‘MusicRow’ Weekly Chart Report (7/14/17)
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Morning Radio Duo Tony & Kris Head To Knoxville’s WIVK
Cumulus’ Knoxville, Tennessee station WIVK has tapped on-air radio duo Tony & Kris to helm the morning slot at the station following a nationwide search. Tony Randall and Kris Rochester will be waking up Knoxville listeners beginning July 17 as only the fourth morning show in the station’s history. The show will air weekdays from 5:30 a.m.-10 a.m. The duo will also be developing a new music-based weekend show for WIVK with details to be announced at a later date.
The new show fills the opening left by the departure of WIVK’s award-winning 20-year morning team, Andy & Alison, who announced last month that they are signing off from radio.
Tony & Kris have worked in the San Diego and Nashville markets previously and in network syndication with Premiere Radio Networks and United Stations Radio Networks. They met in 1991 after launching their radio careers in 1986 in the Gadsden-Anniston, AL, area. The two joined forces as an on-air team at country station WHMA in Anniston-Oxford, Alabama. “The Tony & Kris Show” ended its syndication run in May, marking over 25 years together as one of country radio’s longest-running success stories.
“The excitement level of the staff at the hiring of Tony & Kris speaks to their track record of success,” said Ken Salyer, Vice President/Market Manager Cumulus Media-Knoxville. WIVK and Tony & Kris are a perfect pairing for the future.”
“Andy & Alison left an indelible mark on Knoxville radio,” said Nikki Thomas, WIVK Program Director. “They will be a hard act to follow. Tony & Kris are excited to be moving to Knoxville and we’re excited to turn them into Big Orange fans, especially Kris. We’re enrolling him in “Roll Tide Rehabilitation” classes as soon as he arrives.”
“When we hung it up in May, we couldn’t have imagined this incredible opportunity would present itself,” said Tony. “Getting the band back together and working with a legendary station like WIVK and their winning team is the most exciting thing to happen to us since our first big break in San Diego 24 years ago.”
“I knew if I was going to come back to radio it would have to be to a proven winner of a station, with an amazing team involved,” added Kris about the new opportunity. “WIVK is the very definition of that. Add the fact that we’ll have the opportunity to feature and break new music on our weekend show and I couldn’t be more excited.”
Cumulus Names John Kaufman Sr. VP, Revenue Strategy & Operations
Cumulus Media has appointed John Kaufman as Senior Vice President, Revenue Strategy and Operations. In the newly-created position, Kaufman will lead the optimization of revenue at Cumulus with a focus on pricing and inventory management across the network and radio station groups.
Kaufman joined Cumulus after 20-plus years in revenue management positions in the travel and hospitality industry, including Executive Vice President of Revenue Management and Electronic Marketing at Extended Stay Hotels, and Vice President of Global Revenue Management at Starwood Hotels and Resorts. He joined iHeartMedia/Clear Channel in 2009 as Senior Vice President, Revenue Management, and advanced to President of Business Operations for the company. In 2014, he started his consultancy, JK Steele Consulting, LLC, and helped launch the start-up company Spaces (ParcMate) in 2015 as President and Chief Operating Officer. Kaufman holds a BA degree from Cornell University and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
“John’s strategic and operational expertise and deep understanding of the critical function that pricing and inventory management plays in maximizing revenue will be a tremendous asset to our operations,” said Mary Berner, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cumulus Media, “In this new leadership role, he will increase the company’s revenue management capabilities through intelligent and attractive pricing strategies and systems. John will also support our team of more than 900 sales professionals in 90 U.S. markets as they serve our advertisers with local impact and national reach.”
“Seeing all the great change underway at Cumulus, I am so pleased to be joining Mary and her leadership team at this exciting time, and look forward to helping the company continue in its evolution,” said Kaufman of the new role.
He will be based in New York and will report to Berner.
Weekly Chart Report 7/7/17
Click here or above to access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report.
Country Radio Broadcasters Announce 2017-2018 Board Of Directors
The Country Radio Broadcasters have completed their elections for Board of Directors.
This year’s CRB Board President is Kurt Johnson (Townsquare Media). R.J. Curtis (All Access Music Group) will return as Vice President and Beverlee Brannigan (E.W. Scripps) will serve as Secretary.
Serving on this year’s Board of Directors are: Chuck Aly (Country Aircheck), Beverlee Brannigan (E.W. Scripps), Becky Brenner (Albright & O’Malley & Brenner Consulting), Johnny Chiang (KKBQ-FM), George Couri (Triple 8 Management), Andy Denemark (United Stations), Ryan Dokke (Curb), Mike Dungan (UMG), John Esposito (Warner), Randy Goodman (Sony Nashville), Dan Halyburton (Falls Media), Tom Hanrahan (iHeart), Clay Hunnicutt (Big Loud Records), Scott Huskey (Rusty Walker Programming Consultants, Inc.), Jeff Kapugi (iHeart), Dave Kelly (Big Machine Label Group), Jon Loba (BBR/BMG), Charlie Morgan (Emmis Communications), Rod Phillips (iHeartCountry), Tim Roberts (WYCD), Royce Risser (UMG), Bob Richards (Emmis Radio/WLHK), John Shomby (NASH), Matt Sunshine (CFSS), Joel Raab (Joel Raab Country Radio/Media), Ryan Redington (Amazon Music), Kristen Williams (Warner).
Charlie Monk continues as a Lifetime Director Emeritus.
Incoming CRS President Johnson stated “I’m honored to serve as Board President as we head towards our historic 50th year [CRS 2019]. Under Executive Director Bill Mayne‘s leadership, CRB’s tremendous staff is putting together a CRS that promises to be the best ever, and will continue to thrive as the country music industry’s gathering.”
Registration for Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2018, to be held Feb. 5-7 at the Omni Nashville, will open July 10 at the early bird rate of $499. Registrations will be available for purchase at countryradioseminar.com.
Paige Elliott Joins Columbia Nashville As Director, West Coast Promotion
Paige Elliott
Columbia Nashville Promotion Sr. Vice President Shane Allen has appointed Paige Elliott as Director, West Coast Promotion, Columbia Nashville. Based in Denver, Colorado, where she has lived since 2013, Elliott begins her new role immediately.
Allen says, “Our entire Columbia family is extremely excited to have a promotion veteran of Paige’s stature join the team. Her extensive radio relationships and diverse skill set make her the perfect addition at a very exciting time for our imprint and Sony Music Nashville as a whole.”
“I’m thrilled to work with the world-class staff and roster at Columbia Nashville,” says Paige Elliott. “Thank you to Randy Goodman, Steve Hodges and Shane Allen for this incredible opportunity.”
Prior to joining Sony Music Nashville’s Columbia Promotion team, Elliott was Director of Regional Promotion, West Coast for Capitol Records Nashville from 2010 to 2017. From 2007 to 2010, she was Director of Regional Promotion, Northwest, Capitol Music Group.
Paige Elliott can be reached at [email protected].
Weekly Chart Report 6/30/17
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Bobby Bones To Be Inducted Into National Radio Hall Of Fame
Bobby Bones is now the youngest inductee into the National Radio Hall of Fame thanks to his legions of loyal fans who voted for him in the Music Format On-Air Personality category. The host of iHeartMedia’s Bobby Bones Show now joins the ranks of radio legends like Dick Clark, Paul Harvey, Larry King, Howard Stern, and Bob Kingsley with the honor.
Nominated alongside Sean “Hollywood” Hamilton, Guy Phillips and Ryan Seacrest, Bones was the only representative in the country genre. The Nashville community and his devoted listeners rallied around Bones during the voting period June 5-19 encouraging people to vote, and artists including Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley and Little Big Town donned “VOTE BOBBY” t-shirts in support of Bones.
Bones, whose nationally syndicated radio show on 100 stations reaches over five million listeners weekly, will be inducted at a formal ceremony on November 2. The prestigious honor is the latest in a string of awards for Bones, who was also named ACM National On-Air Personality of the Year in 2014 and 2016, following multiple honors at the Austin Music Awards including Best Radio Personality and Best Radio Program.
Weekly Chart Report 6/23/17
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Country Radio Hall Of Fame Inducts Class Of 2017
Pictured (L-R): 2017 Class of Country Radio Hall of Fame inductees: Mel Owens, Charlie Ochs, Todd Harding (The Good Morning Guys), Susan Moore (The Good Morning Guys), Brian Gary (The Good Morning Guys), Tim Closson, and Jim Mantel. Photo: Angelea Presti
The elite of country music’s radio industry gathered on Wednesday (June 21) to celebrate the induction of the Country Radio Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017.
This year’s Country Radio Hall of Fame inductees included Tim Closson, the late Joe Wade Formicola, Mel Owens, Jim Mantel, Charlie Ochs, the late Linda Lee, and Good Morning Guys’ Susan Moore, Brian Gary, and Todd Harding. Each nominee for induction into the Country Radio Hall of Fame must have at least 20 years experience in radio, with 15 of those being in the country genre.
Country Radio Broadcasters Board Vice President and All Access Country Editor R.J. Curtis welcomed guests to the Country Radio Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
“It validates their career and life’s work,” he said of the honor’s impact on honorees. “It’s better than giving away a car or $10,000.”
UMG Nashville Chairman and CEO Mike Dungan, who was the first label head to serve on the Board of the Country Radio Broadcasters, was honored with with the President’s Award. He is the third active board member to receive the President’s Award in the 20-year history.
Dungan recalled the impact of country radio, and especially the Country Radio Seminar on artists’ careers, detailing how an early performance from Keith Urban at Country Radio Seminar launched a career filled with numerous chart toppers, including his most recent, “Blue Ain’t Your Color.”
Martina McBride was honored with the Career Achievement Award, commemorating a career that includes six No. 1 hits, 14 Grammy nominations and nearly 20 million albums sold.
McBride thanked numerous radio programmers and label promoters who have been part of her career from the beginning. She also thanked former label head Joe Galante for his long-term support of her career.
“One time he came to see a show, and he commented that all my songs really sound and feel like me,” she said. “I was never told what I could or could not record and was immensely supported by Joe Galante.
“I wanted to have songs on the radio and I wanted to have songs that mattered, and you allowed me to do both,” she concluded.
Music industry executive and former chairman of Sony Music Nashville Joe Galante presented Martina McBride with the 2017 CRB Artist Career Achievement Award.
Photo: Angelea Presti
Each of the honorees and/or the colleagues and family members honoring them mentioned highlights and funny tales from their lengthy careers in radio.
The late Joe Formicola son Joseph recalled how Formicola made an on-air plea to large businesses in Detroit, asking for a $10,000 check from the community to benefit cancer research. Within moments of making that on-air plea, a check had been delivered to the radio station.
Mac Daniels introduced Charlie Ochs, and recalled how when Ochs was on-air in the Washington, D.C. area, then-President George H.W. Bush’s security detail would call and request recordings of Charlie’s on-air work for Bush to listen to when he traveled outside of the Washington area.
Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group Nashville, Mike Dungan, was recognized as the recipient of the 2017 CRB President’s Award. Photo: Angelea Presti
Kid Rock made a special appearance to honor Linda Lee, who recently died after a battle with cancer. “We were a tight community and I became friends with Linda,” he said. “She was happy as hell all the time. I was in touch with her throughout her battle. I knew she was a fan of me, but I was a fan of hers.”
The Good Morning Guys’ Bryan Gary ended the evening a fiery, impassioned acceptance speech.
“Every one of us in this room is in the coolest damn industry. We set the mood for the day for listeners. We play music and talk about things. I want to give [listeners] something they haven’t had. It’s because of country music that we have a door to the listeners.”