April 26, 2010 Issue 189 Meet KSD OM/PD Mark Anderson Top 40 WKFS/Cincinnati PD Mark Anderson was named OM of Clear Channel/St. Louis in October of 2008 and, in a reshuffling of his responsibilities within the six-station cluster, has recently taken the programming reigns for Country KSD-FM (The Bull). Previously Premium Choice, KSD’s switch to local programming and “New Country” emphasis is Mark Anderson reflected in its Current/Recurrent/Gold percentages of 39/42/19 and average year of 2007. The PC numbers are 37/31/32 with an average year of 2005. CA: What were your initial thoughts about taking over KSD’s programming? Here We Say Rodeo: KNCI/Sacramento PD Mark Evans and MD Greg Cole MA: I’ve been here for a year-and-a-half as OM of the whole meet with Brooks & Dunn before the opening date of their Last Rodeo cluster and programming Top 40 KSLZ and Classic Hits KLOU. Tour at the city’s Sleep Train Amphitheatre. Pictured (l-r) are label rep When Billy Greenwood started focusing on the many different things Lori Hartigan, B&D’s Ronnie Dunn, Evans, Cole and B&D’s Kix Brooks. he does for our organization, there was an opportunity to juggle some things around. Country is a format I’ve always had an interest in, and Beginning Of The BnD some evidence at that time about the lane of opportunity was going to Friday’s Last Rodeo Tour opening show in Sacramento (4/23) be for the station – with a lot of my background being in CHR – I was was the beginning of the end for Brooks & Dunn. Less than excited about the possibility of doing a young, New Country radio 50 shows remain in the duo’s historic 20-year career, which station. It seemed like the perfect fit. is condensed onstage into a two-hour set of 25 hits. KNCI/ Where are you in the process of moving the station in Sacramento APD/MD and Country Aircheck beat reporter that new direction? Greg Cole was in the sold-out arena. “This was only the eighth We’re always trying to do things to grow and evolve, and sell-out in the venue’s long history,” he reports. “The staging [today’s] addition of Mason & Remy doing a very active and was a clean, straight backline set with the drummer, keyboards, engaging lifestyle morning show is a big part of that. steel/fiddle and bass on the stage riser. Behind the stage is a (continued on page 7) central, vertical hi-def video screen flanked by two horizontal ©2010 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] April 26, 2010 Country Aircheck Weekly Page 2 screens. The stage also included a runway that jutted out into the lower seating bowl and, of course, there’s the tour logo around MY TUNES : MUSIC THA T SHAPED MY LIFE Brooks & Dunn’s trademark steer skull.” KMPS/Seattle MD/PM driver Tony Cole points to “Only In America” as one of the most Thomas discusses his most important memorable moments. “In the middle of the song, members of the songs, artists or concerts: U.S. military services marched on stage and out the runway,” he 1. Jerry Reed/Amos Moses: Growing up in says. “The audience went crazy. During the final moments of the late ‘60s San Francisco listening to KFRC-AM, song, two confetti cannons shot red, white and blue streamers I didn’t think I knew anything about country and confetti out over the audience, and they went crazier still.” music, but I knew I loved this. I was 10 when A two-song encore of “Brand New Man” and “Boot Scootin’ it came out, and “just knocked him in the Boogie” closed the first of their last concerts. As they exited, Tony Thomas head with a stone, (bomp),” made me laugh. shaking hands with the fans closest to the stage, Brooks waved 2. Tony Joe White/Polk Salad Annie: Even and said, “Thanks, California,” before throwing his cowboy hat at age nine, I knew that Tony Joe was layin’ down some serious into the audience, graduation style. Jason Aldean and Tyler soul. His gravelly grunts mixed with those horns and rhythm Dickerson opened. Complete list of dates here. section added up to one of my favorite singles ever. And I just realized this and “Amos Moses” feature gators. Ha, swamp music spoke to me from an early age. Jaron & His Long List Of Friends 3. Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen/Hot Rod What can Facebook and 14,000 fans Lincoln: I knew every one of those fast flyin’ words. It was funny, do for the music biz practical joke? Ask cool, and that guitar player bent the tar outta those notes. Paradigm agent Brian Hill, whose client 4. Johnny Cash/A Boy Named Sue: The story was funny and Jaron of “Pray For You” fame took pranks tough at the same time. And Cash just sounded so cool. to a new level last Friday. Here’s the post: 5. Elvis Aloha From Hawaii TV special and double album: “Jaron and The Long Road to Love – What didn’t it have? And the special was live...via satellite! The Who wants to play a prank? I do. Everyone Jaron (l) with Brian Hill drums, the horns, The Sweet Inspirations, J. D. Sumner & The email my agent Brian Hill and tell him you Stamps, “American Trilogy,” that great set list and Elvis just killin’ have some obscene amount of money for me to play a show it. I thought it was flat-out great and I played those vinyl albums somewhere. The crazier the show and the bigger the amount, the to death. better. Here’s his email address: [email protected]. • A highly regarded song or album you’ve never heard: I know Have a great night you guys. I know his night is about to suck :)” Radiohead have been innovators on the business side of things, And thus it began. Hill later wrote: “Quote of the night from but I have to plead ignorance on their music. my co-worker: ‘Dude, I think you have a virus. Your email is • An “important” piece of music you just don’t get: I get the dinging like crazy.’” power and beauty of the art form, but I can’t sit through too Here are some of the emails: “I am married to Christopher much opera. Shaw. In case you haven’t heard, Chris won the Powerball • An album you played or listened to incessantly: Hank lottery in Missouri this week. The night before he goes in for Williams, Jr.’s Hank Live. When Hank Jr. is in the zone, no one can oral surgery to fix his two front teeth, we are having a party touch him. This 1987 album still rules. to celebrate. We’d like to book Jaron and the Long Road. Our • One obscure or non-country song everyone should listen to budget for the entertainment is in the $1.5-$2 million range.” right now: John Anderson’s version of “Down In Tennessee” is one “I am running the Disney World Marathon in January and I my favorite country vocals of all time. Heartbreaking. would like to book Jaron to run with me and sing to me as I run. I would be willing to pay $2 million for this and I would also throw in a ticket to the happiest place on earth!” ©2010 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] April 26, 2010 Country Aircheck Weekly Page 3 BIR T HDAYS “Dear Sir, on May 1 we will be having a crazy shindig at Green Valley Trailer Park and Mobile Home Plaza to celebrate Tuesday (4/27) – Herb Pedersen the birth of all 792 babies born last May. We would desperately Thursday (4/29) – Duane Allen, Stephanie Bentley-Proutt, James like to have Jaron and the Long Road to Love play at this event. Bonamy, Beverlee Brannigan ([email protected]), Rosey We have been collecting bottle caps and pop cans for the last six Fitchpatrick ([email protected]), Lisa Kosty, Deb Turpin (deb. months and have finally collected enough to pay a handsome [email protected]) $1,032.47. I know he is worth so much more, but due to the limited resources of our collective 19 families, we feel this is Friday (4/30) – Willie Nelson, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Robert reasonable. Please, please get back to us ASAP, we are really Reynolds, Tyler Wilkinson, Steve Amari, Dana Burwell, Chuck Rhodes huge fans, literally and figuratively.” ([email protected]) Last count as of Monday afternoon: 1,436 emails – an impressive 10% response rate. Saturday (5/1) – Tim McGraw, Helen Darling, Ilene Berns, Carrie Long, Louie Newman ([email protected]), Lindsay Walleman ([email protected]), Tanya Welch Arbitron Client Call Several bits of useful info from Arbitron’s client conference call Sunday (5/2) – Larry Gatlin, Ty Herndon, Brian Jennings (brian. today: In a move to improve its cell-phone-only measurement, [email protected]), Buzz Ledford, Tammy Ragusa (tragusa@ premiereradio.com) the ratings firm says it expects to average 40% of its sampling of 18-34s in CPO households by the end of 2010; that’s up from Monday (5/3) – Eric Church, Brad Martin, Shane Minor, Jerry Salley, 26% four months ago. Meanwhile, metro ratings among Hispanics Stoney Richards ([email protected]) regarding their country of origin is now available, starting with the March ‘10 data.