July 14, 2008 Issue 98 Most-Heard: July To June PANEL REVISION Our June 30 ranking of top artists, singles and labels for the first six months of 2008 drew some interested response. KBQI/Albuquerque and WIWF/Charleston, SC have been With awards season in full swing, many of you wanted to added to the Country Aircheck/Mediabase reporting panel. know what the top singles were over a full 12-month span. Their inclusion is effective immediately, and airplay information So as you consider your votes in a number of CMA Awards for these two new reporters will be included in next week’s CA/MB categories, we have worked with Mediabase to bring you Country chart. New weights for these and all other reporters based this list of the most-heard songs during the July 1, 2007 to on the Winter 2008 Arbitrons will appear in next week’s Country June 30, 2008 eligibility window. The top 50 songs are listed Aircheck Weekly. alphabetically on page 5, with the list of all charted songs available here. (continued on page 5) NAB Honors Country Entercom’s KBWF (The Wolf)/San Francisco was the sole Country station finalist for the2008 NAB Marconi Award in the Major Market Station of the Year category, and Gaylord’s WSM- AM/Nashville was the only Country representative in the Legendary Station group. Those are two of the more notable honorees as 12 Country stations or personalities earned 15 nominations overall. Three stations scored two each, including KITX/Hugo, OK; KOFM/Enid, OK; and KYGO/Denver. See the full nominee Glass Home: The Warner Bros./Nashville staff toast Blake list here. (CAT 7/14) Shelton’s No. 1 “Home.” The Dom was sent over by the touring Shelton, who could not attend. Pictured (l-r, rear), Kelli Cashiola, Radio News Brandon Blackstock, Bill Bennett, Scott Hendricks, Nancy Tunick • Syndication: John Rich will guest host American Country and Kristen Williams; (l-r, front) are Danielle Taylor and April Countdown with Kix Brooks this weekend (July 19-20). Johnson. The song is A&R chief Hendricks’ first No. 1 with the label. ©2008 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] July 14, 2008 Country Aircheck Weekly Page 2 • Kudos: Winners of 2008 Edward R. Murrow Awards will be honored at the RTNDA Awards Dinner October 13 in New York. MY TUNES : MUSIC THA T SHA P ED MY LIFE Radio: Small Market category Country winners include KFDI- FM/Wichita for Overall Excellence and Spot Coverage and Warner Bros. Director/National Promotion Bob Reeves discusses his five most important WMSI/Jackson, MS for Sports Reporting. songs, albums or concerts: 1. David Bowie/Ziggy Stardust: The first tune Music Biz 101 that made me realize I had my own taste. For Stephen Cochran today (7/14) premiered the new web years I pretended to like the Doors, Loggins based video game Thinkin’ I’m Drinkin’, named for his current & Messina and the junk my older brother single. The game allows fans to challenge him to a drinking listened to. The album, The Rise & Fall Ziggy contest. Players must be 21+ and can upload a picture of Stardust, helped me forge my personal musical themselves and make their own avatars. Play it at www. tastes through the years. Everything I like now thinkinimdrinkin.com. somehow harkens back to one of the songs on that album. 2. Ramones/Blitzkrieg Bop: Sparked my imagination and super- Industry News charged my youth! I was 16 and so into the NYC punk scene after Producer James Stroud is the creative force behind Sounds hearing them, then going to to see them. It led to my love for guitars Of The Season by the Stroudavarious Orchestra. The Christmas and tempo. Before they broke up and subsequently began to die off, I’d album will be available via QVC beginning July 25. Stroud seen the band live nearly 100 times and forged my fandom for dozens tapped A-team Nashville session of bands from the Dictators to Rancid, from the Dead Boys to the Clash. players for the 10-cut collection 3. Steve Wariner/Lynda: After switching from rock/pop to Country radio, of seasonal favorites. this was the first record I added at WPTR/Albany completely of my own Eric Church has extended volition, without anyone else’s input. After a year or so of supervised his songwriting and publishing music directorship along with a PM drive airshift I’d fallen into the agreement with programmer’s chair. The following Monday I put this record in our system Sony/ATV -- a shoebox with 5x7 cards corresponding to the carts from which we Nashville. played all our music. Turns out that I’d befriend the song’s writer after my CMT Can You Duet? move to Nashville. Pat McLaughlin and his lovely wife Sally are pals of contestants and twin sisters mine and my wife now. Kate and Kacey Coppolla have 4. Dixie Chicks/There’s Your Trouble: My first ever No. 1 record with signed a recording contract with Big Machine Records. any label, anywhere. Several more were to follow, but your first is always The Nashville Songwriters Association International the most important. Man, those girls sure made my life great for about is hosting its 2008 Song Camp 102 July 20-22. Songwriters five years there! Jason Blume, Tim Johnson, Brent Baxnter, Charley Stefl 5. Big & Rich/Lost In This Moment: My first No. 1 record with Warner and Chuck Jones are among the faculty that covers everything Bros. It was also the first single I worked start to finish for the label. from handling rejection to getting a publishing deal. More info at • A highly regarded song or album you’ve never heard: A whole Michael Buble album. Since Blake recorded “Home,” I’ve heard Michael’s events.nashvillesongwriters.com. version, but nothing else. I’m told he’s amazing live and know he’s Destiny Media, which distributes music to radio via its a terrific singer, but that’s never been my cup of tea. Hell, I’m still Play MPE unit, reported record Q3 revenues for (March- astounded that I listen to mostly country music. May ‘08), and now anticipates profitability by Q1 (Sept.-Nov.) • An “important” piece of music you just don’t get: This might cause The Vancouver-based company plans more domestic and a riot, but I don’t get the Beatles. I recognize that they made history, but international major label deals and expects to expand further into I’ve never really enjoyed anything of theirs. Canada. A new Clipstream hosted • An album you listened to incessantly: Recently, Flogging Molly’s system for both audio and video Float and Artic Monkeys’ Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. content will launch by September. In history, see question No. 1. ©2008 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] July 14, 2008 Country Aircheck Weekly Page 3 BI rt HDAYS Tuesday (7/15) - the late Cowboy Copas, Linda Ronstadt, Debbie Brazier, Traci Samczyk, Jeff Winfield ([email protected]) Wednesday (7/16) - J. J. Lester, Ronny Robbins, Keni Thomas, Todd Cassetty ([email protected]), Linda Patridge Thursday (7/17) - the late Red Sovine, Aaron Clark, Dawnette Faucett, Dale Libby, Mary Vyrostek Friday (7/18) - Elizabeth Cook, Ricky Skaggs, Mark Jones, Kara Rosen, Todd Wilke Saturday (7/19) - George Hamilton IV, Kelly Shiver, Danny Hall, Nick Hunter ([email protected]), Denise LaRocca, Sherod Robertson Sunday (7/20) - Radney Foster, Julianne Hough, T. G. Sheppard, Cliff Blake ([email protected]), Kirk Boyer, Kim Carnes, Tom McHugh, Terry Wakefield ([email protected]) Monday (7/21) - Paul Brandt, Brad Mates (Emerson Drive), Bill Catino ([email protected]), Sidney Cox Chart Chat Congrats to Columbia/Nashville VP/Promotion Jimmy Rector, Dir./National Promotion David Friedman and their entire promotion team on placing a trio of songs inside the Top 10. Singles by Montgomery Gentry, Miranda Lambert and Keith Anderson provided a Top 10 hat-trick for the imprint -- a feat that hasn’t been accomplished in almost 11 years. Columbia’s magic comes in the midst of a pretty good roll for Sony BMG, which placed four songs in the June 30 Top 5 (and six of the Top 10); four singles in the July 7 Top 5; and, three tunes in this week’s Top 5. A tip of the hat to the VP-Four – Arista’s Skip Bishop, BNA’s Bryan Frasher, Columbia’s Rector and RCA’s Keith Gale – and their respective crews. Gig Alerts • Equity VP/Promotion David Haley is seeking a Midwest rep and can be reached at 615-695-2350 or at dhaley@ equitymusicgroup.com. • Robbins/Nashville VP/Promotion Tony Benken is looking for someone with Southeast, Midwest or West experience to fill his open regional position. Reach him at 615-320-1990 or tony@ robbinsnashville.com. • Clear Channel SVP/Programming Clay Hunnicutt is looking for a WUBL/Atlanta Cledus T. & The T Party co-host. Send airchecks and resumes to Clear Channel HR, 1819 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 700, Atlanta, GA 30309. Artist News The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will host a biographical exhibit, Kitty Wells: Queen Of Country Music Presented by GAC, for 10 months beginning August 15. Opening weekend festivities include an Kitty Wells interview and autograph session with Wells in addition to a screening of the 1982 Showtime special A Tribute to Kitty Wells hosted by Tammy Wynette.