August 9, 2021, Issue 768
Hybrid WFH Plans Begin To Variant
A not-so-funny thing happened on the way to the pandemic’s end: it didn’t, and the country business is responding accordingly. In the first of a two-part look at the evolving work environment, Country Aircheck reached out to decision makers at an unscientific sampling of companies and stations for an overview of how they are planning for, or adjusting plans for, working in-office. (Next week’s story will focus on a broader survey of industrywide views; take it here.) Hybrid Vigor: Across company sizes and types whose executives replied, only 5% are fully back in the office, 30% remain in work-from-home mode and 65% are in a hybrid arrangement. Rising COVID cases and the Delta variant seem to be shifting views, however. “There’s more caution and it’s coming up on every other phone call at this point,” says one label executive who declined to be named. “It’s frustrating because we thought after the shot this would all go away.” (Ed. Note: The vast majority of individuals contacted for this story declined attribution citing the need to not publicly speak for parent companies.) Triple Tigers President Norbert Nix echoes the sentiments of many who were hoping for Norbert Nix more face time with coworkers. “We have had some smaller staff meetings, and it is evident that in person human interaction has been sorely missed and is very necessary,” he says. “The creative process is better in person – much more impactful than a Zoom call.” A publishing executive adds, “Maybe 85% of it is fine, but you miss those magic moments of collaboration.” The opportunity for more of those moments may now be delayed. “We were pretty well down the road to opening the offices in full, but with a few of our vaccinated employees contracting [COVID] we have slowed that down a bit,” says one label GM. “The office is open for anyone that needs it, but we are very mindful that we don’t need to take any chances in the name of the old way of doing things.” (continued on page 20)
Plaque Stage: RCA’s Chris Young is surprised backstage at the Opry with a plaque commemorating more than four billion Pandora streams by the company’s Beville Dunkerley (l) and Alina Thompson.
Tour Launch: Zac Brown Band Thursday night (8/5) saw the kickoff of Zac Brown Band’s The Comeback Tour at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ, about 40 miles outside of New York City. Audacy WNSH/New York MD/afternoon host Jesse Addy was in attendance and agreed to double as Country Aircheck’s correspondent and share his experience. “The house track faded, and the band walked out onto a dark stage. Everyone got
Jesse Addy
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