June 22, 2020, Issue 710
Country Radio Holding Strong
First, the good news. Two full months of pandemic-affected PPM numbers show consistent increases in Country’s share of radio listening – rising 3.8% in April and 3.4% in May. Now, the also good news: Month-over-month and year-over-year share growth is continuing, even as April’s 26.9% cume decline transitioned to an 18.1% increase in May. (See Cume Crater 5/26 and May PPM Scoreboard 6/15 pg. 13 for details). Country Aircheck reached out to format leaders for reaction and spotlights three top-performing stations below. Essential Medium: “We have rebounded from April, a low month for radio in general,” Tim Roberts says Entercom Country Format Captain and WYCD/Detroit PD Tim Roberts. “In May, we saw increases to 82% of normal and over 90% on weekends and Country streaming increases, as well. It’s definitely rebounding. The heavy users are still there, even if incidental listening – people walking into stores, for instance – fell off. I do think the music has gotten better, and radio in general – and Country radio specifically – have done a darn good job in a tough time. Everything I’m seeing is promising.” A combination of factors is likely at work in Country’s elevating share. “The pie is smaller, but we’re still getting our slice,” says another top PD who asked not to be named because of his company’s current media policy. “There’s some truth to our audience being the people still getting in their cars or trucks every day. More than that, we’ve built a relationship with the audience – certainly more than contemporary music formats have. Their listeners are more likely to be kids who are sleeping until 10am now.” The country industry’s response has also played a part in Country radio’s relative health. “My hat’s off to Nashville for facilitating those ongoing connections with the audience,” Roberts says of the many online performances for stations. “Our personalities have also done a great job being invested in their communities and looking for ways to help. Radio proved itself, once again, as an essential medium, even (continued on page 8)
Tiger King: Triple Tigers’ Scotty McCreery celebrates his third No. 1, “In Between,” during the label’s Zoom staff meeting. Pictured (first row, l-r) are Annie Brooks, Hope Garrison and Kevin Herring; (second row, l-r) Parker Fowler, Laura Hostelley and Raffaella Braun; (third row, l-r) McCreery, Julianna Vaughn, Diane Lockner and Norbert Nix.
Elevating Social Strategy
As interaction with the outside world lessened and usage of platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram expanded, the need for a strong, dynamic online presence became critical. Social media strategist/talkshoplive Co-Founder Bryan Moore has engineered campaigns for Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Access Hollywood, BAFTA, Vanity Fair and the United Nations, among others. When it comes to social media strategy, he tells Country Aircheck he strives to “bridge the gap between social and constantlyevolving digital and traditional media.” Setting goals and benchmarks is important, Bryan Moore and social media is no different. Surprisingly, Moore believes that to achieve the most success, goals should not be based on follower count, but on
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