September 6 2016, Issue 515 Radio, Record Reps & Harassment Sexual harassment of the type that brought down Fox News CEO Roger Ailes has been the subject of much attention. Less understood are the dynamics at play between companies. For instance, the landscape inhabited by reporting radio stations and record label promotion staffers seeking their favor. In more than a dozen off-the-record, background-only and not-for-attribution discussions with female and male regional record reps, label executives and radio pros, Country Aircheck has found an environment where a small number of PDs and MDs may be putting themselves and their companies at risk with unwelcome sexual advances, language and behavior. Further, because of the highly charged business relationships at stake, record companies may be knowingly sending female employees Philadelphia Seen Him: Capitol’s Keith Urban (c) in into problematic environments. Philadelphia with (l-r) WXCY/Wilmington, DE’s Brad Ground Level: "When you’re in it you don’t realize how Austin, the label’s Diane Lockner, consultant Joel Raab, bad it is," says a male former label executive who asked not WXTU’s Shelly Easton, WGTY/York’s Scott Donato and to be named. "But it’s bad. And it goes deeper than anyone WXTU’s Mark Razz. probably wants to admit. I’m no saint and things get pretty loose in this business. There’s no filter. that eventually soured after that married radio People say and It’s bad. And it goes exec made repeated propositions during CRS. do things that, "I had to call the front desk and ask them to looking back, deeper than anyone put privacy on my phone so he couldn't keep aren’t okay. I probably” wants to admit. calling," she says. "The next day I told my boss was part of that what happened, and he said, 'Oh, you can in some way. I handle it.' I started to cry because I knew this was beyond okay. It's like something we read knew about things I never did anything about. It’s unspoken, but Gloria Allred it’s really prevalent. Even the artists know. They see it." about in our women's magazines where he's Speaking on condition of anonymity, a female regional going to show up some day with a knife. It recalled her rookie stint in record promotion. "The first time I was not comfortable and I couldn't laugh it off." called [a station decision maker], he asked if he could lick my In numerous conversations, current and former regionals [genitals]," she says. "I hung up, called my boss and said, 'I'm not described unwanted advances, touching and innuendo, though doing this, I can't deal with that.'" Given another person at the all stressed the vast majority of female rep to male programmer interactions are completely professional. station to call on, the rep began a very professional relationship (continued on page 9) ©2016 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] September 6, 2016 Page 4 Songwriter/producer Nathan Chapman has signed a Chart Chat worldwide publishing agreement with Warner/Chappell Music. Congrats to Jake Owen, Steve Mark Chesnutt is extending his Tradition Lives Tour into next Hodges, Keith Gale and the RCA year. Dates here. promotion team on landing this week's No. Meghan Linsey is the honorary chair of the 25th Annual 1 song "American Country Love Song." The Nashville AIDS Walk and 5K Run Oct. 1. chart-topper is the first single from Owen's album American Love, which has been certified platinum by the RIAA. The Week's Top Stories Full coverage at countryaircheck.com. And kudos to Josh Easler and the Jake Owen • Promotion vet Will Robinson joined Reviver Entertainment Arista crew on notching 52 adds for Carrie Group's 1608 imprint as Mgr./Northeast-Midwest Promotion. Underwood's "Dirty Laundry," topping this week's board. (9/6) • iHeartMedia launched "The Big Legend at 98.3" in Nashville. News & Notes (9/6) Spotify’s John Marks, BBR Music Group’s Jon Loba • Valory regional Bradford Hollingsworth exited. (9/2) and duo Walker McGuire will be panelists at the final 2016 • iHeartMedia's Gator Harrison succeeded Michael Bryan MusicPreneur industry insight speaker series panel “Tech-Yea: as SVP/Programming and WSIX PD in Nashville. (9/1) How Tech is Changing Access to Music” Sept. 13 at the Nashville • Townsquare/Ft. Collins, CO's Jared Goldberg joined CBS Entrepreneur Center. More here. Radio's KMLE/Phoenix as APD/middayer. (9/1) Belmont student Anna Vaus has received the inaugural • The 10th Annual ACM Honors were held in Nashville. (8/31) Miranda Lambert "Women Creators" scholarship, honoring • CMA Broadcast nominees and awards show nominees were a female Belmont student who is majoring in music business, revealed. (8/31) songwriting or entertainment industry studies and is actively • Sony/Nashville Mgr./Marketing Kristen Kee exited. (8/30) working towards pursuing her dream of working in the music industry. Vaus will receive $40,000 in funds, beginning in the coming academic year. Seek & Employ Chris Janson, the Oak Ridge Boys, Lindsay Ell, Mo Available Jobs Pitney, LoCash, Tracy Byrd and Ricky Skaggs are among Here's a list of job seekers and open gigs. Not listed? Send info country artists participating in a new Parent Today's Teens PSA here and we'll include you in a future update. campaign. More here. ©2016 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] September 6, 2016 Page 6 Townsquare's WOKQ/Portsmouth, NH has an opening for an MY TUNES: MUSIC THAT SHAPED MY LIFE air talent. Airchecks and resumes to OM JC Coffey here. Republic Nashville's Brett Young discusses Mornings are open at an unidentified Country station in the his most influential music: Southeast. The company is replacing "a CMA-award-winning 1. Gavin DeGraw: He's hands down, my morning show," the hosts of which are retiring after more than 20 most influential artist. I grew up leading years. Airchecks, resumes and salary requirements here. worship music, but I never really saw how that would transition into a career. I never AJG's WKKW/Morgantown, WV has an opening for a morning thought of pursuing music outside of the host. Materials here. church until I heard his first record, Chariot. Brett Young 2. Tim McGraw's "Don't Take The Consultant Joel Raab is looking for morning talent for future Girl": That song made me realize I loved openings with new client stations in large, medium and small country music. How do you tell that good of a story in three markets. Airchecks and resumes to him here. and a half minutes? 3. Gavin DeGraw's Chariot: I wore out that CD and had to Cox's KCYY/San Antonio has an opening in afternoons. Three buy another. And then I bought Chariot (Stripped) and wore that years of experience is required. Apply here. out. So I bought four copies in total – and then bought them digitally, too. Beasley's WQYK/Tampa has an opening for a morning host. 4. Boyz II Men & Mariah Carey in Irvine, CA: That was Airchecks and resumes to OM/PD Tee Gentry here. my first concert. I've always been drawn to good singers. 5: Tim McGraw, Dixie Chicks & The Warren Brothers: Curtis' WQDR/Raleigh has an opening for a Dir./Promotions. This was my first country concert. We had lawn seats. We took a Materials including a cover letter and salary history to Dir./Human cooler and a blanket and me and some of my best friends from Resources Nancy Ginger here. high schoolUPDATE went. We had a blast. I'm pretty sure it was Tim and Faith's anniversary that night, and he called her from the stage. iHeartMedia's WEBG/Chicago has an opening in afternoons. It was a really cool moment. Three years on-air experience and a four-year college degree is • Highly regarded music you've actually never heard: required. Apply here. There's a band out now that everyone's in love with called Twenty One Pilots. I haven't dove into that record yet, but I plan to. Adams' WKHI/Salisbury, MD has an opening for a PD/air • An "important" piece or style of music you just don't get: personality. Five years experience with at least two in Country I don't get hip-hop. There are some rappers that actually have programming is required. Airchecks and resumes here. content in their songs. But for the most part, I feel like it's somebody just talking about having money or hooking up with girls. Cumulus' KPLX/Dallas has a morning host opening. Materials to • An album you listened to incessantly: Edwin McCain's PD Mac Daniels here. Honor Among Thieves. For whatever reason, when you first start driving you always want to be driving, so I played that in my car. CBS Radio's KILT/Houston is searching for an evening talent. He's one of my favorite singers of all time. A minimum of two years experience is required along with "the • An obscure or non-country song everyone should swagger to be Houston's only local Country night show." Apply listen to right now: I'm obsessed with Sean McConnell, who here. sang the demo of Rascal Flatts' "Here Comes Goodbye." He has a song called "Tell The Truth" which is incredible. Cumulus/Columbia, MO has an opening for an OM. The • Music you'd rather not admit to enjoying: I'm not cluster includes Country KBBM (Nash FM).