ISSUE 66 MUS I C EDITION NOVE M BER 26, 2007 Radio Rolls Christmas Music COUNTRY AIR C HE C K REPORTER CH A NGES A handful of Country stations have already flipped to an KNTY/Sacramento and KBWF/San Francisco have been all-Christmas format, joining a trend of early adopters initiated added to the Country Aircheck/Mediabase reporting several years ago by AC stations. Even the scores of Country panel. Their airplay information from Sunday Nov. 25 stations that haven’t jumped in the yuletide deep end are jingling through Saturday Dec. 1 will be included in the Dec. 3 chart. their bells several times an hour. No longer reporting are WGAR/Cleveland and KBQI/ Last week we printed a list of the top 25 Christmas songs Albuquerque as the percentage of current music at both of 2006, as compiled by Mediabase. Below, we’ve completed stations has fallen below acceptable levels. the overview of music programmers should be aware of, Also, WUBL/Atlanta has been suspended from the starting with most-played Country reporting panel following its shift to all-Christmas current Christmas music over music. the four-day holiday weekend (11/22-25). 16. Carter’s Chord/Santa Baby (Show Dog) 17. Brad Paisley/Silver Bells (Arista) Top 25 Current Christmas Songs 18. Jack Ingram/Jingle Bells (iTunes Acoustic) (Big Machine) 1. Taylor Swift/Last Christmas (Big Machine) 19. George Strait/We Wish You A Merry Christmas (Hallmark) 2. Kellie Pickler/Santa Baby (BNA) 20. Sara Evans/I’ll Be Home For Christmas (BNA) 3. Carrie Underwood/Do You Hear What I Hear? (BNA) 21. Taylor Swift/Christmases When You Were Mine (Big 4. Brad Paisley/Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy (Arista) Machine) 5. Little Big Town/Go Tell It On The Mountain (Equity) 22. Sugarland/Nuttin’ For Christmas (Mercury) 6. Toby Keith/Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree (Show Dog) 23. Taylor Swift/Silent Night (Big Machine) 7. Brad Paisley/Winter Wonderland (RCA) 24. George Strait/Jingle Bells (Hallmark) 8. Taylor Swift/Santa Baby (Big Machine) 25. Brad Paisley/I’ll Be Home For Christmas (Arista) 9. Brad Paisley/Born On Christmas Day (Arista) (more holiday songs on page 5) 10. Toby Keith/Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow (Show Dog) 11. Toby Keith/Please Come Home For Christmas (Show Dog) Radio News 12. Taylor Swift/White Christmas (Big Machine) Format: Clear Channel Classic Country KHUS/Omaha, NE 13. Toby Keith/Winter Wonderland (Show Dog) flipped to a current Country format last Monday (11/19). 14. Keith Anderson/Please Come Home For Christmas (Arista) Kudos: WFYR/Peoria, IL and Operation Homefront Illinois 15. George Strait/Deck The Halls (Hallmark) are asking listeners to participate in sending Holiday Greetings ©2007 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] November 26, 2007 Country Aircheck Music Edition Page 3 to service persons overseas by taping 15 second segments at a DA TE CHE C K local mall. KYGO/Denver morning crew Kelly, Mudflap and JoJo Nov. 30 - Last Day for CRS-39 Earlybird Registration - raised $37,952 in a little over four hours during their 7th Annual www.crb.org Feed The Need Radiothon for the Denver Rescue Mission. Dec. 5 - CRS-39 New Faces Show Finalists Announced - Gig Alert: Equity VP/Promotion David Haley is looking for a 2pm www.crb.org Coor./Promotion and can be reached at 615-320-1990. Jan. 11-12 - Sprint Sound & Speed Festival Nashville’s Industry News Sommet Center - www.soundandspeed.org The deadline to renew professional memberships or join the Academy of Country Music to be eligible to vote for the Jan. 23-27 - Country In The Rockies 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards is Friday, Nov. 30. Details at www.acmcountry.com. Jan. 24 - 26th Annual Colgate Country Showdown CRB Early Bird Registration rate of $499 for CRS 39 ends National Final - Ryman Auditorium www. Friday, Nov. 30. Find more info at www.crb.org. countryshowdown.com Craig Wiseman will be the fourth songwriter honored with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Poets and Feb. 8 - 50th Annual Grammy Awards - www.grammy.com Prophets: Legendary Country Songwriters Dec. 15 at 2pm in the Ford Theater. March 5-7 - CRS-39 - www.crb.org Musicians On Call is one of the charities benefiting from the Full calendar info at www.countryaircheck.com Gaylord Opryland Hall of Trees charity auction. View them at www.halloftrees.com until Dec. 22. and parents Allan and Margaret. “My dad kept nudging me in The Women’s Music Business Association is holding the arm and saying ‘Can you believe this, ain’t this something.’ I its 2nd Annual Duos In December with songwriters Jeremy was so honored to be there,” said Atkins. Spillman, Chris Cavanaugh, Megan Hames, Red Wilhelm, Heather Morgan and Leah Crutchfield at Nashville’s Tin Roof Artist News Dec. 4 at 6:30pm. Admission is free with an unwrapped toy to be GAC will sponsor Trace Adkins’ 2008 American Man tour, donated to Toys For Tots. which kicks off Jan. 24 in Bangor, ME. Luke Bryan, Jason Michael Carroll, Bucky Covington and Kellie Pickler are Atkins Plays For First Audience among the artists slated to open select dates. Rodney Atkins performed Dolly Parton, Wynonna, Randy Owen, Alison Krauss, Big for President Bush and the & Rich and Cowboy Troy are just a few of the 23 signatures First Lady at the White on the First Act Guitar for auction on ebay to benefit St. Jude House on Nov. 16 as a Children’s Research Hospital. Bid here. spokesperson for National Music City Promos, a new company started by journalist Adoption Month. Also in Dan Harr, is offering radio stations websites, webzines and attendance were members of blogs free access to online contests from artists including Congress, adopted children Alabama, Josh Turner, Whiskey Falls and Lonestar. Details at and their families, Atkins’ www.musiccitypromos.com. wife Tammy, son Elijah (who Taylor Swift will sign autographs at New York City’s NBC Elijah Atkins with the President and climbed on the President’s Laura Bush Experience Store to celebrate the release of NBC Sounds Of lap during the performance) The Season: The Taylor Swift Collection, Nov. 27 at 2:30pm. ©2007 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] November 26, 2007 Country Aircheck Music Edition Page 4 BIRTH da YS Tuesday (11/27) – the late Eddie Rabbitt; Darlene Starr ([email protected]) Wednesday (11/28) - Kristine Arnold, Cheryl Cranford, Gene Dries, Mike Kennedy ([email protected]), Clint Clifton ([email protected]). Thursday (11/29) - Jody Miller, the late Merle Travis; Ryan Bitzer; Kory James Friday (11/30) - Jeannie Kendall, Mindy McCready, Teddy Wilburn, Jimmy Bowen, Adam Clark, Linda Engbrenghoff Saturday (12/1) - Kim Richey, Dave Ashcraft, Larry Shell, Jenny Wallace, Kirk Yoquelet, Paul Riddle Sunday (12/2) - Tom Hanranhan (tomhanrahan@ clearchannel.com) Monday (12/3) - Paul Gregg, Ferlin Husky, Autumn House ([email protected]), S. Wade Hunt (wade.hunt@ sonybmg.com) She will also grace the Dec./Jan. cover of Justine magazine, be profiled in the same month’s issue of Seventeen, and featured in CosmoGirl’s Best of 2007. Katie Armiger will sing the National Anthem for the Texas 5A High School Football Championship at the San Antonio Alamodome Dec. 22. Correction An address was misprinted in today’s note of condolence about the passing of Mercury VP Bruce Shindler’s mother Ruth. The family will be mourning her loss at the Scheinberg household, 9 Hartman Hill Road, Huntington, NY 11773. We regret the error. The Week’s Top Stories Full coverage of the week’s news is available in the archives at www.countryaircheck.com. • Following complaints from four radio groups about PPM sample size issues (CAT 11/15), Arbitron is delaying the launch of the service in nine markets including Los Angeles, Riverside, Chicago, San Francisco, San Jose and Dallas. (CAT 11/26) • Equity Music Group aligned with investment groups Southern Maryland and Optimum Venture 3. Label President Mike Kraski exited, but remains on the company’s board and retains his ownership share. SVP Derek Simon was named GM and interim president. Kraski can be reached at mkkraski@ yahoo.com. (CAT 11/20) • The Hartford Courant published extensive reporting on Connecticut’s ongoing investigation of patient care and financial practices of Haven Healthcare, including whether Medicaid funds were illegally used in unrelated business transactions that include the launch and operation of Nashville-based Category 5 Records. Haven Healthcare declared bankruptcy, but the company’s CEO Ray Termini, also Category 5’s founder, refuted the allegations. (CAT 11/20) • Ft. Wayne Radio WBTU/Ft. Wayne, IN APD/MD Adam Mayfield exited. PD Scott Roddy picks up Mayfield’s duties as the position has been eliminated. Reach Mayfield atadamdm@ gmail.com. (CAT 11/21) • Country Thunder Southeast rep Jim Dorman was named ©2007 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] November 26, 2007 Country Aircheck Music Edition Page 5 VP/Promotion for the label, effective immediately. Current VP CA PRESENTS PPM SE M IN A R Doc Gonzales continues to oversee promotions while sharing additional label duties with CEO Herbert Graham following Country Aircheck is presenting The People Meter: What the exit of Bill Mayne, who will not be replaced. (CAT 11/26) It Means To The Country Music Industry on Friday, Dec. • Clear Channel WUBL/Atlanta became “Christmas In The 14 from 9:30am to 1pm at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Country” at 7pm Thanksgiving evening.