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2021 JUNE 7 CountryInsider.com | Sign Up For Daily Email Here

Concerts Are Back. Meet ‘N’ Greets, Not So Much. ’s a hugger. But when she leaves the Moondance Jam stage in Walker, MN, on Saturday, June 19 — her first real show since early 2020 — she won’t be hugging many people. Nor will she be shaking hands and signing photos for groups of fans before her set. Alaina has decided to forego meet ‘n’ greets as she returns to the road, at least for the time being. So have many other artists, as they adapt to a touring environment where COVID-19 remains an ever-present, if diminished, possibility. “We’re not going to do anything like that on these first few shows,” Trisha McClanahan, Alaina’s manager, tellsCountry Insider. “We want to just get back in the system, get our feet on the ground.” (Continued on page 4)

COUNTRY INSIDER TOP 5: A Look At The Country Hall Of Fame’s 2021 Class, Starting With CRB Executive Director RJ Curtis. Consultant Joel Raab: When Bits Are Ads And Ads Are Bits. , Brooks & Dunn, Old Dominion To Headline September Gulf Coast Jam. “Forever” No. 1: Returns To The Top Of The Country Chart. Brings Back His With September Shows In Six States.

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MoJoe Roberts, PD My 5 Favorite 5 Acts To Watch Before Benny Edwin, PD/PMD 95.5 The Bull / KWNR Collaborations for , NV They Break Through: 93.3 Eagle Country / KGGL Missoula, MT Summer 2021: 1. Drunk - 1. Stomping Grounds - / Reyna Roberts 2. GOOD TIME - 2. You Can Have Him Jolene - Niko Moon/Shaggy Chapel Hart 3. Treasure - 3. Lil Bit - Mary Heather Hickman /Florida Line 4. It’s ‘Cause I Am - 4. One Too Many - /P!nk 5. Table for One - 5. Tequila on a Boat - Dani Taylor /

After A Year Off, Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour Returns This September. Luke Bryan will play six farms over 10 days in September for his 12th Farm Tour, setting up stages in fields in Marshall, WI (Sept. 9); Cedar Rapids, IA (Sept. 10); Chillicothe, IL (Sept. 11); Kingman, IN (Sept. 16); Baltimore, OH (Sept. 17); and Fowlerville, MI (Sept. 18). The Farm Tour dates take place during a break in Bryan’s Proud To Be Right Here Tour, which kicks off next month. Bryan did his first Farm Tour in 2010, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced a hiatus last year. Tickets go on sale to the public Friday.

Gulf Coast Jam Announces Labor Day Weekend Festival Headliners. This past weekend’s Gulf Coast Jam went so well, with headliners Luke Bryan, Lynyrd Skynyrd and drawing a record 23,000+ to Panama City Beach’s Frank Brown Park, that organizers are going to do it again in September. Chris Stapleton, Brooks & Dunn and Old Dominion will headline the 9th Annual Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam September 4-6. The full lineup for the festival will be announced in a few weeks. The June 4-6 Gulf Coast Jam was the largest music festival in the U.S. since March of last year.

“CMT Music Awards” Reveal More Collaborations For Wednesday’s Show. R&B star H.E.R. will make her first awards appearance Wednesday, performing with Chris Stapleton on the “2021 CMT Music Awards” (8pm ET, CMT and affiliated networks). Also, Ingrid Andress will sing with Canadian pop artist JP Saxe. CMT announced its final two artist pairings on social media. Scheduled presenters on the show include Anthony Mackie, Brett Young, Busy Philipps, , Dylan Scott, Gladys Knight, Iliza Shlesinger, , Michael Strahan, Mickey Guyton, Restless Road, Titans’ Taylor Lewan, and “CMT Hot 20 Countdown” hosts Cody Alan, and Ashley ShahAhmadi.

Eddie Garcia Of “The Show” Sets Dates For Three-State Walk. Eddie Garcia of ’ “” will walk from West Virginia down to Tennessee June 21-24 as part of a fundraiser for National Angels. The trek, inspired by ’s 1997 hit “Carrying Your Love With Me,” will take Garcia from Bluefield, WV, to Bristol, TN – approximately 90 miles. Garcia, who fosters two children, has raised more than $60,000 for the non-profit organization dedicated to the foster-care community since announcing the fundraiser on Bones’ show May 24.

3 | JUNE 7, 2021 CountryInsider.com The Summer Of No Meet ‘N’ Greets. (Continued from page 1) Typically with every fair and festival, Lauren signs with management and agents as “a lot of head- autographs for every person there. She’s the one scratching and wondering and watching and waiting that goes out the and seeing.” door and signs for fans for two Even with COVID-19 case numbers declining in hours at the much of the U.S., the disease remains a risk. fence. So this is Nobody wants to be the first act to cancel two kind of a unique weeks of dates because somebody tests positive for experience for COVID-19 and the entire crew has to quarantine. her.” “The artist managers are looking at the logistics and Jordan Davis going, ‘If one person gets one of my people sick will begin his and they get on the bus and roll down the road, the headlining Buy Dirt Tour in September after a next thing you know COVID takes out two busloads summer of festival and casino dates. His team is of band and crew,’” Meacham says. “The financial still deciding how they’ll handle meet ‘n’ greets then, implications of that exposure are significant and not only for fans but for radio. “Radio has been a could quickly derail a tour.” huge thing in our shows,” Jordan Davis said during Red Light Management’s Shawn McSpadden works a recent CRS360 webinar. with , “We try to get them in , wherever we can to do Lainey Wilson, Dee meet ‘n’ greets, do VIPs Jay Silver and Troy or swing by the station to Cartwright. “We’re so play a few songs before excited to get back the show.” None of those to work that we don’t options are givens at the want to do anything moment. that would jeopardize “Are we gonna have a that,” McSpadden meet ‘n’ greet?” Jordan says. “It’s up to the wondered. “Are we individual artists and going to be able to do a VIP thing? We have a lot managers and how they feel, but I don’t know of of fans that look just as much towards our VIP anybody right now that is doing it.” performances pre-show as they do to being at the McSpadden says he’s seen minimal pushback show. about the decision to hold off on meet ‘n’ greets: “Those are a few things that are weird right now, “Everybody has just kind of said, ‘This is one thing still up in the air.” we can do without.’”

The demand for such Losing meet ‘n’ greets may free up a touring act’s appearances during daily schedule, but it also deprives them of a major tour stops certainly source of personal, real-time feedback. “These hasn’t diminished, with are creatures who have been on stage and getting stations, labels and fans live love from fans — or the industry, or whoever all looking for clarity. — for their entire careers,” McClanahan says. “When the first tours were “Lauren is certainly someone who thrives on that. announced, to It makes her feel like what she does has value, and God, the next day I had the world has ripped that from them.” Alaina has four or five requests for focused on other areas of her career during the ticket comps and meet ‘n’ greets right off the bat,” time off the road, working on music and working on says RJ Meacham, Curb Records’ SVP, Promotion. writing, McClanahan says, “but they don’t give that “We’re basically telling everybody we’ll circle back immediate feedback.” to them.” Meacham describes his conversations (Continued on page 7) 4 | JUNE 7, 2021 CountryInsider.com A Look At The Country Radio Hall Of Fame’s 2021 Class: RJ Curtis When RJ Curtis started informing radio legends about talent and program director, operations director and their inductions into the Country Radio Hall of Fame, music director, as well as working with the nationally it never occurred to him he might one day be on the syndicated “After MidNite” show. receiving end of such a call. “When KZLA was flipped from country to a rhythmic AC But that’s exactly where Curtis found himself when format called Movin’ in 2006, the first instinct was to Beverlee Brannigan surprised him with the news that get another radio job,” he says. “Then I thought, ‘What he will join Bob Call, Bill Hagy, Norm Schrutt, Heather else can I do?’ I had done radio for a long time and Froglear, Buzz Jackson, Bob Pickett and Angie Ward other things came to me.” in the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021. That group will be inducted on Oct. 13 at the Westin . He spent 13 years as a journalist for Radio & Records, Billboard, Country Aircheck and All Access Music “I had no idea it was coming,” Curtis, who is the Group. He also worked as director of regional executive director of Country promotion for . Radio Broadcasters Inc., tells He was named the CRB’s Country Insider. “First you are executive director in 2018. stunned and you don’t believe it. Then all of the emotions “I have always been very come rushing in.” flexible and willing to take on new responsibilities,” He immediately thought of his Curtis says. “I was eager to late parents because they had prove myself and step up and always been so supportive of him pursuing such a non- volunteer. I just tried to take it all in because I loved traditional career. “They were the biggest cheerleaders the business so much.” that you could have,” he says. He learned how to be a manager from watching Radio played an integral role in his life while growing future Hall of Famer Larry Daniels. “When I was in a up in Pittsburgh, and Los Angeles. By age 8, he leadership position at KZLA during my first year back kept the radio on in his bedroom around the clock and, in 1993, I joked that I wanted to get a bracelet that said in the ensuing years, became a frequent caller to radio ‘WWLDD’ for ‘What Would Larry Daniels Do” because DJs. “We moved to Los Angeles in 1969 when I was 10, he was such a great role model for me.” and I discovered KHG right away.” He met another mentor, Bill Mayne, in 1983, when He began listening to MetroMedia KMET-FM (94.7) in Mayne joined KZLA as program director. “He had a high school and was immediately attracted to the AOR philosophy about on-air talent: You either got it or you station’s vibe. “It had camaraderie and a cohesiveness ain’t. After two months of working with me, he pulled of the jocks,” he says. “Later when I came back to KZLA me aside and put me in the ‘ain’t’ category. It was really in 1993 to program it, I thought it was the mood and hard. atmosphere and connection that I wanted to capture with our listeners and jocks.” “Working with R.J. Curtis was an absolutely pleasure and delight,” says Bill Mayne. “He is a very innovative, By junior high, he knew that a radio career was incredible people person with great communication for him. The high school football standout played skills and an unreal passion for this industry, without center for two seasons at Los Angeles Valley College, question. I am honored and proud to call him a where he worked for the campus station, but he quit colleague and a dear, dear friend for almost four to accept a full-time on-air position at KDUO San decades. I congratulate him heartily on taking his Bernardino, CA. rightful place in the Country Radio Hall of Fame.”

“I married radio and thought I would be in it for the “I was 24,” says Curtis, who would become Mayne’s rest of my life,” he says. successor at CRB. “To be told you aren’t going to be a radio star… I was crushed. He said, ‘But I think you During his four-decade career, he spent 30 years in are going to be a programming star. Your skills are in major markets, including KZLA Los Angeles, KNIX programming and where you need to focus.’ That is Phoenix and KCYY , working as on-air the best advice I ever got.” — Beverly Keel

5 | JUNE 7, 2021 CountryInsider.com POWER TITLE AIRPLAY RETENTION CALL OUT AUDIO POWER SALES COMPOSITE # ARTIST - LABEL 1 13 1 1 1 1 1 LUKE COMBS - River House/Columbia Nash 4 5 4 7 7 2 2 & - RCA Nashville 5 4 11 2 6 3 3 - EMI Nashville Breaking Up Was Easy In The... 10 7 2 4 12 4 4 - MCA Nashville Blame It On You 8 3 6 16 19 5 5 - Macon Music/Broken Bow Minimum Wage 11 8 19 13 4 6 6 - Warner/WMN One Too Many 12 15 9 11 10 7 7 KEITH URBAN WITH P!NK - RCA/Capitol Nashville Gone 3 1 3 10 24 8 8 - Capitol Nashville Settling Down 6 2 32 6 13 9 9 MIRANDA LAMBERT - RCA Nashville Glad You Exist 15 17 5 9 17 10 10 DAN + SHAY - Warner/WAR NATIONAL CALLOUT TITLE N`EAST MID WEST WEST SOUTH # ARTIST Forever After All 2 2 2 1 1 Combs, Luke Breaking Up Was Easy In The 90'S 1 1 3 4 2 Hunt, Sam Gone 4 6 7 10 3 Bentley, Dierks Made For You 3 4 12 27 4 Owen, Jake Famous Friends 8 11 1 14 5 Young, Chris & Kane Brown Glad You Exist 10 10 9 2 6 Dan + Shay Blame It On You 6 9 4 18 7 Aldean, Jason Waves 5 5 6 43 8 Bryan, Luke Nobody 13 3 8 26 9 Scott, Dylan One Too Many 9 12 17 3 10 Urban, Keith + Pink ACTION - UNDEREXPOSED TITLE AIRPLAY COMPOSITE # ARTIST - LABEL NELLY & 50 15 1 35 - Lil Bit BALLERINI 40 18 2 22 - Half Of My Hometown f/KChesney LILY ROSE 49 30 3 19 - Villain CHRIS STAPLETON 39 31 4 8 - You Should Probably Leave OLD DOMINION 27 20 5 7 - W/ 28 21 6 7 - SAM HUNT 10 4 7 6 - Breaking Up Was Easy In The... DUSTIN LYNCH 42 36 8 6 - Thinking 'Bout You f/M. Porter BLAKE SHELTON 11 6 9 5 - Minimum Wage KEITH URBAN WITH P!NK 12 7 10 5 - One Too Many The Summer Of No Meet ‘N’ Greets. (Continued from page 4) Just as the shutdown spawned a proliferation Like almost everything else related to the pandemic, of livestreams, the lack of meet ‘n’ greets has current plans are up for constant re-evaluation and teams searching for options for interaction that could change at any time — hopefully in time for fall don’t necessitate physical proximity to groups of tours, if the summer goes well. people. “We obviously can do socially distanced things,” McSpadden says. “We can perform for VIPs McClanahan notes that Alaina will join Florida beforehand, where maybe Georgia Line’s tour in we’ll do a few songs.” At a late September. “I think soundcheck party before that’s a more controlled a recent situation where I’m show in Colorado Springs, going to do some sort of Janson posed for a picture [ticketed] VIP thing for a with more than three- limited number of people, dozen contest winners, where she can sign who were separated autographs but not do from the singer by a the hugging and all those black stanchion. Other things we typically do.” possibilities include green- In the meantime, screen photo opportunities to the illusion of McSpadden says he’s happy with taking baby steps. a picture with an artist. “As far as that interaction “We’ll figure it out down the road,” he says, “maybe where you’re hugging people and shaking their next year or later this year, even, as the vaccines hands goes,” McSpadden says, “we just haven’t continue to roll out.” taken that step and everybody has been very understanding.”

7 | JUNE 7, 2021 CountryInsider.com When Bits Are Ads And Ads Are Bits. When Bits Are Ads: Disney has a 100 dollar sandwich. When ads are bits (with apologies to ): M&M’s candy has a sensational new flavor. But on the other hand, there are times when a client McDonald’s has a new crispy chicken sandwich. makes a time buy and your talent turns a live read These “news” items often pop up in show prep. Air or endorsement into an entertaining bit of content. talent, taking the bait, grab them like candy and For example, a plumbing company buys time, and fries, turning your endorser the items into tells the story of three-minute how her house content bits. flooded - in fun, They might even graphic detail. take calls or And the client read Facebook saved the day! posts about the Talk about a new sandwich. Think about it. You’ve just given three win-win. We’ve entertained the audience and helped free minutes of your valuable time to a billion-dollar our advertiser at the same time. Those are the best company that has fooled you into thinking that what types of endorsement “content ads”. We should they’ve put out there is actually newsworthy. strive to do them as often as possible … and charge a premium. Don’t take the bait! There’s plenty to talk about that doesn’t involve free promotion of products under the Remember those Disney remotes where they’d fly guise of content. As a consumer and writer of show- your morning show to Disney World to broadcast? It prep, I spot two or three of these pretend bits every was nice for the show’s cast and for Disney but it did day. nothing for the listeners or your bottom line, most of the time. But it’s not always easy to spot them. A few weeks back, Reba McEntire announced two new Lifetime “It makes more sense to talk more Television movies. The release contained her quote enthusiastically about a show when a about how great Lifetime is. In essence, the news promoter has invested in your stations. story was that Reba will return to TV in two new cable Your time is valuable, and you should be TV movies next spring. If you’re using this story for compensated.” your show, the specific network doesn’t need to be mentioned, nor does Reba’s praise of that network. Free ad avoided, news story disseminated. The bottom line: Don’t be fooled into promoting free Krispy Kreme Doughnuts or McDonald’s Shamrock When concerts come to town, we fall all over Shakes. When there’s more benefit to corporations ourselves to be first station to announce the show, than to your listeners, stay away. See these give away tickets and interview the artists. How promotions as a sales many of you have done this without seeing a nickel of opportunity. Ask revenue come to your station or asking for a buy? for the order. And do promote your Well, we all have, if we’re being honest. Concert advertisers in a fun promoters may or may not make a time buy. and creative way Sometimes we can’t avoid - nor should we avoid - that entertains your talking about a star who’s coming to town. After all, audience and makes we want to be in the know regarding our format. But money for your clearly it makes more sense to talk about the show stations. much more enthusiastically when the promoter has invested in your stations. You can certainly ask for Contact: the buy in order to do the promotion. Our time is [email protected] valuable and we should be compensated. You have the option to avoid the promotion if a buy is not 214-750-6868 made. joelraab.com

8 | JUNE 7, 2021 CountryInsider.com Clockwise from top: and SMACKSongs hosted the first Tuesday Night Music Club at Nashville’s Basement East. Pictured (l-r): SMACKSongs’ Robert Carlton, Monument’s Katie McCartney, , Monument artist Walker Hayes, EMI Nashville artist Kylie Morgan, Monument artist Teddy Robb and the label/publisher’s Shane McAnally. Southerland’s Chris Rogers married Katie Cashman May 29 at Front Porch Farms in Charlotte, TN. RECORDS Nashville signs George Birge. Clockwise from top left: Wide Open Music’s Ash Bowers and Brendan Rice, RECORDS’ Barry Weiss, and Birge. Mitchell Tenpenny (l) joined Adam Doleac on Doleac’s “Come On In, The Whiskey’s Fine” webseries. iHeartMedia’s Rod Phillips faces off against Triple Tigers’Kevin Herring at the Nashville Paddle Royale, hosted by Triple 8 Management at The Standard. 1021 Entertainment/ Music Nashville artists Restless Road partnered with the Foundation to give performances for patients at 11 pediatric hospitals containing Seacrest Studios. visits with SummitMedia Louisville OM Lee Cagle. Willie Jones performed “Down by the Riverside” on ABC-TV’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

9 | JUNE 7, 2021 CountryInsider.com and features music from Clay ARTISTS Walker. A silent auction also will be held during the weekend. Saturday’s event starts at Keith’s Belmar Golf Club. For more information and to participate in the silent auction bidding, which is open to the public, click here. with Allen and a close-up of Chris Janson will perform on the engagement ring. Morgan Sunday, June 20 at the Nashville releases her debut EP, “Love, Superspeedway before the “Ally will bring “The Kylie,” on Friday. 400” NASCAR Cup Series race. “I’m Garth Brooks Stadium Tour” to pumped to have NASCAR back in Kansas City, MO, on Saturday, In support of their single “Good Nashville for the Aug. 7. The in-the-round show Ol Dogs & God,” Pryor & Lee first time in 10 is Brooks’ first concert at GEHA have partnered with 130 humane years with a sold- Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The out crowd,” Janson date follows previously said in a release. announced 2021 tour stops in Las Janson’s concert Vegas, Salt Lake City and Lincoln, will be held NE, all of which have sold out. near the start- Randy Travis’ “Storms of Life finish line between the morning (35th Anniversary Deluxe Edition),” Cup Series qualifying session available Sept. 24, will include (10:05am) and the afternoon “Ally organizations, rescues and three unreleased tracks. The 400” (2:30pm, NBCSN). shelters across the U.S., Brazil, Country Music Hall of Famer Puerto Rico and Canada for a joins announced the virtual concert on Wednesday, Country host Hunter Kelly for news of the album June 23 at 7pm CT. The an online conversation about on Wednesday, performance will air across the Nelson’s new book, “Letters to June 2, the 35th social platforms of each partner America,” Tuesday, June 29 (7pm anniversary of the organization. “It’s going to be a ET, 92Y.org). The interview is project’s original great time singing some country part of the 92nd Street Y’s “From release. “It was music and raising money for Nashville — Music Talks With music I believed organizations across the world,” Hunter Kelly” in, that told a story I wanted to Pryor & Lee’s Pryor Baird and virtual series share,” Travis said of the album in Kaleb Lee said in a release. that previously a release. The remastered project has featured will include unreleased tracks will participate , “Ain’t No Use,” “Carryin’ Fire” in an online conversation about , and “The Wall” alongside Travis music education with Country Josh Osborne and standards “On the Other Hand” Music Association CEO Sarah others. The $40 and “Diggin’ Up Bones.” Trahern during a session of The ticket price for the event includes National ’s Toby Keith & Friends a copy of Nelson’s book. School Boards Golf Classic Association’s EMI Records Nashville’s Kylie returns for Advocacy Morgan and fellow singer Jay its 17th year Institute on Allen got engaged Monday, June 11-12 in Tuesday. May 31, in Nashville. Allen, who . The CMA was on the bill at Winners Bar The two- Foundation, & Grill’s Whiskey Jam music day event raises money for OK the CMA’s showcase, popped the question Kids Korral, a cost-free home for philanthropic arm committed to during his set. “Hey…do you families of children being treated improving and sustaining high- wanna get married?” Morgan at Oklahoma City area hospitals. quality music education programs wrote the following day on social The event begins Friday, June 11 across the , will host media when she posted a video at Oklahoma City’s The Criterion the conversation.

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Norfolk. Quinn of “The Breakfast With Bubba RADIO has been in Show.” Rally also is the station’s iHeartMedia adds Graciela mornings with co- Promotions Director, while Welch Monteagudo to its Board of host Cash Warren serves as Director of Production Directors. Monteagudo most for two years at and hosts afternoons. recently served as CEO/President WGH-FM. She was of Lala U.S., a previously with SummitMedia KFDI Wichita, KS, producer and Cumulus Media (101.3) PD and morning host distributor of Youngstown. A search for Quinn’s JJ Hayes married Amy Powers dairy-based replacement is underway. Kistler on May 29 at Botanica, products focused The Wichita Gardens. “It’s been on Hispanic/ Jay Dean is named Director of an amazing Millennial Sales and Operations of Highway journey and consumers. She 64 Radio classic country KDDD- now on to is an internationally respected FM (95.3) and KDDD (800) the next executive who, over her 30-year Amarillo, TX. Dean comes to the chapter as career, has held leadership roles stations from the Aberdeen, SD, husband at a variety of multinational market. He will and wife,” Fortune 500 companies across the continue to host Hayes said as he returned to the consumer products, healthcare the nationally air Tuesday. The couple plans to and retail industries. syndicated honeymoon in Charleston, SC, in “Country Legends late August. Spencer Bynes is named Jukebox with Jay iHeartMedia Area President for Dean” program. Joel Burke, OM at Victory Media the Texas region, overseeing the “I’ve been trying KBEY Marble Falls, TX (103.9) Beaumont, McAllen, Waco, Corpus to get Jay to join our company for married singer-songwriter Shelly Christi and Bryan markets. Bynes two years,” owner Chris Lash said Justine Monday at Chapel Dulcinea joins the company in a release. in Austin, TX. Burke, a former from Lee Hecht member of the Country Radio Harrison (LHH), Emmis Indianapolis Market Broadcast Board of Directors where he served President Taja Graham joins who spent a decade as PD at as VP of Business the Mentoring and Inspiring KYGO , joined KBEY last Development Women in Radio month following an eight-year for the southern (MIW) Board stint as PD for First Media region. Bynes previously spent of Directors. contemporary Christian KCBI five years with iHeartMedia, Graham Dallas (90.9). serving as Director of Talent graduated from the MIW Mildred In the broadcasting equivalent Management and Talent of baseball’s three-team Acquisition. Carter Mentoring Program and completed the trades, Kristin Cantrell’s Seven Audacy bolsters its PR ranks Rising Through The Ranks Mountains Media acquires with the addition of Meredith Management Course for Women. country “The Ride 101.9” Tiger, who joins the company WZKZ Olean, NY, as part of a as Director of Communications $1.8 million deal for 11 Sound and PR. She will Communications stations and handle overall five translators, then swaps WZKZ, communications six stations and a translator strategy and to Rick Snavely’s Family Life will serve as a Ministries. In return, Seven key company Mountains gets a contemporary spokesperson. Christian station in the Wilke Tiger reports to Barre-Scranton, PA, market and Ashok Sinha, Senior VP, Head of Cumulus Media “102.9 W4 five translators from Family Corporate Communications & PR. Country” WWWW Ann Arbor, Life. “Kickin Country 105.3” MI, co-hosts Madison Rally and WKPQ Elmira-Corning, NY, is also Carly Quinn exits the “Cash & Brian Welch married at the included in Seven Mountains’ Carly” morning show on Max Bellagio Las Vegas on May 29. 11-station purchase from Sound Media “97.3 The Eagle” WGH-FM Both Rally and Welch are part Communications. 12 | JUNE 7, 2021 CountryInsider.com by exploring new opportunities release. “He’s just one of those INDUSTRY to develop relationships with talents that you pat yourself on artists and fans. Portwood the back and feel like you found mostly recently served as VP of something you were supposed to Marketing for Mountain Dew find.” and PepsiCo’s flavored soft-drink portfolio and also has worked at Reviver Publishing has signed Tito’s Handmade Vodka. “The Voice” Season 19 finalist Ian Flanigan to an exclusive Warner Chappell Production Helena Akhtar and Houston publishing deal. Flanigan is also Music has opened Sandtrack Gaither join signed with sister company Sound in Nashville. The studio, Nashville as managers of content Reviver Records as an artist where previously known as Emerald and national promotion for he released a duet with Blake Sound Studio and Benchmark Arista Nashville Shelton titled Sound, originally was built in 1981 and Columbia “Grow Up.” “Ian’s by studio designer Tom Hidley; Nashville depth continues , , respectively. to amaze me,” George Strait, Alabama and Brooks Gaither recently Reviver CEO/ & Dunn have previously recorded left iHeartMedia Founder David in the 8,200-square-foot building. “106.1 The Twister” Ross said in a “We’re thrilled to be working KTGX Tulsa, OK, release. “His out of such a historic studio and where he served as APD/MD, PM writing abilities are second to using it to bring together Music drive host and digital program none. His wisdom and the way he City’s talented and director. Akhtar most recently captures the images we all have musicians to record for Warner was promotions coordinator and and puts them into words will Chappell Production Music,” assistant digital program director make everyone happy.” WCPM SVP of Production Aaron for Beasley Media Group “Country Gant said in a release. 102.5” WKLB . Sprockets Publishing, a division of Copperline Music, has signed Standard Media Index (SMI) The Association of Independent Jordan Rager. The singer- names Rick Bruner Head of Music Publishers’ virtual AIMP songwriter has had his songs cut Insights & Analytics. Bruner Global Music Publishing Summit by Jason Aldean, previously ran research and held June 7-9 will include a case- Granger Smith product teams study panel and Jon Langston. at DoubleClick, focusing on “A lot of people Google, MTV TikTok. The know Jordan the Networks, June 7 panel artist, but we know Marketing (11:30am ET, https://www.aimp. him as a true Evolution and org) features RCA Nashville artist songwriter and Viant Technology. ; Spirit Music we are very excited about having Most recently, he served as Group Senior Director A&R Derek Jordan on our roster,” Sprockets founder and CEO of Central Wells; Cohencidence Projects’ Publishing Director Elizabeth Control, an advanced media and Jannakos’ manager Andrew Brahan said in a release. analytics firm for which he will Cohen; and BMI Associate Director serve as Chairman going forward. of Writer Publisher Relations Bowl Nashville will MaryAnn Keen. celebrate its grand opening on Former PepsiCo exec Nicole June 25-26 with two performances Portwood joins Live Nation peermusic by . Entertainment in the newly Nashville has “We’re excited to welcome created role signed Noah live audiences into our venue, of Chief West to an fully uniting the spirit of this Brand Officer. exclusive global legendary music town with the Portwood is publishing deal. eclectic energy of Brooklyn Bowl,” tasked with “Noah was first Brooklyn Bowl Co-Founder Peter enhancing the brought up to me Shapiro said in a release. The Live Nation as an artist then we started loving Nashville venue is located in the brand across his songs,” peermusic Nashville Germantown neighborhood at all channels Sr VP Michael Knox said in a 925 3rd Ave N. 13 | JUNE 7, 2021 CountryInsider.com JUNE 7, 2021 LW TW Artist/Title (Label) Total Points +/- Points Total Plays +/- Plays Audience +/- Aud 6a-7p % 2 1 LUKE COMBS / Forever After All (River House/Columbia Nash) 32842 1863 8926 466 43.188 5.196 4769 53

3 2 DIERKS BENTLEY / Gone (Capitol Nashville) 28767 1487 7832 500 37.936 2.011 4128 53

5 3 CHRIS YOUNG & KANE BROWN / Famous Friends (RCA 25673 1958 7084 510 32.069 3.033 3664 52 Nashville) 1 4 DYLAN SCOTT / Nobody (Curb) 23920 -7741 6415 -2378 32.782 -6.483 3237 50 6 5 JORDAN DAVIS / Almost Maybes (MCA Nashville) 22836 1068 6327 327 27.708 1.535 3100 49

10 6 JASON ALDEAN / Blame It On You (Macon Music/Broken Bow) 22103 2520 5914 648 26.945 1.924 2913 49

8 7 MIRANDA LAMBERT / Settling Down (RCA Nashville) 22032 1146 6086 321 28.385 1.344 2879 47

9 8 / Single Saturday Night (Warner/WMN) 21628 1938 5960 593 26.39 2.379 3010 51

11 9 BLAKE SHELTON / Minimum Wage (Warner/WMN) 17048 688 4619 162 21.753 1.581 2307 50

13 10 DAN + SHAY / Glad You Exist (Warner/WAR) 16374 771 4469 209 19.147 0.991 2087 47

12 11 KEITH URBAN WITH P!NK / One Too Many (RCA/ 16350 542 4544 180 19.257 0.78 2228 49 Capitol Nashville) 17 12 F/F.G.L. / Drinkin' Beer Talkin' God Amen 15992 1909 4384 556 18.897 2.149 2095 48 (Dack Janiels/BBR-BMLG) 4 13 ERIC CHURCH / Hell Of A View (EMI Nashville) 15991 -8312 4375 -2297 24.705 -7.928 2436 56 14 14 / We Didn't Have Much (Valory) 15211 908 4281 291 18.863 1.648 2020 47

16 15 LAINEY WILSON / Things A Man Oughta Know (Broken Bow) 14926 842 4148 199 16.551 1.429 1900 46

18 16 / Country Again (Valory) 14755 1041 4109 257 17.583 1.888 1896 46

15 17 TIM MCGRAW & / Undivided (Big 14090 -102 4047 -22 16.015 0.097 1885 47 Machine-BMLG) 20 18 LUKE BRYAN / Waves (Capitol Nashville) 12971 1530 3596 431 15.018 1.239 1594 44

19 19 CARLY PEARCE / (Big Machine) 12580 173 3599 51 13.797 0.253 1382 38

21 20 ELVIE SHANE / My Boy (Wheelhouse) 10286 609 3037 193 10.406 0.026 1200 40

22 21 SCOTTY MCCREERY / You Time (Triple Tigers) 10093 897 2809 243 11.275 0.765 1162 41

26 22 JAMESON RODGERS / Cold Beer Calling...f/L. Combs 9264 1617 2456 464 10.732 1.748 1021 42 (River House/Columbia Nash) 23 23 KANE BROWN / (RCA Nashville) 8614 439 2306 97 8.655 0.431 777 34

25 24 / Memory I Don't Mess With (Curb) 8420 761 2289 200 9.41 0.871 706 31

24 25 GARTH BROOKS & TRISHA YEARWOOD / Shallow (Pearl) 8203 458 2224 130 7.523 0.316 877 39

CountryInsider.com/Newsletters AUGUST 7, 2020 | 1 JUNE 7, 2021 LW TW Artist/Title (Label) Total Points +/- Points Total Plays +/- Plays Audience +/- Aud 6a-7p % 32 26 OLD DOMINION / I Was On A Boat That Day (Arista Nashville) 8069 2603 2135 730 9.186 4.023 760 36

27 27 / Like A Lady (BMLG) 8064 1093 2122 225 7.932 0.831 674 32

28 28 / Knowing You (Blue Chair/Warner/WEA) 6863 388 1958 131 7.535 0.891 679 35

29 29 RYAN HURD W/MAREN MORRIS / Chasing After You 6629 276 1831 99 6.359 0.61 504 28 (Arista Nashville) 30 30 & BRAD PAISLEY / Freedom Was A 6553 253 1808 110 6.767 0.095 450 25 Highway (Stoney Creek) 31 31 PRISCILLA BLOCK / Just About Over You (Mercury 5852 -155 1566 -9 5.736 -0.305 418 27 Nashville/InDent) 33 32 / Home Sweet (Triple Tigers) 5150 354 1352 97 5.16 -0.23 311 23

34 33 MICHAEL RAY / Whiskey And Rain (Warner/WEA) 4925 316 1341 85 4.726 0.218 382 28

35 34 / Tequila Little Time (Capitol Nashville) 4785 574 1286 133 4.854 0.433 320 25

37 35 CALLISTA CLARK / It's 'Cause I Am (Big Machine) 4237 253 1131 68 2.811 0.196 200 18

36 36 INGRID ANDRESS / (Warner/WEA) 4101 29 1152 20 3.486 0.091 344 30

38 37 HARDY / Give Heaven Some Hell () 3638 48 1015 21 3.085 -0.239 193 19

40 38 PARKER MCCOLLUM / To Be Loved By You (MCA Nashville) 3560 599 936 148 2.808 0.378 205 22

41 39 DUSTIN LYNCH / Thinking 'Bout You f/M. Porter (Broken Bow) 3327 452 841 92 2.865 0.796 232 28

39 40 / That Ain't Me No More (Arista Nashville/RECORDS) 3157 180 876 19 2.467 0.372 209 24

42 41 / Half Of My Hometown f/KChesney 3056 182 923 65 2.788 -0.038 215 23 (Black River Entertainment) 45 42 BRETT YOUNG / Not Yet (BMLG) 2886 374 805 106 2.135 0.578 185 23

44 43 LAUREN ALAINA / w/Jon Pardi (Mercury 2624 23 760 8 1.686 0.13 136 18 Nashville) 48 44 CHRIS STAPLETON / You Should Probably Leave (Mercury 2526 400 697 116 2.103 0.3 248 36 Nashville) 46 45 CAITLYN SMITH / I Can't f/Old Dominion (Monument) 2326 3 684 10 1.29 -0.018 118 17

47 46 RILEY GREEN / If It Wasn't For Trucks (BMLG) 2307 78 722 44 1.325 0.064 166 23

49 47 / Need A Bar Sometimes (Show Dog 2084 -14 668 -3 1.05 -0.065 103 15 Nashville) 54 48 / I'm Not For Everyone (EMI 1807 412 528 140 1.084 0.181 108 20 Nashville) 50 49 CHRIS BANDI / Would Have Loved Her (RECORDS Nashville) 1805 11 583 11 0.912 0.016 93 16

51 50 / My Masterpiece (Capitol Nashville) 1666 22 486 12 2.227 -0.064 101 21

CountryInsider.com/Newsletters AUGUST 7, 2020 | 1