The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) has announced four appointments to the organization’s advisory committees, including one appointment to the Dispute Resolution Committee and three to the Operations Advisory Committee.

Jennifer Falco, Senior Vice President, Licensing at Hipgnosis Songs Group, has been appointed to the Dispute Resolution Committee. In her role, she leads all media licensing operations. With a focus on blanket license negotiations across major platforms such as streaming, audiovisual, and fitness, Falco plays a critical role in shaping licensing strategies. Formerly with Big Deal Music Group and Words & Music, Falco brings extensive experience in licensing operations and managing clearances for advertisements, trailers, and films.

Additionally, Sean McGraw, Senior Vice President, Catalog Management at Downtown Music Publishing, has been reappointed to the Dispute Resolution Committee.

The Dispute Resolution Committee makes recommendations to the Board on policies and procedures for the processing of royalties related to works that are subject to disputes over ownership and is comprised of five songwriters and five representatives of music publishers.

Iwona Wyrzykowska, Senior Vice President, Global Film & TV Administration and Digital Administration Partnerships at Universal Music Publishing Group, has been appointed to the Operations Advisory Committee. With over 18 years of experience in publishing, Wyrzykowska has played a pivotal role in global film and TV administration, digital operations, and copyright management. In her roles at Universal Music Publishing Group, she has driven advancements in music metadata and content management systems.

Jessica Richling O’Malley, Vice President, Mechanical Licensing, Copyright and Archives at Warner Chappell Music, has been appointed to the Operations Advisory Committee. With over 18 years of music industry experience, she is a proven leader in music licensing, managing complex operations and driving innovative strategies. Prior to her leadership role at Warner Chappell, O’Malley spent nine years managing music licensing for Viacom’s flagship MTV programming and played a key role in building Beachbody’s global music licensing department.

Kristina Johnson, Vice President, Copyright at Kobalt Music, has also been appointed to the Operations Advisory Committee. With over a decade of experience, Johnson has held key roles at Universal Music Publishing Group, including Senior Director of North American Copyright, advancing copyright innovation and operational efficiency in the music industry. Johnson specializes in the intersection of publishing administration operations and systems development and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in organizational leadership.

Additionally, Ana Ruiz, Founder and Client Acquisition at Drive Music Publishing, has been reappointed to the Operations Advisory Committee.

The MLC’s Operations Advisory Committee makes recommendations to the Board on policies and procedures related to the operations of the Collective, including the efficient investment in and deployment of information technology and data resources. It is comprised of six representatives of music publishers and six representatives of digital music providers.

The MLC also has an Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee, which recommends policies and procedures to The MLC’s Board related to the distribution of unclaimed accrued royalties and is comprised of five songwriters and five publishing representatives. Patrick Curley, President of Third Side Music Inc., and Frank Liwall, CEO of The Royalty Network Inc., have both been reappointed to the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee.

“On behalf of The MLC Board and its nominating committee, we extend our gratitude to those who previously served and to those who submitted applications to serve on our committees,” says Alisa Coleman, Chair of The MLC’s Board of Directors. “This process highlights the dedication of so many to advancing our mission. After careful review and thoughtful consideration, we have selected individuals who bring diverse perspectives and expertise, ensuring our committees continue to reflect and serve the needs of the music community.”

NuVoodoo, in partnership with CRS, will present its latest research study on country music and country radio at CRS 2025 on Feb. 20. The study, “The Country Fan – Reviewing, Retaining, and Recruiting Your Listeners” was sourced from a nationwide survey of 1,500 country music fans and analyzed their perceptions, behaviors and preferences with respect to the genre.

The research will explore topics such as how country music fans feel about the genre in its current form, where and how they are listening to country music, the sources they rely on to stay informed about the music they love, and how they view country radio in 2025.

In addition to the survey, NuVoodoo has conducted one-on-one interviews with fans to personalize the data. The presentation will also include new music testing results on over 400 country tracks from a sample of over 700 country music fans. This sampling will offer insights into which songs resonate with listeners most and which they deem the most authentically country.

Carolyn Gilbert, CEO of NuVoodoo, shares, “What do they think? How do they feel? About Country radio? About Country music? We asked a lot of questions, and we have answers. We look forward to seeing you at CRS.”

On-site registration for CRS 2025 will begin Feb. 19, for the walkup rate of $799. Visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com for more details.

Audacy’s David Field will be stepping down from his position of President/CEO, as well as a member of the Board of Directors. Current Board member Kelli Turner will serve as interim President/CEO, starting immediately.

“David has left an indelible mark on the industry, growing Audacy from a few small radio stations into a scaled multi-platform audio content and entertainment powerhouse,” shares Michael Del Nin, Chairman of the Board. “He has built a great company with leading positions across the country’s largest markets and an outstanding portfolio of exclusive, premium audio content. Under David’s dedicated leadership, Audacy has been positioned for long-term success, and we look forward to working with Kelli and the entire team as the company begins its next exciting chapter.”

“Since I joined Audacy, then Entercom, we have grown from $10 million in revenues with 10 niche radio stations into a $1.2 billion, multi-platform audio leader with one of the country’s two scaled radio broadcast groups, one of the largest podcast networks and the unrivaled top position in sports audio,” says Field. “Audacy recently completed a very successful 2024, delivering industry-leading EBITDA growth of more than 70% through the third quarter and significant revenue share gains across our radio and digital businesses. With the company in a strong competitive and financial position, now is the optimal time to pass the baton to new leadership. I am deeply proud of our extraordinary team and everything we have accomplished for our listeners, customers, partners, and communities. The company is in great hands, and I look forward to seeing the next chapter of Audacy’s success.”

Turner has been a member of the Audacy Board since September 2024. She has also served on the boards of several advertising and music technology companies, including DoubleVerify, Downtown Music Holdings and Central European Media Enterprises Ltd. Most recently, she was the Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer at Sun Capital Partners, a private investment firm. Before joining Sun Capital Partners, she was the President and Chief Operating Officer of SESAC Holdings. Her experience spans executive roles across the investment and media sectors, including positions at RSL Group, Martha Stewart Living, Time Warner, Allen & Company and Citigroup. Turner holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School.

The Board has begun the search for a permanent CEO. Field will remain with the company in a new role as Special Advisor to the CEO and the Board.

Morgan Wallen remains atop the country albums and streaming songs charts this week, according to Luminate data. His 2023 One Thing At A Time album garnered 37K in total consumption (675K album only and 48 million song streams), and his track “Smile,” from his upcoming album, tops the songs chart with 14 million streams adding to 65 million total.

Also on the albums chart are Wallen again at No. 2 with Dangerous: The Double Album with 28K in total consumption, Post Malone‘s F-1 Trillion with 24K, Jelly Roll‘s Beautifully Broken with 19K and Zach Bryan American Heartbreak with 18K.

On the songs chart, Shaboozey remains at No. 2 with “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” earning 12 million streams this week adding to one billion, Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help” at No. 3 with 11 million streams, Wallen’s “Love Somebody” with 11 million and Sam Barber and Avery Anna‘s “Indigo” with 8.9 million.

Charles Esten Chats With Kelly Clarkson About New Debut Deluxe Edition

Charles Esten appeared Monday (Jan. 27) on the Kelly Clarkson Show to chat about his brand-new Love Ain’t Pretty Deluxe Edition project, celebrating the one-year anniversary of his  independent debut album. The deluxe edition features 14 tracks all co-written by Esten plus nine new bonus tracks.

The 23-track Deluxe Edition includes never-before-heard demos and worktapes from the creation of Love Ain’t Pretty, as well as a live performance recorded from the sold-out “NASHVILLE Reunion Tour “(with Esten, Clare Bowen, Jonathan Jackson and Sam Palladio) and star-studded collaborations with Keb’ Mo’ and Sara Evans. Esten will perform acoustically at a special vinyl signing at Grimey’s New & Preloved Music on Feb. 5 at 4 p.m. CT.

 

Y’all Access With Kelly Sutton Celebrates 200th Episode

Y’all Access with Kelly Sutton recently celebrated its 200th episode. Nate Smith was on hand to help celebrate the momentous occasion.

 

The Listening Room Hosts Live Song Pitch Round

The Listening Room Cafe’ recently hosted an exclusive Live Song Pitch Round, featuring Sea Gayle Music’s Jordan Fletcher, Barrett Baber, Cam Nemby, Brett Sheroky, Ian Christian and Adam Craig. The unique event, the second in a recurring series, featured songwriters playing their uncut songs to A&R and industry professionals, giving a live public audience a behind-the-scenes look at the heart of Nashville’s songwriting scene.

 

Faith-Based ‘Dawn + Steve’ Podcast Launches

Christian radio personalities Dawn Rae May and Steve Hiller have officially launched Dawn & Steve+, a new weekday podcast featuring in-depth and revealing conversations with authors, ministry leaders, recording artists and cultural influencers on matters of life, faith and biblical Truth. Initial episodes feature guests including bestselling author Joel C. Rosenberg, The Voice of The Martyrs’ Todd Nettleton, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s Josh Holland and Dove Award-winning recording artist, author and actress Nicole C. Mullen.