CRS Adds To Agenda; Digital Summit Moves To Sept.

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crs 2010 logoCountry Radio Seminar 2010, to be held Feb. 24-26, 2010, has announced an updated list of educational panels and agenda items. Starting with the Keynote Address from financial authority Dave Ramsey, CRS 2010 is packed with expert speakers, comprehensive market research and current industry issues designed to educate attendees, regardless of market size or region. Panel topics will cover getting records played, finding jobs in today’s competitive environment, building revenue streams, avoiding PPM panic, expanding online opportunities and increasing new media effectiveness and profitability.

Newly added panels include: “The Radiothon Effect: The Reality of Radiothons,” “The Big Idea: How to Come Up with Long-term Creative Ideas that Sell in a Tough Economy” and “Town Hall: The Industry Truth Revealed” (moderated by Tony Randall and Kris Rochester with panelists Mike Dungan, John Esposito, Scott Lindy, Larry Wilson and Gretchen Wilson). Previously announced speakers or panelists include bestselling author Bob Rosner, Skip Bishop, Steve Hodges, Craig Morgan, Blair Garner, Rick “Bubba” Taylor, Jimmy Harnen, Michael Deputato, Charlie Cook, Jennie Smythe, Katie Dean and many more.

The unofficial close of CRS will be marked by the Digital Rodeo Guilty Pleasures Show on Friday, Feb. 26 at Cadillac Ranch in downtown Nashville. The show is set to kick off at 10:30 p.m. or immediately following the CRS New Faces of Country Music® Show and Dinner at the Nashville Convention Center. Artists will get to perform cover versions of one of their favorite songs.

The $99 Unemployment Rate is available through Jan. 31. Contact Kristen McRary at 615-327-4487 or [email protected] for more info. Regular Rate registration of $599 is also available through Jan. 31. Full price CRS On-site registration begins Feb. 1, 2010.

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The sixth annual Leadership Music Digital Summit is being rescheduled for September 2010. Specific dates and other details on the Nashville conference attracting music and technology leaders will be announced shortly. Sponsors of all levels are being sought and can contact Vincent Castellucci, LMDS Sponsorship Director, at [email protected] or 914-763-1202.

Bill Mayne’s Company Running CRB In Interim

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Bill Mayne

Bill Mayne

Bill Mayne’s Nashville-based firm, Mayne Street Consulting, will continue to oversee the general operations of Country Radio Broadcasters leading up and through CRS 2010, running Feb. 24-26, 2010. Mayne Street Consulting assists companies in the radio and music industries with strategic planning, marketing, management and artist development opportunities.

“I have served on the Country Radio Broadcasters board for many years, and I am passionate about the future of this organization and the benefit it brings to our industry,” says Mayne, a 30-year industry veteran with experience including radio, label GM, promotion VP and artist manager. “We have a great staff and Board who are committed to serving the interests of our constituents in Country radio and the Country music industry, both now and for the future.” In addition to his duties as a CRB Board member, Mayne serves as current President of the Academy of Country Music.

The CRB was previously headed by Executive Director Ed Salamon who exited the organization in late October.

Hall, Varble, and Corbin Chosen For WCRS Live Showcase

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crslogoThe popular WCRS Live! acoustic songwriter series, sponsored by BMI and Country Aircheck, has been scheduled for Thursday, February 25, 4:10-5:30 pm at the Nashville Convention Center. Performers include legendary artist/songwriter Tom T. Hall (“Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine”), songwriter Wynn Varble (“Waitin’ On A Woman”) and Mercury artist Easton Corbin (“A Little More Country Than That”).

“Every part of BMI’s Country repertoire will be expertly represented by the storyteller, Tom T. Hall; NSAI Songwriter of the Year, Wynn Varble; and new, red hot Mercury Nashville artist, Easton Corbin,” says BMI’s Jody Williams. “Tom T.’s songs are part of BMI’s cornerstone. Wynn is experiencing the hottest years of his career, and the future belongs to Easton Corbin. This is going to be a magical event.”

Previously announced for CRS 2010 was the ASCAP-sponsored “Storytellers With Darius Rucker,” which is set for Wednesday, February 24 at 4 – 5:20 pm and replaces the annual KCRS Live! Showcase. Joining the Capitol artist for an acoustic songwriting round will be frequent Rucker collaborators and co-writers Frank Rogers, Chris DuBois, Ashley Gorley and Rivers Rutherford. CRS 2010 takes place February 24-26 at the NCC.

Photos From Country Cares for St. Jude Kids

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CC group

Group shot from Country Cares

Jewel plays with a patient.

The 21st annual Country Cares for St. Jude Kids® seminar was held over the weekend (1/15-16) in Memphis. Artists and radio representatives from around the country gathered to continue building on the successful radio fundraising program that has made more than $365 million to support St. Jude’s mission of finding cures and saving lives.

There were sessions on planning successful radiothons, tours of the hospital, meet and greets with patients and their families, and opportunities to learn more about treatment at St. Jude.

Attendees included Country Cares founder Randy Owen, Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Joe Nichols, Little Big Town, Darryl Worley, Blaine Larsen, Steve Azar, Danny Gokey, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steel Magnolia, and many others. The 2010 Country Cares for St. Jude Kids® seminar concluded Saturday evening with the always popular Songwriters’ Dinner with performances by Owen, Lee Miller, Wayne Carson, Brice Long, Jim Weatherly and Wynn Varble.

Carrie Underwood visits a patient.

“You realize how hard St Jude’s works to put the power to get well in their hands,” Larsen marvels. “They try really hard to let them go home, whether it’s to apartments near the hospital or back to where they actually come from… which they do by working aggressively on a treatment protocol that the family can take back to their doctors… since children do better when they’re in a more natural environment. You see these kids, the families… and they’re fighting for their lives. That’s something to be scared about… only there’s so much joy, so much faith.”

Country Cares founder Randy Owen

Country Cares founder Randy Owen visits a patient's bedside.

Little Big Town

Little Big Town with a patient.

National News: Labels Face Antitrust Suit; Arbitron; Bergman Catalogue

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An antitrust lawsuit alleging price fixing of digital downloads by the major labels has been reinstated by a federal appeals court. EMI, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, are among the defendants in the case that will be allowed to proceed. The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the October 2008 decision of a lower court which dismissed the case.

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Board member William Kerr has been named President/CEO of Arbitron following the resignation of Michael Skarzynski.

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Spirit Music Group has acquired Threesome Music, the song catalogue of acclaimed multiple Grammy, Oscar and Emmy-winning songwriters Alan and Marilyn Bergman. Through the agreement, Spirit will acquire rights to more than 300 songs recorded by such classic artists as Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Sarah Vaughan, Celine Dion and Luciano Pavarotti. The catalog also includes timeless standards recorded by Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Neil Diamond/Barbra Streisand, and Michael Jackson.

Industry Beat: Stroudavarious, Common Grounds

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Nathan Cruise

Nathan Cruise

Bill Catino, President of Stroudavarious Records, announces the addition of Nathan Cruise as Director of Midwest Promotion. He will report to Bill Macky, and will be based in the Nashville offices. Cruise was most recently with Show Dog Records, and prior stints include Arista, Equity, and MCG/Curb Records. He can be contacted at [email protected] or 615-496-6356.

Catino is still seeking someone to cover the NE region, and will also be staffing up the BamaJam Records promotion department over the next few months. Resumes should be sent to: [email protected]

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Jamie

Jamie Nehasil

Jamie Nehasil has started consulting firm Common Grounds Entertainment, focusing on marketing, artist development, A&R, endorsements, and film/TV. He previously spent eight years at Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group as Director of Music and Marketing, and will keep Tri Star as a consulting client. Tri Star is a business and personal management firm with clients in all aspects of entertainment such as supermodel Niki Taylor, Mat Kearney, Britney Spears, Jamie Lynn Spears, and Titans coach Jeff Fisher.
Nehasil can be reached by email at [email protected] or at 615.594.3911.

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Local company Whizbang, Inc. has secured placement of the theme song for new Style Network series Giuliana and Bill. “I Love Loving You” was written by Whizbang clients Adam McCants and Julie Downs. Whizbang also secured client Superchick’s song “So Beautiful” as the theme song for another trendy Style Network series, Running In Heels.
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Live Nation stockholders voted to approve the issuance of Live Nation common stock in connection with its previously announced merger with Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. Over 99% of the shares voted were cast in favor of the merger. The company’s stockholders also approved all other proposals submitted to a vote, including a proposal to change the company’s name to “Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.” following the completion of the merger. The transaction remains subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions.

CRB To Honor Brooks And Dunn, Charlie Cook

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Charlie Cook

Brooks & Dunn will receive the CRB Career Achievement Award and Charlie Cook will be honored with the CRB President’s Award at the Country Music DJ and Radio Hall of Fame Dinner and Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010. The evening at the Renaissance Ballroom in downtown Nashville is the unofficial kick-off to Country Radio Seminar.

Inductees to honored at this year’s ceremony include Bill Bailey, Laurie DeYoung and Rudy Fernandez (Country Music DJ Hall of Fame) and Cy Blumenthal, Dan Halyburton and Michael Hammond (Country Music Radio Hall of Fame).

Brooks & Dunn

Brooks & Dunn

“Brooks & Dunn has spent the last 20 years giving Country fans and Country radio amazing music and incredible live shows,” says CRB President Becky Brenner. “They have been terrific ambassadors for Country music worldwide. We thank them for allowing us to present this Career Achievement Award during the year of their ‘Last Rodeo.’”

“Charlie Cook’s creativity and passion for Country radio and Country music have helped to generate success for many radio stations and organizations in our industry, such as the CRB, CMA and the ACM,” added Brenner. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to honor this great man, and it is only fitting that we recognize these contributions with our President’s Award.”

Tickets to the Country Music DJ and Radio Hall of Fame Dinner and Awards Ceremony are $90 with CRS registration. Single tickets may be purchased for $100. www.CRB.org

Foster Joins Treehouse Promotion Staff

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Gwen Foster

Gwen Foster

Gwen Foster has joined Treehouse Records’ promotion staff, handling the California, Arizona, New Mexico, Louisiana, Texas and Southern Oklahoma territories. Foster comes to the Treehouse team after 19 years in the Phoenix radio market where she won R&R Country Music Director of the Year twice (2005 and 2006). Foster can be reached via email at [email protected] and by phone at 480-495-2209. She will be based out of Phoenix.

The label’s anchor artist, Blaine Larsen, will release second single “Chillin'” in the coming week. Dale Morris, Clint Higham, and Mike Betterton have managed Larsen for six years. His previous hit singles include “How Do You Get That Lonely,” and “I Don’t Know What She Said.”

Music business executives Morris, Higham, Betterton and Irving Azoff founded Treehouse Records in 2009 after Azoff’s Frontline Management acquired Morris Management Group.

Cumulus Adds Shelly Mullins As Mktg. Dir.

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cumulusCumulus Nashville has added Shelly Mullins as Marketing Director for the radio conglomerate which is made up of 95.5 The Wolf, 97.1 RQQ, SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, 92Q, and i106. Mullins’ more than two decades of experience in the entertainment business includes six years handling publicity and marketing, most recently at Kaleidoscope Media.

Mullins has worked in television and event production on awards shows and programs such as the Farm Aid special. Her other stops include Shop At Home Television, Webster PR, High Five Entertainment, William Morris and Southern Writers Group. She has worked with clients including The Bellamy Brothers, Hank Williams Jr., Ronnie Milsap, Rhonda Vincent, Lee Greenwood, Sprint Sound and Speed, Barney, and the Nashville Screenwriters Conference. Her career began with a gig playing keyboards on the road with David Frizzell.

With the addition of Mullins, Jane Crossman will move to Webmaster within the marketing department, overseeing websites, e-blasts and digital branding. Mark Sullivan is Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cumulus Nashville.

Mullins can be reached at [email protected] or by calling (615) 312-3529.

Year’s Top AMA Albums; Ford Embraces HD Radio

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AMA

The Americana Music Association has compiled a list of its Top 100 Albums of 2009, as reported to the organization’s chart from 11/17/2008 through 11/16/2009. The complete Top 100 list is available here…

The Top 10 most played albums, as charted on the Americana Airplay Chart are:
1. Buddy & Julie Miller
2. Steve Earle
3. Slaid Cleaves
4. Flatlanders
5. Willie Nelson and Asleep At The Wheel
6. Gourds
7. Tejas Brothers
8. Levon Helm
9. Justin Townes Earle
10. J.J.Cale

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Ford Motor Company has announced it will include HD Radio iTunes tagging in its list of factory installed options for 2010. “iTunes Tagging and HD Radio technology are strong new additions to the growing collection of Ford convenience features and technology,” said Mark Fields, president of The Americas. “This is another example of Ford’s commitment to bring the widest variety of factory-installed customer-focused technology, features and conveniences to millions of people.”

ford_logoExclusive to HD Radio receivers are HD2/HD3 channels, which resemble mini-stations that can be spun off the “mother” station or completely new content for the local market. HD2/HD3 channels are found directly adjacent to the main (HD1) channel on the dial if available.

HD Radio receivers pull in digital radio signals and play them with dramatically improved sound and make it convenient for customers to select songs they want to download and purchase. Up to 100 tags can be stored until an iPod is connected to receive the download of metadata. When the iPod is then synced to iTunes, a playlist of “tagged” songs will appear. Customers then can preview and, if desired, purchase and download tagged songs from the iTunes Store.

All HD Radio-enabled receivers in Ford vehicles also will provide Program Service Data—information that appears on the radio screen and includes song title, artist name and more.

Most stations use the additional HD2/HD3 channels to provide more unique coverage of sports, music or other niche programs often tailored for their individual markets—all for free. For example, in Dallas there is now a dedicated 24/7 Cowboys channel on 105.3-HD3. In Pittsburgh, there is a dedicated 24/7 Penguins channel on 105.9-HD2. Broadcasters may choose any genre they wish for their additional channels.

In Nashville there are HD channels from stations such as WSIX and WRVW.