November 14, 2016, Issue 525
Family Time: Blair Garner Q&A
Radio is radio. Or is it? With Blair Garner’s return to overnights, the man who defined the space with After MidNite brings newfound perspective from his three-year run at the helm of America’s Morning Show. Country Aircheck asked him about designing The Blair Garner Show as it supplants Cumulus’ Kickin’ It With Kix on more than 100 stations. CA: So how’s it going so far? BG: It feels like an amazing homecoming. Most importantly, it’s been great for my family, which was the reason to make the change in the first place. The fact that I just voted and my kids got to experience that with their dad is something that wouldn’t have happened had I still been doing the morning show. Mornings are tough, but did that surprise you? No, but I thought I could segment things a little bit better. The machine of doing mornings is all-consuming, so when I was with the kids, I found I wasn’t mentally with them. You’re always thinking, “How can I use this on the show?” That’s good, but also doesn’t allow you to fully drink in moments with family. People doing mornings get the most press and promotional time, but the fact is there’s a significant price that they pay for taking on that shift. Blair Garner What’s different about the new show and what’s your schedule like now? I saw an opportunity to be less evergreen with the daypart and to be more in the moment and topical. I’ve built a studio at my house and it’s amazing what that allows. Take for example the CMAs. I can go to the show and come back and add in what has just happened, which allows us to live in the moment with the listeners. With the home studio and Nash campus [I have] the best of both worlds. To what degree are you live each night? It’s a mix and depends what’s going on. There are nights [without much] going on and I may have a family commitment to honor, so I can do the show in advance. Given my preference, we’d be live. We’re still finding our legs a little bit. (continued on page 6)
Core Vets: Big/Thirty Tigers’ Aaron Watson (fourth from left) with veterans at KAGG/Bryan, TX Friday (11/11).
Country’s Mane Event
Art imitates life ... and then inspires a book. Author (and former Country Aircheck staffer) Erin Duvall says a certain Nashville actor’s enviable tresses were the impetus for her new book Country Music Hair. “Connie Britton’s hair has its own Twitter account,” she explains. After discussing the idea with her editor, Duvall was on a mission to explore the non-musical roots of country – the bleachable, tease-able, perm-able ones. “In all walks of life, whether you’re a country singer or not, your hairstylist knows Erin Duvall more about you than anybody else,” says
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