Country 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 Kristen@CRB.org 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 Vincentc1@earthlink.net or 914-763-1202.
Microsoft Salutes CMA’s Tech Initiatives
/by Sarah SkatesMicrosoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer honored CMA for its technological leadership in the industry last night. CMA Board members in attendance included (l-r) Ed Hardy, President of GAC; Patrick Collins, SESAC Sr. VP of Licensing; Steve Bogard, One Music Group Partner; Ballmer; Jeff Walker, President, The AristoMedia Group; Kitty Moon Emery, CEO, Kitty Moon Emery Enterprises; Tim Wipperman; Greg Hill, Red Light Management; and Chris Felder, CMA Digital Media Director. Photographer: Donn Jones / CMA
Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer was in Nashville last night (1/20), where he saluted the Country Music Association as a leader in technology initiatives. During the event at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, he also reconfirmed his company’s commitment to working with the CMA to bridge technology and country music, and presented CMA Digital Media Director Chris Felder with a guitar signed by artists who participated in the 2009 CMA Music Festival.
Ballmer also said he plans to continue helping the CMA’s music education initiative “Keep the Music Playing.” The guitar will be used in a future fundraiser for “Keep the Music Playing,” CMA’s charity initiative in partnership with the Nashville Alliance for Public Education that donates funds to Metro Nashville Public Schools.
Last year, the CMA worked with Microsoft and Firefly Logic to develop new Web-based applications for CMAfest.com. There were the “Be This Close” and “Hot Shots” applications, as well as the “Where Am I” mobile web app that allowed Festival-goers to pinpoint their location and their next destination at CMA Music Festival venues as well as to access shuttle bus schedules. The CMA has worked with Firefly Logic on additional Silverlight-based rich media experiences, including a well-received Twitter-based feed aggregator r for the 2009 CMA Awards.
Blue Steel Builds Promo Team
/by Sarah SkatesFreeman is a songwriter and producer who also spent 14 years in radio as on-air talent and Program Director. He held positions at KSSN/Little Rock, KMVK/Little Rock, WKXJ/Chattanooga, KFAY/Fayetteville and KTTI/Yuma. Contact: 615-478-4593; radio@bluesteelrecords.com
Hunter began his radio career at KSSN/Little Rock as an on-air personality and image director. Over the last ten years, he’s spent time as an on-air talent at KCJC-KVOM/Russellville, AR, and others, and secured KCJC-KVOM and KCNY as reporters for the MusicRow Country Breakout chart. Contact: 501-553-2982; blake@bluesteelrecords.com
Smith has spent the last 10 years fine-tuning his relationships with all forms of media, including working promotional campaigns for BMW/MINI, Bronco Camp For Kids, and Texas Motor Speedway. He has also had experience handling radio promotion on the West Coast. Contact: 505-990-9641; faron@bluesteelrecords.com
CRS Adds To Agenda; Digital Summit Moves To Sept.
/by Sarah SkatesNewly 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 Kristen@CRB.org 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 Vincentc1@earthlink.net or 914-763-1202.
Paisley Creates Pop-up Book Video
/by Sarah SkatesLooks like a cameo from hit songwriter Ashley Gorley.
“American Saturday Night” is currently No. 9 on MusicRow’s Country Breakout Chart.
Paisley was just announced as the headliner at the 7th Annual New England Country Music Festival at Gillette Stadium in Boston. Joining him on Aug. 21 will be Jason Aldean, Darius Rucker, Sara Evans and Easton Corbin.
Fleming Elected to NaSHOF Board; 2010 Officers Announced
/by FreemanKye Fleming
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation has announced the 2010 officers for its Board of Directors, as well as the election of newly inducted Hall of Fame songwriter Kye Fleming to its 2010/2011 Board.
“We’re very pleased to welcome Kye to our board,” said Bug Music Nashville’s Roger Murrah, Chairman of the NaSHOF Board. “Kye exemplifies the exceptional talent and long-standing resilience it takes to have a successful and impressive career as a songwriter.
Roger Murrah
2010 officers for the NaSHOF Board include Murrah (serving his fifth term as Chair); Songwriters Hall of Fame member Wayland Holyfield (Vice Chair); Dye, Van Mol & Lawrence CEO John Van Mol (Vice Chair); Grand Ole Opry VP/GM Pete Fisher (Treasurer); and songwriter Layng Martine, Jr. (Secretary).
Currently serving on the NaSHOF Board of Directors are:
Mike Dye – Managing Partner, GroupXcel
Lisa Harless – Sr. VP, Private Client Services of Regions Bank
Becky Judd – Executive Assistant to Mike Curb, Curb Records
Troy Tomlinson – President and CEO of Sony/ATV Music Nashville
Mike Vaden – Director, Decosimo/Vaden
Ex-officio members serving on the board are:
David L. Maddox – Counsel
Robert K. Oermann – Historian
Jeff Skillen – Director of Development
Mark Ford – Manager of Affairs
Sarah Buxton Joins Shine All Night Tour
/by MichelleSarah Buxton
Lyric Street’s Sarah Buxton has been added to the 2010 leg of the SunnyD Presents the Shine All Night Tour starring Martina McBride and Trace Adkins. The tour, also sponsored in part by GAC, kicked off in November 2009 and covers 40 cities across the US through the spring of this year. Both McBride and Adkins will each perform full-length shows and Buxton will be their special guest. Buxton is set to release her self-titled debut album on Feb. 23.
Underwood Added To Grammys; Bradley, Lynn To Be Honored
/by Sarah SkatesThe MJ tribute joins previously announced performances by nominees Beyoncé, the Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, the Dave Matthews Band, Green Day, Lady Antebellum, Lady Gaga, Maxwell, P!nk, Taylor Swift, and the Zac Brown Band.
The Recording Academy will also salute Nashvillians Harold Bradley and Loretta Lynn at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony. Lynn will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award and Bradley will be honored with a Trustees Award. Also being honored that day at the Wilshire Ebell Theater are Leonard Cohen, David “Honeyboy” Edwards, Walter C. Miller, the late Bobby Darin, the late Thomas Edison, and the late Florence Greenberg; as well as representatives of AKG Acoustics Gmbh.
Among the Grammy’s promotional tools to promote the show is the WereAllFans.com Web site, which uses the FanBuzz Visualizer to compose pictures of Grammy-nominated artists using real-time, fan-generated YouTube, Twitter, and Flickr postings.
New Albums: Jo Dee Messina, Easton Corbin
/by MichelleJo Dee Messina
The first single from Jo Dee Messina’s forthcoming album, Unmistakable, is “That’s God,” which will be released on Jan. 25. In preparation for the April 13 release of Unmistakable, Messina will perform seven shows in New York City during a five night residency at Feinstein’s at the Regency Hotel March 16-20. Messina will also take the stage at various tour dates scheduled to begin February 12 in Salt Lake City and continue through October 16 in Cerritos, CA.