Warner Music Group has formed an alliance with Clear Channel Media to help drive digital growth, increase listenership, break new music, and create new marketing opportunities for their roster. Through the partnership, Warner will share in revenue from all platforms and be able to promote its artists across all of Clear Channel’s 850 stations nationwide and its 243 million monthly broadcast users, as well as its iHeartRadio theaters and outdoor assets. The agreement is the first of its kind between a major music company and Clear Channel.
Through the alliance, Warner will also receive dedicated air time to introduce new songs under Clear Channel’s Artist Integration Program, as well as exposure at major nationally televised events like the iHeartRadio Music Festival and other iHeart events, on special programs using Clear Channel’s digital outlets, and through new targeted user interfaces in digital that facilitate consumers ability to purchase music as they hear it.
“WMG is showing the way for what a true 21^st century music company can be ­ a music company built for the digital age. They’re now poised to use this unique relationship to benefit both their new and legendary artists,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of Clear Channel.  “We couldn’t be more thrilled to be their partner in building these exciting new markets and promoting their artists in innovative new ways. The team at WMG understands that old formulas don’t work as well as they must in the digital age, and that we have to think differently to build a robust future for the music industry. Today, music companies and media and entertainment companies need to be more supportive of each other’s needs. This agreement begins that new era, and will help both companies thrive in the digital world.”
 
 
 

Steve Wariner revealed the CMA Broadcast Awards finalists this morning via Live Stream from CMA’s Nashville offices.
Normally, five finalists are selected for CMA Broadcast Personality and CMA Radio Station of the Year in four categories: Small, Medium, Large, and Major Market. However, the categories this year are especially competitive with ties in three categories. Large Market Personality of the Year has seven nominees vying for the trophy while Small Market Personality of the Year and Major Market Station of the Year each have six contenders.
The CMA Broadcast Award winners will be notified in mid-October and will be acknowledged at The 47th Annual CMA Awards, to be held Wed., Nov. 6 beginning at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) and broadcast live by ABC from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood return to host the event for the sixth time. See the list of nominees in artist categories here.
The third and final ballot will be emailed to CMA members Thurs., Oct. 10. Voting for the CMA Awards final ballot ends Mon., Oct. 28 (5:00 PM/CT).

CMA BROADCAST PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR:
National 

• “American Country Countdown” (Kix Brooks) – Cumulus Media Networks
• “The Crook & Chase Countdown” (Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase) –  Jim Owens Entertainment and Premiere Networks
• “The Lia Show” (Lia Knight) – Dial Global

Major Market

• “Ben & Matt in the Morning!” (Ben Campbell and Matt McAllister) – KNIX, Phoenix, Ariz.
• “Cornbread Morning Show” (Jeff Law, Judi Diamond, and Mac Douglas) – WIL, St. Louis, Mo.
• “The Doc and Andie Show” (Ken Medek, Andie Summers, and Kevin Crockett) – WXTU, Philadelphia, Pa.
• “Laurie DeYoung Morning Show” (Laurie DeYoung, Mark Williams, Jeff St. Pierre, and Claire Scattergood) – WPOC, Baltimore, Md.
• “Paul Schadt Morning Show” (Paul Schadt, Meg Butterly, and Geof Knight) – WKKT, Charlotte-Gastonia, N.C./ Rock Hill, S.C.

Large Market

• Angie Ward – WTQR, Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point, N.C.
• “Brian and Amanda in the Morning” (Brian Phillips and Amanda Leonardo) – WCTK, Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket, R.I.
• “Chris Carr & Company” (Chris Carr, Jeff “Maverick” Bolen, and Jason Statt) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio
• “Jim, Deb & Kevin” (Jim Denny, Deborah Honeycutt, and Kevin Freeman) – WFMS, Indianapolis, Ind.
• “Mornings with Dave O’Brien” (Dave O’Brien) – WLHK, Indianapolis, Ind.
• “Q Morning Crew” (Mike Wheless, Marty Young, and Janie Carothers) – WQDR, Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
• “The Tige & Daniel Morning Show” (Tige Rodgers and Daniel Baker) – WTQR, Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point, N.C.

Medium Market

• “The 95 KSJ Country Breakfast Club with Dan Brennan and Shelby Mitchell” (Dan Brennan and Shelby Mitchell) – WKSJ, Mobile, Ala.
• “Andy and Alison and the Morning Crew” (Andy Ritchie, Alison West, and Jimmy Holt) – WIVK, Knoxville, Tenn.
•  “Kevin Richards Show” (Kevin Richards) – WGNA, Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y.
• “Steve & Gina and the Kat 103 Morning Show” (Steve Lundy and Gina Melton) – KXKT, Omaha, Neb./Council Bluffs, Iowa
• “Tom and Becky in the Morning” (Becky Palmer and Tom Owens), WBBS, Syracuse, N.Y.

Small Market

• “Barrett, Fox & Berry” (Bill Barrett, Tim Fox, and Tracy Berry) – KKNU, Eugene-Springfield, Ore.
• “The Good Morning Guys” (Brian Gary, Todd Harding, and Susan Moore) – KUAD, Ft. Collins-Greeley, Colo.
• “Middays with Philip Gibbons” (Philip Gibbons) – WGSQ, Cookeville, Tenn.
• “The Monk & Kelly Show” (Jonathon Monk and Dianna Kelly) – WGSQ, Cookeville, Tenn.
•  “Officer Don and DeAnn” (Don Evans and DeAnn Stephens) – WBUL, Lexington-Fayette, Ky.
• “Scotty & Cara in the Morning” (Scotty Cox and Cara Denis) – KCLR, Columbia, Mo.

CMA RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR:
Major Market
KUPL – Portland, Ore.
WIL – St. Louis, Mo.
WKIS – Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood, Fla.
WMZQ – Washington, D.C.
WPOC – Baltimore, Md.
WXTU – Philadelphia, Pa.
Large Market
KAJA – San Antonio, Texas
WCTK – Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket, R.I.
WFMS – Indianapolis, Ind.
WLHK – Indianapolis, Ind.
WQDR – Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
Medium Market
KSSN – Little Rock, Ark.
KUZZ – Bakersfield, Calif.
KXKT – Omaha, Neb./Council Bluffs, Iowa
WBBS – Syracuse, N.Y.
WYRK – Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Small Market
KCLR – Columbia, Mo.
WGSQ – Cookeville, Tenn.
WKSF – Asheville, N.C.
WLLR – Quad Cities-Davenport-Rock Island, Iowa/Moline, Ill.
WXFL– Florence-Muscle Shoals, Ala.

In the old days, the National Association of Broadcasters meeting was the start of the buying and selling season for radio. Owners and brokers would hole up in hotel suites for days on end, while the meetings were taking place at other hotels, and wheel and deal. A few blockbusters were sure to emerge from those meetings and the minions not invited to the conference would have new bosses in 90-120 days. It seemed like this was the way of the radio world.
Well the conference is in a couple of weeks but two of the biggest blockbusters did not wait for the trip to Orlando to raise their hands. Last week the syndication, radio and specifically Country landscape shifted dramatically. Cumulus, certainly the most aggressive buyer today, announced the purchase of Dial-Global. At the same time they involved themselves in a three-team transaction with Townsquare picking up scores of Cumulus stations and trading some for others in the deal.
There appears to be a direct line from Atlanta to Greenwich, Conn. This is not the first time Cumulus and Townsquare have swapped stations and apparently all parties are pleased with the former experience. It is kind of like the Detroit Tigers and the Florida Marlins. They find trading a profitable encounter. Like the old days when the New York Yankees kept going back and forth with the old Kansas City A’s. The baseball trades have resulted in Miquel Cabrera going to the Tigers and the A’s traded Roger Maris to the Yankees. Not a bad template for Cumulus and Townsquare.
The big deal here is the Dial-Global transfer. DG is a big Country music programming provider. Many countdown shows, prep services, short form airshifts, and of course the 24/7 formats. No one knows today how all of that is going to wash out. I am sure Lew and John Dickey have done their due diligence with the numbers but it may be months before they can get their hands around people issues and what shows to keep.
I have some insight on both of these companies, having worked at both (when a good portion of DG was Westwood One). I know both companies are stocked with good people who know the format and their job responsibilities. This is a great pick up for Cumulus because of the class of people they are inheriting and the first-class programming they get. This is a great deal for the DG people because Cumulus has shown the commitment to invest in radio programming and it is run by 100% radio people. The DG folks can feel secure they are in good radio hands going forward and there are not going to be rumors every six months of a buy out or closure.
This purchase will allow DG and the current Cumulus syndication to compete with Premiere as the two big players in the field. It also helps the smaller syndicators like United Stations Radio Network to provide more specialized programming and show how nimble they can be in providing things broadcasters desire.
There is concern with each consolidation that voices are eliminated as more influence is put in fewer hands. The offerings of Premiere and the new Cumulus are so wide-ranging that there remains hundreds of creative minds involved. And if everything becomes vanilla inside those companies, they stand to throw away their position as leaders.
As Kurt Johnson and Mike McVay program to individual markets inside Townsquare and Cumulus radio, the new syndication company will deliver different things. Remember there is no better world for Cumulus than to compete with its programs on any number of stations in a market. This way they are collecting spots from everyone.
A good world is to have Kix Brooks’ Countdown on one country station in town and Lon Helton’s on the other.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MusicRow.)