April 6, 2020, Issue 699
Radio Reacts To ACM: Our Country
In a world of coronavirus and social distancing, the Academy of Country Music and Dick Clark Productions were forced to postpone the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards until September (CAT 3/16) but embraced the opportunity to debut an at-home special, ACM Presents: Our Country last night (4/5) at 8pm ET on CBS (CAT 3/19). Country programmers and personalities were tuned in and shared their thoughts with Country Aircheck following the broadcast. iHeartMedia KSD/St. Louis APD/MD/afternoon personality Dusty Panhorst: “I’m a huge fan of stripped down, acoustic performances, and I loved how each artist did more than just performing a song. They spoke from their heart and helped us forget about everything for a little bit; we all needed that. Charles [Kelley] and Dave [Haywood of Lady Antebellum] with their kids jumping in the video was a favorite moment for me, because that is all of us right now. Luke Combs was amazing, as were Old Dominion, Eric Church Dusty Panhorst and the Kenny Rogers tribute. But for a stand out performance, I have to give it to Kane Brown and John Legend or Tim McGraw. They really stuck with me.” Summit KFDI/Wichita APD/MD/midday personality Carol Hughes: “I got all dressed up and even changed sweatpants for the occasion and watched with my very senior dog and even more senior cat. But, I really wish I had watched with a horse. Seeing Shania singing to her horse tonight was either the best thing on the show or the weirdest, and I honestly can’t decide. Obviously, with it being Palm Sunday, I was most excited about Church. Who am I kidding? Knowing he was going to sing a new song was the highlight of my Carol Hughes weekend, and it did not disappoint. Honestly, the show didn’t need Gayle King. Her comments fell flat ... they could have thrown it to each other and it would have been more effective. (continued on page 9)
Sipping Lemonade: Academy of Country Music board executive committee members share a pre-show toast to last night’s ACM Presents: Our Country (4/5), which replaced the postponed 55th ACM Awards, now scheduled for Sept. 16. Pictured (l-r, top to bottom) are City National Bank’s Lori Badgett, Country Aircheck’s Chuck Aly, Exec. Producer RAC Clark, UMGN’s Cindy Mabe, Joe’s Live’s Ed Warm, FBMM’s Duane Clark, ACM’s Damon Whiteside, FBMM’s Carmen Romano, Sony’s Ken Robold, FBMM’s Paul Barnabee, WME’s Becky Gardenhire and Essential Broadcast Media’s Ebie McFarland.
Finding Silver Linings
Radio stations, record labels, artists, songwriters and others are developing new and creative approaches to work, communicate, entertain, uplift and inform in a world of turmoil. Country Aircheck has been littered with those stories over the past two weeks and now takes a deeper look at three in what it’s hoped will become a recurring series on the bright spots where inspiration and perspiration are making life better.
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