» We're Just Rate-ing On A Friend: Here are the latest Fall '09 Arbitron diary ratings for stations in the top 150 markets. In next Monday's Country Aircheck Weekly (1/11), you'll see complete ratings issued this week for these and all other Country stations. Listed by metro size, share figures shown are persons 12+, Monday-Sunday, 6am-midnight, with market rankings in parentheses.

• Grand Rapids: Congrats to Clear Channel's WBCT, which jumped 6.7-8.2 and from fourth to No. 1, opening up nearly a full-share lead over everyone else. It was its best Fall book in four years. After three straight upticks, Citadel's WTNR stepped back 3.5-3.3 (8-10), but beat Fall '08's 2.4. CC's WMUS/Muskegon, MI slipped 1.3-1.0 (17-17t).
• Bakersfield: Owens One's KUZZ-FM rose 7.1-7.6, holding at No. 2. Co-owned Classic Country KCWR eased 1.9-1.7 (16-17t), while Robert & Katherine Bohn's KCNQ faded 1.3-0.7 (19-22t), equaling its Fall '08 figures.
• Harrisburg: Following three consecutive gains, CC's WRBT declined 7.9-7.5, but held onto third place and topped its 6.9 from a year ago. After a soft Summer, Citadel's WCAT-FM rebounded 1.5-2.6 (15-9), tying its Fall '08 ratings. Times & News Publishing's WGTY/York, PA grew 0.8-1.1 (21-18).
• York, PA: Times & News Publishing's metro leader WGTY soared 9.3-11.9, and paces its competition by almost four shares. It was its best Fall survey in at least several years. WIOV-FM/Lancaster, PA was level at a 1.7 (15t-14t). VerStandig's WAYZ/Hagerstown, PA was off 2.2-1.5 (11t-17t), tied with CC's WRBT/Harrisburg, which picked up 1.2-1.5 (21t-17t). Aloha Station Trust's WFRE/Frederick, MD was flat at a 1.2 (21t-20t), matched by Radio Hanover's Classic Country WHVR/Hanover, PA, which edged ahead 1.0-1.2 (23t-20t). CC's WPOC/Baltimore was down 1.5-1.0 (18t-22t).
• Victor Valley, CA: Frontier's KATJ rose 3.6-4.2 (5-3t), tying its ratings from the year before. CBS Radio's KVFG more than doubled, 1.1-2.3 (17t-9t), while CBS Radio's KFRG/Riverside was up 0.9-1.5 (19t-15t).
• Oxnard-Ventura, CA: Cumulus' KHAY ended a two-book skid, rising 4.0-4.6 (4-3t).
• Lansing, MI: Citadel's market-leading WITL extended its lead to more than three shares, advancing 10.5-11.2. CC's WBCT/Grand Rapids dipped 1.7-1.4 (12t-13t).
• Quad Cities, IA-IL: CC's market monster WLLR declined 18.7-17.5, but still leads everyone by nearly 10 shares and bested Fall '08's 15.9.
• Rockford, IL: Cumulus' WXXQ accelerated 11.5-12.6 (2-2) to its highest ratings in three years, almost six shares above its nearest rival. Bliss's WJVL/Janesville, WI more than doubled, 0.8-2.0 (17t-12t).
• Peoria, IL: Somehow, this market has lost nearly six Country shares in one year and almost five since Spring. Triad's WXCL was down 7.8-5.2 (2-7), while after three straight 6.1 books, Regent's WFYR descended to a 3.8 (6-8) and now hasn't seen a 12+ increase in four years. However, Regent's WBWN/Bloomington, IL doubled 0.6-1.2 (20t-17t).

 

» Rhythm & Cruise: Former Show Dog Nashville Southeast regional Nathan Cruise has been hired as Midwest regional for Stroudavarious. He starts next Monday (Jan. 11), will be based in Nashville and can be reached at 615-496-6356 or, after next Monday, here. Stroudavarious President Bill Catino is also looking for a Northeast rep for the label. He tells CA that he will soon be staffing up the BamaJam imprint's promo department. Resumes to VP/Promotion Bill Macky here.

» Heinz Departs Tampa Cluster: CBS Radio/Tampa Dir./NTR Sales & Promotions Heidi Heinz has exited after nine years with the company. Heinz rose from handling those functions for Country WQYK to the cluster-wide role in October 2008. She can be reached at 813-833-8700 or here.

» Regentrification: With its stock having traded below the $1 threshold requirement for some time, Regent Communications has been delisted from the Nasdaq exchange (as RGCI) and has moved over to the OTC market (as RGCI.PK), closing today at 15 cents. After failing to make key payments to lenders Dec. 31, the company is said to be negotiating those terms, following default notices earlier last year. Meanwhile, the contracts for CEO Bill Stakelin and CFO Tony Vasconcellos have been renewed.

» Come On Get Appy:  Alpha Broadcasting has launched iPhone apps for its stations, including Country KUPL. Powered by AirKast, the applications allow listeners to listen live, view lyrics, access artist info and more. A Blackberry app is expected soon. "We've moved into the next level of content delivery," says Alpha Dir./Music Programming Scott Mahalick. "As listeners become more mobile, our goal is to make it easier than ever before to connect, anywhere and anytime." 

» Best. Diary. Ever: From the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction department comes the Arbitron diary-keeper comment pictured: "I manage a feed mill. Rats go into the computer console at night & eat the insulation off the wires & urinate on things in there – big problems. I've found that if I put a radio inside & turn on a Spanish station loud every night they won't go in. I don't know the station: it is horrendous."

» I'd Like To Thank All The Little Semi-Conductors: In recognition of its development of the Portable People Meter for media measurement, Arbitron was honored by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences with an Emmy for Broadcast Audience Measurement Technology at the 61st Annual Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards yesterday (1/7) during the 2010 CES in Las Vegas.

» Track Star: Big Machine's Taylor Swift is the top-selling digital artist in history, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Swift has sold 24.3 million digital tracks.

» All In Jackson: The Meet Me Halfway website following Jimmy Wayne on his cross-country trek to Phoenix for child homelessness is now online. The site will host Wayne's first live broadcast from the road Monday (1/11) at 9am CT. After a week of walking, Wayne has logged roughly 120 miles of his 1,700-mile trek and is currently outside Jackson, TN. Track his progress or make a donation at meetmehalfway.jimmywayne.com.

» Buckin' For Bucks: The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) and the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation have partnered to raise $1 million in 2010 for Teammates for Kids. Brooks joined PBR's CEO Randy Bernard and pro riders Adriano Moraes, Ty Murray, Kody Lostroh and J.B. Mauney for today's (1/8) announcement at Madison Square Garden. "Having cowboys of the PBR as our teammates could not make me happier," Brooks said. "They're premiere athletes, and I am grateful for their decision to use their gifts to benefit the kids." The announcement kicked off this weekend's events for the PBR New York City Invitational. Learn more here.

» Banner Day: Redneck/CO5's Gretchen Wilson will perform the National Anthem and a halftime set as part of the Jan. 16 AFC Divisional Playoff game at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium. WLHK/Indianapolis will broadcast the game and portions of Wilson's performance live. The Colts will play this weekend's winner of the Wild Card playoff matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and the New York Jets. Details here.

» Face Race: It's time to cast your final votes for the 2010 CRB-Country Aircheck Awards. Make your picks in 28 radio and record categories at CRBAwards.com before Feb. 5. Winners will be announced at CRS 2010's New Faces Show Feb. 26 at the Nashville Convention Center.
 

» Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for Jan. 7:

 

1. REBA/Consider Me Gone (Starstruck/Valory) 2218 points
   
2. DIERKS BENTLEY/I Wanna Make You Close Your... (Capitol) 2156 points
3. TIM MCGRAW/Southern Voice (Curb) 2057 points
4. JASON ALDEAN/The Truth (BBR) 2045 points
5. MIRANDA LAMBERT/White Liar (Columbia) 1965 points
   

All daily airplay data is from Mediabase 24/7.

» Country Aircheck Today Top 5 Downloads: Here are Play MPE's Top 5 for Jan. 7: 

1. MARTINA MCBRIDE/Wrong Baby Wrong (RCA)
2. COLDWATER JANE/Bring On The Love (Mercury)
   
3. JEWEL/Stay Here Forever (Valory)
4. CRAIG MORGAN/This Ain't Nothin' (BNA)
5. LADY ANTEBELLUM/American Honey (Capitol) 

» Tomorrow's Birthdays (1/9): Crystal Gayle, Cathy Gurley, Pam Marcy, Zack Owen, Lynn West. 

Sunday's Birthdays (1/10): Allen Butler, Van Haze, Robert Turner.

Monday's Birthdays (1/11): Goldie Hill, Naomi Judd, Dennis Edwards, Lauren Stephens.

» Tube Check Tomorrow (1/9): Brooks & Dunn, GAC Special: Cowboy Town (re-air) (GAC). 

Tube Check Sunday (1/10): Dolly Parton, Master Series (re-air) (GAC).

» Frozen Margaritas: The Capitol/Nashville staff celebrated their 3rd Annual Cinco De Besto, which honors 20-year label vet Sr. Dir./A&R Administration Betsy Morley's hire date and the Cinco De Mayo restaurant, where it is held. Also recognized were the winners of the staff's three-month Biggest Loser Weight Loss Challenge: Sr. Dir./New Media Dawn Gates (25% body weight lost) and Dir./Nat'l Radio Syndication & Special Projects Matthew Hargis (22% lost).

» Fox Trots: Unrest/Edgehill's Aaron Watson (l) chills backstage at KPLX/Dallas' 12 Man Jam with the station's Live From The Front Porch host Ryan Fox.

» Know When To Hold 'Em: WCJW-AM & FM/Warsaw, NY PD/MD Lee Richey (r) meets Kenny Rogers backstage at a tour stop in Rochester.