Finding Life Beyond Radio CMA Remotes Go Virtual
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November 9, 2020, Issue 730 Finding Life Beyond Radio As companies continue furloughs and staff reductions, radio pros may be considering a career change or wondering if their skills and experience can translate to other industries. Moving from one market or station to another may be common in radio, but leaving the industry entirely can be a difficult and emotional leap, asCountry Aircheck learns from three industry vets. Longtime Boston programmer Ginny “Rogers” Brophey, who exited iHeartMedia’s WBWL in January due to budget cuts (CAT 1/15), is now a Patient Ginny Brophey Care Tech at Fresenius Kidney Care. She hit upon her newest career path during a medical mission trip to Nicaragua with her daughter, a physician’s A Nice Jester: The KFRG/Riverside team celebrates the kickoff of assistant. “We barely made it out of Nicaragua before borders their month-long T-Mobile Text-a-Thon benefitting Inland Empire started closing, and that’s when I realized there are other options Ronald McDonald House. Pictured (l-r) are David Bugenske, in this world other than in my bubble,” says Brophey, who Dana Swearingen, Anthony Donatelli, Ronald McDonald, harbored a passion for the medical field before falling in love with Heather Froglear, Kelli Green and Vicki Pepper. radio. As months progressed and radio companies made further cuts, Brophey gave herself a deadline: “If I didn’t find an industry job by August, I’d go back to school for phlebotomy.” When the CMA Remotes Go Virtual deadline passed, she found courses and in-person learning were Amid an ongoing pandemic, the Country Music Association limited by the pandemic, so she applied for a job in a dialysis (CMA) staff and membership head into a CMA Awards week unlike unit. “The benefits are great, the paid training was 12 weeks and any other before – and hopefully unlike any it includes phlebotomy,” shares Brophey. “I wear scrubs every day, other to come. Ahead of Wednesday night’s deal with sick patients on dialysis and, yes, I stick them with big (11/11) 54th Annual CMA Awards, airing live needles! I love it. It’s intense and exciting to know I am making a from Nashville’s Music City Center on ABC difference in their lives.” at 8pm ET, CMA VP/Marketing Catherine Then-Scripps KTTS/Springfield, MO Dir./Traffic & Promotions Frizzell tells Country Aircheck how the and on-air personality Jordan “Jay Cross” Norcross worked organization is executing this week’s virtual for the station when the group won both ACM and CMA Small radio remotes. Market Radio Station of the Year in 2016 and 2018 before he Taking place today and tomorrow (11/9- Catherine was let go. During his tenure, Norcross worked with The American 10) at Music City Center, the radio row Frizzell Cancer Society promoting the local Cattle Baron’s Ball, and the combines online elements and social distancing organization’s leadership was so impressed with how he handled to execute a scaled back version of the traditional remotes. “CMA that project and previous ones, they is working with all national radio groups to share content across (continued on page 9) ©2020 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] November 9, 2020 Page 3 WITH ... RAYNE JOHNSON A day in the self-isolated life of Mountain I look at quarantine affecting my creativity Road Records’ Rayne Johnson: both ways. I still feel creative but have had to I’m a homebody, so I haven’t really missed adjust my habits. I’m lucky to have been in the going out. I’m lucky I can still spend any free studio working within social distancing guidelines. time I have outdoors with my family. Discovering Writing has continued, but through virtual grocery delivery has really been a game- sessions. It’s also been fun coming up with new changer, and I don’t know why I didn’t do that ways to interact with fans via lives on social media before quarantine. platforms. I started a digital show eight weeks ago Coffee … always coffee first! After that, called Rayne’n & Pourin’ that’s been a blast! every day is different. Zoom calls and virtual I know many of my fans even better now, writing sessions change by the day. I live by my and hopefully they feel the same. I even love iCalendar. I’d be lost without it. going onto other artists’ live sessions to learn I live with my wife and kiddos. We’re more about them and what they’re doing during an outdoorsy family, so that helps a lot with this time. It’s the closest thing to sitting in their the stir craziness. We can hop in the Jeep and living rooms as you can get. be on a hiking trail in 15 minutes from our I’m bingeing Yellowstone, Outer Banks house. There’s a lot of driveway basketball and and the Dr. Duck series on Realtree 365’s new backyard football. Now that college football is app with my go-to snacks: avocado toast, dove back, that’s what Saturday afternoons are for. poppers, smashed avocado with salsa and I’ve always enjoyed hunting, but during jalapeños and chips for dipping. this downtime in warm weather, I’ve gotten into Embarrassingly enough, I even learned fishing. My best friend is a seasoned fisherman, how to play Fortnite. All-in-all, my family and and I’ve learned from him and expanded my I have enjoyed our time together and a lot of Matthew McCodaughhey fishing knowledge. dinners at the table. top markets,” explains Frizzell. “Many of the artists participating we are providing the safest environment possible,” she says. “All in the show will come through the remotes before or after they staff and crew onsite are required to wear PPE and must practice rehearse, just like usual, but instead of in-person interviews, the social and physical distancing.” Additionally, every artist will receive artists will interview with each radio participant virtually via Zoom, their own sanitized, pre-packaged headphones and a mic with a Skype, or the like.” The scaled-back nature of the event means brand-new windscreen – it’s like Christmas for radio pros. “No fewer interviews for the artists and more cooperative sharing of gear will be reused during the remotes, and every person setting assets within company-owned stations, similar in nature to the foot onsite must be tested [for coronavirus] before arriving,” notes workflow created by many groups during September’s 55th ACM Frizzell. “There will be daily medical checks with temperature Awards event week (CAW 9/21). reading, as well.” In light of the current mask mandates in the greater Nashville In addition to health screenings and sanitization protocols, safe area and with the number of coronavirus cases on the rise, Frizzell social distancing is a top priority. In lieu of an event that typically and her team have put a hefty emphasis on safety for the remotes. includes small booths of pipe and drape flooded with artists, their “We are following all CDC guidelines and protocols to make sure teams and multiple radio personalities, all moving about the room ©2020 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] November 9, 2020 Page 5 in a bob-and-weave that leads to side conversations, hallway Songwriters are Casey Brown, Parker Welling and Dickerson. small talk and more hugs than handshakes, this year’s event will Kudos to Jimmy Rector and the EMI Nashville crew on include a barebones staff and a limited number of personnel notching 46 adds for Eric Church’s “Hell Of A View,” landing accompanying each artist. “The room will be setup in a one-way atop this week’s board. path, so once the artist enters, And finally, a big cheer forStacy Blythe, Ali Matkosky he or she will move from and the entire Big Loud team for registering three of this week’s interview to interview in one top five songs:Morgan Wallen’s “More Than My Hometown,” direction, never backtracking,” Hardy’s “One Beer” (with Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson) notes Frizzell. “All crew, artists and Chris Lane’s “Big, Big Plans.” and staff will have clear enter and exit signs that must be followed, and while going through the remotes, only one person News & Notes may accompany the artist.” Scotty McCreery, Luke Combs, Lee Brice, Old Dominion Participating radio groups will each be represented with a and Brett Eldredge will host USRN syndicated Backstage laptop and tech setup in an individual booth, and upon entering Country for the month of November. For affiliation information, that area, the artist will plug in their provided headphones and contact Andy Denemark here. mic to complete the interview before traveling to the next station. McVay Media Pres. Mike McVay is spearheading the Onsite staff will handle tech and engineering needs as well as time Veterans Matter Campaign for radio with Country partners allotments and communications back to the radio teams offsite. including WKKO/Toledo, WFMS/Indianapolis and WDRQ/ Cons? Less physical contact, fewer radio participants overall Detroit. For information, email here. and Zoom screen shots instead of photos of fully embracing Sharla McCoy is offering free a Veterans Day radio special, colleagues. Pros? Fewer hours spent on hair and makeup, the The Gift, benefittingFisher House Foundation. Email McCoy possibility of wearing pajama pants while working and, of course, here for details. protecting the health and safety of all involved. Major Triad Media partners Dave Bethell, Chris “UK” In exchange for participation in the virtual radio row, Stevens and Greg Clancy have acquired jingle and production “broadcasters are committing to various items for promotional music house TM Studios from Westwood One and will support, including live and pre-recorded on-air mentions, as transition the company from being Dallas-based to becoming a well as pre-recorded streaming spots, social media posts, email multi-national entity with studios in Dallas, Los Angeles and the marketing and website banner placement,” says Frizzell.