April 23, 2012, Issue 291 When An Icon Passes Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Davy Jones, Levon Helm, Dick Clark. Each was a cultural touchstone of varying degrees, with varying relevance to country music and its audience. How a Country station responds when an out-of-format icon passes can be an important part of deepening connections with the listener. “Lifestyle always trumps genre,” says WQDR/ Raleigh Station Manager/PD Lisa McKay. “These are monumental events.” WGSQ/ Cookeville, TN PD Philip Gibbons says failure to acknowledge the passing of a superstar is Michael Jackson “inexcusable. “Our target demo had a healthy dose of these personalities. Country radio should always inform its listeners when a pop icon dies.” News coverage, certainly. But how much further can and should a station take things? “In this day of ‘come and gone’ celebrity, the merits Best. Job. Ever: KKWF/Seattle’s Mike Preston isn’t wearing of those that actually changed how we moved a Santa suit, but it sure looks like Christmas with Show Dog- culturally should be celebrated,” argues KKGO/ Universal’s Lisa Owen (l) and newcomer Jessie James. Los Angeles PD Tonya Campos. Whitney The late Dick Clark is the most directly Remote In Your Pocket Houston connected to country among those listed above, “We first usediRig at the end of last year during a live but also the only one who was not an artist. broadcast where we were giving away a Toyota Tundra,” says For KKGO, celebrating Clark was personal, WQYK/Tampa OM/PD Mike Culotta. He’s talking about a as the station’s Shawn Parr has voiced Clark’s relatively new and indispensable tool in his station’s arsenal – an ACM Awards show for almost two decades. iPhone app. “Our jock walked around, grabbed actualities and “Shawn was on the air when the news came in,” edited them down. When we did get a winner, he sent the file to Campos explains. Coming out of Garth Brooks’ the studio and within seconds had them on the air. The humorous “The Dance,” Parr announced that Clark had thing is there’s no big box, no ISDN line. All that other stuff we’re passed away and dedicated the song to him. used to carrying and dealing with is gone. And it’s a $5 app.” DIck Clark (continued on page 6) ©2012 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] April 23, 2012 Page 3 One of many audio-related products from IK Multimedia, PAGE THREE PIC iRig Recorder comes in limited-functionality free and full- function paid versions ($4.99) from the iTunes App Store. More than a simple recording app, iRig provides common editing tools and filters. Record an interview using the iPhone’s built-in mic or available external models ($39.99-$59.99), edit the clip, adjust volume, adjust tone, brighten or smooth the voice, adjust the speed or shift the pitch. “’Optimize Volume’ seems to be the function we use most,” Culotta says. “If that’s not enough, when you have the audio where you want it, there’s an export button,” he continues. “You can email it, iTunes file share it, send it to an FTP upload or send it to the sound cloud. If you email it, it automatically pops up with your email address, file name, day, time and location. A Quicktime file in m4A format is attached and you’re ready to rock.” Cheap to buy and easy to use, iRig might be most indispensible for always being at hand. “If their phone is with them they can just pop it on,” Culotta says. “Let’s be real. When you walk into a party or an event with a mic and recording device, you look pretty out Barry Friendly: WTHI/Terre Haute, IN’s Barry Kent (bkent@wthi. emmis.com) visits with Reba backstage in this shot from the ‘90s. of place. You’re the geek. But nobody Send your vintage photos to [email protected]. questions an iPhone. Dave McKay was riding his motorcycle the day after Thanksgiving, saw a big line outside Thomas Rhett will support Toby Keith’s a mall, pulled up and recorded 10 Live In Overdrive Tour, launching June 14 in Salt interviews for the next day’s show. Lake City. “Steve Austin went to St. Jude and had Tracy Lawrence’s Golf & Concert For A done all the basic tracking of his show Cure will be held April 29-30 in Lebanon, TN. before he left, but he wanted to give some specifics like weather, LPGA’s Angela Stanford, Kristy McPerson and and there were some live reads, etc. So he excused himself for Gerina Piller, along with NFL All-Star Glenn 30 minutes and cut everything, then sent it back to the studio via Streno are among the April 30 golf tournament Thomas Rhett individual tracks. We also use it a lot when we’re backstage. participants. Lawrence, Ira Dean, The Roys, “If you see a star, an artist or local celebrity, you instantly have Lorrie Morgan, Joanna Smith and Rick Huckaby will an interview. If you’re in radio right now, you’d be hard-pressed perform at the April 29 concert, with WSIX/Nashville’s Anthony to convince me you shouldn’t have this. Every jock I have has an Allen hosting. Proceeds will benefitSusan G. Komen, Greater iPhone and they all use this.” –Chuck Aly Nashville and Lace Up 4 Kids. Twenty-two international country artists from Australia, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland will perform during CMA News & Notes Music Festival Week in Nashville. Hosted by O’Shea, the June SESAC EVP Dennis Lord has joined T.J. Martell’s 2012 4 Chevrolet Presents The E CMA Global Artist Party at The Stage National Board of Directors and SESAC VP/Corporate Relations (6:00-10:45pm) offers artists including Canada’s Emerson Ellen Bligh Truley has been appointed to T.J. Martell’s 2012 Drive and Australia’s Adam Harvey, special guest Gene Southern Board of Directors. Watson with Ireland’s Lisa McHugh, plus eight more. CMA ©2012 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] April 16, 2012 Page 4 Presents The Aristo Global Show June 5 (12:30-3:45pm) at the MY TUNES: MUSIC THAT SHAPED MY LIFE Second Fiddle features a free lunch while enjoying Canada’s Adam Gregory, Australia’s Baylou, the UK’s Raintown Stoney Creek’s MW/SW regional and seven more. Organized/produced by AristoMedia’s Jeff Shelley Hargis discusses her most Walker, the shows will be viewable online at CMAworld.com and influential songs, albums and concerts: AristoWorks.com, among other sites. 1. Michael Jackson’s Thriller: I. Digital music distributor AirPlay Love. Michael. I grew up listening to/ Direct and Songsinc have partnered to rocking out/doing a cheerleading allow Songsinc members to feature their routine to nearly every Michael song; music through AirPlay Direct’s services. especially from the Thriller album. Conversely, AirPlay Direct’s members 2. Reba/Fancy: It wasn’t until my gain access to Songinc’s collaboration, Shelley Hargis junior year in high school that I really mentoring, music supervision placements started listening to country and fell in and music sales offerings. love with Reba. I loved everything about her, and “Fancy” is Pepsi has signed on as the my all-time favorite. headlining sponsor of BamaJam 2012 3. Craig Morgan/That’s What I Love About Sunday: June 14-16 in Enterprise, AL. I will never forget this for many reasons: This was the first Parnassus Books will host the No. 1 record I ever worked as a regional; it was a five-week launch of Greg Allman’s memoir My chart-topper; it was Craig’s first No. 1; and we did it on an Cross To Bear May 10 at 6:30pm at BMI’s Nashville offices (10 indie label before indie labels were on the map. Music Square East). Allman will autograph copies at the event, 4. Epic Alley Rally: I was with Epic/Nashville for six years, and the book streets May 1. and this event was our label showcase during CRS when Dustin Lynch, Even Stevens, Paul Overstreet, Hugh it was still at Opryland. One year, we packed the Bourbon Prestwood, Kostas and Leslie Satcher will perform at the Street Blues & Boogie Bar with all our artists – Collin Raye, Coeur d’Alene Songwriters Festival May 25-26 in Coeur d’Alene, Joe Diffie, Ty Herndon, The Kinleys, Sons of the Desert and ID. BMI, KXLY Radio Group, Idavend Broadcasting, Inland Patty Loveless. Tanya Tucker crashed the party, and it all went Northwest Broadcasting and the Coeur d’Alene Resort have crazy from there. partnered to host the event. 5. Jason Aldean, Academy of Country Music Awards, 2005: That’s when Jason won Top New Male Artist. The BBR staff was sitting way up in the top seats, and we went nuts The Week’s Top Stories when he won! We cried, screamed and cried again. I’ll never Full coverage at www.countryaircheck.com. forget that night. • Entertainment mogul Dick Clark passed away at age 82. • A highly regarded song or album you’ve never (CAT 4/18) heard: I am almost embarrassed to say, but I have never • Universal Music Group President/COO Zach Horowitz was actually listened to a complete album by Elvis Presley or appointed Chairman/CEO of Universal Music Publishing Miles Davis. Obviously, I know the songs.