Sunny in California, Nichols in Indianapolis & Nail in Milwaukee

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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

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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.”

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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

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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)

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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

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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).

Pickin’ On the Patio at Warner Music Nashville

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Join Warner Music Nashville at their signature Pickin’ On The Patio event today, Thursday, October 28th. Atlantic Records’ Ty Stone and Reprise Records’ the JaneDear Girls are the featured performers in this incredibly successful inaugural season of Patio shows, which kicked off in May.

Past performers include Gloriana, The Invite, Alissa Moreno, Jim Collins, Tony Arata and Marv Green.

Sponsors include Clean Plate Club, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Aramark, Skylar Wilson Productions, Sunrise of Nashville, Red Bull, Frugal MacDoogal and GiGi’s Cupcakes. Doors open at 5:00 pm at the Warner Nashville office.

Brett Eldredge Makes Opry Debut; ABC Goes Country

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Brett Eldredge Makes Opry Debut

Rising star Brett Eldredge will make his Grand Ole Opry debut on Friday, October 29th. Hailed by CMT as the “Next Big Thing,” Eldredge will join the Oak Ridge Boys, Rodney Atkins and Joe Diffie in Friday’s lineup. Additionally, he will be introduced to the legendary Opry stage by renowned singer-songwriter Bill Anderson.

“I have one goal—to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry,” said Eldredge. “To me, that is the highest honor you can be awarded as a country music singer. So, given the opportunity to perform for the first time ever on the Grand Ole Opry stage is truly a dream come true.

Eldredge’s debut single, “Raymond,” is currently No. 44 on the Billboard charts. The video for “Raymond,” the story of the relationship between a young man and an elderly Alzheimer’s patient, can be viewed at vimeo.com. Opry tickets can be purchased here.

ABC Goes Country

ABC television network is going country in November in celebration of The 44th Annual CMA Awards, to be broadcast on Wednesday, November 10th at 8:00 pm ET.

Starting on October 30th, the Road to the CMA Awards special will air on local ABC affiliates across the country. This half-hour program will be packed with artist interviews and highlights from past CMA awards and will have appearances from Miranda Lambert, Darius Rucker, Martina McBride, Trace Adkins and Josh Turner, among others.

Newscaster Robin Roberts will host a special giving viewers an all-access pass into the lives of country music’s biggest stars, including Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood. The hour-long special will air on Wednesday, November 3rd at 10:00 pm ET.

On Sunday, November 14th, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and LeeAnn Rimes will join Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to assist Nashville’s Sweatt family. Brian and Barbara Sweatt were among the victims of the historic May flood, running the Lighthouse School which was devastated by the catastrophe.

Other notable upcoming events include Jason Aldean’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live on November 15th, Lyle Lovett as a guest star on Castle that same night, and Reba reuniting with TV daughter JoAnna Garcia on Better With You on November 17th.

Chrysalis Inks Skidmore, Dierks in N.Y.C., Martina and Train on Crossroads

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(From Bottom Left Clockwise) Jersey Ross/Chrysalis Music; Patricia Wittmer/Chrysalis Music; Dale Bobo/Chrysalis Music; Skidmore; Terry Elam, manager/Fitzgerald Hartley; Tiffany Dunn, attorney/Loeb & Loeb; and Abbe Nameche/Chrysalis Music.

Artist/songwriter Shelley Skidmore has signed a publishing deal with Chrysalis Music. Dale Bobo, EVP at Chrysalis Music Nashville says, “Shelley is the authentic real deal, having grown up playing and singing in her parent’s band all around her home state of Kentucky and into Ohio and West Virginia.  She has a smart point of view that really comes through when she writes and performs.  We are tremendously excited to be working with Shelley at Chrysalis Music.”

Pictured (left to right): Songwriter/producer Jon Randall Stewart, ASCAP’s Earle Simmons, Disney Music songwriter Jessi Alexander, Dierks Bentley

Dierks Bentley just wrapped a four-night residency in New York City, including a show with Jessi Alexander and Jon Randall Stewart at Joe’s Pub.

Martina McBride, Train

Country superstar Martina McBride will join hit band Train on CMT Crossroads, premiering Saturday, November 20th at 8:00 pm ET/PT. This is McBride’s second time on the CMT series; her first appearance was with rock icon Pat Benatar in 2003.

Country Strong Star Finds Inspiration in Underwood, Swift

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Gwyneth Paltrow and Leighton Meester

Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester found inspiration in country stars Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift in preparation for her role in the upcoming movie Country Strong.

“I tried to make it my own, but I was definitely inspired by Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift,” Meester explains. “I went to the Grand Ole Opry and saw Carrie Underwood. Went to few honky tonks, too.”

In the movie, Meester plays a young country singer who admires, and then rivals, an established country star (Gwyneth Paltrow).

Meester’s homework paid off. “I went into the studio and sang my heart out.” The actress notes that Paltrow raised the bar as well. “She really showed her chops, playing the guitar and performing the hell out of it,” said Meester. “My character is supposed to admire and look up to her, and I do, too. You have to rise to the occasion when you play opposite her.”

Country Strong, which also stars Tim McGraw, will be released in theaters in December.

New Hearing Protection Offers Safety and Fidelity

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Excessive volume can be a problem at concerts and music clubs and it is all too easy to put ones hearing at risk. EarPeace is a newly designed product created to, “deliver high quality sound and great protection.” The reusable ear plugs, which cost about $15, are made from hypo-allergenic silicone and come with a protective case.

EarPeace provided free hearing protection this past year for thousands of attendees at South by Southwest. The company noted that, the average decibel level at a concert is 110 which is safe on your hearing for less than two minutes. “We developed EarPeace as a discreet and comfortable way to turn down the volume, without compromising sound quality. It’s a huge improvement when you can still really hear the music, understand your friends speaking, and leave a venue without your ears ringing,” said Jay Clark, founder of EarPeace. “People don’t use traditional hearing protection for three main reasons: it compromises sound quality, it’s uncomfortable, and it doesn’t look good. We believe we can fundamentally change the way people care for their hearing by addressing those issues.”

For more info visit www.earpeace.com