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February 18, 2021, Issue 4

Research: Listening Habits Are Changing

The annual CRS Research Presentation conducted by NuVoodoo Media focused on changing Country listening habits among over 3,000 country fans between the ages of 18 and 54, and especially how they’ve been affected by the pandemic. The annual CRS cornerstone titled “The Road Forward” confirmed much of what many already sensed. “The smart speaker is a godsend,” said NuVoodoo President/ CEO Carolyn Gilbert. “It’s really time for us to ride the horse in the direction it’s Leigh Jacobs going and acknowledge that we should be using streaming to keep us in the game.” Consumption of audio has increased across all platforms since the pandemic, with DSPs up 52%, followed by YouTube (50%), FM Streamed (44%) and FM overCarolyn Gilbert the-air (39%). Of the DSPs, Spotify was listened to most (24%) with Amazon Music and YouTube tied for second (21%), though Amazon Music did lead by a substantial margin with men over 35. Where people listened to music made a big difference in platform choice. DSPs led by a large margin at home (35%) and at work away from home (30%), the only place over-the-air FM led was in the car (37%). The study further found that smart speakers now tied non-car radios in terms of usage for listening to music,

Fame Us Friends: Country Radio Hall of Fame Class of 2020 inductees Jim Duncan (l) and Chuck Edwards are feted by friends Shawn Parr (inset, l) and Phil Hunt (inset, r). and the top two locations in the home for smart speakers are the bedroom, followed by the living room. The enthusiasm gap between cash contesting prize amounts narrowed (71% for $1000 versus 68% for $500). In terms of group contesting, 44% weren’t aware of them, 43% thought they were

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good, and only 4% thought they were bad. “Group contesting is not nearly the negative some people think it is,” added Gilbert. As far as attitudes toward the format, 53% thought that country music was getting better, 36% said it was the same, and only 11% thought it was getting worse. Talent was one area where FM continues to shine, as 57% said that personalities made listening to the radio more enjoyable. Gilbert emphasized, “Personalities are one of radio’s clear advantages.” CRS registrants can download the entire presentation on the CRS site on the agenda page. –Chris Huff

Hall (Of Fame) Passes

Key Networks nationally syndicated Across America host Shawn Parr formally inducted friend, former R&R VP/Country Editor and longtime programmer/personality Jim Duncan as a member of the Country Radio Hall of Fame (CRHoF) Class of 2020. Parr and Duncan, who were colleagues at KZLA/Los Angeles, exchanged adulations with Parr calling Duncan “a very rare Country talent.” Duncan thanked his family before recounting the career timeline that led him from radio to R&R while making stops up and down the California coast. Duncan wrapped with his on-air sign-off, “Be good to yourself, always be nice to each other – be great and just the right amount of weird!” Former WYCD/Detroit morning host Chuck Edwards was inducted by consultant and former PD Phil Hunt, who regaled CRS attendees with the tale of Edwards’ hiring in Knoxville early in his career. “The only reservation I had about Chuck was that he had never done the Country format,” said Hunt. “Now, 38 years later, here we are. Can he do the Country format? Yes, he can!” Noted Edwards, “I never really wanted to do anything but radio.”

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Noting Hunt previously paid him $300 per week when he first started, Edwards quipped, “I was the best $300 jock that station ever had.” –Monta Vaden

UMGN Luncheon ExplodesWith Music

Flipping the perspective, UMG/Nashville artists Lauren Alaina, Priscilla Block, Jon Pardi, Parker McCollum and Eric Church performed with their backs to the pews and arched stainedglass windows inside Ryman Auditorium during today’s (2/18) Team UMG At The Ryman luncheon. EVP/Promotion Royce Risser promised surprises and delivered … just ask his coworkers, who began with artist intros and ended with PTSD and trust issues. “No one was more Royce Risser and skeptical of this TikTok thing Bobby Young than me,” admitted Chairman/ CEO Mike Dungan. But, that was before he broke company protocol to drive five hours to meet Block, who sang “My Bar” and “Just About Over You.” “[Last year] was a dumpster fire,” started MCA SVP/ Promotion Katie Dean before the pyro had her adding a “f***ing Royce” to the script. McCollum played his first No. 1, “Pretty Heart,” and “To Be Loved By You.” Next up was Alaina’s “What Do You Think Of” and “Getting Over Him,” the latter featuring a person in all of her “favorite memories in Midtown,” Pardi. If anyone had “Jon Pardi singing Sinéad O’Connor” on their bingo card, today was your lucky day, with Pardi bringing out

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Kenny G(it ‘er done) for a cover of the Prince-penned “Nothing Compares 2 U” following current single “Tequila Little Time.” “Eric f***ing Church,” as he was introduced by EMI Nashville VP/Promotion Jimmy Rector, closed the show with Parker McCollum a four-song set. It began with “the beginning of what would become the heart of” Church’s triple album, “Heart On Fire,” and the first song Church dreamed, “Crazyland.” Next up were the Casey Beathard-penned “Hell Of A View” and the aptlynamed “Through My Raybans.” Echoing his CMA Entertainer of the Year speech, Church assured, “It’s going to be music that is the healing this country needs.” –Caitlin DeForest

Workshop: Gimmie Award

EntercomWNSH/NewYorkmorninghostKellyFordmoderated today’s (2/18) “Awards Submission Workshop” during the opening afternoon session of CRS 2021: The Virtual Experience. Entercom Eastern Region Brand Mgr. & WUSY/Chattanooga SVPP/PD Justin Cole, consultant John Shomby and former KFRG/Riverside PD Scott Ward walked attendees through the process of compiling

Men At Work(shops): Moderator Kelly Ford (top) walks through CMA Broadcast Awards submission criteria with panelists Justin Cole, Scott Ward and John Shomby (top to bottom).

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airchecks and written presentations for both CMA and ACM broadcast award submissions. The trio, along with Ford, offered best practices for both personality-based and station-based packages, including steps for setting up in-house asset collection and practical applications for organizing submission components for assembly. Additionally, the workshop included an overview of the differences between ACM and CMA requirements, including membership criteria and presentation specs, as well as answers to FAQs provided by both organizations. “Know the rules,” Cole reminded attendees. Shomby added, “Spend time organizing your content all year long so that you aren’t scrambling at the last minute.” The session concluded with each presenter’s top five tips for creating an awards submission, including: • Designating someone on your staff to oversee assembly. • Collecting audio bits and event photos and recaps throughout the year on a shared drive. • Knowing the rules and requirements for each organization’s submission. –Monta Vaden

Brands: Always On

Futuri’s Scott Lindy led a panel of talent analyzing what it takes for personalities and brands to get to the next level in a world where the screen is always on. Hence the title “24/7 Brand.” “All of the things we’re competing against are down to the minute,” said Alpha EVP/Content Phil Becker. “We’ve got to get out of programming on our time and start programming in real time.” Syndicated radio host Tino Cochino said building his brand is a round-the-clock effort. “Luckily I have a very patient fiancée; we’ll be watching shows and I’m responding to emails or setting up interviews,” he shared. “You’ve got to work ... as if somebody’s trying to take your next meal.” B-Dub Radio host Bryan “B-Dub” Washington gave advice on how to get started: “Don’t be afraid to fail, just jump in and have fun doing it.” When asked for his tips on using Instagram, the company’s Head of Music Perry Bashkoff elaborated, “Even though you’re in a public figure role, you’re still a human. People want to connect with you on that level.” He suggested regular interaction on the platform, with three to five feed post per week and story posts every day. The most important thing in Cochino’s view was, “Just be open minded, it’s a different age and lifestyle now.” –Chris Huff

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Sir Barry:Whatcha Doin’ OnYour Back? Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and CRS’ first knighted panelist Sir Barry Gibb was interviewed by Variety’s Chris Willman in a discussion centering on his country-forward collaborations album Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook Vol. 1. Noting Roy Orbison’s “Crying” was the first record he bought, Gibb said, “I’ve always been a country artist ... The only real music that obsesses me is bluegrass and country music.” Having received a lot of musical direction from others early in his career, Gibb said he’s been able to focus on music he most wants to record as he’s gotten older. His connection to Nashville only deepened when he visited. “All kinds of places I’ve worked, I’ve never heard one that sounds like The Ryman,” he said. “I was bitten. I just had to keep coming back. I found somewhere I belonged.” A fount of stories, he laughed over misheard lyrics, including the line “whatcha doin’ on your back” from “You Should Be Dancing,” and admitting to Michael Jackson that he’d misheard the lyrics of “Billie Jean.” Little Big Town – who perform on two Greenfields songs – joined for a discussion ranging from meeting Gibb at the 2017 A Grammy Salute to the Music of the Bee Gees and to putting together multi-part harmonies.

Chris Willman (l) and Sir Barry Gibb

“We literally grew up with your albums in our bedrooms,” said Kimberly Schlapman. “You had so much to do with the formation of our harmonies. Signing with you is one of the greatest gifts of our lives. It still brings me to tears.” Gibb pointed out that three-part harmony was often just the beginning. “We just kept adding tracks,” he said. “When you hear things like ‘Too Much Heaven,’ that’s not three of us, it’s probably 30 of us.” He also pledged to join Little Big Town for a future Grand Ole Opry performance. In his more wistful moments, Sir Barry paid tribute to his late brothers Maurice and Robin, citing the former’s underappreciated genius and that he’s not willing to sing the latter’s parts. “All I’ve got now are 50 years of incredible memories and music is all that counts,” he said. –Chuck Aly

Cooler Online: Brad Paisley

During “So Much Cooler Online: A Conversation With Brad Paisley,” writer David Wild (CMA Awards) and television writer/ producer Phil Rosenthal (Everybody Loves Raymond) spoke with Paisley about how he reinvented connecting with fans as a result

I’m Cooler Online: Phil Rosenthal (top left), David Wild (top right) and Brad Paisley

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of the pandemic. One such form of engagement was inspired by Peyton Manning. “Peyton texted me a Zoom link on a Saturday night during the second week of lockdown,” explained Paisley. “When I jumped in, it was a bunch of celebrities and sports figures.” Paisley went on to note that the University of Tennessee challenged Manning to see how many famous people he could get on one Zoom. “We’re all on there, having a blast, and I thought we could do this with fans,” Paisley surmised. From there, Paisley went through messages from fans and was flooded with chat invites. From celebrating graduations to people marking the end of chemotherapy, fans from around the world wanted Paisley to join their special moments. By summer’s end, Paisley had joined more than 100 Zooms, video from which can be seen in Paisley’s music video for “No I In Beer.” “The [lyric] that’s important is, ‘We’re all in this together,’ and it felt that way this summer,” He added that music’s importance has never been more apparent. –Addie Morton

BBR: Memory Lane

“In 1996, I had been going to CRS for 23-24 years. I felt like I had some good friends there, so when I decided to come out, I did it at CRS. Seldom do any of us test our friendships to the point of finding out if they really are our friends, but I did. And they were. Thank you so much, CRS, I owe you a huge debt of gratitude.” Albright & O’Malley & Brenner’s Jaye Albright shared the first memory during BBR Music Group’s CRS Throwback Thursday, which looked back at the heartwarming, humorous and humiliating moments from years past. The label group’s Jon Loba, Lee Jaye Albright Adams and Jason Aldean shared the origins of Jason “All-Dean,” while many of the artists, including Jimmie Allen, Runaway June and Granger Smith, cited New Faces as a highlight. The New Faces show featuring Tim McGraw singing “Don’t Take The Girl” took center stage for industry vet Beverlee Brannigan and Cumulus VP/Country Formats & Nashville OM Charlie Cook, while Warner Music Nashville Chairman/CEO John Esposito brought up Blake Shelton’s New Faces video parodying that incident at The Bridge Bar. “Hi, I’m John Oates,” said not Oates, but Country’s Radio Coach owner/consultant John Shomby, and “I think you can take care of her from here,” assured Kenny Chesney when dropping off the overserved wife of SVP/Promotion Carson James. BBR Dir./Southeast Promotion Scotty O’Brien recalled scoring an invite to a “very fancy dinner” by McVay Media Pres. Mike McVay, who thought he was texting BMLG President/CEO Scott Borchetta. Speaking of, industry vet John Ettinger revealed what might have been the reason Borchetta left Mercury (hint: it involved “Pour Some Sugar On Me”). “I don’t know where Scott is now, but I hope he’s okay,” mused Ettinger. Mishaps came in the form of a stuck elevator for KUZZ/ Bakersfield PD Brent Michaels, a rope found in bed of Dir./ Southwest Promotion Dawn Ferris, chewing gum that was not her own for BBRMG VP/Radio Syndication & Group Strategy Renee Leymon and being turned away from the Shaina Twain suite by Kevin Herring for iHeartMedia/Minneapolis OM/PD Gregg Swedberg, who is totally fine, because “you’d have to be a … pretty small person to carry that around with you.” Meanwhile,

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Entercom VP/Country Format Captain Tim Roberts and WDAF/ Kansas City PD Mike Kennedy got lost, while iHeartMedia/ Alabama SVP/Programming and Country WDXB/Birmingham PD Tom Hanrahan found faith. Capped with performances by Elvie Shane, Lainey Wilson and Track45, participants laughed, cringed and wore wigs (Stoney Creek VP/Innovation, Radio & Streaming Adrian Michaels), but most of all, they looked forward to making- and forgetting – new memories in 2022 and beyond. —Caitlin DeForest

The Day Ahead Friday, 2/19 crsvirtual2021.com 9-9:50am Programming Mentoring Breakfast A make-up day occurring following Wednesday’s (2/17) technical difficulties 10-10:50am Women’s Mentoring Breakfast Sponsored by Nuvoodoo Media Allison Laughter, Ashley Sidoti, Ashley Morrison, Becky Brenner, Becky Gardenhire, Beth Laird, Candice Watkins, Ebie McFarland, Holly Hutton, Kelly Ford, Kristen Williams, Lauren Thomas, Marci Braun, Miranda McDonald, Raffaella Braun, Shanna “Quinn” Cudeck, Stacy Blythe, Tiera 10:50-11am CRHoF Induction: Mark “Hawkeye” Louis Sponsored by Curb Records Induction by Randy Carroll

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12:50-1pm CRS/Country Aircheck Awards SVP-VP/National Promotion, Dir. National Promotion, Regional Promotion and Platinum Label 12-1pm St. Jude Networking Lounge Connect with friends, colleagues, panelists and mentors in an intimate, virtual networking lounge. 1-1:50pm Luke Bryan: CRS Artist Interview Sponsored by BMI Luke Bryan, Kurt Johnson 1:50-2pm CRHoF Induction: George Beasley Sponsored by Curb Records 2-3pm New Faces of Country Music Sponsored by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital & The Academy of Country Music Tenille Arts, Travis Denning, Hardy, Ashley McBryde, Matt Stell On Demand Only Dial & Error Hal Rood, Maynard What’s a Hit? Katie Dean, JR Schumann, Ashley Sidoti, Brian Michel 21 Promotions In ’21 Paul O’Malley, Kris Lamb, Ryan Wild, Josh Perlman, Dawn Santolucito, Ray Tejeda, Ashly Emerson -Keating

11-11:50am Till The Wellness Runs Dry: How to Handle the Anxiety of the Music Business Sponsored by DAV Elizabeth Porter

Making Syndication Sound Local Elania Smith, Tom Hanrahan, Whitney Allen, Justin Michael

11am-12pm Aircheck Workshop Becky Brenner, Bruce Logan, Joel Raab, JoJo Turnbeaugh, Kevin Callahan, Tracy Johnson

Reinventing Yourself Beverlee Brannigan, Laurie Kahn, Steve Reynolds, Hubert Payne

Social Distancing Brought Us Closer Billy Mann, Noah Schnacky, Jeff Zukaukas, Chris Loss

11:50am-12pm CRS/Country Aircheck Awards Major Market Station, Large Market Station, Medium Market Station and Small Market Station 12-12:50pm When Sh*t Hits The Fan Sponsored by Big Machine Label Group George Couri, Ebie McFarland, Kevin King, Nick Hartley

Lon Helton, lon@countryaircheck.com Chuck Aly, chuck@countryaircheck.com Caitlin DeForest, caitlin@countryaircheck.com Monta Vaden, monta@countryaircheck.com Chris Huff, chris@countryaircheck.com