November 21, 2011 Issue 270 Inside The Awards: Robert Deaton Just shy of two weeks since the 45th Annual CMA Awards, Country Aircheck spoke with Executive Producer Robert Deaton for his thoughts on the telecast, how it all came together and several of its memorable moments. CA: You’ve had some time to process the show and maybe decompress. What are your Robert Deaton thoughts in hindsight? RD: A lot of credit needs to be passed around because there are so many people – starting with the artists – who make it happen, but I feel like this was our best effort. Going into the show, what I really wanted to do was not compromise at all with Pub Scouts: EMI Nashville’s Eric Church buddies up with the backstage crowd at last week’s Chief Deconstructed show at Joe’s Pub in Chicago. Pictured (l-r) are any of the performances. I wanted each one to put the artist in the label’s Chuck Swaney and Angela Lange, Church, and WUSN’s Marci Braun, the best possible position. We started working about a month and Lisa Dent and Liz Geerling. a half earlier than we normally do to make each performance’s It is a sensitive issue but, again, I think it goes back to the writing. visuals as good as the music. We wanted every one to stand out, If I had said, “We’re going to do something with Hank,” they and that’s hard to do over three hours, but we really stepped up probably would have said, “Hold on a second,” and rightly so. But our game. That’s what I’m most proud of. because the writing was clever in the way we integrated him, it The other thing is that Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood made sense. have grown as hosts each year. In year one, there are no The process starts with us writing down everything that’s expectations, but each year you feel the pressure to beat the happened in the past year, and it doesn’t really matter when. We feel year before, particularly with the opening monologue. Brad, as if Brad and Carrie can, in a musical way, recap what’s happened Carrie, [writers] David Wild and Peter Tilden and I all work on since the last show. We went through 15 different drafts of just that that open together, and I think this year was the best yet. We’ve one section and, if my memory serves, I said to Brad, “What if defined the roles as far as what works for Carrie and what works we had Hank?” He thought it would be great, but wasn’t sure we for Brad, and they are involved from the very beginning. We’re could get him. The good news is that for the last 20 years I’ve done also changing things all the way up to airtime. the Monday Night Football video with Hank, so there’s trust there A lot of people were surprised ABC was willing to have in my relationship with him and manager Ken Levitan. The thing Hank Williams, Jr. on the show because his split with (ABC- about Hank is he has a great sense of humor; he’s a truly funny guy. owned) ESPN was such a sensitive issue. (continued on page 4) ©2011 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] November 21, 2011 Country Aircheck Weekly Page 3 News & Notes THE PAGE THREE PIC Arbitron’s November PPM ratings for Hartford will be truncated to include only the two-week period of Oct. 13-26. Data from the latter two weeks (Oct. 27-Nov. 9) of the four-week survey will not appear, owing to widespread power outages from a freak snowstorm along the Atlantic seaboard Oct. 29. Hartford’s Nov. PPM report will be issued as scheduled Dec. 5. UMG Distribution is putting several top current physical and digital albums on sale for the Black Friday/Cyber Monday week at $6.99 and greatest hits catalog collections at $4.99 – prices not generally seen since the vinyl era. Among the participating releases alongside acts including Eminem, Lady Gaga and Justin No Shave November: Here’s Mac McAnally during a station visit to AOR Bieber are George Strait’s Here For A Good Time, Scotty WORJ/Orlando. Pictured (l-r) are Tommy Brasfield, Ariola rep John Parker, McCreery’s Clear As Day and Lauren Alaina’s Wildflower. McAnally, PD Bill McGaithy and Terry Woodford. Have shots of your own Kobalt Music Publishing has added John Rich to its artist wardrobe malfunctions? Send them to [email protected]. roster. The administration deal includes a dual agreement with his publishing companies Godfather Rich Muzik and Program 360. “Deep In The Heart Of Texas” by Gene Autry, “Wasted Days And Biggest Loser Update Wasted Nights” by Freddy Fender and Foggy Mountain Jamboree Trailer Choir’s Big Vinny Hickerson continued his losing by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs are among The Recording ways to survive another week on the Biggest Loser. “We’re Academy’s 25 GRAMMY Hall of Fame inductees for 2012. The down to the final six,” he says. “It’s starting to hit us how much Rolling Stones’ Exile On Main St., Bruce Springsteen’s Born In The we’ve changed. We’ve really saved our lives.” Hickerson calls this week’s challenge “brutal” and attributes the pain to the U.S.A. and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech Jacob’s Ladder machine, which he calls “one of the hardest in are also being recognized. See the full 2012 list here. the gym.” He adds, “It’s also Thanksgiving week, so we get to The 17th annual Better Angels Music Key West Songwriters have dinner with the trainers. You might see a Big Vinny original Festival Presented By BMI will be held May 2-6. Proceeds will song in there, too. You never know how they’re going to edit benefit Operation Homefront. each show, but so far they’ve made me look like a rock star, so Paradigm Agency has added Marlee Scott to its artist roster. it’s all been good.” Tune in Tuesday at 8pm ET on NBC-TV. Chart Chat Get Well Soon: Robynn Jaymes Congrats to Brantley Gilbert, George Briner, Our thoughts and best wishes for a speedy Chris Loss and the Valory promo crew on scoring recovery go out to WSLC/Roanoke, VA this week’s No. 1 single with Gilbert’s “Country morning co-host Robynn Jaymes, who has been suffering from pancreatitis for some time Music Be Country Wide” ... which is now now. She underwent surgery last week and is apparently country-wide. The song is Gilbert’s scheduled for more tests in the coming days. first chart-topper. Brantley Gilbert Unfortunately, Jaymes is also struggling with Robynn Jaymes ©2011 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] November 21, 2011 Country Aircheck Weekly Page 4 medical expenses, which have been piling up during her ordeal. OFF THE REC O RD : KA T IE ARMIGER An account has been set up for those who wish to contribute. Make checks payable to: The Robynn Jaymes Medical Fund, PO Cold River’s Katie Armiger puts an industry spin on the artist interview: Box 117, Salem, VA 24153. Get-well wishes can be sent here. What station did you grow up listening to? KKBQ/Houston and KILT/Houston. The Week’s Top Stories What has kept you sane on the radio Full coverage at www.countryaircheck.com. tour? I did my first radio tour when I was • CBS Radio/Tampa Market Manager Don Howe is departing 15, and the things that keep me sane are my Kindle, my phone, earbuds and Dec. 1 from the six-station cluster, which includes Country album downloads. format leader WQYK. (CAT 11/21) Katie Armiger What are some signature items in your • Big Machine’s Taylor Swift won Country Female and Album carry-on luggage? I always have my for Speak Now at Sunday’s (11/20) 2011 American Music laptop and my makeup bag. There are so many times when we’ll Awards, and became the first artist in the 39 years of the show to be super-late and we don’t have time to get ready. My makeup bag helps me beautify on the fly. Guys don’t have to worry about win the all-genre honors twice. (CAT 11/21) such stuff. • Cumulus AC WMAS/Springfield, MA PD Rob Anthony What’s your go-to food stop? I always want sushi on the road, was named Clear Channel’s Regional Program Manager/ but it’s hit-or-miss depending on which state we’re in. Northeast. (11/17) Which regional is the most interesting driver? This is my favorite question ever! It’s Jim Dandy. Bless his heart, he can’t drive. He texts, calls and drives 50-90 miles per hour while his Inside The Awards (continued from page 1) phone’s GPS navigates us to our destination. He’s gotten better, We weren’t trying to be political, we were trying to be funny. but that’s only because he’s letting me drive now. And we were and are careful about that with everything. We Ever been considered an airport security threat? I always get don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings, whether it’s the Tim the double pat-down, and I don’t know why.