COUNTRY
RCHECK
WEEKLY
March 27, 2017, Issue 543
#1 Most Added with 146 First Week Stations! #19 BB Highest debut of the year! Debut at #31 CA/MB
Thank you country radio! True Crime Radio On WPAP
Shots were fired, a man lay bleeding, suspects were thought to have an AK-47, a frustrated cop reached out to radio and listeners spearheaded an arrest. This may sound like the plot to an upcoming episode of Law & Order, but it all played out in real life Sunday in Bay County Florida. Country Aircheck’s Paul Williams was returning from vacation and heard the situation unfold over the air in real time. Late morning, a man was shot in the abdomen behind a local motel and his AK-47 rifle was stolen. The victim was taken to Bay Medical for surgery as Sheriff Tommy Ford jumped into action. His first thought was to alert the public, but calls to contact numbers for local television stations were unsuccessful. Frustrated, he contacted iHeartMedia WPAP/Panama City morning host Dr. Shane Collins. “He called my cell phone ... I’ve never Shane Collins heard that tone in his voice,” says Collins, an 18-year station vet with a strong relationship with Ford. Understanding the sheriff’s anxiousness to get the public’s help, Collins acted quickly, alerting Director/Engineering (continued on page 1)
Okay, Okay: Sony’s John Zarling, manager Martha Earls, RCA’s Kane Brown and Cumulus’ Tariq Lundy and Danger (l-r) at KHKI/Des Moines, IA.
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