Issue 930 - October 7, 2024 by Country Aircheck

October 7, 2024, Issue 930

Case Study: Pop Goes Country

Seeing Morgan Wallen, Kane Brown, Shaboozey, Post Malone and Dasha topping a radio station playlist should come as no surprise these days, until you notice that station is not Country. Not only does Midwest Top 40 WIXX/Appleton, WI have those artists in its top five this week, you’ll find Jelly Roll and Koe Wetzel in the rest of its top 10, making it one of the most crossoverheavy stations on the Top 40 panel.

“We’re not a big city, we’re a pretty blue-collar town, and country music seems to be everywhere,” says PD Corey Carter. “We’ve always had crossovers in my 14 years here. Right now just seems to be especially heavy with them.” He cites Hunter Hayes’ “Wanted” and “Don’t You Wanna Stay” by Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson as past hits for the station.

“The top streaming songs for the past two months have been Post Malone/Morgan Wallen and Shaboozey, and he’s No. 1 by a mile,” adds Carter. “How do you deny that data? When it comes down to it, people want to hear songs they like, and our people are telling us they like those songs. Granted, we get people who complain occasionally, but at the same time, the songs are just such massive hits.”

WIXX is regularly one of the top two stations in both the Appleton and Green Bay markets, battling it out with Country WNCY, which also happens to be its sister station.

“My most shared audience is with WIXX,” explains WNCY PD Dan Stone. “It’s not another Country station, it’s not our Classic Country, it’s WIXX. So, there’s a lot of back and forth between us. The biggest thing is when you get a song like ‘Tipsy’ and it’s on every station in town in high rotation at the same time, it’s not as valuable. We like the songs that we can own. The shared songs wear out faster.”

With so much musical co-mingling between the two stations, there must be a lot of coordination happening ... or not. “Even though Corey’s office is right next to mine, I don’t talk to him about this,” admits Stone. “I don’t worry about another station’s playlist; I only worry about mine.” Carter confirms, “We don’t consult with each other at all.”

(continued on page 13)

Plaque Ops: Lyric Ridge’s Drew Baldridge and his promo team receive a plaque from Country Aircheck in celebration of No. 1 Somebody ’s Daughter.” Pictured (back, l-r) are RG Jones Aircheck’s Lon Helton, Royce Risser and Clay Henderson Chele Fassig, Baldridge, Louie Newman and Gwen Foster

NSHoF: Victoria Shaw

For Victoria Shaw, learning over the summer that she is soon to become one of the newest members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF) was “humbling and mind blowing.” Best known for such country hits as “The River” and “She’s Every Woman” (Garth Brooks), “Too Busy Being In Love” (Doug Stone), “I Love The Way You Love Me” (John Michael Montgomery, also an international hit for pop band Boyzone) and “We Don’t Have To Do This” (Tanya Tucker), Shaw will be inducted – in the peer-selected Veterans Songwriter category – alongside David Bellamy (The Bellamy Brothers), Al Anderson, Liz Rose, Dan Penn and the late Tony Joe White during the 54th anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala Nov. 6. Victoria Shaw

(continued on page 7)

Corey Carter

Dan Stone

OFF THE RECORD

Wheelhouse’s Dylan Schneider goes Off (The Record) about Puzzled:

“Bad Decisions” was the second song we wrote for this album, and right off the bat, it felt like it belonged. I wrote this one with Jacob Hackworth and Gabe Foust, and we just wanted to write a story of a toxic on-and-offagain relationship that we felt everyone has been through a time or two. We all know that one person we run back to even though we know we shouldn’t.

DYLAN SCHNEIDER

Gabe Foust and I had the idea for “Carhartt” for a long time. We originally wanted to do a more heartfelt love story with the direction of the song, but in the end decided to go for a more fun approach. It’s about that favorite shirt or hoodie of yours being stolen by the girl who got away. We’ve all been that guy missing his favorite Carhartt or the girl that ran off with it.

“Better Than You Left Me” is one of my favorites on the album. We wrote it last year at an in-town writers camp in Nashville, and I was hooked ever since. The fan reaction across social media since announcing the album has been amazing. I hope it helps people move on and find that somebody new after a tough breakup.

“Puzzled” is one of the most personal songs I’ve ever written and shared. It came to me after being gifted a puzzle of a picture of myself at the Boots and Hearts Festival, and I knew immediately it had to be the title track of my album. It shares the story of my life, the ups and downs, since moving to Nashville eight years ago and putting together the pieces of my own life.

“Ain’t Missin’ You” was kind of the beginning of this whole process of putting Puzzled together. The reception online was incredible and started a creative fire for me. It’s a song about a good girl getting over a bad guy with somebody new who is finally treating her right. I think everyone should be looking for that person to treat them like gold in life. This one will always be special to me.

New York-born and Los Angeles-raised, Shaw wrote her first song at age 11 and had her own band by 13. She began commuting to Nashville in 1983, when a visit to the city’s famed Bluebird Café served as what she calls “an epiphany” about songwriting as a career. Ten years later, she won the CMA’s Triple Play Award for having three No. 1s in the same year.

Fellow artist Gary Morris signed her to her first publishing deal in 1990, and a mid-’90s record deal with Warner’s Reprise imprint followed. Shaw’s songwriting influence ultimately spread well beyond country, as she co-authored the Ricky Martin/Christina Aguilera hit “Nobody Wants To Be Lonely” and several cuts from Jim Brickman. She also earned two Daytime Emmys (and four nominations) for Outstanding Original Song for compositions featured on soaps As The World Turns (the Olivia Newton-John recorded “This Is Our Moment”) and One Life To Live (the Shaw-recorded “When I Think Of You”).

Even while working to build her own profile as an artist, however, Shaw prioritized getting her songs cut by others. “I would play a lot of festivals, see who else was on the bill, make a cassette of my songs and try to get [it] on their bus.” She laughs, “I remember doing that to Billy Ray Cyrus. He didn’t know who I was, looked a little nervous and called me ‘ma’am.’ He kept his hands behind his back and never took the tape, because even in

Cooper Alan and Shaw

those days artists didn’t want to get sued.” Years later, she actually did end up getting some Cyrus cuts.

She also remembers seeing George Jones outside the window of her publisher’s office, grabbing a cassette and running down the street after him. “I think he thought a crazy person was about to attack him,” she recalls. “He looked like he really wanted to get away from me and just said ‘Thank you young lady.’”

While she still performs regularly at writers’ rounds, saying, “I’m always going to sing enough to satisfy my soul,” Shaw focused on songwriting after leaving her Warner deal. That path “allowed me to be a mom and not have to miss dance recitals and school things.” Success in that area led her into artist development and co-producing Lady A’s first album after working for years with the group’s Hillary Scott, beginning while Scott was still in high school. Shaw won CMA Single of the Year for co-producing Lady A’s “I Run To You.” For the past seven years, she’s worked with TikTok star Cooper Alan and, in 2021, launched the independent label Cooped Up Records with him, serving as its CEO.

“Towards the end of the ’90s or the beginning of the 2000s, the business was changing and all of a sudden I’m not getting the cuts I used to,” Shaw says of her transition into producing and artist development. “I started reading credits for the new albums coming out and realized that the producers also owned a lot of the publishing on these records now. They were locking other songwriters out. Best song didn’t always win, but if you [worked with the] artist, you could get your songs recorded. I thought, ‘Well, I’m not leaving, so if you’re not gonna let me play in your reindeer games, I’m gonna find my own reindeer.’”

While she enjoys the other paths her career has taken, Shaw’s first love will always be songwriting. “I never felt like there were boundaries on it,” she says. “I can indulge all the different sides of me when I write. As songwriters, we just go where the music takes us.” –Phyllis Stark

Chart Chat

Congratulations to Luke Bryan, Chris Schuler, David Friedman and the Capitol promotion team on taking “Love You, Miss You, Mean It” to No. 1. This is Bryan’s 31st Country Aircheck/Mediabase chart topper. Despite the chart-topping prowess of both Luke Bryan and Luke Combs, this is the first time one Luke has succeeded the other in the pole position. Songwriters are Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip, Jordan Minton and Jacob Rice

Luke Bryan

Kudos to Stacy Blythe and the Big Loud crew on racking up 56 adds for Ernest’s “Would If I Could” to lead the CA/MB Add Board. It’s his second release to top the Add Board.

OFF THE RECORD

EMI/Back Blocks Music’s Tucker Wetmore goes Off (The Record) about new EP Waves On A Sunset:

Since signing my record deal earlier this year, it feels like someone made a rocket, duct-taped me to it and then lit the fuse. It’s all fast, but it’s such a blessing and I would never take it for granted.

Creating this EP was the coolest thing because it truly was just me and my buddies getting together to make everything, including renting out a lake house so we could spend a couple days writing. That’s what I want making music to be like for as long as I have control over it.

The main thing I hope fans take away from this EP is excitement to hear more. This is truly just the beginning. The EP’s been done for two months now, so I’m already working on “Okay, what’s next?” It was so hard picking just eight songs, because I’ve got a lot to say.

“Break First” is a song I’m really excited about. I’m proud of all my buddies who wrote that song, and I relate to a lot of the stuff within it. It’s got tempo and is going to make the live show feel great. “When I Ain’t Lookin’” is another one I didn’t write but my buddies did. The lyrics are really strong. A sneaky banger for sure.

One of my biggest goals when I first moved to Nashville was to be on Country radio; to be a radio artist and a touring artist, and all of these things are happening within the last 10 months. I haven’t really gotten to do much of a radio tour, just because everything has moved so fast. So, we invite radio people out to the show in different cities, and that’s how I kind of do my rounds. But I’m down to do whatever it takes to take that next step in my career.

It was a worry when everything started for me whether I was going to get accepted by the artists I look up to. But I’ve yet to meet someone that isn’t like, “I’m so proud of you. What you’re doing is really cool. If you need any help, just let me know.” Like Jelly Roll, Jason Aldean, Thomas Rhett, Jon Pardi, Luke Bryan, Cole Swindell, the list goes on. They’ve accomplished so much, but they don’t hesitate to say, “I’m going to help this kid, because I was that kid.” It’s the coolest thing in the world. That’s what Nashville’s all about.

Luke Bryan is a character and a half, but such a good dude. As support on his Farm Tour, he didn’t hesitate to make me feel welcome, put me under his wing, give advice and ask how I was holding up. One of the best pieces of advice I got, and will live firmly by probably until the end of my career, is just to be a sponge; sit back and listen, and be wise enough to learn from the people that are doing it the best.

WBFM/Sheboygan, WI has been temporarily removed from the Activator panel this week due to technical issues. WKSF/Asheville, NC has also been temporarily removed as it remains in continuous news and information coverage.

News & Notes

Townsquare’s Ignite Media Partnership division has entered into a digital marketing partnership with SummitMedia. As part of the new alliance, Townsquare will create customized strategies for SummitMedia stations aimed at growing their digital ad sales.

StarVista Music has launched a live album series to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its annual Country Music Cruise. The series kicks off with the newly-released Moe Bandy: Live From The Country Music Cruise, available here

Hop On A Cure Foundation, the non-profit started by Zac Brown Band’s John Driskell Hopkins, raised nearly $1.2 million for ALS research during its Harmony For Hope Gala in Atlanta Sept. 14. The evening included performances from Zac Brown, Rhett Akins, Shawn Mullins, Hopkins and others.

Songwriters Marcus Hummon, Jillian Cardarelli, Jake Rose and Grant Vogel raised more than $15,300 Oct. 1 during the Dogtober Writers Round at Nashville’s 3rd & Lindsley to benefit Pedigree Foundation’s disaster relief efforts for animal shelters and rescues affected by Hurricane Helene. Donations can still be made here

In memory of their late mother, Canadian sibling duo The Reklaws have launched the Flo Walker Stardust Fund to support the youth mental health service Kids Help Phone, and made a six figure donation to launch the initiative.

Case Study: Pop Goes Country

(continued from page 1)

“I was in Top 40 back in the ’70s and ’80s, and went through all those cycles,” says Stone, who programmed WIXX from the early ’90s before moving over to WNCY in 2006. “We always had country crossovers. I remember ‘Breathe’ by Faith Hill being my No. 1 testing song on WIXX. If I was playing a lot of country crossovers, to me that meant the top 40 material was not that great.”

“Some of the newer tracks from Post Malone we own,” adds Stone. “If the shoe were on the other foot, I’d have to think about it for a second; would I play them all in power or just as flavor?”

While Country PDs often grapple with sounding “too pop,” the opposite is true for Carter. “I don’t want to sound like a Country station. I have a color code on the country songs and there are times where I get five in an

hour. I’ve also packeted a bunch of country recurrents. They all test high, but they can’t each occupy a spot, otherwise every other song would be country.” He also says artist separation has almost become a non-factor with Malone’s songs. “I still try to separate them as much as I can, but I could put ‘I Had Some Help’ next to [previous pop single] ‘Rockstar.’ It’s not even the same artist even though it is.”

Is there a line Carter won’t cross when it comes to playing crossovers? “I don’t listen to Country,” he says. “I’m not in tune with what’s going on there, so I don’t know that there is that much traditional sounding country anymore. If it got too twangy, we probably wouldn’t play it, but I don’t see much of that.

“At the end of the day, my job is to play music my audience likes,” he sums. “In this market, Country is so prevalent we share more cume with WNCY than we do with our Top 40 competitor,” says Carter. “I could see it as a concern in a major city, but here country music is and has been a big deal for a long time.” Reach Carter here and Stone here –Chris Huff

Lon Helton, lon@countryaircheck.com

Caitlin DeForest, caitlin@countryaircheck.com

Chris Huff, chris@countryaircheck.com

Phyllis Stark, phyllis@countryaircheck.com

Chuck Aly, chuck@countryaircheck.com

September 2024 PPM Scoreboard

The Nielsen PPM September 2024 Survey (8/15-9/11) saw Country shares rise 0.6%, from last month’s 349.6 to 351.8. Share is down 4.6% from last September’s 364.3. Total cume rose 1.3% from last month at 22.1 million, but was down 6.3% since last September. Two stations tied for the largest share this month: WCTK/Providence with its first format lead since last December, and WUBE/Cincinnati

with its first format lead ever. KKBQ/ Houston retained the cume crown. Legend: A “+” indicates a Classic Country outlet; a “^” designates co-owned Country stations in the metro; a “t” indicates a tie; and a “*” indicates a station that is a recent subscriber for which ratings were not currently available. Ranks are among subscribers.

AVAILABLE JOBS

MIDWEST

Morning Co-Host

Federated WBYT/South Bend, IN is seeking a morning co-host. Résumé, aircheck and production samples to PD Jesse Garcia here

Afternoon Host

Midwest KWTB/Sioux Falls, SD is looking for a live and local afternoon host. Aircheck and résumé here

Brand Mgr./Afternoon Host

Midwest/Wausau, WI is seeking a Brand Mgr./afternoon host for WDEZ. Résumé, aircheck and programming materials to VP/MM Rusty James here

Operations Manager

Keystone KICM/Ardmore, OK is seeking an OM who will work directly with the owners and the sales team, and oversee all aspects of the station’s programming. Send résumés here

Promotional Brand Ambassador

Hubbard/St. Louis is seeking a Promotional Brand Ambassador for the five-station cluster, which includes WIL Full posting here

On Air

Midwestern WATZ/Alpena, MI has an on-air opening with the potential to add other positions. Send airchecks and résumés to GM Kim Orr here. Full posting here

Midday Host

Zimmer KATI/Columbia, MO is looking for a host to fill the midday shift. See full post and apply here

NORTHEAST

Morning Co-Host

Cumulus WCTO/Allentown OM/PD Jerry Padden is seeking a morning co-host to join incumbent Sam Malone See full post here

VP/Sales

iHeartMedia is seeking a VP/Sales for its Wilmington-New Castle DE cluster, which includes WDSD. Find job details and apply here before Nov. 6.

Morning Co-Host

Cumulus WCTO/Allentown OM/PD Jerry Padden is seeking a morning co-host to join incumbent Sam Malone. See post here

Afternoon Personality

Beasley WKLB/Boston is looking for an afternoon driver. Apply here

SOUTHEAST

Air Talent and Board Ops

Bristol Broadcasting/Johnson City, TN, which includes Country WXBQ, is looking for full-time and part-time air talent and board ops. Résumés and airchecks to PD Nikki Thomas here

Promotions Dir.

Holston Valley Broadcasting/Tri-Cities TN, VA is looking for a Promotions Dir. for AC WTFM, Classic Hits WVEK and Rock WRZK. Résumé and social media samples here

APD/MD/Afternoon Host

Southern Stone WKRO/Daytona Beach has an APD/ MD/airstaff opening. Résumés to VP/Programming Jonathan Wiley (DJ Tremble) here

Details on specific postings can be found searching call letters or company names in the archives at www.countryaircheck.com.

Morning Show Hosts

Mississippi Broadcasters WOKK/Meridian, MS PD

Todd Berry is seeking a live and local morning host or existing team. Cover letter, aircheck and résumé to Berry here

APD

Listen Up Y’all Media/Natchez, MS Group PD Kidd

Conley is looking for a five-station APD for the cluster that includes WQNZ. Résumés, cover letters, production demos and airchecks here

Operations Manager

Renda/Jacksonville GM Bill Berry is seeking an OM to oversee WGNE and WEJZ. Reach him here

Morning Host:

Mississippi Broadcasters WOKK/Meridian, MS is looking for a live and local morning host or team. Send cover letters, airchecks and résumés to OM Todd Berry here

Various Roles

Stonecom has four openings in its Cookeville, TN, cluster, which includes Country WKXD and Classic Country WUCH. They are seeking a Programming Asst./air talent, broadcast journalist/news reporter, voice tracker and graphic designer. Submit résumé and other materials by April 30 to Stonecom, Attn: Human Resources, 1 Stonecom Way, Cookeville, TN 38501, or by email here

Morning Co-Host

Saga Classic Country WSIG/Harrisonburg, VA is seeking a morning co-host. Email aircheck audio and resume to OM Brandy Lindsey here

SVP/Programming

iHeartMedia/Atlanta is looking for a SVP/Programming. See full post here

Air Personality

Alpha WFLS/Fredericksburg, VA is seeking a morning host. Apply to OM/Content Dir. Jeff Cochran here. Find the job posting here

Air Personality

Saga’s Harrisonburg, VA, cluster, that includes Classic Country WSIG, has a full-time opening for someone with 2-3 years experience with music-formatted stations. Send airchecks, résumés and cover letters to PD Tom Morgan here

On-Air Programming Asst.

Vox AM/FM/Digital/Burlington, VT is seeking a programming assistant for WCPV and Top 40 sister WXXX who can also do middays at WXXX. Find more information about the job here

PD/Air Personality

Consulting firm RWPC, Inc. is seeking candidates for a PD/ air personality opening at a client station in the Southeast. Send materials to RWPC Pres. Scott Huskey here

SOUTHWEST

On-Air Host

LKCM KFWR/Fort Worth is recruiting for a full-time on-air host. Cover letter, résumé and aircheck to PD Shayne Hollinger here

Midday Host

LKCM Classic Country KTFW/Fort Worth OM Mark Phillips is seeking a midday host. Reach him here

Morning Host

Stephens Media Group KKAJ/Ardmore, OK is seeking a morning host. Résumé, aircheck and references to SVP/ Programming Bob Thornton here

Dir./Production

Bryan Broadcasting has an opening for a full-time Dir./ Production based in College Station, TX for its 12 radio stations. Résumé and examples of produced and voiced audio or spots here

Air Personality

LKCM Texas Country/Red Dirt KFWR/Fort Worth is looking for a locally based on-air personality for various dayparts, potentially on multiple stations. Cover letter, résumé, aircheck and digital content samples here

WEST

Co-Host

Cumulus KBUL/Reno PD/morning host Bob Richards is looking for a co-host to join him on The Moo Crew. Complete posting here

Morning Show Producer

iHeartMedia KNIX/Phoenix is looking for a Morning Show Producer. Apply here

Air Personality

Owens KUZZ/Bakersfield is looking for future part-time and full-time talent. Send résumés and airchecks to PD Brent Michaels here. No phone calls.

OTHER

Radio & Digital Sales Marketing Consultant, Digital Support Specialist, Street Team Members

Midwest Communications is looking for a Radio & Digital Sales Marketing Consultant, a Digital Support Specialist and Street Team members. For the consultant and street team positions, send cover letter and résumé here. For the specialist opening, email Mgr./Digital Systems Support Brandon Wickwire here.

Dir./Regional Promotion

Monument Records is seeking a Dir./Regional Promotion. Find the job listing and apply here

Coord./Media Relations

Big Loud is seeking “entry level self starters” for a newly-created Coord./Media Relations role. Send resumes here

VP/Streaming

Big Loud is looking to fill a newly created VP/Streaming position. Full details here; email here

Executive Assistant

PR firm OH Creative is looking for a Nashville-based Executive Asst. Email resumes here

SEEKING JOBS

•Chuck Akers

Former KTHT/Houston morning co-host chuckakers@comcast.net

•Mark Allen

Former OM for Schurz/Lafayette, IN and Wiregrass/Dothan, AL Markontheradio7661@gmail.com

•Donnie “Hollywood” Andrews Former WKXD/Cookeville, TN OM/PD/mornings hollywoodandrews939@gmail.com

• Britt Bailey Former KIAI/Mason City, IA Dir./Content and morning host brittsmorningbrewcrew@gmail.com

• Carletta Blake

Former WGAR/Cleveland PD/midday host carlettablake@gmail.com

•Kim Brixton

Former WNWN/Battle Creek, MI mornings/middays KimBrixton@gmail.com

• Karla Cantrell

Former KTST/Oklahoma City & KTGX/Tulsa PD/midday personality karla_cantrell@outlook.com

• Chris Carson Former Apple Music Radio Technical Producer crcarson@yahoo.com

•Kimmie Caruba Former WUBL/Atlanta morning co-host kimberlycaruba@gmail.com

•Natalie Cash Former KTGX/Tulsa MD/Digital Lead/afternoon host natcashradiojob@gmail.com

• Stacey Cato Former CMT Dir./Music & Talent staceycato@hotmail.com

• Bryana Cielo Former CMT Exec. Asst. bryanacielo@gmail.com

• Jim Clerkin Former MD/morning producer WKLB/Boston Jimclerkin@comcast.net

•Greg Cole Former WKCQ/Saginaw, MI OM/PD GCole27000@gmail.com

• Chad Crawford Former Apple Music Radio Content Producer iamchadcrawford@gmail.com

•Don Cristi Former iHeartMedia SVPP/Oklahoma rocketsurgeryradio@gmail.com

•Jared “Banks” Danielson Former KUBL/Salt Lake City mornings JaredDanielson1@gmail.com

• Ashley Dawn Former morning co-host WUBE/Cincinnati Opportunitiesforashley@gmail.com

•David Dean Former KXDD/Yakima, WA afternoons DaviDean5@gmail.com

• Jennifer DeVault Former CMT Sr. Producer jmdevault1509@gmail.com

•Jimmy Elliott Former WOVK/Wheeling, WV VPP/PD/MD/mornings JimmyElliottSchlosser@gmail.com

• Colby Ericson

Former My Town Media Group Dir./Programming colbyericson1@gmail.com

•“Uncle Sam” Eulenfield Former KRYS/Corpus Christi afternoon host, Dir./Production for the Corpus Christi and McAllen clusters, and News-Talk KKTX-AM PD bulkysam@gmail.com

•Alexa Fasheh Former Academy of Country Music VP/Finance & Operations Alexafash75@gmail.com

•Rosey Fitchpatrick Formerly worked in event and artist management, and radio promotion roseyfitch99@gmail.com

• Bill Fox

Former WXCL/Peoria, IL Brand Mgr. & WSWT/Peoria morning host bfoxrox@gmail.com

• Ransom Garcia

Former KCYE/Las Vegas MD/afternoon personality RansomReynolds@gmail.com

• Blair Garner

Former Westwood One national personality TruthOrBlair@gmail.com

•Aaron “Gator” Glass Former WQNU/Louisville mornings GatorGlass.53@gmail.com

•J.R. Gonzalez Former East Texas Results Radio/Tyler, TX OM and WRSA/Huntsville, AL Production Dir. jrgonzalezradio@gmail.com

• Todd Haller

Former Bahakel/Chattanooga, TN OM and WUUQ PD Toddhallerradio@gmail.com

•Jen Heaton Former Academy of Country Music VP/Partnerships jennifer.lori.heaton@gmail.com

•Bill Hickok Former KBMR/Bismark, ND morning host BillHickok1950@gmail.com

• Lauren Hoffman Former Digital PD, Backstage Country laurenmariehoffman@gmail.com

•”Big” John Horton Former KFSA/Ft. Smith, AR afternoon host BigJohn@TheBigJohnShow.com

• Austin James Former WYNK/Baton Rouge APD/MD/afternoon host brettdiez@outlook.com

•Caitlin “CJ” Johnson Former KKBQ/Houston afternoons Caitlin.M.Johnson25@gmail.com

•Louis Kaplan Former iHeartMedia VPP/Fort Myers loukaps2@gmail.com

• Tiffany Kay Former Alpha WFLS/Fredericksburg, VA morning co-host tiffanykayradio@yahoo.com

• Steve “Shotgun“ Kelly (a.k.a. Steve Kiser) Former PD/afternoon host KKOW/Pittsburg, KS Djdude68@yahoo.com

•Bryant “Ryder” Konold Former KDBL/Yakima, WA Brand Mgr./mornings BryantRyderKonold@gmail.com

•Brian “Wookie” Kostek Former WDSY/Pittsburgh APD/MD/afternoons BKostek24@gmail.com

•Marc Lavik (aka Dave Marcus) Former on-air talent ZimaGuy@gmail.com

•Christopher “Boomer” Layfield Former Cumulus/Indianapolis OM and WFMS PD boomeradio@gmail.com

•“Frogman Frank“ Lewis Former WOGI/WOGG/WOGH/Pittsburgh mornings irishfc@cs.com

• John Lund Former iHeartMedia SVP/Programming Panama City/Tallahasee, FL John.Lund3811@gmail.com

• Bo Matthews Former Alpha KBAY/San Jose & KKDV/Walnut Creek, CA OM/PD bo@bomatthews.com

updated this week

• Pat McKay Former OM Saga.Manchester, NH and WZID Brand Mgr. mixpat@yahoo.com

•T.J. “J.T.” Michaels Former WCPV/Burlington, VT PD/afternoons TJMichaelsRadio@gmail.com

•Melissa Moldovan Former Academy of Country Music Dir./Communications, Media Relations & Radio melissamoldovan86@gmail.com

•Zack Owen Former iHeartMedia SVPP/Waco, Temple & Killeen (TX) zackowen@att.net

•Lexi Papadopoulos

Former KUBL/Salt Lake City mornings LexiOnTheRadio@gmail.com

•Jim Pearson

Former KDBL/Yakima, WA PD/mornings JimsCoolEmail@gmail.com

•Jacob Pecunes

Former Apple Music Radio Producer jacobnashville2013@gmail.com

• Michael Perez

Former WRNX/Springfield, MA midday host justperezplay@gmail.com

• “Sarah Quinn” Peters Former iHeartMedia Greensboro Dir./Marketing sarahjaypeters@gmail.com

•Carly Quinn

Former WGH/Norfolk morning co-host NewEnglandClamChowder2021@yahoo.com

• Abbi Roth

Former CMT Sr. Mgr./Music & Talent abbiroth@gmail.com

• Sarah Scott

Former CKSA/Lloydminster, AB mornings sarahevelynscott@gmail.com

• Ray Sells

Former CMT Sr. Dir./Production raymondsellsmedia@gmail.com

• LJ Smith

Former IHeartMedia SVPP/Columbia, SC JimmySmith@Outlook.com

• Brook Stephens

Former KZPK/St. Cloud MD/afternoon host brookstephens@live.com

•Maddy Stessman

Former Academy of Country Music Dir./Industry & Talent Relations mlstessman@gmail.com

•Jake Thomson

Former Dick WUBB/Savannah, GA Prod. Dir./Midday Host jakethomson.dj@gmail.com

•Brad Thornton

Former Southern Stone WKRO/Daytona Beach APD/MD randawg_23@yahoo.com

• Lauren Tingle

Former Apple Music Radio Content Producer l_tingle@icloud.com

• Ray Vaughn

Former Magnolia Music Group National Dir./Radio & Streaming rayvaughn77@att.net

• Jordan Walker

Former CMT Mgr./Music & Talent jordanstephenswalker@gmail.com

• Cash Warren

Former WGH/Norfolk morning co-host jasonabrockett@gmail.com

• Steve Wazz

Former WGAR/Cleveland APD/morning co-host wazzradio@gmail.com

• Erich West

Former iHeartMedia SVPP/Huntsville, AL and WDRM PD ewestradio@hotmail.com

•Jonathan Wier

Former WKLB/Boston morning co-host JonWierWLCA@gmail.com

•Wingnut

Former KNUC/Seattle APD/MD/midday personality Wingnutt@me.com

• Isaac “Brooks” Wenzel

Former KBAY/San Jose APD/afternoon host BrooksOnTheRadio@gmail.com

• Randy “Mudflap” Wilcox

Former WWKT/Florence, SC morning co-host rhwilcox@gmail.com

• Vanessa Wojtusiak

Former iHeartMedia/Connecticut VP/Marketing Vanessa.Wojtusiak@gmail.com

• Andy Woods

Former WCOS/Columbia, SC APD/MD/afternoon host Andrewwoods@icloud.com

• Liz Yount

Former Summit/Knoxville Dir./Promotions lizkrozengard@gmail.com

• “Nick Z“ Zambrano

Former KBAY/San Jose morning show producer Nickzeeradio@gmail.com

Activator Top Point Gainers

ERIC

C. JOHNSON w/C. UNDERWOOD/I'm Gonna... (CoJo/Warner/WMN) 9 JASON

Whiskey Drink (Macon Music/Broken Bow) 9 K. WETZEL & J. MURPH/High Road (Columbia/Records Nashville) 9

MORGAN f/J. ALDEAN/Friends Like That (Night Train/Broken Bow) 8

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers

& R. GREEN/You Look... (Sawgod/Columbia/Nashville Harbor) 3455 4

JELLY ROLL/I Am Not Okay (BMG/Republic/Stoney Creek) 3276 4

MORGAN WALLEN/Lies Lies Lies (Big Loud)

f/B. SHELTON/Pour Me A Drink (Mercury/Republic/Big Loud) 1594

GEORGE BIRGE/Cowboy Songs (Records Nashville) 1389

K. WETZEL & J. MURPH/High Road (Columbia/Records Nashville) 1263

Country Aircheck Top Spin Gainers

ERIC CHURCH/Darkest Hour (EMI Nashville) 1564

LUKE BRYAN/Love You, Miss You, Mean It (Capitol) 1174

E. LANGLEY & R. GREEN/You Look... (Sawgod/Columbia/Nashville Harbor) 1004

JELLY ROLL/I Am Not Okay (BMG/Republic/Stoney Creek) 954

MORGAN WALLEN/Lies Lies Lies (Big Loud) 812

PARMALEE/Gonna Love You (Stoney Creek) 573

KANE BROWN & MARSHMELLO/Miles On It (RCA) 480

K. WETZEL & J. MURPH/High Road (Columbia/Records Nashville) 387

P. MALONE f/B. SHELTON/Pour Me A Drink (Mercury/Republic/Big Loud) 363

GEORGE

(Sawgod/Columbia/Nashville Harbor) 921

MORGAN f/J. ALDEAN/Friends Like That (Night Train/Broken Bow) 798

Activator Top Spin Gainers

w/C. UNDERWOOD/I'm Gonna... (CoJo/Warner/WMN)

ALDEAN/Whiskey Drink (Macon

Country Aircheck Top Recurrents

SHABOOZEY/A Bar Song (Tipsy) (Empire/Magnolia) 24774

P. MALONE f/M. WALLEN/I Had Some Help (Mercury/Republic/Big Loud) 22729

MORGAN WALLEN f/ERNEST/Cowgirls (Big Loud) 19950

DUSTIN LYNCH f/JELLY ROLL/Chevrolet (Broken Bow) 18034

DREW BALDRIDGE/She's Somebody's Daughter (Lyric Ridge) 14756

NATE SMITH/World On Fire (RCA) 11707

BAILEY ZIMMERMAN/Where It Ends (Elektra/Warner/WEA) 10721

SAM HUNT/Outskirts (MCA) 9898

LUKE COMBS/Fast Car (River House/Columbia) 8763

TYLER HUBBARD/Dancin' In The Country (EMI Nashville) 8294

MARKET AIRPLAY PROFILE - BIRMINGHAM

COUNTRY AIRCHECK ACTIVITY

CARLY PEARCE/Truck On Fire (Big Machine)

Moves 47-45*

4043 points, 1067 spins; No adds

JOSH ROSS/Single Again (Core/Mercury)

Moves 49-46*

3949 points, 1055 spins; No adds

KASSI ASHTON/Called Crazy (MCA)

Moves 48-47

3856 points, 989 spins

1 add: KSD

RANDY HOUSER/Country Back (Magnolia)

Moves 50-48*

3517 points, 982 spins; No adds

CHAYCE BECKHAM/Everything I Need (BMG/Wheelhouse)

Debut 49*

3049 points, 906 spins; No adds

B. GILBERT f/A. COOKE/Over When We’re Sober (Back Blocks/Big Loud/ Valory)

Re-entry 50*

2570 points, 696 spins

4 adds: KIIM*, KUBL*, WKKO*, WWWF

RUSSELL DICKERSON/Bones (Triple Tigers)

2506 points, 721 spins

1 add: WUSN

ADD DATES

Send yours to adds@countryaircheck.com

OCTOBER 14

CHASE MATTHEW/Darlin’ (Warner/WAR)

OCTOBER 21

None Listed

OCTOBER 28

ALEX MILLER/She Makes Dirt Look Good (Billy Jam)

CHECK OUT

OCTOBER 11

Jelly Roll Beautifully Broken (Republic/Stoney Creek)

The project follows Mr. Roll’s country debut, Whitsitt Chapel, and includes his current single, “I Am Not Okay,” “Liar” and the 2024 ESPN College Football Season anthem, “Get By.”

Justin Moore This Is My Dirt (Valory)

Produced by Jeremy Stover, Scott Borchetta and Paul DiGiovanni, each song was co-written by Moore, and the set features collaborations with Randy Houser (“The Worst”), Blake Shelton (“Beer Ain’t One”) and Dierks Bentley (“Time’s Ticking”).

Madeline Merlo One House Down (From The Girl Next Door) (BBRMG)

The first peek into the project was the Dustin Lynch duet, “Broken Heart Thing.” “A huge thank you to Dustin Lynch for lending his signature vocal to this song, one that delves into the complexities of navigating life right after a broken heart,” she says. “It’s a relatable journey that I’m hoping people can find some sense of not being alone in that feeling when they hear this song.”

Meghan Patrick Golden Child (Riser House)

“I made this record exactly how I wanted to, I told exactly the story I wanted to tell, I told the truth and when you tell the truth, you have nothing to worry about,” says Patrick, who co-penned the title track alongside Joey Hyde and Aaron Eshuis.

George Pippen Magnolia Nights (Virgin Music Group)

Pippen got into the music business never expecting to release his own songs, let alone an entire EP. He explains, “I started out trying to manage artists, then ended up on the road as a tour manager, but somewhere along the way, this journey became my own. It’s been a long time coming, but I’m beyond grateful for the journey.”

Erin Kinsey Gettin’ Away With It (Records Nashville)

Kinsey co-penned seven songs on the album, including the title track, chosen for its symbolism. “I feel like I am able to say what I want to say, wear what I want to wear, and most importantly be myself,” she says. “I feel like I am ‘getting away with it’ and the process should be harder, but people are relating to the songs and I think it is because they are coming from a genuine place.”

Carter Faith The Aftermath (Capitol)

The Aftermath features four previously shared singles from earlier this year — “Alright,” “Blue Bird” featuring Alison Krauss, “Strong Stuff” and “Late Bloomer” — as well as the new title track.