Format Giants KNIX And KMLE Slug It Out At Site Of '98 Radio Seminar Continued from page 1

This year's nominees are Arista/Nasliy ille, BNA, It's worth noting that "Country's Most Epic, MCA Nashville, and Mercury. Wanted" changed both hosts and syndicators The radio -consultant category has been ex- in the middle of the nomination period. Pre- panded to in-viously hosted by former WSIX afternoon Instant information on Country's new artists clude bothjock Carl P. Mayfield and his then sidekick, consultants Dean Warfield, the show was sold by SW and group Networks toMedia - lipowfm roz-s PDs this year, America latelast * Chad Brock when he signed as the flagship artist for the although year and signed "EVANGELINE" (WARNER BROS.) new Bang II Records. His debut album, "All I Chancellor Y95 WSM-FM's Cody Born and raised in Ocala, Fla., Chad Ever Wanted," includes a country cover of the Media's Tim Closson is the only group PD rep- TampaBay's Country Leader! and Arnie Harper as Brock started his singing career with a solo Bee Gees' "Alone." resented in the country category. He will vie the new hosts. performance of "Amazing Grace" in his with consultants Keith Hill, Bob Moody, Joel (However, for the hometown church at the age of 6. After Raab, and Rusty Walker, who has won thisfirst time in recent memory, all of this year's finding lyrics scrawled on papers around Sean Morey award for the past three years. country nominees are actually still with the the house, Brock's father bought the bud- "THE MAN SONG" (BANJO) station for which they are nominated.) The ding songwriter his first guitar at 13. Later, Sean Morey has been performing stand- BLAIR VS. HOWARD (ET AL.) network/syndicated program of the year cat- Brock turned down a football scholarshipup comedy for more than 20 years, begin- Blair Garner, host of Premiere Radio Net-egory honors weekly longform or daily in high school so he could continue his pur-ning in Boston in the mid -'70s, when he works' overnightshortform programming, but not full syndi- suit of music. He has criss-crossed the coun- started his own comedy school and per- show, "After MidNite cated dayparts such as "After MidNite," for try playing in honky-tonks from Ocala to formed a one-man show every Friday at the With Blair Garner,"example. Kingsley has won in this category Flagstaff, Ariz. In 1993, he was named one Charles Playhouse. After moving to Los An- is nominated in thefor 11 consecutive years. of the top 10 unsigned country acts by thegeles in 1979, he won first place in the non -format -specific Nashville Entertainment Assn. His debut al-Southern California Comedy Competition, nationally syndicated HOW YOU CHOSE THE NOMINEES bum was produced by Norro Wilson andwhich led to appearances on "The Tonight air personality of the These nominations were the result of pre- Buddy Cannon. Show With Johnny Carson" and the open- year category for theliminary ballots placed in the May 15 issue of ing spot on Crystal Gayle's national tour. fourth consecutivethe four Airplay Monitor magazines. Read- Since then, he has been touring the coun- year. He is up against ers cast write-in votes. The eligibility period * Rodney Carrington try, performing in comedy clubs and on the SFX Broadcasting's for nominees was May 1997 -May 1998. Sta- "DANCING WITH A MAN AND college circuit. He was twice nominated as TOM RIVERS Bob Kevoian and tions in the top 20 Arbitron markets were el- "FRED" (MERCURY) college comedian of the year and has ap- Tom Griswold (whoigible for the major -market awards. Other Comedian Rodney Carrington's act haspeared on "The Tonight Show With Jay have one count i\ affiliate in WZPC Nashville); markets were classified in the secondary already garnered him a following in come- Leno." His album, "He's The Man," was co - WRFX Charlotte, N.C.-based John Boy andcategory for the purposes of these awards. dy clubs across the country, and he has ap-produced by Tom Griswold of the syndicat- Billy; ABC Radio Networks' Torn Joyner; and Across all formats, there are a total of 490 peared numerous times on the syndicated ed Bob and Toni radio show. Morey does CBS Broadcasting's Howard Stern, all ofnominees in 10 formats and nine categories Bob and Tom andfive or more telephone interviews a day whom host morning shows. This category rec- vying for 98 awards this year. Final ballots John Boy and Billywith radio stations and is working on his ognizes personalities whose entire air shift is are included in all copies of this issue of Air- morning shows. second album, due for release this fall. syndicated daily and appears on more than playMonitor Hailing from Long- one station. andinsub- view, Texas, the 29 - In the network/syndicated program of the scription copies year -old Carrington Mark Nesler year category, the country nominees are ABC 98.7dliC onlyofthe was a high school "USED TO THE PAIN" (ASYLUM) Radio/KCCS Productions' Aug. 1 issue of bodybuilderand Best known as a songwriter before now, Mark "American Country Count- WASHINGTON'S (OUN'IlY STATION Billboard. earned the title Mr. Nesler had his greatest success with Tim down With Bob Kingsley"; Completed bal- Teenage East Texas McGraw's 'just TO See You Smile." He's also Westwood One's "Country lots must be returned no later than Aug. 14. and was runner-up for Mr. Teenage Texas. had songs cut by Mark Chesnutt, Trace Adkins, Countdown U.S.A."; Winners will be announced Sept. 19 at a In 1995, he self -released a live album, "C'- Rhett Akins, Lee Greenwood, Ed Bruce, and MediaAmerica's "Country's banquet culminating the annual Bill- mon Laugh You Bastards." His new album, 'flimmy Wynette and written or co -written nine Most Wanted"; Jones Radio board/Airplay Monitor Radio Seminar and "Hangin' With Rodney," was released June songs recorded by Networks' "The Crook &Awards, scheduled for Sept. 17-19 at the 2. Recorded live at the Improv in Dallas, Tracy Byrd, induding Chase Country Count-Pointe Hilton Resort at Tapatio Cliffs in Charlie Goodnites in Raleigh, N.C., and "HeavenIn My down"; and Morris International's "NASCAR Phoenix. Dick Clark will host the Radio Crackers in Indianapolis, the album con- Woman'sEyes." Country." \ds i emony. tains a mixture of standup material and ThoseByrdcuts comedy songs. He isMercury's first helped him land a comedic signing. publishing deal with MCA Music Publish- Virtual Radio Debated At Industry Confab ing, and he joined by Jeff Silberni(f ,/ and Marc Schiffman tomization," claimed, "Noir don't adopt Virtual Clint Daniels Byrd's touring band Radio just to save money but to win." Although "A FOOL'S PROGRESS" as a guitarist a short time later. Hailing from Programmers attending the 23rd annualHilliard has only eight stations lined up and (ARISTA NASHVILLE) Buna, Texas, north of Beaumont, Nesler Conclave, held at the Marriott City Center in Kane has 14, both believe that their services will Clint Daniels, 24, grew up in Panama formed his first band at 16. He started playing \ Imeapolis July 16-20, learned that in the fu- spread. City, Fla., in a musical family and spent thethe Beaumont area after high school and, in ture of radio, less means less, as in fewer pro- Naturally, the more business they do, the few- better part of his life singing and perform- 1982, hit all 50 states in a three-month span as gramming jobs and air personality opportuni-er opportunities there are for air talent. That ing. He learned guitar at the age of 12 and part of the band backing contestants in the na- ties. That point was driven home in the defining fact didn't sit well with those in attendance. played in bands during his teens. After high tional Wrangler Star Search. In 1991, he hit the sessions of the Condave: CBS Radio presidentWhen programmers pointed out the current school, trying his luck in Nashville seemed road again. Working as Mark Nesler & the $2 Dan Mason's keynote speech and a session de- lack of "farm talent" and the fact that Virtual like an inevitability. He came and went sev- Pistols, he and his band played all over the voted to Virtual Radio. Radio would only exacerbate that problem, eral times, eventually attracting the atten- country. Mason kicked things off by noting that radioHilliard could only acknowledge that it was a tion of Arista A&R staffers, who traveled to consolidation is about two-thirds done, and the "major issue" that is still unresolved. "The firm Florida to hear him play a showcase. The lion's share of future activity will be concentrat- system will tighten up," Kane admitted. "But club he was scheduled to appear in nearly The Wilkinsons ed on medium and smaller markets. The reper- there are still great systems that produce quali- burned down during a rehearsal for the "26 CENTS" (GIANT) cussion? "Programming jobs will be eliminat- ty young talent." showcase, but the fire was extinguished in This family trio consists of father Steve ed," he dedared. "About 50% of the business in When several attendees cited the immediacy time and the show went on as scheduled, Wilkinson, daughter Amanda, 16, and son this country has merged in the last three to four problem of virtual stations being unresponsive landing Daniels a deal with Arista. He wrote Tyler, 14, who have been singing together years. You can't fight the changing of this in- to weather emergencies in their market, Kane or co -wrote seven of the songs on his debut for years. They got their start in their native dustry." In the face of that inevitability, Mason said, "I concede that we can't cover the torna- album, including this debut single. The self= Belleville, Ontario, where Steve Wilkinson said, programmers should "diversify your skills. does, but you have to give something to get titled album is due Sept. 15. Daniels and his was working as a carpenter while writing Go with the flow. Learn how to do sales. Be-something. We're not perfect, but we're pretty wife, Barbie, own a miniature Pinschersongs on the side fbr several Canadian artists come a GM." damn good." Jacor country group PD Jaye Al- named Killer. and performing at fairs with two of his three The prospects for fledgling air personalities bright came to the panelists' defense, suggesting children. The whole family packed up and were hardly better, as the Research Group's Ja- that only one station in a market duster needs to moved to Nashville last fall and within three son Kane and Broadcast Programming's Edie concentrate on a news and weather image and Monty Holmes weeks of their arrival had offers fiom Lyric Hilliard outlined in their respective takes on that an automated sister station could always "WHY'D YOU START LOOKIN' SO GOOD" Street, MCA, and Giant. Their debut al- multi -market digital automation. Both citedsimulcast that outlet during a weather emer- (BANG II) bum, "Nothing But Love," is due Aug. 11. consolidation as the reason for their business. gency. Lubbock, Texas, native Monty Holmes had Steve Wilkinson co -wrote seven of the al- Radio groups, looking to cut costs to meet quar- As has been the case with consolidation in gen- all but given up on his dream of being a coun- bum's tracks, including one ("Boy Oh terly bottom lines, can now replicate certain sta- eral, the specter of Virtual Radio brought with it try artist when his songwriting career began to Boy") he co -wrote with Amanda. tions in their dusters to save money, they said. the issue of centralized decision making for mul- flourish. He penned the George Strait hits Another reason for their service, Hilliard said, tiple stations. Kane told the audience that he was "When Did You Stop Loving Me" and "I is that radio groups are having a difficult time already being worked by "the sharpest people" Know She Still Loves Me," plus Lee Ann * Denotes first appearance. Airborne features finding, let alone affording, quality night talent. from the country record community but was not Womack's "Never Again, Again." This year, he those artists who are making their debut chart runs Yet Kane, who termed his service "mass cus- yet hearing from rock promoters. was given a chance to rekindle his dream in Country Airplay Monitor

4 COUNTRY AIRPLAY MONITOR JULY 24, 1998