THE INTERVIEW TOP SEVEN The Year Scott Borchetta OF ’07 Indie uprising, Country In Music PAGE 29 reclaims Cali, labels Arista & Kenny reign again, get a sinking feeling Rodney has top song, and... and the return of Garthzilla, among other big YOUR news of the year. 2007 MEMORIES THE TOP 100 PAGE 21 7PAGE 3 PAGE 13 DECEMBER 2007 or radio and the music business, 2007 will be remembered as a year of upheaval. Broadcasters are experiencing the greatest ownership shift in the post- F Telecom era, and record labels are suffering through the most painful format conversion in the industry’s history. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of good news, too – particularly for the country community. Nashville artists are making hay on Top the touring circuit. Lots of it. And the Country format got two top-five markets back in California this year. Onward! Not since the 1996 Telecom Act set off a ground-shaking Seven buying spree has there been so much turmoil in radio owner- 0F ’07 ship. Wall Street’s lack of con- fidence in the medium’s growth Big Changes, Big Personalities, Big Stories is behind many of the deals, including the massive $19.5 bil- lion buyout of Clear Channel Ownership Has by a consortium led by Bain Its Privileges Capital Partners and Thomas H. Lee Partners, whose intent Buyouts, Sellouts & More For is to take the group private. The Radio Groups move precipitated the sale of 1448 of Clear Channel’s smaller market radio stations and all 42 TV stations. Speaking of private, Atlanta-based management for Cumulus Media announced a July deal in which President/CEO Lew Dickey and an affiliate ofMerrill Lynch Global Private Equity would take the 344-station company off the market for $1.3 billion. A $2.7 billion deal between the Walt Disney Co. and Citadel Broadcasting closed in June, sending ABC Radio’s 14 FM and eight AM stations, as well as ABC Radio Networks, to Citadel, which is now the third-largest radio group. And in November, Lincoln Financial Group began exploring options to divest its 15 stations in Atlanta, Denver, Miami and San Diego. As for the Clear Channel sta- tions being divested, 52 in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas are going to Dallas-based GAP Broadcasting. And Gap West, which operates separately, is buying and already running 57 more in Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Washington and Wyoming. In D House Independent Labels Continue 2Raising Expectations Tracy Lawrence’s two-week No. 1 wasn’t the first sign that independent labels have some pretty good friends at Country radio, but it sure drove the point home. The ascension of Rocky Comfort/CO5’s “Find Out Who Your Friends Are” was immediately preceded by the No. 1 affirmation ofEmerson Drive’s “Moments” on Midas – a historic back-to-back for independent country releases. Independents rang the cash register as well, with Big Machine earning a double- platinum certifi- cation for Taylor No question, he’s still And much to the delight of the Garthzilla Swift’s self-titled got it. Garth Brooks broadcast constituency, Country radio Returns debut, which stepped out of his self- was at the very center of Brooks’ well- Brooks’ Off-Again Retirement shows no sign of slowing. And imposed soccer-dad orchestrated return. From the Garth Boosts Country that success probably made the exile and proved he Radio Seminar (GRS) gathering in 3 decision to launch Big Machine moves the audience needle more dramatically than anyone Nashville at which he announced his plans, to the marathon sister imprint The Valory since, well, Garth. “More Than A Memory” debuted at No. nine-show concert run in Kansas City and associated na- Music Co. that much easier. 4, tying his own Mediabase record, and his Ultimate Hits tionwide cinema-cast, Country radio was front-row-center. Factor in launches including was Country’s top-seller in its second week, following Brooks has also scheduled five shows over two days in Los Nine North and John Michael a debut-week hat tip to another monolithic artist return Angeles to aid fire victims. At least his vocal cords will have Montgomery’s Stringtown, by The Eagles. a few years to recover. and the ranks of independents remain crowded despite losses including Rust and 903. Ticket Punch Country Tours Rule And though life on a bus has long been the most reli- Contents The Road able path to profit for country artists, the center of gravity 4 “Country touring is as healthy as it has ever been keeps shifting further away FEATURES: and getting healthier,” says Live Nation’s Brian from recorded music. “There O’Connell. “There are more bites at the was a time when you toured 3 Top Seven of ’07 — Chuck Aly, Jeff Green & Lon Helton apple for more artists. We still to support the record,” haven’t found the top end.” O’Connell says. “Now 7 CMA Week & Radio Winners — Chuck Aly For confirmation, look no you’re putting out records further than blockbuster to support the tour. It’s 21 Memories of 2007 — Erin Duvall & Jeff Green 2007 tours from Kenny come full-circle.” 25 Q1 Music Preview — Chuck Aly “Stadium King” Chesney, Touring’s growth Tim McGraw and Faith isn’t just good for the 29 The Interview — Lon Helton Hill, Rascal Flatts, Brad superstars, according Paisley, Keith Urban, Brooks to Monterey/Paradigm’s & Dunn and Alan Jackson, Brian Hill. “You have the next THE YEAR IN MUSIC: Toby Keith, George Strait and generation of headliners like Sugarland, Little Big 11 Label of the Year — Chuck Aly even a one-city stand by Garth Town, Montgomery Gentry and Gary Allan touring Brooks. consistently and doing well,” he says. “And you’ve got the 13 Top 100 Songs of 2007 In an over-stimulated marketplace, the word “live” still emergence of Taylor Swift, Jack Ingram, Jason Aldean Top has pull. “Touring is the only way to cut through the radio- and Miranda Lambert, who are making an impact in the Top 15s: All the Year’s Hits Performer 14 Kenny television-internet clutter,” O’Connell says. “Touring gives hard-ticket market and doing strong business on their own Chesney artists the ability to touch fans on one-to-one basis and put – that’s hope for the future.” 18 Top Performers — Lon Helton new music in front of them.” Amen. 12 07 3 Arbitron’s long- town, Cox Country com- The Top Seven Of ’07 awaited commercial petitor KKBQ nearly rollout of the Portable doubled from 436,000 to People Meter debuted 812,000. in 2007, first in The slow-moving Philadelphia and then train of radio support Houston. Though accelerated this year Arbitron reminds as more group owners broadcasters that climbed aboard, only to comparing diary be recently delayed on numbers to PPM fig- its route to New York, ures are akin to apples Los Angeles, Chicago, and oranges, early findings Ratings: The San Francisco and other major from the PPM ratings Next Generation cities. Several key broadcasters reflect lower time spent PPM Shows and at least one radio trade group listening but much higher Country’s Strength have issues with PPM sample weekly cumes than indicated6 by diaries. sizes among younger and ethnic demos, pushing rollouts to Beasley’s Country WXTU/Philadelphia, for example, September 2008 and beyond. Regardless, PPM’s deploy- generated a 12+ cume of 428,000 in fall 2006, but with ment is destined to have a profound impact on the music PPM scored a whopping 727,000 in September 2007. industry as programmers begin to see more immediately Meanwhile, CBS Radio’s KILT/Houston soared from the effect of specific songs and artists, in-studio artist visits, 440,000 in fall 2006 to 719,000 three months ago. Across promotions and, of course, commercials. Goin’ Back Annual Country Unit Sales To Cali KKGO & KBWF Reclaim LA & SF 7Just in time for CRS, the Country radio indus- try gave birth to twins in late February when Mt. Wilson Broadcasters (est) seized an obvious opportunity and switched Classical KMZT/Los million (low) million million (high) million million million million million Angeles to KKGO (Go Country 80.3 66.9 76.9 69.3 79.3 75.3 74.9 60 105.1), while Entercom ditched 1992 1996 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Adult Hits KMAX/San Francisco in favor of KBWF (The Wolf 95.7). The moves put country mu- significant enough to have even the most cheerful sic back on the airwaves in two of label staffer wondering if it’s time to update the the top five markets. old resume. Unlike past downturns, this decline By September, KKGO OM can’t easily be attributed to variances in superstar and 17-year company veteran release schedules or the relative appeal of country Mike Johnson had advanced to music and music in general. Sr. Operations & Programming In fact, audio with a beat seems to be as Manager, while APD/MD/mid- popular as ever, if the white earbuds sprout- dayer and former 12-year ing from the public’s craniums are any indica- KZLA staffer Tonya tion. But where are they getting all those tunes? Campos was Unlike past format conversions, consumers don’t named PD. have to re-purchase their favorites, they can rip Fueled by a their CD collection right into their computers. big launch Unfortunately, they can also rip their friends’ party and “Go discs. Fest” show with Brooks & Dunn and Alan Jackson, Go Country How Low Can Without question, the ability to cherry-pick sin- notched a 1.8 in spring ‘07 and a 1.4 in summer, outperforming You Go? At press time, the good gles and tracks has cut into a business built on the Emmis’ new effort both books.