RADIO ONE’S
THE INTERVIEW
Why Songs Are Getting Shorter AND WHAT IT MEANS
A funny thing happened on the way to putting together the countdown: an extra song was needed. While assembling the three-hour show each week, Country Countdown USA producer George Achaves noticed a decline in song run times, told host Lon Helton ... and a Country Aircheck investigation was underway.
Remarkably, among the top 20 airplay songs of each year over the last decade, there’s only one longer than four minutes. Luke Combs’ “Fast Car” clocks in at 4:14 – but was written in 1987. Finding another top 20 song longer than four minutes means going back to 2014 for Eric Church’s “Give Me Back My Hometown” (4:12) and Miranda Lambert’s “Automatic” (4:07). Average run times haven’t dropped this low since the 1980s (see graph next page).
Cable TV music provider Music Choice runs 60 minutes of music every hour – no talk, no commercials –o erin a clean loo at the data “ ince , the a era e song length has gone from 3:27 to 3:11,” says Head/ Country Programming Jim Murphy. “On the surface that doesn’t seem like a whole lot, except when you see that on an almost year-by-year basis, it gets shorter by one or two seconds. I now have about 250 more spins in an average week than I had in 2014. I’ve had to add positions on my clocks in just the six years I’ve been with the company.”
While the shortest songs don’t seem to be getting shorter, the longest songs definitely are (see side ar ne t pa e) “ here was a time when we d ha e a lot o o r minute songs,” Achaves says. “Those were the days of Diane Warren and Dave Loggins. ‘How Do I Live’ was 4:26. Those days are no more.”
“I’m playing one current song that’s over four minutes – The Frontmen ‘Beatles And Eagles’ at 4:46,” Murphy says. “My next closest is Cody Johnson’s ‘Dirt Cheap’ at o it s not st power allads, t also story son s ecomin more rare
BMLG EVP/A&R Allison Jones definitely sees the shi t “ orrie or an s
Jim Murphy
George Achaves
Allison Jones
omethin In ed was the first i son I was a part o , she says “ hat a eni s piece o wor an emotional o rney here is no way that co ld happen now en with o r om etty tri te record, those ersions are shorter than the ori inals, pro a ly eca se the artists are so conscio s o that I a son had a rid e with lyrics ollowed y an instr mental rid e li e we sed to do, I wonder i it wo ld e en ma e it thro h Co ld the decline e a throw ac to an earlier time “In all airness, a lot o son s rom the s and s were erse, chor s, t rnaro nd and repeat the chor s, says ni ersal sic lishin ash ille Chairman C Troy Tomlinson days wo ld ha e a ew eers at l nch, come ac to finish the son and o, ell, we don t need another erse st repeat the chor s nd those son s were ettin c t t some point pra matism is at play
Mic & The Mechanics
ltho h, ettin to the hoo is still top o mind “ hat started happenin se eral years a o, orley says “ o ra some ody, yo need to come o t ns la in a e a statement, melody or roo e that catches them e ore they swipe or s ip he mechanics o son writin are chan in , as well “ hen I started, yo d c t fi e son s in a st dio, et the mi es and pitch it to a ew prod cers, says prod cer son writer Jesse Frasure “ o n o e at rday i hts ( ) and “ ole In he ottle ( ) “ en as late as we were still doin demo sessions, t the tools o the trade ha e made it easier
“ ditin is the most cr cial thin , he says “Is that section in there eca se it lets the son reathe r can it come o t In the era o ro ools, yo can y the chor s aro nd, mo e a solo or rid e ometimes it s st a reath and a rea down chor s to ma e the last one eel resher oin the other direction, yo mi ht ha e a catchy post chor s and thin , e need that on the first two eca se it s so ood I all those thin s eel necessary to a son and it oes lon , so e it t i I m st ettin into the third chor s and I m at three min tes, somethin is wron I try to o or I it nat rally oes o er three with a ade o t or a little it o an intro, that s o ay I o on eel
In today s world, that pra matism may ha e more to do with iews than rews “ ap, hip hop, and pop pro a ly started oin there first, says son writer Ashley Gorley, whose c rrent credits incl de “I m ot ay ( ) and “ ar ( ) “I e ot all the tendencies, so it made sense to me a nat ral pro ression o shorter attention spans on s are only one symptom “ e re c ttin commercials o t o the shows we watch, orley says “ e won t dri e to the resta rant to pic p o r ood anymore nd we re not oin to listen to an o tro or seconds I don t thin listeners eel li e, h, why did that c t o I can t remem er the last time my ids ot to the end o a son they li e hey st clic ac and start o er r et in and mp to the ne t one li e a hat s st the way o the world “ erythin on social media is a l r, ones adds “Faster and shorter I always tell artists to ma e records that people are oin to listen to d rin the occasions o their li e campfire on the la e, a first dance, a rad ation son , somethin to dedicate to yo r children ther than those moments, and may e road trips, people are s ippin and ippin eryone wants to et to it in a h rry It leeds o er into all o entertainment ot s re i that s ood, t it s the reality ne c lprit, ar a ly i o “ he yo n er eneration, it s st so in rained in the way they thin , says prod cer son writer Ross Copperman, whose credits incl de “ ancin In he Co ntry ( ) and “ eers n e ( ) “ hen I write with yo n er artists who are hea y on i o , they re definitely thin in a o t that clip It s not a o t ettin ri ht to the hoo , it s a o t the section they re oin to p ll o t
Average
“ rid es sed to e a i er deal, adds Copperman “ ow it s li e, et s s ip the pre chor s on the second erse and se that as the rid e a two line deal that s pro a ly si seconds hat in itsel e plains a lot o oin rom to he second erse is now a hal erse o n writers are li e, co rse we re doin a hal erse on the second one hat s ecome standard
Runtime For The 20 Most-Played Songs
“ o many son s are written with plice loops now, which are a o r chord pro ression, he contin es “ he prod cer dra s it in, yo write the son to the plice loop, and yo re not necessarily chan in chords o sed to chan e the chords on the pre chor s, and that wo ld may e draw the len th o a son o t hen yo d ha e some interestin chords in the end part o the chor s to dri e the hoo , t now it s st o er ein pitched son s on a daily asis, ones says the c ts are e erywhere “ e e lost the art o the intro, she says “ here are no rid es anymore tros aren t as pre alent o sed to hear mod lations and a repeat o the chor s ow that s one orley is still writin o r min te son s t, “ ometimes yo hit a sweet spot where a son ends ri ht where people will want to hear it a ain here s an instincti e thin when yo listen ac and reali e yo can c t the intro in hal , et ac to the erse immediately or that there s a lot o lan space I it s a roc in co ntry thin and needs a lon solo, I can see that, t e en then I m ready to et ac to the meat o it I yo need more time with a rid e or a p nch in the end, we ll do it hose son s will e ist ore er t no one is oin , et s add some st here to fill this p a it In some respects, radio has een ahead o that c r e i not ad ancin it “ s lon as I e done this there s always een the radio edit, ones says “For ac son ean s ea ens o etsy, we did a radio edit to the intro and o tro eca se we new it wo ld either et tal ed o er or they d do their own edit t he s e tremely pro d o the ll trac he al m ersion is the ersion deli ered to radio is “ e pre er to deli er it edited eca se we don t want edits made that aren t artist appro ed 4:00 3:45 3:30 3:15 3:00 2:45 2:30 2:15 2:00
Ross Copperman
Jesse Frasure
Ashley Gorley
Troy Tomlinson
Murphy furthers the thought: “Not everybody, but some of us would add 2% to the speed of songs. We’d ‘plus it up.’” And labels played along. “For many years, promotion people would try to sell you on, ‘It’s only three minutes,’” he continues. “This is legend, but sometimes they would even lie ... right on the label. If the song was 3:52, they’d put 3:12 on it without blinking. Well, if we’d only waited a few years, it would’ve taken care of itself.”
Timesick Blues
Shortest Songs
What if any impact shorter songs has beyond the speakers is debatable. “We sometimes get buzzy here in the industry, but the civilian world doesn’t know,” Frasure says. “Does a fan give a shit?” As illustration, he points to two of his favorite songs. Bob Seger’s “Night Moves,” for instance, is 5:24. “I would have never guessed that,” he laughs. “And to me, ‘Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay’ (2:43) is one of the quintessential commercial songs. Both of those songs sound perfect to me.”
Whether fans notice or not, they’re hearing more music. “The clocks are made to have one or two drop songs, and we’re playing more of those,” says WIL/St. Louis MD Marty Brooks. “You might have a gold title that played every couple of days now playing once a day or day-and-a-half. That gives the listeners a little more a or more chances to hear o r m sic hat s not a ad thin Adds Audacy RVPP Scott Roddy, “Country’s about telling the story and if you can do it in less time, that’s great.”
“The idea of getting more songs in rotation is enticing,” Frasure admits. “In this day and age, it feels a bit like we’re all working on the Titanic and cheering each other on. The last hurrah for songwriters is radio ... that’s where catalog is built. Streaming is catching up, but so far I’ve never heard of anyone selling a catalog based on streaming alone. So I love getting more rotations. Those seconds and minutes add up.”
pea in o streamin , there may e financial implications for labels and artists, too. “If you can stream 25 or 30 songs in an hour, you’ll make that much more money,” Murphy points out. “Labels aren’t compensated by the minute, but by each play. So if songs are 2:30 instead of four minutes, you can get that many more per hour or day.”
Whether songs can get any shorter remains to be seen, but in other formats, run times are dropping below two minutes. “There’s so much music out there and no rules,” Gorley says. “You could have an album of songs that are a minute apiece – a chorus and that’s it. I don’t see Country radio songs going that short – it’s so storytelling-based. You need at least a couple minutes to experience that. Hard to do in 30 seconds.”
“I’d like to think it’s cyclical,” Copperman says. “With TikTok extending the length of their videos it might move the other way. But our attention spans are so shot. I can’t even watch a movie. A 45-minute show feels long.”
Shortest Songs
Jones says the art will dictate. “If it’s a big hit and longer, radio will 100% play all of it because they know their listeners will listen to all of it. If you captivate the listener, that’s the end game. For instance, Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers and Billy Strings – artists who fall in the genre but aren’t necessarily on the radio – are having success with longer and extended songs.”
In the meantime, “ eople ettin to hear more m sic is the reatest enefit, rphy says “ o et room or more di erent son s and artists, potentially
And if it’s any consolation to those worried songs are becoming too short ... a country icon done it this way. “Hank, Sr. used to say the songwriter’s job was to write it, then cut out all the fat,” Tomlinson laughs. “His songs were notoriously short. You barely started listening and it was over.”
Longest Songs
Scott Roddy
Marty Brooks
RADIO HALL of FAME
Mary McCoy
At 86 and with no signs of slowing down, Mary McCoy still cohosts a daily show on KVST/Conroe, TX, just as she’s done for the ast years. Mc oy s a e had largely been con ned to so theast Texas, but her success could only remain hidden so long. In the past few years long overdue recognition has found her – the Texas Radio Hall of Fame, the Guinness Book of World Records and, now, the national Radio Hall of Fame.
My daddy worked on a farm and on Saturday nights we’d sit on the front porch listening to the Grand Ole Opry and I wo ld yodel alon hen I was a o t fi e, my mom started teachin me how to play the itar I wanted to sin , ma e records and ha e my own radio show
We moved to Conroe when I was a o t and li ed in a tent t the time there wasn t a radio station in town, t I wo ld sin in talent shows at the theater e li ed in that tent or o r years, and the ids at school wo ld ma e n o me he more they made n o me the more determined I was In 1950, my mom heard them testin a new station he said, “ ary, I thin there s onna e a new radio sta tion hat made me so happy I was determined to e on that station C si ned on pril , he station was oin to ha e a talent show, and the mana er o the theater told the station mana er, immy orrell, a o t me I was in fi th rade at the time, and he called me at school “ ary, I e heard so m ch a o t yo , we want you to be on the talent show this Saturday.”
After I did my songs on the talent show, immy as ed me i I new eno h son s to do min tes I said, “I thin so, so he recorded min tes and told me to o home and listen to the radio It was the worst thin I d e er heard I cried so hard I tho ht, “ hat s it, I m ne er oin to sin a ain
The next week, I got a call at school It was immy, “ ary, ess what e ha e a sponsor or yo r show I said, “ e ally I was horri le e said, “ ell they don t thin so I ot my first two ho r show onday thro h at rday when I was hat wasn t eno h, tho h I wanted my own record show playin records li e the other s
I did it all I filed records those lessed s wei hed more than I did and I did sales eople wo ld as me to y ads, and I new what the rates were, so I d sell it to them and ta e the order ac to my oss t my record show was all I cared about. I’d watch when the other oc s were on the air to learn the oard
When I first started with KMCO, they d ha e ands play across the street on Saturday afternoons. If I was per ormin , I d see my dad wal in in and o t o the crowd I said, “ addy, why do yo eep wal in thro h the crowd o ne er stand still e said, “I m tryin to see if anyone’s saying anything bad about you.”
I would go to school during the day, do my radio show, and then sin on at rdays I was when a e c er, who wor ed with Col om ar er, came y the sta
tion I told him I wanted to ma e records year later, I per ormed on the Louisiana Hayride in hre eport hat s when I first met l is e was
I was sitting on the steps on the ac o the sta e, and he wal ed p and said, “I m l is I said, “I now who yo are e as ed i I was h n ry, I said I co ld always eat He replied, “Let’s go across the street to that restaurant.” y the time I ot o the steps I loo ed p and there were a o t irls already lined p ehind him “ l is, tell yo what,” I said. “You go on and I’ll be here when you get ac , eca se I d ne er et a word in ed ewise with yo hen he came ac , he came strai ht to me hat was one o the i est ni hts o my li e e was so ind I e ne er met anyone who showed respect li e he did
The Louisiana Hayride came to Conroe two wee s later co rse, I was on the show that ni ht l is tripped on the steps going up on the stage and hit his head, but he went ahead and p t on one hec o a show eople always as , “ ary, did he e er iss yo o, he didn t eople also a e me l is memora ilia t first, I had a small room or it all pstairs ter my h s and passed, my da hter t rned his man ca e downstairs into the “ l is oom
I made my first record in 1960 with the Cyclones. I was co ntry as co ntry co ld e, t they were the hot test roc ro p aro nd I c t o r son s he one that really opened the door or me was “ eep lem l es I remem er dri in in the car and listenin to op I o t o o ston, hearin it come on and ein so e cited I co ldn t elie e what was happenin I was nder contract ntil the early s
The people in Conroe just took me under their wing; they saw how determined I was eople wo ld as i I was e er oin to lea e he o ston stations approached me, t I st co ldn t t rn my ac on that little station I rew p in
In 2011, I fell and broke my neck. I had to stay home in a halo race I told my co host arry alla, “I can do this e wo ld send me the scripts e ery mornin , and or three months I did the show rom my home
The manager at KVST asked my daughter to find o t who had the lon est career as a in the inness oo o ecords he s li e my mana er, and she researched day and ni ht or o er a year It t rned o t I e een on the air lon er than any other woman
I was invited to do an introduction at the Grand Ole Opry I told them, “ o don t now how lon I e waited to p t my eet on this sta e I can t sin or yo , t I can tal or yo It was st a dream come tr e
When Dennis Green called to tell me that I was ein in d cted into the all o Fame, I loo ed at arry and said, “Is this le it e said, “ ary, I m a raid it is I said, “I m not ood eno h It was the happiest day o my li e, a ain
I don’t feel my age most o the time I eel adio has ept me yo n that and the people I lo e wor in with people I e accomplished so many thin s I ne er thought possible. I hear people say, “I can’t do this,” or “I can t do that I yo want to do somethin ad eno h, yo can do it I st ne er a e p od s let me do e erythin I wanted CAC
RADIO HALL of FAME
Crook & Chase
With the Museum of Broadcast Communications’ national Radio Hall of Fame ceremony coming to Nashville for the first time this year, it’s only fitting that inductees at the Sept. 19 ceremony include Music City-based icons Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase – longtime hosts and Executive Producers of The Crook & Chase Countdown. Marking their 41st year as a broadcasting team this year, Crook and Chase are heard on more than 150 affiliates nationwide. Also hosts of the iHeartMedia podcast Crook & Chase: Nashville Chats, the duo joined the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 2013.
LC: Both of us got teary-eyed when we found out about the Radio Hall of Fame induction. This is so Crook & Chase, but we ran around hugging everybody in the room, and then we sat down and realized we never hugged each other.
CC: It was a very exciting moment, and very emotional. I’ve been in radio since I was 13 years old when I got a third-class radio license, so this is truly a big check-mark and a lot of satisfaction for the career I’ve chosen.
My first big star interview was with Jeannie C. Riley when “Harper Valley P.T.A.” was No. 1. I was 16 years old and working at WRGS/Rogersville, TN. I was starstruck by this very attractive 24-year-old singer, but she was such a sweetheart, and it really gave me confidence to move forward in radio.
LC: Our success is based on the relationship with the industry and the artists, the conversations we get to have, and the way they allow us to present them and their music. So, we’re not just accepting this award on behalf of Crook & Chase. We plan to make a big point of thanking everybody in the industry who allowed us to get here. We never had our eyes on any kind of awards or nominations, much less being in the Hall of Fame. We’ve just very much been nose to the grindstone, working.
CC: Any accolades that came our way were big surprises to us.
LC: We do feel that our show is a conduit in that sacred connection between artists and fans. It’s a privilege. When an artist is across from us, they have no idea what we’re going to hit them with, or [they might worry about] how we might take things deliberately out of context just to be fallacious. They have to put a lot of trust in us, so Charlie and I make
sure that we’re fair. We don’t shy away from difficult subjects, but we don’t do “gotcha” questions. We try to have mature conversations about life, but mostly just have a ton of fun and try to bring out the best qualities of each artist.
CC: The important groundwork for whatever result we get is that we’re fans, and look at things from that perspective. People pick up on that. That’s what makes a good, strong connection, because we’re getting things out of the artists that the fans want to know.
LC: There seems to be a level of trust, and we’ve heard that not only from our listeners, but from the artists as well. Brothers Osborne gave us the hugest compliment. They said, “You guys have been together for decades, every time we talk to you we feel like you still have the spark. That thing is precious. That is your pilot light. Don’t ever let it go out.” We take that to heart.
dedicated professional and knows the business so well – something she demonstrates every time we do the show. She’s a winner.
LC: We’re still on Music Row, and we have a call button on the front of our building. We have people who push the button and just start singing, hoping to be discovered. It’s really kind of sweet. COVID put a damper on the tour bus business, but for years prior to that the [“homes of the stars” tours] used to stop in front of my house. People used to come back to my personal property, very respectfully, and leave their little homemade CDs tied up with a bow on my front porch. It breaks my heart in a way because we can’t “discover” everybody. I would love to be everybody’s big break if I could.
CC: The busses came by my house, too, and my son, when he was six or seven years old, set up a lemonade stand to sell to the tourists. He made a lot of money, and then blew it all at Disney World.
LC: Charlie is smooth. I’m sure it’s that radio training since the age of 13 – being on the air and able to handle any sort of situation. That’s why we’ve had so much fun doing live broadcasts over the years. He’s helped me learn to roll with it and have fun, which has become our forté. He’s also funny as heck. The things that come out of his mouth, I just look over at
LC: I remember the first time we had Garth Brooks on ... and Randy Travis ... and when this pretty girl named Shania Twain played us some of the first songs she’d written. Charlie and I just look at each other and go, “Yep, this is the next superstar.” It’s really cool to be able to be in on the beginning of that, and to help it along in any way we can.
CC: People often ask, “What’s the secret to our chemistry.” We don’t want to know. But we do live separate lives. So, when we come together, we bring two different perspectives. There is a great chemistry and always has been as far as broadcasting goes. It’s kind of like a brother/sister thing. We’re in there for the same reason, but look at it from different angles, and we get a wonderful result.
instant stardom. If you can get your foot in the door, learn. This business is changing so much – more so than it did in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. So, stay on top of it, observe, and be ready to sacrifice some time because, honestly, when I was young, I was working seven days a week at times – even after I got married. It’s not a free ride. It’s a lot of fun, but be prepared and be patient. Work hard and do your best, because that will probably introduce you to the next opportunity.
Fans did sometimes mistake us for a married couple, especially in the beginning when our [TV show] viewers and even the media saw we got along so well on the air. One time I said out loud on the show – and I didn’t mean this to be mean – but I said to the audience, “Do I look that stupid?”
LC: It’s exactly like the artists tell us, that 90 minutes they’re onstage and the “star” is the smallest slice of the pie – maybe 5% or less of what they actually do. The other 95% is hard work. There are things that are difficult and not necessarily fun that you have to do to in order to have a successful and balanced career. It’s the same for broadcasters.
CC: I’m very proud of the partnership and the longtime association with Lorianne. We have a wonderful team, a wonderful relationship with the industry, the artists, and it’s something that was created through time. A lot of hard work, dedication, and caring ... and it continues on. We’re honored that the Hall of Fame is giving us recognition. CAC
“COWBOYS CRY TOO (WITH NOAH KAHAN)” and “SORRY MOM” NEW SONGs OUT nOW
Who’s next?
That’s the question posed to the industry power brokers named to this year’s reader-voted Power 31. The annual rankings in Artists & Music and Airplay & Exposure categories can be found on page 25. Meanwhile, below in alphabetical order are the country music and Country radio professionals they believe are in the mix for future inclusion in the Power 31.
SALLY ALLGEIER
Red Street National Dir./Promotion
“Sally is doing an amazing job representing Red Street Records and their roster of artists,” says iHeartMedia EVP/Country Programming Strategy Rod Phillips. “She has an amazing ability to promote and market their artists while understanding local radio and coming to us with a true strategy. She will shine, impress and succeed on Music Row for a long time to come.”
Warner Chappell Music Nashville Mgr./A&R
“[Benjamin] has great A&R instincts, and can spot a great songwriter and help them develop,” says Big Loud SVP/Marketing
a le to see him do this firsthand with an artist I wor with, and it’s impressive. We’re also both on the market for personal hat brand deals.”
MICHELLE ATTARDI
Big Machine M sic Sr. Dir./P blishing
“Her passion and dedication to the songwriters she works with are unmatched,” says BMG/BBRMG VP/ A&R Katie Kerkhover works tirelessly to elevate their careers.”
SHAINA BOTWIN
Boom Music Group VP
Selected by Big Loud Owner/Managing Partner
Craig Wiseman
CHRISTI BROOKS
KCYY/San Antonio PD
“I’ve gotten to know Christi over the last year or so, and she’s a brilliant programmer, has great music instincts and puts together a great radio station (can you say Marconi nomination?),” says KPLX and KSCS/Dallas PD Mike . “And she’s funny on socials, too!”
ANDREA BURTSCHER
business, and then transition to a publishing pro, signing up-and-coming and established songwriters to Warner Chappell’s roster, while building some of the most valuable relationships in Music City. Ryan was recently appointed GM of The Neal Agency, where he will no doubt use his skill set to expertly navigate the agency business and so much more.
As a guy who still believes that great relationships matter, I believe we will see Ryan se his to the est enefit o his company and his artists
Warner Records VP/A&R
“ elly approaches rom a son first perspecti e, says Producer/Big Loud Partner Joey Moi experience and relationships in publishing allow her to help an artist discover their true creative identity in the songwriting room, ensuring their careers are built with a strong foundation of support in the creative community.”
“ one of the most
passionate people I have had the opportunity to work with”
A dacy Dir./ o ntry Pro otions & eriences “Andrea continues to illustrate a high level of organization, communication and creativity when dealing with Warner,” says Warner Music Nashville VP/ Radio Accounts Tom Martens. “She moved to Nashville as a company liaison several years ago, and I see her as a future leader of our format.”
KATIE BRIGHT
Capitol Nashville Dir./ Midwest Promotion
“Anytime someone wants to start a national promo e ort ased in Chica o, atie wo ld ma e the top on this list every year (and should probably already be on it),” says iHeartMedia/Minneapolis SVP/Programming . “She knows everyone, she gets records played, represents her artists fiercely, and wal s the tightrope between radio groups better than anyone.”
JACKIE CAMPBELL
615 Leverage + Strategy Co-Founder/Partner
Jackie is one of the most bright, creative, and passionate people I have had the opportunity to work with over the years,” says Big Machine VP/Promotion & Marketing Erik Powell “ er dedication to ildin e era e undoubtedly makes her a power player in this industry.”
HAYLEY CORBETT
PunchBowl
Entertainment Manager
“Keeping up with Hayley (alon with co mana er li ri th) on all thin s e an Moroney has been an insanely rewarding experience,” says Sony/Nashville SVP/Promotion Lauren Thomas “Hayley’s attention to detail, creative problem solving and willin ness to s pport o r e orts at Co ntry radio are only matched by her positive attitude. Really proud to work beside her and hope she gets some time to nap soon. (Although at the pace Megan is going, that is very TBD.)”
KENZIE COUCH
MCA/Nashville Coord./Promotion
“Kenzie joined my team as an intern after graduating from UTK, and it was within that first wee or so that I co ld tell she was a roc star, says Curb SVP/Promotion RJ Meacham “Fearless, o t oin , ener etic, and s per creati e I co ld o on he was with s or a ew semesters, and I told her i I co ldn t find a o or her at C r , I wo ld ic the doors down or her elsewhere ltimately, I connected her with my riends o er at and C , where she ic ly landed the coordinator position I am certain that iranda c onald
“ ayne is passionate a o t the artists in o r ormat and their m sic as well as the power o radio to connect with people, says arner sic ash ille Co-Chair/Co-President Ben Kline “ e s a tho ht l inter iewer, and no ody h stles more
PAISLEY
DUNNBANKS
W K & WVK / rank rt K orning host “ e eral years a o at C , I was at the omen s entorin rea ast, says dacy e ional rand r Central Marci Braun “ p to my ta le wal ed this wide-eyed woman, wearing a fringe shirt and a s irt he sat down and told me this was her first C and that she had won the isa c ay scholarship In the ew min tes I ot to chat with her, I reali ed her passion or all thin s radio and or this ormat It has een wonder l to see her row and shine
Sony Music Publishing/Nashville VP/Creative A&R
“ enley is a reat p lisher or any writer to ha e in their corner, says ape oom sic Fo nder Gorley “ e creates special opport nities or his writers and wor s hard to see a ision come to reality
ALLYSON GELNETT
Dir./Promotion Northeast “ arely ha e I met someone with s ch a relentless p rs it to do etter and to soa p nowled e at e ery t rn, says iri s andora Co ntry ro rammin
ALEK HALVERSON
KAJA/San Antonio PD
“ le al erson has my ote as the person that represents the t re o o r radio ormat, says toney Cree Inno ation, adio treamin
Adrian Michaels “ m lti enerational radio talent who learned his s ills rom his ather at the yo n a e o ei ht years old, le leads with swa er, confidence and nowled e eyond his years e has reat ears or m sic, a rain that is always in creati e mode and a social media ame that is nmatched r t re is in reat hands with this t re power player
SUMMER HARLOW
Mercury Records Dir./Northeast Promotion
“ mmer always o ers a ind word and a smile, and has a passion or co ntry m sic and her artists, says ro en ow romotion mmer and I e perienced a similar li e o rney, and I watched her na i ate it with pro essionalism and race he s a ri ht and shinin star
“ Such a rock star”
Big Machine Music SVP/Publishing
“I am hi hly impressed with le eddle, says orris Higham Pres. Clint Higham. “He has some of the best s ills I e seen in my years in the ind stry e s also on the street constantly and thin s a o t the ne t fi e years s the last days is relationships with writers and artists are most impressi e le is a antastic m sic man and p ts his artists first and oremost
Johnny Chiang “ llyson s passion or contin o s de elopment is a remar a le ality that I m s re will dri e her to new hei hts in o r siness
TRACY GIBSON
Leo 33 Dir./Promotion & Marketing
“ racy i son is s ch a roc star, says yndication ro p trate y Shelley Hargis “I lo e that she comes rom radio, so now wor in in the la el side o thin s she has the radio ac ro nd and nowled e to rin with her nythin I e e er done with her, she has een ttoned p and on her ame e ery step o the way s a matter o act, I eel li e she s always ahead o the ame racy ets it in e ery sense o the word he s st a lo ely h man, t also a lady that ets shit done en tho h she wor s at another la el, I m a an, and ha e een a cheerleader or her or ite some time I lo e watchin her contin e to shine
JAMIE GRAVES
Warner Music Nashville Dir./Streaming
“ e handles the relationships and does a antastic o , says pple sic ash ille ead sic siness artnerships Jay Liepis
JULI GRIFFITH
PunchBowl
Entertainment Manager
“ li was already a well respected p lisher in town, t it wasn t ntil she la nched her mana ement company with e an oroney that I started wor in more closely with her, says ony ash ille C Ken Robold “In the nearly two years since, we e seen incredi le rowth with e an, with li and ayley Cor ett as ital partners to e an s team e all elie e e an is the ne t co ntry m sic s perstar, and li will e a mainstay on this list
MILLER GUTH
S oti y Mgr./Artist & Label Partnershi s
CAROLINE
HODSON
Tape Room Music Dir./A&R
“Caroline always has a positi e attit de, she s ic to o er a smile and doesn t et stered y rapid re ests comin her way rom in demand creati es, says ony sic lishin ash ille C Rusty Gaston
MICHAEL JASPER
WME
Agent/Brand Partnerships
“ o do rand partnerships really well, ichael has an understanding of the many, many ways that an artist connects with the p lic, says riple ana ement Fo nder riple i ers ana in artner George Couri. “He has an understanding of how to identify and how to reach the p lic or the artist and or a rand, as well as how to ma e a meanin l connection etween the two his re ires an nderstandin o di ital mar etin , social mar etin and connection, and how to stay tr e to the artist his ma es him reat at his c rrent o , t wo ld ma e him reat at any o that tries to connect the p lic and the artist, which is what most o s are tryin to do e ery day
BRITTANI (KOSTER) JOHNSON
The Core Day-To-Day Mgr.
“ ne name yo can ta e to the an is rittani ( oster) ohnson, says res Frontline ecordin s, he mericas Jon Loba “I e had the chance to watch her lead the team on the C enda Committee this year, where she presented some incredi ly tho ht l and e citin panel ideas or C a in wor ed oth in record promotion and now streamin , she has a ery well ro nded iew o the comple ities o oth, alon with how they intersect and can enefit each other dditionally, she is one o those pro essionals that e en i yo ha e not wor ed with her directly, yo hear her name mentioned o er and o er a ain y others in the
Opry Entertainment Group Mgr./Artist Relations
“ iller oined poti y o t o colle e and mped ri ht into the fire, says ash ille C Harris “ e has always shown a reat nowled e o the m sic and constantly shows p or the artist la el e is one o the ne t eneration that ets the i pict re
“ am s creati e tho ht process, attention to small details and o erall or ani ation c lminates in her ein one o the most e ceptional yo n s perstars in o r ind stry, says i achine Kris Lamb “ here is nothin that can stop am rom accomplishin her oals, and she will ndo tedly e a prominent t re leader in o r ind stry
“ He creates special opportunities for his writers and works hard to see a vision come to reality.”
ALEX HEDDLE
TIFFANY KERNS
CMA SVP/Industry Relations & Philanthropy & CMA Foundation Exec. Dir.
“ i any is a ni ely i ted pro essional who does her o or the ri ht reasons, says owns are Content ro rammin Kurt Johnson “ hro h the years she s de eloped nmatched relationships, pro rams and networ s to rin m sic ed cation to schools and st dents who need it he ascended to the o o ec ti e ir C Fo ndation s cceedin none other than oe alante and now is the Ind stry elations or all o C i any mo es o r ind stry orward in increasin ly important ways efinitely the ne t eneration o ower ers
at their ollow thro h, comm nications and ta in care o siness oth on and o the road, says alory res George Briner
TRACY MARTIN
The Core Entertainment Pres.
“ racy artin is, witho t a do t, a t re ower ind stry leader, says arner sic ash ille adio Commercial artnerships Kristen Williams “ oo no rther or a woman with confidence, class and race and nows how to et shit done he is a mana ement roc star and a orce to e rec oned with
“ ohan or sic o, as he s appropriately called has some ama in ears, tireless wor ethic and is tr ly one o the ood h mans in o r ind stry, says arner Chappell res C Ben Vaughn
GREG LEE
NBC Universal VP/ Entertainment, Live vents & S ecials “ re is a ma nificent champion o co ntry m sic and is doin it in ways that ha en t een done e ore, says ash ille Chair C Cindy Mabe “ e was most recently instr mental in the Toby Keith American Icon special, honorin the li e and le acy
o o y eith and ma in it a prime time e ent that was so emotionally power l it connected s ac to why co ntry m sic is a enre li e no other e are amily re is incredi ly moti ated to de elop artists stories in co ntry m sic and has een instr mental in creatin new paths or disco ery thro h the People’s Choice Country Awards and other pro rammin opport nities that C is ildin o now re is to eel his passion or his o and or co ntry m sic
“ has some amazing ears, tireless work ethic and is truly one of the good humans in our industry
GALLUCCIO
Boom Music Group
Mgr./Creative, One Country Dir./Promotion & Partnerships
“I can t pic st one, says C romotion
Miranda McDonald
LARAMIE LOMANTO
Red Light Management Day-To-Day Manager
“In the short time I ha e nown and wor ed with aramie in tandem with iley reen, she has simply een a roc star, says ash ille ar or res Harnen “ he has e ceptional attention to detail, incredi le ollow thro h, always positi e, ener etic and she does it with a smile on her ace e en in the most tryin o sit ations here s ne er a fire drill, and she s always a possi ilitarian hether she is in the o ce or on the road, her approach to handlin e ery
SHELBY MARVEL
ShopKeeper Management
“ hel y approaches e ery scenario with incredi le positi ity while also maintainin the tmost pro essionalism, says i o d romotion Stacy Blythe “ he is also a new(ish) pro d mom I lo e watchin her interact with others, as her ener y is conta io s
CHARLIE MAXX
WXCY/Wilmington, DE PD
“Charlie a is well on her way to ecomin a power ro er, says “ onest, with a reat ear or the m sic and dedication to pro rammin the most e cient, well tho ht o t radio rand she s associated with
BRENT MICHAELS
K /Bakers eld PD
“I admire his deep nowled e o co ntry m sic oth new and old, and his talent or c ratin a radio station that seamlessly lends well nown artists with emer in talents is tr ly impressi e, says i o d romotion
“ rent s inno ati e and en a in approach to social media eeps his a dience capti ated and amplifies e citement aro nd m sic and local e ents eyond his dynamic on air presence as a li e and local with palpa le passion, he dedicates time to acti ely participatin in the a ersfield comm nity is riendly demeanor and positi e ener y ma e him a stando t presence, consistently radiatin reat i es rent em odies the alities o an e ceptional leader and an inspirin fi re in the ind stry
MANDELYN MONCHICK
“ andelyn onchic has done a rilliant o na i atin
“ aileen an an has the a ility to wal into a room and instantly ma e yo eel li e yo e nown her or a million years his ind stry is so m ch a o t relationships, and she is rilliant at ma in and maintainin them he sets the tone or any room she s in, and her smile is in ectio s riana all ccio is one o the most dri en people I e e er nown riana s is most people s , and it s remar a le to watch he will e a orce he already is
KRISTEN REED
Concord Label Group VP/Data Analytics & Research
“Kristen Reed will be running this town someday,” says Capitol VP/Promotion Chris Schuler. “One of Nashville’s smartest, Kristen’s understanding of the business and having an early beat on trends before they happen will not only get her far, her unmatched people skills make her the perfect leader.”
NICK RIVERS
WIRK/West Palm Beach
APD/MD
“Nick is a progressive thinker, both as a music director and also a fan of the format,” says Sony/Nashville EVP/ Promotion & Artist Development Steve Hodges. “He acknowledges the challenges and embraces new ideas of exposing music on terrestrial radio while maintaining the job of growing the station’s ratings, which inevitably leads to revenue growth. Probably the most important thing for Nick at this point in his career is the fact that he’s learning from and being mentored by one of the brightest programmers in the industry, [OM/PD] Bruce Logan. Bruce is a rare breed, in a super great way, and Nick is fortunate to have that sort of leadership to continue to learn from.”
JORDAN ROWE
Songwriter
“Likely not the power we normally think of,” says iHeartCountry Brand Coordinator/SVPP Nashville Gator Harrison, “but songwriter Jordan Rowe not only is trying to pioneer a brand of country music he refers to as ‘Kingdom Country,’ but he’s launched a weekly Bible study branded as Music Row Ministries to encourage all future power players.”
DAWN SANTOLUCITO
WKLB/Boston APD/Marketing Dir.
“Beyond being incredibly brilliant, she is very in tune with her brand’s audience and is always willing to learn and evolve,” says Cumulus VP/Country and WKDF & WSM-FM/Nashville PD Travis Daily. “With as fast as our business changes you have to be willing to evolve, and she is not scared of change or tackling the hardest of challenges. I’m a fan.”
KATHLEEN SHEA
Sirius XM/Pandora PD
“I picked Kathleen because good leaders do more listening than talking, and she’s a good listener who pays close attention to all aspects of the music and the story,” says Warner Music Nashville VP/Radio Anna Cage
MARGARET TOMLIN
Sony/Nashville VP/A&R
“Margaret Tomlin has the maturity and emotional balance of somebody who’s been in the industry for decades, with a very intense eye for the future,” says producer Dann Huff. “I’ve seen her time and time again facilitate creativity in artists, producers and musicians. I’m grateful to have had a chance to work with her over the last several years. Whatever the record company of the future is, I have an inkling that she is headed for a CEO spot in her future.”
RIO VAN RISSEGHEM
The Orchard Label Mgr./Nashville
“Having had another career before coming to the country music industry, Rio processes a unique drive, real-world outlook and unbreakable passion only seen in a select few industry newcomers,” says Amazon Music Head/Country Michelle Tigard Kammerer. “Not only is she brilliant, has an incredible work ethic, and is a creative genius, she also takes the time to invest in her artists (as most are independent), find their story and create one-of-a-kind campaigns that speak to and grow the fan connection. Moreover, in only a few short years, she has already established herself as a ‘one-to-watch’ in town, a ‘go-to’ on the indie label side and a natural leader, as was recently voted in as the President of SOLID (a young professionals music industry organization). This is just the beginning for Rio, and I have no doubt she will not only make the Power 31, but will most likely top it one day. Go, Rio, go!”
BREE WAGNER
ALAINA VEHEC
Sony/Nashville, VP/Commercial Partnerships
“Alaina is and will be a future country power broker because of her tenacity and dedication,” says Amazon Music Principal Music Curator/Music Industry Emily Cohen Belote. “She consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic and a relentless commitment to helping Sony/Nashville artists become bigger and bigger superstars. I’ve worked with Alaina for a long time now, and it’s been a pleasure because she doesn’t bring just skill to her role, but passion and a problemsolving mindset to her work.”
Apple Music Country Coord./Music
“Bree is a true music seeker with an elite ear for what’s next,” says Radio One Houston Dir./ Operations Travis Moon. “Her passion for artists and songs, combined with her instincts, makes her an invaluable collaborator in our industry.”
CHEYANA WEEKLEY
UMG/Nashville Dir./ Marketing & Project Management
“Cheyana is one of the best up-and-coming music executives I know,” says BMG/Nashville EVP/Recorded Music JoJamie Hahr. “Her creativity, take charge attitude and organizational ability are just a few of the qualities that will have her running a label one day.”
CHRISTINA WILTSHIRE
Warner Chappell Music Nashville Sr. Dir./A&R
“From the first time I met Christina while she was an intern at Warner Music Nashville, I felt she was bound for big things in the music biz,” says Triple Tigers Co-Pres. Kevin Herring. “She has great ears, and the sky is the limit for her! I am always watching her career with great interest.”
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Musicgives.org
St. Jude patients Camila, Hunter, Kiara and Hayden
DAVID KANTOR
THE INTERVIEW For The People
Recent purchases of the Emmis/Indianapolis and Cox/Houston clusters – following an earlier purchase in Charlotte – moved Radio One beyond parent Urban One’s longstanding focus on urban and African-American audiences. Among the new formats, Country, with WLHK/ Indianapolis and KKBQ/Houston. Radio One CEO David Kantor explains his and the company’s expansionist approach, integration of new formats and belief in radio’s people.
CA: What was the thought process that led Radio One to expand from super-serving African-American and urban audiences? Did opportunity change the mindset, or did the mindset change and you went looking for opportunity?
DK: A combination of both. Clearly we have the AA and Urban footprint nationally and in all of our marketplaces, but that’s only 15 to 20% of the U.S. population. And while we certainly do well nationally in the AA space – where we are the leader – the long-term goal should really be to get up to being the number one, two or three player in the markets in which we operate. When you have a market that’s only 15% African-American – Houston, for instance, is somewhere around that – you’re not going to have more than the three Urban stations, which it already has. So if I’m going to expand locally, I need to expand into the general market. e came p with a strate y that, first, was to consolidate whate er r ans we co ld in markets we’re already in. Those opportunities are far and few because you’d have to get a competitor to sell to you. With the way radio stations are going right now, I’m not sure there are a lot of sellers among the Urban players in our markets. The second strategy meant moving into other formats, whether it be Hispanic, Classic Rock, Country or Conservative Talk. Those are formats I have in my background with ABC Radio and AMFM. A lot of people in the company did as well. The third strategy would be to enter a new market, which has not proven to make sense yet under the economics.
Why Houston and Indianapolis in particular? Was it just the availability? Houston and Indy were similar, as was Charlotte. We did that deal with Audacy in 2020. We were maxed out in those marketplaces. Although there were other potential Urban players, we didn’t think they were going to exit the format. They were all good operators, particularly in Houston, where they shared a lot of our operational philosophies. We saw the stations as very complementary. Most of our Indy stations are in the top 10. Four of the top 10 in Houston are ours. In Indy, we’re now No. 1 in the market, and in Houston we’re No. 2. It gave us economy of scale, particularly to compete in the general, local market.
What did you learn integrating new formats into the company? Actually, it went both ways. In my opinion, a good PD is a good PD regardless of the format. Most critical aspects are the same – particularly in music formats or very targeted formats like Conservative Talk or Hispanic, which share a lot of similarities with Urban and the AA space e also loo ed si nificantly at the people we were rin in in he people at the top in both Houston and Indy were some of the best in the country in their formats. We may not have that strength, but we brought it in with the acquisition, then gave them a lot of authority to move forward. I’m a big believer that outside of the stick, everything else is about the people. We were really excited to get Travis Moon in Houston, who is one of the best PDs in the country. We actually put the Urban stations under him for operations.
What was it about Travis that led you to put the Urban stations under him?
Travis is the kind of radio person I like to think I am. He has that balance of being very analytic and strategic, but also having that gut. Jelly Roll was a great example of Travis being on something very early just on feel. After you’ve evaluated everything, you still have to say, “I know this guy’s going to be a hit” because you’re integrated into operating stations. I tend to look for people who are very good with the data and basic strategy, but also have that instinct for the business because they’ve been in it so long and they love it so much.
There’s an idea that Urban and Country audiences share some psychographics in terms of community, loyalty – maybe more TSL formats than cume. Now that you have both, do you see those parallels?
If there’s a strong, double-digit urban population – and obviously there isn’t really in L.A. anymore, which is why they only ha e one or two r an stations that are ery low rated a mainstream r an AC is very similar to Country. The way the playlists work, the way the currents roll up or don’t roll up, the way you look at recurrents, the music testing – even the way your jocks operate. Very similar. I’ve always had the philosophy that all radio audiences are actually similar. They’re just very targeted. And what you have to do is get to the psychographics and the demographics that fall into that particular audience and build on that. Now, I would argue Country, Classic Rock and Urban AC are all broad-based formats. Whereas mainstream Urban, Classic Hip Hop, classic Talk, Hispanic and Classic Country are going to be much more targeted formats. With the broad-based formats, I’d focus much more on building cume to the maximum we think is available. On narrow formats, that’s about dominating a P1 position and increasing time spent listening as much as possible.
How does Country compare to Urban in terms of revenue delivered per ratings share?
Historically, a more broad-based format, sold properly, probably outperforms an r an or ispanic ormat o wo ld e pect they wo ld all into the top fi e or top 10 in some markets. But because of our success focusing so much on one format, we have gotten very good at selling that format locally and nationally,
THE INTERVIEW
which o io sly i es s some enefits In an e cient mar etplace, e ery ody wo ld et the same amo nt o re en e per share In an ine cient mar etplace, those who can e ecti ely reach the di erent c ets o re en e national, local, the ad ertisers who are partic larly interested in a pop lation I m tar etin will ma imi e that o I don t thin it s re ecti e on the ormat as m ch as it is on the sales strate y yo implement
Speaking of national, have there been any issues integrating Country and other formats into your national sales strategy?
ot yet r eneral mar et national strate y is primarily at and o r corporate sales on a road ase asis For national ad ertisers we wor with who are tar etin a national rican merican ootprint, we lea e those stations o t e e started to tal to more ad ertisers a o t ha in a it o a Co ntry ootprint in Indy and o ston, ews al in Charlotte and Indy, and C in Indy and Charlotte s we ain more stations in other ormats, that will ecome a m ch i er inte ration into a national and re ional sales strate y as well as pro rammin strate y hat s down the road i ht now, non r an acco nts or ro hly o o r a dience, st y e pandin in those three mar ets and the ispanics that we ha e in se eral orthwest mar ets
Did anything surprise you once you got into operating and working closely with the Country stations?
I was s rprised at how m ch new co ntry material there is In that respect, it s m ch more li e mainstream r an than r an C, where there s ery little new material Co ntry and mainstream r an co ld ha e do ens o new releases e ery wee yo ha e to o thro h to decide what s oin to e important to yo r a dience l s there s m ch more o a local slant o can t st do historical research that wor s across se eral mar ets o really ha e to loo at what s oin on in o ston and e as, or in the idwest and Indianapolis
Have you had much interaction with country labels or artists yet?
little it, t ra is o io sly does, and he s done an e tremely ood o In eneral, we let o r s handle most o that nless there is somethin we want to disc ss at a ma or le el n e ample we e tho ht a o t e do an e tremely s ccess l cr ise with om oyner and aro nd acts e e tal ed a o t potentially doin that in other ormats hat s where we d ha e more con ersation with the la els hen we re doin e ents and can tie it ac to what we re also doin on the radio stations, that wor s really well or s
So you’re pleased with the Country stations and adding more would be attractive if you had the opportunity? es, yes and yes I wo ld lo e to ha e more Co ntry stations i e mainstream r an, Co ntry is always oin thro h m sical chan es in the types o son s and artists who are pop lar at any i en time ore rec rrent ased ormats li e C, Classic oc and r an C ha e to e m ch more oc sed on ndamentals eca se yo don t ha e all that new m sic comin in o Co ntry ta es di erent s ills, which oes ac to ha in confidence in yo r s
Are all the stations under one roof in Indianapolis and Houston?
es e are ildin a new acility in Indy that s pro a ly a year away, t they are all c rrently operatin o t o the old mmis acility nd in o ston we mo ed e erythin to the Co acility, tho h that lease is comin p in the ne t co ple o years e elie e all the ormats sho ld e to ether
eca se yo r oc s in ario s ormats still ha e more thin s in common than they don t nd we e done interestin thin s e e had a oc rom o r r an station e on o r Conser ati e al station and ice ersa ot necessarily or cross listenin , t more or nderstandin o di erent types o enres and people
Zooming out to Radio One in general, what is the programming philosophy around live and local programming versus having personalities on in multiple markets, using outside syndication and/or voice tracking?
e ha e di erent philosophies y station and mar et e en in r an, where we pretty m ch own all o o r syndication e cept or te e ar ey in tlanta It s a ery syndicated ormat oin ac or years to when om oyner started with s and ic ly mo ed rther in that direction with te e ar ey, hley and ic miley, and he rea ast Cl o the point most stations in the were airin a syndicated prod ct e se ite a it o syndication in ispanic, too, t in Co ntry, r an C, C and Classic oc we tend to oc s m ch more on li e and local, tryin to ild a traditional i mornin show with the ri ht m sic or the mar etplace and doin a lot o o treach e pro a ly do more o treach than any ody
Is radio’s biggest issue attracting audience, retaining it or selling that audience to advertisers who seem to be moving toward digital platforms with better attribution? hey each ha e their own set o pro lems In the last years, media in eneral has ecome more se mented not st internet ers s radio ers s tele ision, ca le, newspapers t it s se mented e en within those mod les with streamin , podcasts and o er the air radio eople only ha e ho rs in a day and a lot o that is spent doin other thin s, so we re i htin e ery other media not st a dio or a share o their sa e m ero ithin o r se ment, partic larly on the yo n er end, people are mo in ery rapidly to streamin and podcasts, which has ta en away rom o er the air roadcastin s it relates to ad sales, same thin d ertisers now ha e a lot more choices than radio and treamin , a dio streamin , podcasts, o er the air, and also eotar etin on the internet he ood siness went thro h this, too here sed to e st s and ean t s ow there are many more types o s ay e they e e panded the o erall mar et or their candy, t each indi id al prod ct may not e as stron as it sed to e e ha e to loo at that, too ow do we e pand the a dio mar etplace e en tho h it may not stren then traditional roadcastin e may ha e to p t o r oc s into streamin and podcasts
Which could solve some of the attribution and targeting problems.
he ad ertisin ni erse has chan ed dramatically hey once wanted to o to one place and reach as many people as possi le with one messa e ow it s the complete opposite hey want to o to as many places as possi le with as many messa es as possi le, reachin a specific person or small ro p o people hat is a ery si nificant technolo ical chan e or all media n ort nately, it s more di c lt or radio e can do that thro h podcastin and streamin , t o er the air, we can t art o that will ta e place eca se, o er time, streamin will contin e to row m ch as streamin on tele ision has he ad ertiser can now et that attri tion thro h streamin that they co ldn t et thro h roadcast adio aces the same thin , it s st a harder path or s t it s ine ita le omethin li e o a dio listenin is now thro h
streamin or podcastin and, considerin that didn t really e ist pre C I , that s pretty si nificant mo ement in o r or fi e years hat will contin e to accelerate, partic larly as older ro ps e in to adopt the technolo y i ht now, I m constantly loo in or ormats in the ad lt realm more than I am in a yo n er end eca se most o the ad lts are still hea y radio sers he other enefit radio has is the a tomo ile eca se it ta es somewhere aro nd years or a tomo iles to oat thro h the mar etplace o we ha e time to ma e the con ersion, t we ha e to e conscientio s o these trends dio is shi tin to what are now really comp ters and cars, not radios e need to e conscio s o ein ali ned with how sa e is chan in so we don t et ca ht o ard
How do you view the surge country music is having at the moment?
Formats always o in wa es and a lot o it has to do with the material all o them ri ht now, co ntry pro a ly has the reshest material comin o t I won t o erly date mysel , t I remem er when op was really a com ination o r an, op, oc and Co ntry nd then ormats ecame m ch more se mented For a while, r an dominated the pop charts ow yo re seein Co ntry doin that l s yo re startin to see artists crossin ormats o ha e elly oll per ormin with minem here s a lot more con eniality across ormats and talent than there sed to e
You’re retiring at the end of the year. Do you have any sense of relief that radio’s changing dynamics will no longer be your headaches?
I m happy that this is a ood time or me to retire I was ori inally loo in at , then C I came in and I elt I sho ld stay thro h that he ind stry is chan in so rapidly and we ha e so many talented people comin p, so it s time to hand the aton to another eneration nd that doesn t mean I wo ldn t e aro nd or people to call i they want ad ice I d e happy to i e it t we need to loo at thin s ery di erently y perspecti e oes ac to when yo co ld only own radio stations I wor ed or C, which had se en and se en F , ma in it the lar est radio player adio is nothin li e that anymore Fi e years rom now, e en more so It s time or a new eneration to ta e char e
Was there a moment when it clicked for you that this business was something you wanted to be a part of?
hen I was an nder rad at ass, I started doin a radio show and ell instantly in lo e with it I stopped oin to classes, spent all my time at the radio station and then started a concert promotion siness y initial entry came thro h m sic, t once yo re in i yo ha e that fire in yo r elly and lo e the ind stry yo want to e part o it ery day is di erent I can wa e p and tell yo what I thin the day s oin to loo li e, t when I o to ed at ni ht it loo ed nothin li e that
What are your plans?
I want to rela , et some more ad ent ro s trips o t o the way e ore I et too old and can t do them nd I st o ht a place in roo lyn I ha e three ids with randchildren in ew or City, and ha e always wanted to spend more time there o tside o wor
Final thoughts?
e are still an ind stry o people hat is o r reatest asset and the most important thin or mo in o r siness orward eople not only rin etter ways o operatin , they o er creati ity, reshness and new prod cts I see it all the time in this ind stry how do we c t costs t that s st one aspect e all m ch wo ld pre er how do we row o r re en e o row re en e thro h yo r people comin p with resh and inno ati e ideas
