Winners Are (continued from page 1) Programs, P.O. Box 1109, Mt. Juliet, TN 37121) or online here. Major Market MM/GM The Week’s Top Stories Dan Bennett, KPLX/Dallas View full coverage in the archives at www.countryaircheck.com. Natalie Connor, WXTU/Philadelphia • Arista/Nashville Midwest rep RJ Curtis will join Country Debbie Kenyon, WYCD/Detroit Aircheck as VP/Radio Jan. 24. Congratulate him here. Mark Krieschen, KKBQ & KTHT/Houston • Red Light Management’s Greg Hill was named President of Paul O’Malley, KSCS/Dallas & WKHX/Atlanta McGhee Entertainment/Nashville. (CAT 1/10) • CBS Radio’s KNCI/Sacramento PD Byron Kennedy is now Large Market MM/GM handling music for the station, following last week’s exit of MD/ Nate Deaton, KRTY/San Jose Prod. Dir. Greg Cole. Reach Cole here. (CAT 1/7) Tom English, WSIX/Nashville • Label vet Brad Howell joined Show Dog-Universal as VP/ Marc Harrell, KBEQ & KFKF/Kansas City Field Promo., among other staff changes. (Breaking News 1/5) Pam McKay, KASE & KVET-FM/Austin • Veteran radio and music exec Dan Bowen was hired as VP/ Jeff Tyler, WMIL/Milwaukee Radio Strategies at AirPlay Direct, the digital-to-radio music distribution service. Reach him here. (CAT 1/6) Medium Market MM/GM David Coppock, WKSJ/Mobile ©2011 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] January 10, 2011 Country Aircheck Weekly Page 6 Thom Mandel, WQMX/Akron MY TUNES : MUSIC THA T SHA P ED MY LIFE Eric McCart, Journal/Wichita Jim Robertson, WOGK/Gainesville WCTQ-FM/Sarasota, FL PD Tim Jones discusses his most influential songs, Jeff Silver, WYRK/Buffalo albums or concerts: 1.