Hank in the Chain: Indy Analysis Ross Is Nekst
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July 1, 2013, Issue 352 Hank In The Chain: Indy Analysis In April, something pretty impressive happened in Indianapolis: Emmis’ WLHK (Hank FM) beat Cumulus’ longtime market leader WFMS in every major demo, while ranking No. 1 in each of them. The only exception was 35-64, but even there the two tied for third. It was a feat that WLHK PD Bob Richards and his team had been working towards since Richards took control of Hank FM in late 2009 after a 15-year run at WFMS – the last 11 of those as PD. Indicative of one of the format’s fiercest Bob Richards fights, WFMS reversed some of those gains the very next month by regaining its lead with persons 6+, Party Crashers: Capitol’s Luke Bryan (sporting a Georgia 25-54 and 35-64. “I’m proud of the WFMS team, who always Bulldogs t-shirt) invites a few friends to a listening party remain focused on our plan,” PD Mark Hamlin said at the for his brand new album Crash My Party. Lending their time. Richards will tell you he’s proud of his team, as well, and ears to his fourth studio effort are (l-r) Clear Channel’s Clay tells Country Aircheck why. Hunnicutt, Bryan’s manager Kerri Edwards, Premiere’s Justin Hank launched March 25, 2005 and Richards, still at ‘FMS, Cole, WSIX/Nashville’s Michael Bryan, Bryan, Premiere’s recalls, “It was Good Friday and I was voice-tracking Saturday Robin Rhodes, UMG/Nashville’s Donna Hughes, ABC Radio’s morning on our Contemporary Christian station when someone Hunter Kelly and producer Jeff Stevens. called and said, ‘Emmis has flipped 97.1 to Country.’ I remember thinking, ‘Oh my.’” Richards says the station emphasized variety Ross Is Nekst For HitShop and offered a presentation similar to SparkNet’s Jack FM format. Understanding former Music Row Publisher David Ross’s “Hank launched with a mile-wide and inch-deep playlist,” he jump into the label game with HitShop’s says. Its “We play anything country” moniker was backed up by Skip Bishop centers on the “branded content a library spanning 50 years. “It might have a recurrent title up channel” Nekst.biz. against a Hank Williams, Sr. title,” Richards continues. “For what “As a brand new label, one of the things they were trying to do, they had a successful launch. But after we lack is the leverage bigger labels have about six months, things settled down; there was no act two.” with superstar artists,” says Ross, its newly Fast-forward to October 2009. Richards had been gone from minted VP/Marketing. “We’re going to use WFMS for seven months, having left to start his own business. this branded content approach as a way to (continued on page 4) engage gatekeepers and the industry.” David Ross ©2013 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] July 1, 2013 Page 3 The content he’ll be developing will have a business focus, just don’t call it a trade. “Our goal is to fill a niche nobody else is doing PAGE THREE PIC and provide value for everybody,” he says. “The last thing we need is another trade publication – you guys are doing a great job, and there’s Music Row, All Access and Billboard in that space. So daily news, updates and breaking news aren’t the goal. Hopefully we will be able to introduce some analysis and thought-provoking ideas that are of interest. We’ll be providing content from a different perspective and taking advantage of things I’m confident about doing.” The benefit to the label will be increased visibility. “The content has to be applicable, interesting and useful, and then we will able to use that platform to make HitShop and its artists top-of-mind,” Ross says. “It’s an experiment. Nobody I know of is doing this in country, and it really fits the concept of the label in utilizing digital tactics and strategies in every way possible. “A good example of that is Weston Burt’s EP, which debuted at No. 18 on the iTunes chart. That’s a pretty incredible number for an artist who hasn’t has much airplay yet. Much of that was done with the digital strategies and tactics we’re developing that made sure his fans, band and others who are aware of him knew about Blazer Tag: Then-KZLA/Los Angeles staffer Mandy the release and how to go get it. It didn’t just happen by itself.” McCormack visits with Tracy Lawrence backstage at Reach him at 615-200-0607 or here. –Chuck Aly the station’s Country Cookout. Have vintage shots from the other side of the fence? Send them to [email protected]. Chart Chat Congrats to Brad Paisley, Lesly Tyson, Other instruments on display include Mother Maybelle Carter’s John Sigler, Jeri Cooper and the entire Gibson L-5 guitar, Lester Flatt’s Martin D-28 guitar and Hank Arista promotion staff on scoring this week’s Williams’ Martin D-28 guitar. No. 1 with Paisley’s “Beat This Summer.” The Inspirational Country Music Association has added The song is the second chart-topper from three new awards show categories: Mainstream Country Male, his Wheelhouse album, following “Southern Mainstream Country Female and Mainstream Country Group/ Comfort Zone.” Duo. The 2013 ICM Faith, Family And Country Convention And Brad Paisley Awards take place at Two Rivers at Opryland Oct 20-24. AristoMedia has released its quarterly Aristo International News & Notes Report. In addition to country-related news items from around the Rodney Atkins’ America’s Heroes Celebration Weekend is set world, the report features a Q&A with Canadian CMA Chairman for Aug. 16-18 at the Jekyll Island Convention Ted Ellis. See it here. Center in Jekyll Island, GA. Food, beach parties and musical performances from Atkins and Show Dog-Universal’s Rose Falcon are The Week’s Top Stories scheduled. The show is dedicated to those who Full coverage at countryaircheck.com. serve in the military; details here. • Brian Hatfield left his month-old job at KCYY/San Antonio. (7/1) Earl Scruggs’ Gibson RB-Granada • CMA CEO Steve Moore resigned to concentrate on “other Mastertone banjo will become part of corporate and philanthropic opportunities. (7/1) the Country Music Hall of Fame and • Ken Williams was promoted to SVP/Finance at Warner Music Rodney Atkins Museum’s Precious Jewels display July 12. Nashville. (6/28) ©2013 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] July 1, 2013 Page 4 • Premiere’s The Bobby Bones Show raised $135,060 for MY TUNES: MUSIC THAT SHAPED MY LIFE Oklahoma tornado relief. (6/28) • Joe Kelly was named VP/GM for CDX. (6/27) Black River’s Southeast rep Megan • Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney and Boardman discusses her most influential Toby Keith were featured in Forbes. (6/26) artists, songs, albums and concerts: • Hometown Family Radio’s KMTY/Holdrege, NE flipped to 1. Trisha Yearwood, Thinkin’ About Country. (6/25) You: Probably my favorite album, but ask me next week and I’ll give you another album by Trisha. She was the first artist I remember Hank In The Chain: Indy Analysis really feeling a connection with. (continued from page 1) 2. Little Big Town/Shut Up Train: I Megan Emmis/Indianapolis VP/GM Charlie Morgan – who spent more Boardman cried the first time I heard this song. Karen than 20 years at WFMS and joined Emmis in the fall of 2009 – tapped Fairchild can do no wrong. Also, LBT’s “To Richards as OM/PD for WLHK. At the time, WFMS was ranked No. 1 Know Love” is on my pretty songs playlist and I listen to it at among persons 12+, 25-54 and 35-64 with shares in each hovering least once a week. Everyone should know love like that. around a 10; it posted a respectable 6.6 among persons 18-34. 3. No Doubt, Tragic Kingdom: This was at the top of my WLHK, meanwhile, wasn’t breaking a six share in any big demo and Christmas list in 1995 and the first thing I saw sticking out of ranked between fourth and seventh in them. my stocking. I made my family listen to it while we opened The first orders of business were music and positioning. “When the rest of our presents. I arrived we had a playlist of about 800 [gold] titles and a decent 4. Trisha Yearwood, Anaheim Pond, July 23, 2002: It was setup for current/recurrents,” Richards says. “We cut the gold list the first time I saw her live and it’s somewhat surprising it took by two-thirds right away. We then switched from ‘We play anything so long because I’m a huge fan. She is perfection! country’ to a music quantity position of ‘Home of the 97-minute 5. Brooks & Dunn, Neon Circus & Wild West Show, April music marathon.’ WFMS was, and still is, a very formidable 2002: This was the first concert I worked as a promo tech competitor, so we needed to be consistent and carefully choose for KFRG/Riverside. I was hooked on the music industry after a position that we could focus on. The station wasn’t trying to that. I changed my college major from Liberal Arts to Mass take ‘FMS head-on at the time, but was trying to take a piece Communications the next week and the minds of our youth are of its double-digit share.