Here's the news for 7/3/08. To get today's news emailed directly to your inbox every day, click here.
» Steer Channel: Clear Channel Radio has further refined its senior executive tier aligned by region and market size, and for the first time linking programming execs with operations execs as follows: Tom Schurr (EVP/Ops, Eastern Region) with SVP/Programming Clay Hunnicutt and another exec TBA; Susan Karis (EVP/Ops, Western Region) with EVPP Gene Romano; Mark Kopelman (SVP/Ops, in Houston) with SVPP Darren Davis; George Toulas (SVP/Ops, Miami) and SVPP Brad Hardin; Dave Crowl (SVP/Ops, in Cincinnati) with SVPP Alan Sledge; Tom Thon (SVP/Ops, in Columbus, OH) with SVPP Phil Hunt. Tom Owens remains EVP/Content & Programming Development.
Three of the SVPPs have extensive Country experience -- Hunnicutt, Sledge and Hunt. A fourth, Davis, has major market Country experience (Houston). Hunt will remain in Little Rock, with Sledge keeping Scottsdale as his base. CCR President John Hogan said of the sweeping changes, "These programming partners will serve as resources for our 900 dynamic local programming professionals."
» Flip Hop: Forever's Top 40 WGMR/State College, PA will flip to Country Froggy 101 on Monday (7/7). PD Chris Prospero will take on mornings with co-host Dawn Behnken, middays go to Lucas Bubb, Promotions Dir. Jaysen Gold signs on for afternoons, syndicated The Lia Show will cover nights and Johnny Marsh will handle overnights. Their website is up and running here. WGMR will change their calls to WFGE soon after the flip when sister WFGE/Murray, KY switches to WFGS.
» New Kid On The Clock: URBan/Muscle Shoals welcomes fresh-out-of-school Heidi King to the newly created morning News Dir. position at the cluster, which includes Country WLAY.
» Zona Piece Of: Texas artist Zona Jones has signed a recording contract with Tracy Lawrence's Rocky Comfort. His first single will be to radio by the end of July.
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» Blind Gig Alert: Come play within a stone's throw of Florida's Gulf Coast Beaches. Heritage Southeast Alabama Country Station is looking for its next great morning show. If you are a dynamic morning personality or morning team that still has passion for creating great radio, and the sincerity to make listeners want to move in next door to you, you're exactly what we're looking for. We're a small company in a small market, but the attitude, benefits and compensation package are anything but. Send five minutes (or less) of audio, a brief employment history, and performance track record (ratings history) here NOW!!! Your next opportunity is waiting. (EOE)
» Book 'Em, Danno: Envision Radio Networks Pres./CEO Danno Wolkoff was the 2008 recipient of the Rockwell Award at the Conclave Learning Conference June 27. The award recognizes individuals who have made great contributions to the broadcasting industry. Upon receiving the honor Wolkoff donated $2,600 to the Conclave Rockwell Scholarship Fund. Congratulate him here.
» Enter Action: Fans of Mercury's Sugarland can help decide which songs are included in the duo's Love On The Inside album premiere radio special here. Also, fans purchasing the Deluxe Fan Edition July 22 should pay close attention when opening their CDs as five will contain platinum tickets. Winners will receive a trip to Nashville, tickets to the 2008 CMA Awards and meet & greets passes, as well as an intimate Sugarland performance.
» Some Carnival: 19/Arista's Carrie Underwood will appear on Sirius's New Country personally introducing every song from her Carnival Ride and Some Hearts albums starting Today at 5pm ET through Sunday, July 6 at 11pm ET.
» Margaritaville, TN: BNA's Kenny Chesney is launching No Shoes Radio on XM channel 18 from July 26 - October 25. The station will feature Chesney's catalog, never-before-heard recordings and 2008 Poets & Pirates tour broadcasts.
» I Love The Nights Life: RCA's Chuck Wicks will host GAC Nights: Live From Nashville on Monday (7/7), filling in for host Suzanne Alexander.
» Our Fireworks. Does Yours? In observance of the Fourth of July holiday, Country Aircheck will be closed tomorrow. Country Aircheck Today will resume publication on Monday (7/7). Finally, we'll leave you with this comment from KFDI-AM/Wichita morning man Dugg Collins: "He who goes forth on the 4th with a fifth, may not go forth on the 5th."
Here's the news for 7/1/08. To get today's news emailed directly to your inbox every day, click here.
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» Veep What You Sow: In senior-level restructuring at Clear Channel, Eastern EVP/Ops Tom Schurr and Western EVP/Ops Susan Karis now manage CC's largest radio markets. Medium-market clusters fall under the guidance of SVPs Mark Kopelman (from Houston) and George Toulas (in Miami). Cincinnati's Dave Crowl and Columbus, OH-based Tom Thon are newly minted SVPs, overseeing smaller markets. The moves mean an exit for former SVP/Western Region Ed Krampf. On the programming level, Darren Davis, Brad Hardin and Clay Hunnicutt are now each elevated to regional SVP/Programming, joining incumbent SVP/Programming Gene Romano, and reporting to their respective regional management SVPs. | |
» Speaking Of Clay: Hunnicutt, who adds an "S" to his previous Regional VPP title, tells Country Aircheck that the SVPPs have yet to receive all of their specific market assignments. He does know, however, he'll be overseeing Atlanta, where he has been OM for CC's six-station cluster, PD of Country WUBL and oversaw the Braves Radio Network and its band of 153 affiliates. One of his first jobs is to help select his successor. Send your packages to Clear Channel/Atlanta, Human Resources, 1819 Peachtree Rd., Ste. 700, Atlanta, GA, 30309. Hunnicutt has also served as CC's VP/Country the last few years. He told CA he'll retain that post "for now."
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» The Hill Is Gone...Country: South Central's AC WCJK/Nashville PD Randy Hill has joined Renda's WGNE/Jacksonville as PD/afternoon jock. He replaces Jeff Davis, who exited in April (CAT 4/30). | |
» Sue Vox Greetings: Rubber City's WQMX/Akron PD Sue Wilson has joined the station's morning show as interim co-host, replacing Shannon Alexander, who resigned to spend more time with her children. Wilson will be searching for a permanent replacement after the holiday week. | |
» DeSantis Clause Is Coming To Town: Longtime network radio exec Frank DeSantis has been named Senior VP/Business Development at Triton Media-owned Dial-Global. DeSantis has been with DG's just-acquired Jones Media America for most of the past two decades, most recently as VP/Business Development. | |
» Gig Alert: Peg's WOWF/Crossville, TN Production Dir./Midday jock Leah "Barbara Allen" Samon will resign her post of four years August 20 to continue her education. PD Josh Brandon is accepting airchecks and resumes | » Fourth & Go: We highlighted songs appropriate for Independence Day airplay in last night's weekly and invited suggestions from our readers. Boy, was that an email-clogging mistake. Okay, we're kidding. We love mail. Seriously. Here's a sampling of the offerings, and keep them coming. More tomorrow.
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» Morning Glory: Speaking of celebratory sounds, Moby In The Morning's Dene Hallam reports that the Atlanta-based syndicated host recorded a song with Dave Staton titled "Fourth Of July" that appears on Jerry Reed's CD Gallant Few. Check it out | |
» Skate Keepers: Disney/Lyric Street's Billy Ray Cyrus and daughter Miley made a surprise appearance at the 2nd Annual Alex LeVasseur Memorial Skate Festival, held last weekend in memory of Nashville Star judge and songwriter Jeffrey Steele's son. Steele and Miley performed "Simple Song," which he wrote for her next album Breakout, and "Hollywood Girl," her favorite song of his. Billy Ray also sang "Achy Breaky Heart" and "Amazing Grace" for the crowd of more than 2,000. Funds raised benefit the Alex LeVasseur Foundation. | |
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» What's A "Radio," Dad? Broadcaster Entercom and media management firm FlyTunes have partnered to allow Entercom stations to stream on smart phones including the iPhone. KBWF/San Francisco and KKWF/Seattle are among the first stations available, with more stations joining the service over the next 90 days. Details on the free FlyTunes service | |
» One On The Way: Capitol's Keith Urban has added an updated recording of his song "You Look Good In My Shirt" to his Greatest Hits: 18 Kids album. By doing so, the album name is also changing to 19 Kids, with the street date remaining August 19. | |
» Rock Of Aged: Big Machine's Taylor Swift and English rock band Def Leppard will make the next unlikely pair of CMT Crossroads performers. "Every time I've seen Crossroads on CMT I've always thought, 'If I ever get to do one of those, it has to be with Def Leppard,'" says Swift. "So this is really a dream come true for me." The episode will premiere November 8. | |
| » Flipping Out: Northeast Broadcasting WUSX/Addison, VT flipped to Oldies "Cruisin' 93.7" at noon today. |
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» Price Is Right: BNA's Kenny Chesney has joined the MasterCard Priceless.com Roots of Rock Sweepstakes in which fans can enter to win a trip to Nashville. Other destinations include visiting New York to see Jon Bon Jovi and London for Eric Clapton. Each artist will invite the winner and guests to an intimate performance while they are in each city. | » Err Check: Capitol's Lady Antebellum and Warner Bros.' James Otto were inadvertently omitted from last night's mid-year chart report card list of artists who've had their first Top 15 Country single this year. We sincerely regret the error. |
Here's the news for 6/30/08. To get today's news emailed directly to your inbox every day, click here.
» Bulk Hogan: Six-year Clear Channel Radio Chief Executive John Hogan has inked a new five-year deal to remain at the helm of the radio group. The move will help ensure a smooth transition as equity partners Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital take over the company sometime during Q3. The news had no significant bearing on CCU stock, which traded down eight cents today.
| » Chronicle: Our thoughts and prayers are with Dial-Global U.S. Country OM Penny Mitchell, who lost her mom Lorraine Salonites last week. |
» Ross Of Control: Big River's AC WQLT/Muscle Shoals, AL PD/on-air personality Charlie Ross is leaving the station after 12 years to join cross-town URBan Country WLAY in the same capacity. He replaces Brian Landrum, who is exiting the station this Friday to start his own company (CAT 5/13). Ross will also assist Regional Dir./Programming Brian Rickman with day-to-day operations of the six-station cluster. 
» Machinists Union: One Big Machine/Valory Music Co. staffer has been promoted, and four new staffers have been added; three of them in newly created positions. Whitney Sutton, Exec. Assistant to President/CEO Scott Borchetta, has been promoted to Manager/Sales & Production for the two labels. Former Warner Bros./Nashville administrative staffer David Beller has been hired as Office Manager, former Daily News Journal (Murfreesboro, TN) Graphic Designer Lindsey Jackson has been named Coordinator/Marketing, former CMT Radio Network staffer Harry Lyons has been tapped as Borchetta's new Executive Assistant, and former Goldin, Peiser & Peiser staffer Ashley Ramsey has been hired as Coordinator/Accounting. 
» Twist & Out: Citadel KTYS (The Twister)/Dallas ceased to exist this morning at 5:30am CT and became Platinum 96.7. "Luckily, there was no displacement of staff, as many of the people remaining had multiple responsibilities," says KTYS & sister KSCS APD/MD Chris Huff. KTYS & KSCS PD Crash Poteet, Promotions Dir. Cari Swartzell and Huff will retain their current KSCS posts. KTYS afternoon jock Wendi Westbrook will now be on Platinum 96.7 in the same capacity. The flip away from Country has been expected for weeks. 
» Flip Service: Citadel KATC/Colorado Springs PD Jim West is now overseeing sister KKML-AM, which flipped from Sports to Classic Country this morning at 7:20 MT. The station has also changed its calls to KCSF-AM but will identify on-air as KCS, a reference to former market-leading Country KKCS. The station will run Dial-Global programming in addition to ABC's Imus In The Morning. 
» Cook, Line & Singer: American Idol season seven finalist Kristy Lee Cook has signed a recording contract with 19/Arista Nashville, with her first song "15 Minutes of Shame" going for adds August 11. Cook was previously signed to Arista/Nashville in 1999 at the age of 15, and was also the first artist signed to Britney Spears' production company. She is currently preparing to kick off the American Idols Live! Tour 2008 and will record her album in between dates with producer Brett James. 
» McCabe's Pub: VH1 Executive Producer Claire McCabe has joined CMT as VP/Original Programming & Series Development and will be responsible for the channel's new series Outsider's Inn, among others. Her credits at VH1 include Breaking Bonaduce and Scott Baio is 45 and Single. Prior to working at VH1, she was Music Choice's Executive Producer and Dir./Artist & Label Relations. McCabe is based in Nashville. Here's the news for 6/27/08. To get today's news emailed directly to your inbox every day, click here.
» This Ain't No Rag, It's A Tag: All 350 of Clear Channel Radio's HD2 stations are now iTunes tagging compatible, allowing songs played on CC HD outlets to be added to an iPod when tagged by a tagging-capable receiver. A "tag" button on Polk Audio and Alpine HD Radio receivers allows consumers to preview, purchase and download tracks.
» That's Like 33 In Dog Years: Happy fifth birthday to KTYS (The Twister)/Dallas, which switched to Country with Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffett's "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" June 27, 2003. Though it isn't likely the Twister will see its sixth as a format change seems imminent, Twister alum still got together to celebrate and reminisce over brunch.
KTYS night jock Carletta Blake, former KTYS middayer now WDTW/Detroit MD/afternoon personality Scott Gaines, former KTYS Promotions Dir. now Montage Southwest rep Jim Bucek, KTYS Promotions Dir. Cari Swartzell and KTYS & KSCS MD Chris Huff.
» Talk About P.O.'ed: Clear Channel/Milwaukee Dir./Programming Kerry Wolfe tells us the station's P.O. Box has been closed unbeknownst to him. If you already sent your materials to him regarding the opening Imaging Dir. position (CAT 6/26), please redirect to 12100 West Howard Avenue, Greenfield, WI 53228.
» Kid Marks: CO5/Nashville's David Newmark checks in to report that his team will be representing Kid Rock's new Atlantic single "All Summer Long" beginning Monday (6/30).
» I'll Rate 'Til Your Plug Comes Down: Maintenance at Arbitron's Columbia, MD-based facility, including a power upgrade in its data center, will force arbitron.com and my.arbitron.com offline from 9pm EDT tomorrow (6/28) to 9am EDT Sunday (6/29). If you have questions during the outage, email Jess Benbow here.
» Stick To Guitar Hero: Capitol's Dierks Bentley is the first country artist to join Xbox 360's Game With Fame program, which facilitates fans and gamers interacting with him while playing games online. Apparently those long road trips haven't paid off, as one fan bragged on the game's site about killing Bentley on Halo 3.