ISSUE 33 MUSIC EDITION APRIL 9, 2007 Time To Put A Bullet In The Bullet? previous week. It’s there you will see which songs are In his weekly newsletter to his company’s Country strongest and which are breaking from the pack – and which songs are struggling to stay alive. programmers, Regent VP/Country Programming Bob Moody (continued on page 5) suggests “label execs might want to consider the possibility that a chart with no bullets Gill Goes Four Broke would be better than what we have now.” Vince Gill played two packed shows at Nashville’s Moody’s concern is that “a dozen or more Ryman Auditorium last week, each coming dangerously new songs get three to five adds each close to welcoming in the next day. “Like week” which results in “chart gridlock.” He Cialis, if your concert lasts four hours, please opines, “There are a lot of reasons for this, see a doctor,” Gill quipped as the second BOB MOODY including a system designed to insure that night opened. Backed by a top shelf band almost every song is bulleted and an increasing reluctance that included John Hobbs, Al Anderson and for labels to tell artists and managers that they are no Bekka Bramlett, Gill played selections from longer working singles that are clearly dead in the water.” all four discs in his current These Days release As one who has had a direct hand in creating, overseeing interspersed with many of his biggest radio hits. and implementing Country chart methodology for almost 25 And if the pristine vocals and mesmerizing years, I’d like to weigh-in with a couple thoughts. musicianship weren’t enough, Host Vince was in full First, the days of looking simply at a chart number to effect with funny stories and effortless one-liners. Though determine the strength of a song are long gone. For more the show was filmed for later broadcast by HDNet, it was than 15 years now, trades have supplied more than just refreshingly free of ponderous TV-taping trappings. a number and “bullet, no bullet.” The real information programmers need is in the lines of data to the right of the CC/Nashville Gig Alert chart number. The Country Aircheck/Mediabase chart Clear Channel/Nashville Market Manager Tom supplies a wealth of data to help a programmer determine English is still on the prowl for an Operations Manager to the internal strength of a record – among them the total oversee Country WSIX, Top 40 WRVW, Urban WUBT, points and plays, the week-to-week change in points and Classic Rock WNRQ, News/Talk WLAC-AM and the plays, the Audience and the Audience change from the Tennessee Radio Network. If you’re interested, send a note to [email protected]. ©2007 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. To subscribe visit www.countryaircheck.com April 9, 2007 Country Aircheck Music Edition Page 3 Radiothon Roundup DATE CHECK A few more radiothon totals have rolled in since our April 20 - CRB Radio Outreach last Music Edition. Here’s a snapshot: www.crb.org • Max Media WOOZ/Marion-Carbondale, IL raised a record $168,358.27 during its recent St. Jude Radiothon. April 24 - Leadership Music Digital Summit • Clear Channel WQRB/Eau Claire, WI raised www.digitalsummit.org $107,874 for St. Jude. • Clear Channel WACO/Waco, TX raised more than May 8 - Roy Acuff St. Block Party, Nashville $232,000 at its recent St. Jude Radiothon, a new May 15 - 42nd Annual ACM Awards. record for the station. www.acmcountry.com June 7-10 - CMA Music Festival. Industry News www.cmafest.com The 2nd Annual ASCAP I Create Music Expo will be held April 19-21 at the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood, CA. Performers include John Rich, Brett James, JD Souther, Dave Berg and Dennis Matkosky. Artist News Go here for full list of panelists and performers. Montage’s Little Texas will perform at the Chevy Nashville’s Belmont University is presenting “The Thunder at Sundance Square show on April 14 in Fort Insider’s View,” a student seminar focused on video Worth, TX. The band is also slated to sing the National directing, on April 11. Moderated by Belmont’s Harry Anthem and hit single “God Blessed Texas” at the Chapman, it features Paul Boyd, Wes Edwards and Samsung 500 NASCAR race at Texas Motor Speedway Roman White, nominees for the 2007 CMT Music Awards on April 15, where bassist Duane Propes will unveil a Video Director of the Year. specially commissioned bass depicting the Texas flag. The ninth annual Nashville Screenwriters Conference With sledgehammer in hand, Keith Urban assisted in is set for June 1-3 at the Union Station Hotel in Nashville. the recent groundbreaking of The W.O. Smith Nashville Learn more here. Community Music School, which provides music 19 Entertainment is now accepting online submissions education to children from low-income families. for their American Idol songwriter competition. The Big Machine’s Jack Ingram has been named GAC’s winning entry will be the first single released by the April Artist of the Month and an exclusive sweepstakes is winner of this year’s American Idol talent contest, and the currently underway at GACTV.com, where the winner will writer will receive a publishing deal and an advance on the get the wedding dress and jewelry featured in his video for single’s royalties. Info here. “Lips Of An Angel.” Discounted registration ($129) for the Leadership Arista’s Carrie Underwood is featured as the cover story Music Digital Summit expires Friday (4/13). The rate for the May issue of Cosmopolitan, which hits newsstands rises $50 at that point for the April 24 event in Nashville. tomorrow (4/10). During the interview, Underwood dished RIAA’s Mitch Bainwol has been added as a second about her success and her search for love. keynote. Details at http://www.digitalsummit.org/. ©2007 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Send news to [email protected] April 9, 2007 Country Aircheck Music Edition Page 4 Chronicle BIRTHDAYS Our sincerest condolences to family and friends of 30-year music industry veteran Tony Tuesday (4/10) - Bill Hutchens Tamburrano, who passed away April 3, just Wednesday (4/11) - Chalee Tennison, Jim 12 days before his 61st birthday. Tony got Lauderdale, Jeri Detweiler, Bob Moody his start with Dot Records in 1968. In 1978 he ([email protected]) was named Dir./National Promotion for MCA/ Nashville. Tony returned to his hometown of Thursday (4/12) - Vince Gill, Deryl Dodd, Dave Houston in 1987 to work in the local music scene and in Weigand 1990 became Mark Chesnutt’s Tour Manager. In 1996 he started TNT Entertainment, operating a mobile disc jockey Friday (4/13) - Marlene Augustine business. Services were held in Houston over the weekend. Condolences are also extended to Toby Keith and Saturday (4/14) - Loretta Lynn, Gary Moore family on last week’s passing of his grandmother, Hilda Sunday (4/15) - Roy Clark, Bobby Kraig Martin, who owned the nightclub Keith worked at that is ([email protected]), Rick Huckaby immortalized in his song “Honkytonk U.” Texarkana: KKYR*; Tyler: KNUE; Victoria: The Week’s Top Stories KIXS; Wichita Falls: KWFS. (* denotes stations Here are some of the biggest stories featured in Country that were No. 1, 12+, in the Fall 2006 Arbitron.) Aircheck Today since our last Music Edition. Visit the (CAT 4/5) archives section of our website for complete coverage of these stories and more: www.countryaircheck.com. • Cumulus bumped Director/Programming Charlie Cook to VP/Country, with fellow directors Jim • George Laughlin, brother of Southern California Kennedy and Ken Johnson rising to VPs for radio veteran Roy Laughlin, bought 52 Clear Oldies-Classic Hits and Urban respectively. Channel stations in Texas, Oklahoma and Exec. VP John Dickey was named Co-COO, Louisiana. Thirteen of the stations are Country. joining current Exec. VP/COO Jon Pinch. VP/ The new Dallas-based Gap Broadcasting gets six Programming Jan Jeffries was upped to Sr. VP, stations in Abilene, TX; five in Amarillo, TX; and Sr. VP Andy Rosen exited. (CAT 4/5) three in Lawton, OK; six in Lubbock, TX; four in Lufkin, TX; five in Midland-Odessa, TX; six • Wilks KFKF/Kansas City GSM Mike Rowen was in Shreveport, LA; five in Texarkana, AR-TX; promoted VP/Market Manager for the company’s five in Tyler, TX; three in Victoria, TX; and, four station KC cluster, which includes Country four in Wichita Falls, TX. Country stations now stations KFKF & KBEQ. He fills the role vacated falling into the Gap are: Abilene: Classic Country by Wilks/KC Market Manager Herndon Hasty. KYYW-AM & KEAN-FM; Amarillo: Classic KBEQ PD/morning host Mike Kennedy was Country KATP & KMML; Lawton: KLAW*; bumped to VP/Programming & Operations for the Lubbock: KQBR; Lufkin: KYKS*; Shreveport: cluster, and relinquished programming duties for Classic Country KWKH-AM & KXKS; ©2007 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Send news to [email protected] April 9, 2007 Country Aircheck Music Edition Page 5 AC KCKC to that station’s APD/morning host Luke Jensen. Additionally, Marla Zirkle was TUBE CHECK named VP/Controller for the cluster. (CAT 4/5) Tuesday (4/10) – Big & Rich, Dancing with the Stars, (ABC); Martina McBride, The View, (ABC); • Free Lance-Star WFLS/Fredericksburg, VA PD Alison Krauss, Taylor Swift, Emerson Drive, Bucky Jon Reed will retire on April 30. Before taking Covington, Grand Ole Opry Live, (GAC); Tim on programming duties at the outlet in 1993, McGraw, The Ellen Degeneres Show, (Syndicated). Reed made stops in Kansas City, Providence, Wednesday (4/11) – Montgomery Gentry, The Denver and New Orleans.