January 22, 2008 Issue 73 Country’s Fall...Or Not? and women. This creates a disturbing reliability scenario that hits Country radio’s fall book is barely two weeks old and the Country radio right in the heart. format seems to have taken some hits in significant major “Top that with the altered cume patterns brought on by markets. While it’s still too early to draw conclusions – our AC’s playing Christmas music, and we have a scary double Ratings Box Score on page 7 shows pretty whammy that can create a serious temporary wobble for even distribution in the 117 markets we’ve many Country stations.” highlighted thus far – the troughs some Country Aircheck will continue to bring you daily and individual stations are sailing through have weekly ratings information as it is released by Arbitron. Check not gone unnoticed. page 7 for numbers released over the last week. “I had expected Country to be up this fall from the summer as I thought the current Good News In Cincinnati music was a whole lot stronger than in the And now we’ll slip into something a little more comfortable summer,” says consultant Joel Raab, who Joel Raab – a closer look at a market brimming with points to his blog posting about the summer positive ratings: Cincinnati. Longtime KEEY/ book (click here). Minneapolis APD Travis Moon, in his first “I have seen several weak Decembers for Country stations,” full book as PD of Bonneville he says. “Christmas music on AC stations is the logical Country combo WUBE & explanation. However, plenty of Country stations have held WYGY, took WUBE 6.7-7.6 their own in December against the Christmas onslaught.” and from third to second. An accurate assessment of the fall book is still weeks away, WYGY rose 1.1-2.0 and from Raab believes. “When it’s all said and done, Country may a tie for 16th to 13th. (Shares Travis Moon actually be up from the summer.” and ranks are 12+). The big In the meantime, Rusty Walker has seen a news, though, is WUBE’s first place finish with disturbing intersection of problems. “The most Adults 25-54, ousting perennial adult market leader News/Talk worrisome aspect of the fall books I’ve seen WLW-AM. so far is the sample,” he says. “With weighting “I’d like to say it was the fun new jingle package and new and proportionality issues that are much more imaging toys to make the station pronounced than normal, they often expand way sound a bit more contemporary,” Rusty Walker past the usual young men demos, into older men Moon says of the good book. ©2008 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] January 22, 2008 Country Aircheck Music Edition Page 3 “But I really tried to focus on finding ways to marry B-105 listener passion for country music with the actual radio station. DATE CHE C K I tried to raise the bar of our excitement for the format to match listeners. People love to drink water, but they usually put as Jan. 23-27 - Country In The Rockies much or more value on the spigot.” Getting in a mindset of “celebrating” country with the Jan. 24 - 26th Annual Colgate Country Showdown National listeners meant imaging and extra community involvement. Final - Ryman Auditorium www.countryshowdown.com He brought a lot of experience with him. “Like KEEY, the enthusiasm for new country music is set for high,” he says. “You Feb. 8 - 50th Annual Grammy Awards - www.grammy.com can actually find out extra stuff from your most active listeners with the right new song. ‘International Harvester’ by Craig March 5-7 - CRS-39 - www.crb.org Morgan was insanely huge here. It actually gave us more than the research said it would. We got added feedback from listeners April 1-5 - Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival you would pay for on some songs.” Not everything gleaned in Minneapolis translates, however. April 22 - Leadership Music Digital Summit 2007 - Belmont “Country radio markets are different,” Moon says. “I’ve seen it University’s Curb Event Center - www.leadershipmusic.org in the time I’ve been in Cincinnati and have been busy enough learning as much as I can about this market and its listeners. May 18 - The 43rd Annual ACM Awards - MGM Grand Las KEEY is one of America’s very best country stations and WUBE Vegas, NV - www. acmcountry.com is working hard to that level, too.” Full calendar info at www.countryaircheck.com national country radio listener New Revolution Spins In Shaw, Schuld perceptual tracking study. The Former Category 5 VP/Promotion David event is free and admission Shaw and former Category 5 regional is open to all A&O clients. Joe Schuld have joined New Revolution All others can score an invite Entertainment. “The experience and passion by contacting Jaye Albright at [email protected] or Mike they bring will fortify our ability to productively O’Malley at [email protected]. deliver and super server our clients and radio,” David Shaw says New Revolution’s Rob Dalton. Both have spent time at Columbia in pop Radio News Personalities: The Amy B show is no longer on the air in promotion. Shaw will be based in Rhode middays at Citadel KSCS/Dallas. The station began carrying Island and can be reached at 401-233-1544 or a localized version of her syndicated ABC show in September. [email protected]. Schuld will be based in “It is not unusual for stations with new management to make Kansas City and can be contacted at 913-888-6861 programming changes,” says ABC SVP/Affiliate RelationsTJ or [email protected]. Joe Schuld Lambert. “The Amy B Show can be heard on 109 Country stations across America and is still available for syndication.” A&O Seminar Set Former WAMZ/Louisville MD/middayer Night Train Lane Albright & O’Malley’s Annual Pre-CRS Seminar will be has pulled into middays at Cumulus’ WYAK/Myrtle, SC. held Tuesday, March 4 at 2pm in the Country Music Hall of He started yesterday (1/20) and succeeds Randy “Boomer” Fame’s Ford Theater with Starbucks Dir./U.S. Store Marketing Clemens, who left the station last month. Bill Black keynoting. Lyric Street’s Phil Stacey is the event’s special guest. A&O will be updating their “Roadmap 08” Sales: Regent Broadcasting/Peoria has hired Arrowhead Country Club First Asst. Golf Pro Chris Koller as Account Executive. ©2008 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] January 22, 2008 Country Aircheck Music Edition Page 4 BIRTH D AYS Wednesday (1/23) - Harley Allen, the late Johnny Russell Thursday (1/24) - Keech Rainwater, Ray Stevens, Buzz Cason, Rhonda Forlaw-Adkins, Becky Hobbs, Nancy Tunick ([email protected]), Bobby Young (bobby. [email protected]) Friday (1/25) - John Alexander, Jayme Austin (jayme. [email protected]), Kippi Brannon, Mike Burch, Lee Carroll, Rick Hughes (rick.hughes@umusic. com) Saturday (1/26) - Maria Brunner (insightmgt@aol. com), Michael Martin ([email protected]), Dave Smith Sunday (1/27) - Tracy Lawrence, Richard Young, Todd Berry ([email protected]), Kristi Brake- Barnes, Steve Levesque HD: Beasley/Ft. Myers-Naples, Fl has launched Haney’s Big House 96.1 HD2 that will feature a format of blues, southern rock and outlaw country. Gig Alerts • KPLX/Dallas VP/Market Manager Dan Bennett is searching for a PD. Send packages to him at KPLX, 3500 Maple Ave., Suite 1600, Dallas, Texas 75219. • WWFF/Huntsville, AL OM Bill West is seeking a morning show. Send airchecks and resumes to [email protected]. • WZZK/Birmingham, AL PD Justin Case is looking for an afternooner. Contact him at [email protected]. • KDCD/San Angelo, TX OM Aaron Harris is in need of a middayer/PM driver. Send your best stuff to aaronh.radio@ lonestarmix.com. • WPCK/Green Bay PD Dylan Fletcher is on the lookout for a Moon In The Morning Show co-host. Send airchecks and resume to [email protected]. Industry News Entertainment law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP’s Jess Rosen and Bobby Rosenbloum have been upped to co-chairs of the firm’s Atlanta branch. The CMA surprised FACTOR (Canada) President/CEO Heather Ostertag with the Jo Walker-Meador International Achievement Award last week (1/14), recognizing her support in developing country music outside the U.S. Buddy Cannon (“Give It Away”) is one of the speakers schedule to appear at the free Songwriting Seminar@Winterfest in Pigeon Forge, TN Feb. 23. Applications are being accepted for the April Music City Walk of Fame induction ceremony until Feb. 8. Nominations are open to the public in the categories of artist, Buddy Cannon ©2008 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] January 22, 2008 Country Aircheck Music Edition Page 5 musician, songwriter and producer/music industry executive. Details at www.visitmusiccity.com/walkoffame. TU B E CHE C K Artist News Tuesday (1/22) - Kellie Pickler, Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC). Reba McEntire graces the cover of Wednesday (1/23) - Shooter Jennings, The Late Show with Quick and Simple magazine, on stands Jan. Jay Leno (NBC); Luke Bryan, Fox & Friends; John Rich, Hannity 29, as she talks about aging, staying youthful & Colmes (FOX). and forgetting the words to her own songs. “I love being 50, and I will love being 60, Thursday (1/24) - Trace Adkins, The Celebrity Apprentice too,” she says.