Big D and Bubba Show

After helping Steven Tyler announce the nominees for the 2015 CMA Awards earlier this morning, Kelsea Ballerini teamed with ABC Radio to announce the 2015 CMA Broadcast Awards finalists for Radio Personality and Station of the Year. The nominees were surprised when the two-time CMA Awards finalist called under the guise of talking about the morning’s nominations.

“Radio has played such an important part in this amazing year that I jumped at the opportunity to call the stations to tell them they were nominated for a CMA Broadcast Award,” said Ballerini. “It has been an amazing day and I was really happy to share it with people who have contributed so much to my career.”

National Radio Personality of the Year nominees included “The Big D and Bubba Show,” “The Crook and Chase Countdown,” and “The Lia Show.”

The CMA Broadcast Award winners will be notified in mid-October and will be acknowledged at “The 49th Annual CMA Awards,” which will be held Wednesday, Nov. 4 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) and broadcast live by the ABC Television Network from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

Lia Knight

Crook and Chase

CMA BROADCAST PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR:

National
“The Big D and Bubba Show” (Derek Haskins, Sean Powell, and Patrick Thomas) – Compass Media Networks
“The Crook and Chase Countdown” (Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase) – iHeartMedia
“The Lia Show” (Lia Knight) – Westwood One

Major Market
“Barrel Boy @ Night” (Eric Gruneisen) – KNIX, Phoenix, Ariz.
“Ben and Matt in the Morning” (Ben Campbell and Matt McAllister) – KNIX, Phoenix, Ariz.
“The Michael J Show” (Michael J. Stuehler) – WPOC, Baltimore, Md.
“Paul Schadt and Meg in the Morning Show” (Paul Schadt, Meg Butterly, and Geof Knight) – WKKT, Charlotte-Gastonia, N.C./Rock Hill, S.C.
“The Q Morning Zoo” (Tim Tuttle, Kevin Kline, and Erica Rico) – KKBQ, Houston-Galveston, Texas

Large Market
“The Big Dave Show” (David Chandler, Chelsie Shinkle, and Jason Statt) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio
“Karen, Scott & Radar” (Karen Dalessandro, Scott Dolphin, and Tony “Radar” Hess) – WMIL, Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.
“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.
“Randy and Jamie” (Randy Carroll and Jamie Martin) – KAJA, San Antonio, Texas

Medium Market
“The 97 Country Breakfast Club” (Roger Todd, Melissa Moran and Dale Sellers) – WPCV, Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.
“Andy & Allison and The Morning Crew” (Andy Ritchie, Alison Mencer, and Jimmy Holt) – WIVK, Knoxville, Tenn.
“DJ Walker In The Morning” (Dennis Walker and Jim Wells) – KATM, Stockton, Calif.
“Maverick & Lulu” (Maverick Johnson and Luanne Kyrsz) – WCTQ, Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla.
“Tom and Becky” (Tom Owens and Becky Palmer) – WBBS, Syracuse, N.Y.

Small Market
“Barrett, Fox & Berry” (Bill Barrett, Tim Fox, and Tracy Berry) – KKNU, Eugene-Springfield, Ore.
“Bobby and Steve Show” (Bobby Cook and Steve Schwetman) – WKYQ, Paducah, Ky.
“The Dex & Mo Show” (Bill “Dex” Poindexter and Melissa “Mo” Turner) – WUSY, Chattanooga, Tenn.
“Ken and Daniel” (Ken Hicks and Daniel Wyatt) – WUSY, Chattanooga, Tenn.
“Scotty & Cara in the Morning” (Scotty Cox and Cara Denis) – KCLR, Columbia, Mo.

CMA RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR

Major Market
KNIX – Phoenix, Ariz.
WKKT – Charlotte-Gastonia, N.C./Rock Hill, S.C.
WKLB – Boston, Mass.
WPOC – Baltimore, Md.
WSOC – Charlotte-Gastonia, N.C./Rock Hill, S.C.

Large Market
WCOL – Columbus, Ohio
WLHK – Indianapolis, Ind.
WMIL – Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.
WQIK – Jacksonville, Fla.
WUBE – Cincinnati, Ohio

Medium Market
CKRY – Calgary, Alta.
KUZZ – Bakersfield, Calif.
WBBS – Syracuse, N.Y.
WCTQ – Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla.
WHKO – Dayton, OH
WIVK – Knoxville, Tenn.

Small Market
KCLR – Columbia, Mo.
KFDI – Wichita, Kan.
KTTS – Springfield, Mo.
WGSQ – Cookeville, Tenn.
WHWY – Ft. Walton Beach/Destin, Fla

Tom Baldrica

Radio promotion veteran Tom Baldrica has joined Midwest Communications in the newly created role of Corporate Country Brand Strategist. He will work closely with the Midwest Communications contemporary country stations, their growing stable of DUKE-FM stations, and on-air talent for KTCO/Duluth, Minn., as well as WUSZ/Hibbing, Minn.

Midwest Communications VP, Programming Jeff McCarthy says, “When someone with the talent and experience of Tom Baldrica is available you seize the opportunity. We’re excited to tap into Tom’s knowledge of the music industry to create advantages and ideas for our multiple Country brands. ”

Baldrica adds, “I’m am so excited to be joining Jeff and his talented team of Market Managers and Brand Managers to increase their country footprint—both locally and nationally. Midwest is a dynamic and growing company with a real commitment to country radio and country music, and I can’t wait to get started. We are going to have a lot of fun! This is the perfect next step in my country music career.”

Baldrica was most recently VP, Radio Promotion & Marketing for Show Dog-Universal Records, working with Toby Keith, Josh Thompson and Joel Crouse. Previous career stops include Average Joes Entertainment (President), Sony Music Nashville (VP, Marketing), and BNA Records (VP, National Promotion).

Baldrica can be reached at 615-715-6378 or at tom.baldrica@mwcradio.com

The core panel moderators have been announced for Country Radio Seminar 2016. The E.W. Scripps Company’s Beverlee Brannigan, radio vet Gregg Lindahl, and Falls Media Group’s Dan Halyburton are return moderators from last year. Bob Richards from WLHK/Indianapolis returns as a past moderator and RJ Curtis of All Access is named as a new moderator.

The moderators will oversee and direct the educational panels throughout the seminar, which is held Feb. 8-10 at the Omni Hotel in downtown Nashville, Tenn.

For more information, visit countryradioseminar.com.