NYC Songwriters Series, Aldean’s Kind of Party, and Currington in Georgia

Eric Church, Bob DiPiero, Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Luke Laird recently performed a sold-out show for CMA’s Songwriters Series at Joe’s Pub in New York City.

Pictured (L-R): Bob DiPiero, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Eric Church and Luke Laird.

Broken Bow Records’ Jason Aldean celebrated with publishers, producers and writers for the release of his latest album, My Kinda Party, at Red Rooster’s in Nashville.

Pictured (L-R): ASCAP's Mike Sistad, Producer Michael Knox, songwriters Jason Sellers and Neil Thrasher.

Mercury artist Billy Currington stopped by the WKHX studios in Duluth, GA, before his appearance at the Gwinnett Arena.

Pictured (L-R): Mike Macho, MD, WKHX, Billy Currington, Christy Ullman, Promotions Director, WKHX.

Radio Use Shrinks; Concert Industry Faltering

This slide shows that radio usage in a 24 hr. period has dropped from 2:43 in 2000 to 1 hr. 24 minutes in 2010. Conversely, Internet usage has expanded from 59 minutes, to 2:52 in 2010. Time spent reading magazines and newspapers has fallen. TV use has grown slightly.


Radio’s Future II: The 2010 American Youth Study conducted by Edison Research and sponsored by Radio-info.com contains a multitude of slides showing changes in attitude toward radio and other media since the study was conducted a decade ago in 2000. Results are based upon 1,533 interviews nationwide, split almost evenly between age 12-24 demo and age 22-34 demo. While this sequel to the 2000 study measures large changes in media and radio use there are also some interesting slides that do not concern radio.

For example, it is not surprising that cell phone ownership increased from 29% in 2000 to 81% in 2010. Of the 81%, 43% say theirs is a smart phone. When the age 12-24 group was asked how often they read a printed newspaper, 58% said, “Never” and 28% answered “sometimes.”

When asked “How many concerts you attended in the last year?” it became clear that the current economy has not bolstered attendance. In 2000 24% of 12-24s went to three or more concerts and 43% said, “none.” In 2010 only 12% said “three or more,” and 64% replied “none.” In 2000 the mean was 2.1 concerts attended, but ten years later the 2010 mean is .9.

The study also addresses the growth of Internet radio streams and apps such as Pandora. In its recommendations it suggests, “Send more stations after these demos or watch them fade away–the consumer and the advertisers still see radio as a youth medium–why don’t the owners? Claim Internet audio or lose it. It can’t be just your over-the-air product. It must be a font of innovation. Learn from what is driving Pandora.”

This graph shows the steady decline in album sales over the 10 year period, falling from 785 million to 2000 to 380 million in 2009.

2011 Country Radio Hall of Fame Inductees

Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc.® has announced that Dale Carter, Charlie Cook, Dene Hallam, Barry Kent, Bill Payne and Lee Rogers will be inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame.

Dale Carter, Barry Kent and Lee Rogers are the 2011 On-Air Personality inductees. Charlie Cook, Dene Hallam and Bill Payne are the Radio inductees. The class of 2011 will be officially instated at a dinner ceremony on Tuesday, March 1, 2011, at the Nashville Convention Center.

Advance ticket prices for the Hall of Fame ceremony and dinner are $100 for CRS 2011 registrants and $110 for non-registrants.  The $125 on-site ticket price goes into effect after Feb. 15, 2011. Tickets are on sale now at www.CRB.org.

The Country Radio Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony unofficially kicks off Country Radio Seminar each year. CRS 2011 is March 2-4, 2011, at the Nashville Convention Center.

About the 2011 On-Air Personality Inductees:
Dale Carter – Dale Carter’s career in Country radio began in 1979 at WROZ in Evansville, Ind.  He moved to WKDQ during his college days at the University of Southern Indiana, then took a job at WYNG in 1984, becoming the station’s program director at only 21 years old.  The following year, he won the Beasley Group’s Program Director of the Year award.  In 1992, Carter moved to WWYZ in Hartford, Conn., where he programmed the station and worked on-air for the next three years before settling into his current position as PD and morning show co-host at KFKF in Kansas City, Mo.  He has been instrumental in KFKF’s charity efforts with St. Jude’s, raising more than $4 million since 1996.  Carter has previously served on the CRS agenda committee, CRB Board of Directors and served as Chairman of the Country DJ Hall of Fame Committee.  He has been nominated by the CMA eight times, once for Small Market Air Personality of the Year and seven times as Large Market Air Personality of the Year. He is currently a District 1 City Councilman in Blue Springs, Missouri, and the stadium voice for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Barry Kent – A native of West Terre Haute, Ind., Barry began his radio career at WWVR in 1969 working for WPFR before moving to WBOW AM/FM the following year where he became known as “Rockin’ Barry Kent.”  In 1975, he became the station’s program director, and in 1980 WBOW-FM changed call letters to WBOQ and flipped to country. Kent moved to WTHI in 1982, where he served as program director and afternoon DJ.  In the late ‘80s, he switched to the morning show and has remained there ever since.  In 1989, the station bought WWVR, and Kent currently serves as operations manager of WTHI and WWVR, the first station he ever worked at.  WTHI has been a St. Jude station since 1990, raising more than $1 million for the hospital.  Kent hosts all 30 hours of the station’s St. Jude Radiothon.

Lee Rogers – Lee Rogers has worked in the radio business for more than 40 years.  His first job in the Country format came in 1970 at KBAM in Longview, Wash.  His career includes stops at KMPS (Seattle, Wash.), K102 (Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.), WQIK (Jacksonville, Fla.) and KCBQ (San Diego, Calif.).  For the last 13 years, Rogers has held the job as operations manager and morning show host at Portland, Oregon’s KUPL.  Combining his Country radio career with his love of live music, Rogers has toured and performed with artists including Ernest Tubb, Hank Snow, Don Gibson, Keith Whitley, Minnie Pearl, Dwight Yoakam and Charlie Daniels.

About the 2011 Radio Inductees:
Charlie Cook – Charlie Cook began his Country radio career in 1972 at WSDS in Ypsilanti, Mich.  In the ‘70s, Cook spent time at KLAK in Denver, Wheeling’s WWVA and WHN in New York.  He was named “DJ of the Year” by Billboard in 1977.  In 1980, he joined KHJ in Los Angeles, flipping the station to Country.  Cook then went to KLAC before joining McVay Media in 1983 as Sr. VP of Country Programming, where he consulted more than 40 Country stations over the next 12 years.  In 1996, Cook joined Westwood One as VP Programming/Formats, and in 2006 he joined Cumulus as VP Programming for the company’s 61 Country stations.  Los Angeles’ KKGO hired Cook as Sr. Manager of Country Programming in 2008.  Cook has previously served as president of both the ACM and CRB.  In 2010 he was awarded the CRB’s President’s Award.

Dene Hallam – Dene Hallam (1954 – 2009) was one of only two programmers to win Billboard’s Program Director of the Year in two different formats (Country and Top 40).  His Country radio career began as a program director at WFEC in Harrisburg, Pa., in 1977.  Among the numerous stations Hallam programmed were New York City’s first FM Country station, WKHK, as well as WWWW (Detroit), WHN (New York), KKBQ (Houston), KYCY (San Francisco), WKHX (Atlanta) and WDAF (Kansas City).  In 2007, Hallam returned to Atlanta, where he served as program director for the “Moby in the Morning” network until his death in 2009.   While at KKBQ/Houston, Hallam was awarded Billboard’s Program Director of the Year award (Country format) in 1995.

Bill Payne – Bill Payne began his professional radio career in 1951 at only 12 years old, spinning records on “Bill Payne’s Record Shop” on KWHP in Cushing, Okla.   By his early twenties, he had become an FM pioneer in Oklahoma, having built an operable radio station that broadcasted from inside his garage.  In 1977, he purchased Tulsa’s KTFX and changed the format to Country, becoming the first FM Country station in Tulsa.  Today, Payne owns five Country radio stations in Oklahoma, including KEOK/Tahlequah, KTLQ/Tahlequah, KITX/Hugo, KTNT/Eufaula and the relocated KTFX in Warner/Muskogee.  Payne’s KITX has been nominated nine times for Marconi awards and received numerous awards from the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters.

The Country Radio Hall of Fame is dedicated to the recognition of those individuals who have made significant contributions to the radio industry over a 20-year period, 15 of which must be in the Country format.

Sunny in California, Nichols in Indianapolis & Nail in Milwaukee

Pictured (L-R): Republic Nashville's Lois Lewis, K-FROG OM/PD Lee Douglas and Sunny Sweeney.

Republic Nashville artist Sunny Sweeney hit the California coast, celebrating her current single, “From a Table Away,” the highest charting debut single from a female artist since 2007’s Kellie Pickler.

Pictured (L-R): SDU’s Jordan Pettit, Hank Promotions Director Lisa Aigner, Joe Nichols, and Hank PD Bob Richards.

Show Dog artist Joe Nichols visited Hank FM in Indianapolis, supporting his current single, “The Shape I’m In.”

Pictured (L-R): WMIL MD J.D. Green, Nail and VP National Promotion Van Haze

MCA’s David Nail stopped in the WMIL studio in Milwaukee while on the road with Lady Antebellum.

SESAC Ups Riggle, Signs Rickman

Gregory Riggle

Gregory Riggle has been promoted to Vice President, Industry Relations & Business Communication at SESAC. Riggle, who was formerly Associate Vice President, Broadcast Licensing, started his career with SESAC in 1986 in the Broadcast Licensing Department before serving as Vice President in the Writer/Publisher Relations Department. Riggle holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications and Recording Industry Management from Middle Tennessee State University.

“Greg Riggle has played an integral part in the growth and success of SESAC over the years,” says Pat Collins, President/COO, SESAC. “He has demonstrated the ability to grasp the long term vision of the organization and has successfully implemented strategies that have propelled SESAC’s remarkable growth. Greg is the consummate innovative executive and the ideal person to helm this multi-industry initiative to forge new relationships that will benefit our licensees and affiliated composers and music publishers. I look forward to working more closely with Greg in pursuing important new music business avenues and continuing our success into the future.”

•••

SESAC has signed singer/songwriter Brandon Rickman for representation. Rickman, the lead singer and guitarist of the Lonesome River Band, released a solo project titled Young Man, Old Soul last year.

Pictured (from l-r): SESAC’s Amy Beth Hale, Rickman and SESAC’s Tim Fink. Photo: Peyton Hoge

Performance Royalty Consensus Still Elusive

The debate between radio and the record labels over the payment of performance royalties continues to slog through a quagmire of conflicting views. Inside Radio recently conducted an unscientific poll which shows that 75% of its readers  believe, “It’s a tactical error to concede that radio should pay for the performance of music.” One reader noted, “The political climate dictates we cut bait and move on. Plus then we can focus our collective efforts on growing and expanding our industry instead of defending and holding on to what is rapidly becoming an outdated business model.”

Earlier in the week both the NAB and MusicFirst issued a flurry of announcements, but things have quieted down. Apart from discussion over the setting of actual rates, is the demand promoted by the NAB that all portable products such as smart phones and MP3 players be equipped with FM radio chips. This issue is especially alienating the Consumer Electronics Industry. CEA head Gary Shapiro told the NAB this week, “[CEA] has yet to identify one member of Congress willing to support your attempt to impose old FM technology on new portable products.” Shapiro promised to highlight to decision makers that radio is a “legacy horse and buggy industry. Its refusal to innovate … raises questions about the ongoing wisdom of broadcaster use of publicly owned spectrum that could be better used for broadband services that serve the public interest.”

It appears that all sides are still very much in a fluid stance of negotiation with consensus still a distant goal.

Weekly Chart Report (10/29/10)

Eric Lee Beddingfield stopped by KLMJ/Hampton, IA to talk about his new release "The Gospel According To Jones" featuring legend George Jones. (L-R): Beddingfield and KLMJ MD Mike Betten.

RADIO NEWS
WGH/Norfolk PD John Shomby is handling music and programming duties for Max Broadcasting Group Holdings’ WCMS/Elizabeth City-Nags Head, NC after the departure of PD/MD Ray Turner. WCMS is currently seeking Turner’s replacement.

SPIN ZONE
Taylor Swift’s third album Speak Now is flying off shelves and headed toward a monster sales week, while its first single “Mine” has become the new CountryBreakout Chart No. 1 song. It is followed by The Band Perry’s “If I Die Young,” which moves up to No. 2, and “As She’s Walking Away” by Zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson at No. 3. Reba’s “Turn On The Radio” and Brad Paisley’s “Anything Like Me” also get a little push to fill out the Top 5.

Movement is still a little slow, with Luke Bryan’s “Someone Else Calling You Baby” the only new song in the Top 10 at No. 9 and Toby Keith’s “Bullets In The Gun” the only new entry in the Top 20 at No. 18. Two tracks outpacing much of the Top 40 are Billy Currington’s “Let Me Down Easy” which moves up to No. 31 and Kenny Chesney’s “Somewhere To You” which makes a giant leap to No. 39 ahead of its Nov. 8 add date.

Three new songs have joined the final three spots of the chart. Josh Turner’s “I Wouldn’t Be A Man” leads the bunch at No. 78, and he’s followed by Gwyneth Paltrow’s debut “Country Strong” at No. 79. Curb artist Ashley Gearing gets the last spot “What Do You Think About Us.”

Upcoming Singles
November 1
Randy Rogers Band/Steal You Away/MCA
Adam Craig Band/Nothin’ Wrong/American Roots/Quarterback

November 8
Blake Wise/I’ve Got This Feeling/Broken Bow
Kenny Chesney/Somewhere With You/BNA
Easton Corbin/I Can’t Love You Back/Mercury

•  •  •  •  •

New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Josh Turner/I Wouldn’t Be A Man/MCA — 78
Gwyneth Paltrow/Country Strong/RCA — 79
Ashley Gearing/What Do You Think About Us/Curb — 80

Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Kenny Chesney/Somewhere With You/BNA — 507
Toby Keith/Bullets In The Gun/Show Dog – Universal — 246
Keith Urban/Put You In A Song/Capitol — 232
Billy Currington/Let Me Down Easy/Mercury — 230
Luke Bryan/Someone Else Calling You Baby/Capitol — 230

On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
Braden Gray/A Little Less Lonely/ATP Records — 206
The Dirt Drifters/Something Better/WMN — 203
Chris Filer/John Deere, John 3:16/Lofton Creek — 194
Jason Sturgeon/Rollin’ On/Toolpusher/Spinville/Nine North — 163
Daisy Mallory/Do You Think Of Me?/Front Water — 155

Two Week Most Added*
Artist/song/label — New adds
Kenny Chesney/Somewhere With You/BNA — 32
Little Big Town/Kiss Goodbye/Capitol — 12
Billy Currington/Let Me Down Easy/Mercury — 10
Josh Turner/I Wouldn’t Be A Man/MCA — 10

Rodney Atkins, Luke Bryan and Frankie Ballard performed at KSON/San Diego’s CountryFest show at Viejas Casino last Saturday (10/23). (L-R): KSON morning host Cliff Dumas, KSON APD and morning host Brooks O'Brian, Ballard, KSON PD Kevin Callahan, and KSON personality Nick Upton.

Curb Records recording artist Ashley Gearing recently visited with the staff at WMAD 96.3 in Madison, Wis. in support of her current single “What You Think About Us.” (L-R): WMAD’s Stephanie Peters and John & Tammy; Gearing; WMAD’s Mike Ferris; and New Revolution Entertainment’s Renee Leymon and Andy Elliott.

The Adam Craig Band paid a visit to Q106 PD John Sebastian in Madison, Wisconsin while promoting their latest single “Nothin’ Wrong.” (L-R): The Adam Craig Band’s Ryan Jones, Adam Craig and Jimi Hendrix; Sebastian; and the Adam Craig Band’s Johnny Duke and Brian Smith.


GAC Ups Trahern and Gordon

Sarah Trahern

GAC has promoted Sarah Trahern to General Manager/Sr. Vice President. Trahern will report to GAC President Ed Hardy and have broader responsibilities related to strategic planning and as well as more day-to-day management over all departments at GAC.

“Sarah has demonstrated strong leadership, solid business acumen and incredible resourcefulness while contributing significantly to the growth of the GAC,” said Hardy. “To those in the music and cable TV industries, her name has become almost synonymous with the GAC brand.”

Trahern joined the network in 2005 and created the concepts behind GAC exclusive music specials featuring top country artists, most notably the Opry at Carnegie Hall, Country at the White House, and the live telethon, Music City: Keep on Playin’. She has more than 20 years of experience in cable, with 15 of those producing or overseeing production of country music programming. She has served on the board of the Academy of Country Music (ACM) since 2006 and this year was elected President.

In addition to Trahern’s promotion, Suzanne Gordon will assume the role of Vice President of Programming for the network. Reporting to Trahern, Gordon will oversee all aspects of original programming and acquisitions. Gordon has been with GAC since 2006.

GAC is owned by Scripps Networks, the leading developer of lifestyle-oriented content for television and the Internet, including HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Travel Channel and Cooking Channel. Scripps Networks is based in Knoxville, Tenn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta and Nashville and is a unit of Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE:SNI).

Baker Joins New Revolution

New Revolution Entertainment has hired music and radio veteran Doug Baker to cover radio promotion in the southeast region recently vacated by Tony Morreale. Baker will be based in Nashville.

“To have the caliber of experience and knowledge that Doug brings to our team transcends the traditional promotion role on many levels,” said New Revolution co-owner Rob Dalton. “Now, let’s write some future together!”

“I’m excited to join the New Revolution team and continue to provide great results for our artists and country radio,” said Baker. “The business of music and radio are changing fast. I’m looking forward to joining Rob, Jeff and Renee on this journey.”

Baker’s experience covers stints at KNIX in Phoenix and WFMS in Indianapolis, and WSIX won numerous awards under his leadership as program director of the station. On the label side, Baker held national director titles at RCA and Virgin and worked as director of radio marketing at Capitol Nashville. He served on the Country Radio Broadcasters Board of Directors for nine years and is an alumnus of Leadership Music.

Ken Lowe To Keynote CRS 2011

Ken Lowe

Scripps Networks Interactive CEO Ken Lowe will discuss some of media’s hot button issues at Country Radio Seminar 2011 (March 2-4) when he delivers the conference’s keynote address.

Lowe has served as president, chairman and CEO of Scripps Networks Interactive since 2008, where his brands include GAC, HGTV, Food Network, DIY Network, Travel Channel and Cooking Channel. Lowe’s career also includes more than a decade of management experience in radio, which he cites as important in helping him make the transition.

“It’s no coincidence that a lot of folks who had a hand in the development of cable networks came out of radio,” says Lowe. “They had a better understanding of a more niche type of programming. Radio was truly that, whereas in broadcasting, so much of a local station’s content came from the network. Radio folks tended to be more hands-on and more promotion and marketing driven.”

Lowe joined Scripps in 1980 as GM of the company’s radio propertires, before moving into television where he founded HGTV, acquired the Food Network, and oversaw the launch of the DIY Network, among others. Previously he was president and CEO of the E. W. Scripps Company from 2000-2008.

Says CRB Executive Director Bill Mayne, “Ken Lowe brings an amazing perspective on the innovation, leadership, product development, marketing, risk taking, and accountability it takes to build great companies in today’s new media marketplace.”