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September 27, 2021, Issue 775

Artists Explore Podcasting

In addition to writing and recording music, touring and creating social content, several artists are expanding their brands with a familiar form of audience engagement – audio. RCA’s Chris Young, Big Machine’s Midland and singer/songwriter Drew Baldridge are among those leading the way; each is currently releasing podcasts as well as working in tandem with broadcast radio in various forms. Country Aircheck spoke to these artists to find out how and why they’re using the medium as part of their Chris Young overall marketing mix. Pod Squad: “Not only do I get to spend time with three of my closest friends talking about what we love, but my fans get an opportunity to feel more connected to me by learning about my hobbies and passions,” Young says of his The Quad With Chris Young podcast. Each week, he is joined by WTSP-TV/ Tampa news anchor Ryan Bass, Underwater Empire reality show personality Haley Mikenas and songwriter/producer Josh Midland Gleave to discuss four topics: sports, music, movies and a hot take. “We launched it at the beginning of 2020, pre-pandemic, and we’ve had to learn a lot as we go and stay flexible,” Young says. The Quad has already logged 87 one-hour episodes. “Not only do we have fans of my music tuning in, but because we have four strongbut-uniquely-different personalities talking about such a wide range of topics, there are also people who have listened to the podcast then gone to look for my music,” Drew Baldridge says Young. (continued on page 9)

See Salt: 19th & Grand’s Tenille Arts with KSOP/Salt Lake City staffers. Pictured (l-r) are the station’s Dave Gunderson, Arts, the station’s Deb Turpin and the label’s Dave Collins.

NSHoF: Brett James

Spotlighting individual inductees leading up to the Nov. 1 50/51 Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala begins with Brett James. His cuts include Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take The Wheel” and “Cowboy Casanova,” Kenny Chesney’s “Out Last Night” and “When The Sun Goes Down” (f/Uncle Kracker), Jessica Andrews’ “Who I Am,” Rodney Atkins’ “It’s

Brett James

© 2 0 2 1 Co u n t r y A i rc h e c k ™ — A l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d . S i g n u p f re e a t w w w. c o u n t r y a i rc h e c k . c o m . S e n d n e w s t o n e w s @ c o u n t r y a i r c h e c k . c o m

September 27, 2021

America,” Rascal Flatts’ “Summer Nights,” Chris Young’s “The Man I Want To Be” and Brantley Gilbert’s “Bottoms Up.” I was standing in my kitchen on Christmas Eve around 4:30pm when my cell rang and said blocked number, so I knew it was someone famous. Sure enough, it was Kenny Chesney. He said, “Hey man, what are you doing the day after tomorrow?” It’s Christmas Eve, and I had four children under the age of 12, but he invited me to the islands to write some songs. Because I have very understanding children who know what pays for presents, two days later I found myself in the islands with Kenny. We definitely had a good time the first night we were there — got in pretty late and all that. The next morning, I woke up and was sitting on his back deck strumming my guitar and looking at the ocean in this beautiful, beautiful place in St. John. Two or three hours later, the sliding glass door opens, and Kenny says, “Brett, we went out last night.” And I said, “Yeah, we did, and maybe that’s a song we should write today.” We wrote “Out Last Night” that morning, had some lunch and rum and sat on that same deck and wrote “Reality.” That’s the only time I’ve written two No. 1s in one day so, yeah, it’s one of my favorite days. I was Steven Tyler’s first co-write when he decided to do a Nashville record. At the time, I had this horse farm, and I’m getting texts from his assistant saying he’s 20 minutes away, now he’s five minutes away. So, I’m waiting to meet and introduce myself when turning down my long driveway was this 1979 white Rolls Royce. Steven had a driver and was hanging out the passenger window — half his body is out the window. He’s literally waving a feather boa in the air and singing all the way down my driveway. I’ll never forget standing there thinking, “How lucky am I to get to be standing here right now? This is something I will never forget.” I’ve been lucky enough to go to the Castle Songwriting Camp in France. It’s all about writing pop music (not country) like a summer camp for songwriters with people from all over the world. The second year, Priscilla Renea, who has written for artists like Rihanna and Beyoncé, joined Chris DeStefano and me in this huge main hall of the castle, and we started doing this boom, boom, stomp, clap beat. We got into the song and ended up writing “Something Bad” that Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert recorded. There’s this big background part we’re just screaming at the top of our lungs, and you could hear it throughout the whole castle Miles Copeland has a rule that if you write a No. 1 at this particular camp, then you get knighted, so we got to go back the next year and officially be knighted in France for writing that song.

Page 6

On a very typical songwriting day in Nashville 20042005, Gordie Sampson and I met at Hillary Lindsey’s house. Gordie Sampson had a title called “When Jesus Takes The Wheel,” and I thought it was about the silliest I’d ever heard. I remember laughing, like what does Jesus drive? A truck? A Toyota? You got Jesus in a robe driving down the road? We actually moved on and started talking through some other ideas and got stuck. We didn’t have anything moving any of us, so we went back to the “When Jesus Takes The Wheel” idea. What could we do with that? We turned it into a prayer … this little girl driving to Cincinnati on a snow-white Christmas Eve. When right song meets the right artist at the right moment in time, magic happens. Songwriters write all kinds of songs — dance, silly, sexy, funny. The ones that end up meaning the most, to me at least, are the ones that really mean something to people in their lives. Fortunately, “Jesus Take The Wheel” ended up being one. You can play it anywhere in the world, and someone comes up saying, “That song really means something to me. I needed to hear that at this time in my life,” or “I have a story to tell you about that song.” Getting the chance to touch people along the way, plus the friendships and relationships you make doing this for 30 years, are the two best things about being a songwriter. –Caitlin DeForest

Chart Chat

Congratulations to Scotty McCreery, Kevin Herring, Raffaella Braun and the Triple Tigers promotion team on landing “You Time” at No. 1. This is McCreery’s fourth single on the label and his fourth career chart-topper. Songwriters are Frank Rogers, Aaron Eshuis and McCreery. Walker Hayes catapults into the top Scotty McCreery 10 this week as “Fancy Like” jumps ninepositions from No. 17 to No. 8. Not only does this eclipse Hayes’ previous highest charting song (“You Broke Up With Me” peaked at No. 10 in 2018), this is the largest leap into the top 10 for any song since Gretchen Wilson’s “Redneck Woman” jumped from No. 19 to No. 9 in April 2004. And kudos to Michael Chase and the Warner/WAR crew on scoring 39 adds for Chris Janson’s “Bye Mom,” which becomes Janson’s fifth release to lead the weekly add board.

September 27, 2021

OFF THE RECORD An Off The Record conversation with Quartz Hill’s Ben Gallaher: During quarantine, my wife and I bought bikes. When I’m not on the road, we often wake up early to ride with the sunrise. Social media has become the main stream of communication between artists and fans. One way I used it to connect with fans was for the “Every Small Town” lyric video. We BEN GALLAHER asked fans to submit photos/videos of themselves in their own towns to be included in the lyric video. It was a way to personally connect with them off stage. I grew up listening to Bob 94.9 (WRBT) in Harrisburg, PA. Nancy and Newman were the voices I heard every morning going to school, and I have been thankful enough to develop friendships with the two of them since. The first time I heard myself on the radio, it took me by complete surprise and took a few seconds to register it was actually happening. I nearly spit my coffee out and had to pull over. “Every Small Town” is a song about the American spirit. It’s about being proud of who you are and where you’re from, no matter where you’re from. I feel like we all have some small-town roots in us. The most redneck thing I’ve done lately is duct taping my mirrors on my 1998 Ford Ranger, because they won’t stay on by themselves anymore. I wish I had written “Lightning” by Eric Church. It’s such an emotional and lyrically driven song. It resonates extra with me because of my 10-year annual tour of the Pennsylvania state prisons performing for inmates. My favorite song on the radio right now is Lee Brice’s “Memory I Don’t Mess With.” I just started watching Billions on Apple TV and am currently bingeing season two.

Page 9

The Week’s Top Stories

Full coverage at countryaircheck.com. • Country Aircheck Weekly checked in with the two highestrated diary Country stations and recapped the Eric Church tour launch last week (9/20) here. • Beasley/Las Vegas OM/Digital PD & Urban AC KOAS PD Cat Thomas returned. (CAT 9/24) • KTHT/Houston morning co-hosts Dan Gallo and Chuck Akers exited. (CAT 9/23) • Doug Cohn joined Cumulus as SVP/Music & Entertainment, Content & Audience. (CAT 9/20) • Chele Fassig and Laurel Kittleson-Cobb joined Records Nashville as Mgr./Promotions and A&R Consultant, respectively. (CAT 9/20) • Keith Urban will receive the 2021 CRB Artist Career Achievement Award at the CRHoF induction. (CAT 9/20) • Chronicle: Bob Moore.

Artists Explore Podcasting

(continued from page 1)

“Being able to reach people I normally wouldn’t has been an unexpected benefit.” The Quad also has a robust social media presence and an accompanying line of merch. He attributes much of the technical knowledge and setup to Gleave, who he says has handled the logistics of recording a podcast with four people, one of whom resides in a different state. “It’s amazing what we can accomplish with technology,” quips Young. “That flexibility to have a professional setup in multiple places has been fantastic.” Since its launch, The Quad has only taken one week off, and it remains a priority – even as touring resumes. “Yes, this is something we all enjoy doing and have fun putting together, but we’re also very serious about it,” he says. “The work we put in is worth it for me, because I consider it another creative outlet.”

September 27, 2021

Whoa’d Stories: Midland’s Cameron Duddy feels similarly about the band’s recently launched Set It Straight: Myths And Legends podcast. “We came to Nashville and immediately started hearing all these urban legends and road stories, and some of them sounded like absolute lies, honestly,” he says of the inspiration for the show he does with bandmates Mark Wystrach and Jess Carson. “But, the stories are fascinating and entertaining, and we wanted to give them a place to live but also share the real stories, from the root, as best we could.” With fewer than a dozen episodes on the books so far, Midland have already tackled tall tales and fables about Garth Brooks, Martina McBride, Darius Rucker, Matthew McConaughey and even Elvis – all by going straight to the source and asking, “Is it true that...?” Duddy says, “This project has been extremely fun, and we are proud of the interviews we are producing and the stories we’ve been able to share so far. “The thing about country music is there’s no shortage of legends,” he says. “We could do 100 episodes and never tell all the stories that have been floating around for years. Not to mention the stories that are happening every night out on the road. And, honestly, there are some legends no one will ever be able to answer and questions that will remain unanswerable.” That certainly isn’t stopping the guys from digging into the dirt. Write About Now: Baldridge’s podcast is focused on the

Page 11

traditional artist/songwriter and music discovery angle, as his Behind The Song title implies. Approximately 30 episodes in, Baldridge says he is finding a groove in interviewing his fellow artists. “I am passionate about songwriting and giving artists a platform to share the stories behind songs,” he explains. “To really know any artist, you have to understand their perspective. You can’t always get to the heart of a song until the writer takes you inside the process.” As a writer and artist, Baldridge says he’s well positioned to convey those tales. “I understand the language; sometimes writers feel even more comfortable talking to me, because I can really relate to their process.” Mt. Wilson KKGO/Los Angeles PD Michael Levine sparked the idea for Baldridge to do a podcast. “Michael originally floated the idea of me doing weekends on KKGO,” Baldridge explains. “He said I would be great on-air, and I asked if he was sure since I don’t have any formal training and don’t sound like a regular DJ.” He agreed to take the weekend shift and start the accompanying podcast in February (CAT 2/1). “The two work well together, because I can play clips from the podcast on-air,” Baldridge notes. “I have even more respect now for radio guys and gals, because I’m only preparing and hosting a few hours a week, and there are so many who are doing five or six hours a day. It’s a lot of work, and that’s something you just don’t know or understand until you’re the one doing it!”

September 27, 2021

Page 13

Radio Gaga: Speaking of radio, Young recently began a weekly Chris Young Cowboys Post Game Show (CAT 9/10) with Cumulus KSCS/Dallas’ Hawkeye In The Morning. “I have always had such a love of radio and a great admiration for the people on-air,” Young says. “I love the craft and the process of radio, and having the opportunity to learn more about the ins and outs of broadcasting, even if just through this podcast, has been eye opening.” Midland have also dipped their toes in the radio waters, recently wrapping a full year – 50 episodes – of Six Degrees Radio on Apple Music Country (CAT 8/18/20). The show aimed to provide insight into the artists, songwriters and producers in the industry. “The three of us each bring a different perspective, and we have had an incredible time making this show,” Duddy states. “But, between the show and the podcast, and continuing to make music and tour, we are absolutely ready for a break from the show now that season one is done.” But don’t expect the guys of Midland to slow down. “Audio offers so many opportunities to flex our creative muscles, and I can see us doing something in the space for years to come,” he says. –Monta Vaden

Dream Come Blue: Curb/MCC’s Jackson Michelson (r) with WPOR/Portland, ME’s Jon Shannon (c) and the label’s Todd Thomas.

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

September 27, 2021

SEEK & EMPLOY

AVAILABLE JOBS MIDWEST Summit KFDI/Wichita OM Justin Case is searching for a morning co-host. See the complete posting here; send résumés and airchecks to Case here. Midwest WNCY/Appleton-Oshkosh, WI Brand Mgr. Dan Stone is searching for a midday personality. Send résumés, references and airchecks to him here. Alpha KZEN/Columbus, NE Dir./Content David Gustafson is looking for a morning host. See the complete job description and apply here; reach Gustafson here. Titan KBKB/Burlington, IA PD Wyatt Reed is searching for an afternoon personality. Send résumés and airchecks here. Midwest/Peoria, IL VP/MM Mike Wild is looking to add an OM for the cluster that includes Country WXCL. See the complete job description here; send résumés, cover letters and airchecks to Wild here. Hubbard KKWS/Wadena, MN GM Matt Senne is searching for a PD/morning host. See the complete job description here; send résumés and airchecks to Senne here. Cumulus WDRQ/Detroit Dir./FM Programming David Corey is seeking an afternoon personality. Send résumés and airchecks to him here. Townsquare KOEL/Waterloo, IA Dir./ Content Johnny Marks is searching for a Brand Mgr./morning host. See the complete job description and apply here; send résumés and airchecks to Marks here. White River WKKG/Columbus, IN Coord./ Programming Brad Jackson is seeking a PD/ morning host. Send résumés and airchecks to him here. Zimmer KATI/Jefferson City, MO OM Jeremy Washington is looking for a PD/ morning co-host. Send résumés, social media samples and airchecks to him here. Audacy/Minneapolis is searching for an SVP/MM for the cluster that includes KMNB to succeed Shannon Knoepke. Apply here. Leighton/St. Cloud, MN Mgr./HR Brian Zenzen is seeking an OM & Country KZPK PD. Complete job description here; send résumés and airchecks here. Townsquare SVP/Content & Programming Kurt Johnson is looking for a Dir./Content for the Lansing, MI cluster that includes Country WITL. Send résumés and airchecks here. Saga Group PD Scott Chase is searching for a PD/on-air personality to join Country WIXY & Classic Country WYXY/Champaign, IL. Send résumés and airchecks here. NORTHEAST iHeartMedia/Washington, DC RSVPP Jeff Kapugi is looking for a Cluster APD to add to the programming team. Oversight includes Country WMZQ. Apply here. iHeartMedia EVP/Country Programming Strategy Rod Phillips is searching for a PD/ on-air talent to join WPGB/Pittsburgh. Send résumés and airchecks to him here; complete job description and application here. Townsquare SVP/Content & Programming Kurt Johnson is seeking a Dir./Content & Country WYRK/Buffalo Brand Mgr. to succeed Chris Crowley. Send résumés here.

Binnie/Portland, ME VP/Programming Heath Cole is looking for a PD to join WTHT. Send résumés, cover letters and airchecks here.

Cox KCYY/San Antonio PD Christi Brooks is searching for a morning co-host to join incumbent Beth Chandler. Apply here.

SOUTHEAST

WEST COAST

Golden Isle/Brunswick, GA Dir./ Programming Mark “The Shark” Ediss is seeking a successor for outgoing OM/PD/onair talent Paul Andresen. The cluster includes Country WRJY. Duties will include on-air, production, promotions, sales and handling technical issues. Send résumés and airchecks to Ediss here. Summit/Louisville OM Cagle is seeking a full-time midday personality with at least two years of on-air experience; PPM experience is a plus. Candidate should have an engaging presence, strong social media and tech skills, production and digital editing chops and the ability to communicate in an authentic way. Send résumés and airchecks to Cagle here. iHeartMedia/Virginia-Carolina Region SVPP Kix Layton is searching for a morning cohost to join WKSF/Asheville, NC morning man Eddie Foxx. Candidates must have three-plus years of experience and be proficient in social media, show prep, on-air production, client endorsements and public appearances. Send résumés and airchecks to Layton here. Summit SVP/Programming Randy Chase is seeking an OM/PD for the Knoxville cluster, including Country WCYQ, to succeed Kevin “Gravy” Canup. Candidates should have on-air and programming chops and be able to communicate effectively with both staff and leadership. Send résumés and airchecks here. Mel Wheeler WSLC/Roanoke, VA Dir./HR Cheryl Skinner is seeking a midday personality. Send résumés and airchecks to her here. Triangle Marketing Associates/ Smithfield, NC GM Rick Heilmann is searching for an OM/PD/morning host for Country WKJO. See the complete job description here; send résumés and airchecks here. iHeartMedia EVP/Country Programming Strategy Rod Phillips and RSVP Chadwick “AJ” Hausknecht are looking for a PD/onair talent to join WKKT/Charlotte. See the complete job description and apply here; reach Phillips here and Hausknecht here. Gulf South WTVY/Dothan, AL GM Bryan Holladay is seeking an OM/PD/morning cohost who can also handle PD duties for Top 40 sister WKMX. Send résumés and airchecks here. SOUTHWEST

Frontier/Juneau, AK GM Cherie Curry is seeking an OM/PD/on-air talent for the cluster that includes Country KTKU. Send résumés with references and an aircheck to Curry here. Beasley/Las Vegas VP/MM Peter Burton is searching for Cat Thomas’ successor to handle OM & Urban AC KOAS PD duties. Details here; send cover letters and résumés to Burton here. Cumulus KBUL/Reno, NV PD/morning host Bob Richards is seeking a full-time morning co-host to join The Moo Crew. Complete job description here; send résumés and airchecks to Richards here. Marker KPLM/Palm Springs, CA PD Kory James is looking for an afternoon personality. Send résumés and airchecks to him here. Momentum KJUG/Visalia, CA PD Rik McNeil is searching for a morning show with three-to-five years of experience. See the complete job description and apply here; submit résumés, social media profiles, mobile content, examples of how you have executed winning strategies to move morning ratings forward and an aircheck to McNeil here. Leighton KYCK/Grand Forks, ND OM Jarrod Thomas is seeking a station PD and morning team. Send résumés and airchecks to him here. Alpha/Portland is searching for a fulltime Dir./Marketing for the cluster that includes Country KUPL. Apply here. Beasley/Las Vegas VP/MM Peter Burton is seeking a full-time Dir./Promotions for the cluster that includes Country KCYE. Send cover letters and résumés to him here. Cumulus KATM/Modesto, CA PD Andy Winford is looking for a third-mic morning cohost to join DJ Walker and Jaimee Lee. See complete job description and apply here. Hubbard/Seattle OM & Country KNUC PD Scott Mahalick is searching for an APD/ MD/midday personality. Apply here.

Townsquare KQBR/Lubbock, TX Brand Mgr. Lance Ballance is seeking an APD/onair personality to succeed Jan Miller. Send résumés and airchecks to him here. Brazos Valley KORA/Bryan-College Station, TX VP/GM John Seigler is searching for an MD/morning co-host with an understanding of Texas country. Send résumés and airchecks to him here. Alpha/Amarillo, TX is seeking a Market Mgr. for the cluster that includes Country KGNC. See the complete job description and apply here. Cumulus VP/Country Charlie Cook is looking for a PD/midday personality for KAYD/Beaumont, TX. See the complete job description and apply here.

OTHER Townsquare Country Format Lead Doug Montgomery has immediate openings for PDs and morning talent. Send résumés and airchecks to him here. iHeartMedia EVP/Country Programming Strategy Rod Phillips has current openings for “great PDs in various size markets.” Send résumés and airchecks to him here. River House Artists is looking to add a Dir./Promotion with five-to-10 years of experience who is willing to travel and has a background in radio promotion within a record company environment. Send résumés to Exec. Asst. Callie Waterman here. Pandora is adding a Dir./Country Programming to manage the programming and curation of country music destinations on the platform. See the complete job description and apply here. Songfluencer is looking to fill three fulltime, hybrid positions: Mgr./Campaign, Coord./ Creative and Coord./Outreach. See complete job descriptions here; send résumés here.

September 27, 2021

SEEK & EMPLOY

SEEKING JOBS •Cactus Jack Former Entercom/Phoenix Dir./Production GoGoJack@msn.com 602-430-5908

•Ryan McCall Former WGLR/Platteville, WI MD/afternoons RyanMcCall@yahoo.com

•Tony Kelly Former WUSN/Chicago morning producer KellyT_60468@yahoo.com 708-642-8518 •Greg Cole Former WKCQ/Saginaw, MI OM/PD GCole27000@gmail.com 916-502-4734 •Jonathan West Former WKTI/Milwaukee afternoons JonathanWestRadio@gmail.com 320-774-9300 •Marc Lavik (aka Dave Marcus) Former on-air talent ZimaGuy@gmail.com 401-467-6737 •Cory Mikhals Former KIZN/Boise morning co-host CoryProductions@icloud.com •”Big” John Horton Former KFSA/Ft. Smith, AR afternoons BigJohn@TheBigJohnShow.com •Kris Richards Former WKJO/Smithfield, NC afternoons FireCop947@yahoo.com •AJ McCloud Former WWFF/Huntsville, AL APD/afternoons AJ.McCloud@charter.net 256-503-2301 •Mac Daniels Former KPLX & KSCS/Dallas PD MacDaniels@me.com

•Keith Abrams Former iHeartMedia/Cleveland OM KeithAbrams961@gmail.com

•Todd Elbrink Former Cox/Houston DOS TElbrink@icloud.com

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

•Mike McKay Former WQRB/Eau Claire, WI Brand Mgr./mornings McKProd@charter.net

•Matt Valley Former KBRJ/Anchorage, AK Dir./ Content & mornings MattDotValley@gmail.com

•Kasper Former WUSN/Chicago afternoons KasperShow@gmail.com and www. KasperShow.com

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

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

•Steve Powers Former iHeartMedia/Mobile, AL SVPP StevePowers961@yahoo.com

•Carly Quinn Former WGH/Norfolk morning co-host NewEnglandClamChowder2021@ yahoo.com 757-617-8171

•Jake Byron Former KUPL/Portland mornings JakeByronMedia@gmail.com

•Jim Dorman Former iHeartMedia/Wichita SVPP & Country KZSN PD/middays JimDorman2@aol.com

•Kim Brixton Former WNWN/Battle Creek, MI mornings/middays KimBrixton@gmail.com •Mark McKay Former Riser House Dir./ Southeast Promotion MMcKay973@gmail.com •Tim Taylor Former KWJJ/Portland afternoons Tim.Taylor1@comcast.net •Amber Rainey Former KSON/San Diego middays AmberRaineyOnAir@gmail.com •Tami Rumfelt Former WPAW/Greensboro afternoons TamiRumfelt@gmail.com •Mike Allan Former WNSH/New York nights MikeAllanRadio@gmail.com

•Brittany Tully Former WYNK/Baton Rouge PD BriLynn718@gmail.com

•Darlene Evans Former WKIS/Miami middays DarleneInc@yahoo.com

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

•Nathan Cruise Former In2une Dir./Regional Promotion NCruise27@gmail.com 615-496-6356

•Amy Nic Former WAMZ/Louisville afternoons AmyNicRadioChick@gmail.com •Ron “Keyes” Stevens Former WQRB/Eau Claire, WI afternoon host RonStvns@yahoo.com •Scott Davidson Former WHOF-HD2/Canton, OH PD/ on-air host Davidson1023@gmail.com •Trace Hamilton Former WEBG/Chicago night host TheTraceHamilton@gmail.com •Daryl Thomas Ledyard Former WBBS/Syracuse on-air talent DarylLedyard@gmail.com

•Mark “Skid” Lavin Former WOTW/Orlando Dir./ Production & On-Air MarkLavin@yahoo.com 407-619-5346 •“Wes McShay” Gardipe Former Appaloosa Dir./Western Region Programming WesGardipe@gmail.com 307-899-0007 •Nicholas Nixon Former KFRG/Riverside personality Kn3ick@outlook.com 909-754-3031 •Kerry Wolfe Former WMIL/Milwaukee SVPP & PD KerryLWolfe@hotmail.com 414-788-3764

•Eddie Rupp Former iHeartMedia/Sarasota, FL SVPP/OM & Country WCTQ middays ER-1001@hotmail.com •Mike Tyler Former WCKT/Ft. Myers, FL PD/afternoons RadioGuy.101@gmail.com •Amy Lynn Former WCKT/Ft. Myers, FL middays AmyLynnRadio@gmail.com •Bill “Stu” Stewart Former KASH/Anchorage, AK PD/ morning co-host BStu1013@gmail.com •Doug Kramer Former KHLR/Little Rock, AR mornings DougKramerLive@gmail.com •Ashley King Former KHLR/Little Rock, AR afternoons AKingMarsh@gmail.com •Jeremy “Otis” Maher Former WUBL/Atlanta MD/afternoons JeyMaher20@yahoo.com •Jess Tyler Former WOKQ/Portsmouth, NH Brand Mgr./MD/middays JTyler1999@yahoo.com •Jim Pearson Former KDBL/Yakima, WA PD/mornings JimsCoolEmail@gmail.com 831-261-1822 •Crash Poteet Former WPOR/Portland, ME Brand Mgr./afternoons OKCCrash@gmail.com •Aaron “Gator” Glass Former WQNU/Louisville mornings GatorGlass.53@gmail.com •Tom Scott Former Seven Mountains/Pennsylvania “Big Foot Country” afternoons TomScottRadio@gmail.com

•Chuck Reeves Former KTFWDallas & KTWF/Wichita Falls, TX PD/afternoons ChuckReeves33@yahoo.com •Chuck “DZL” Thompson Former WKKT/Charlotte PD DZLradio@gmail.com 704-615-7095 •JC Coffey Former Big Machine Dir./Midwest Promotion & Marketing RadioJC83@gmail.com 269-806-6865 •Jackie McKay Former KSOP/Salt Lake City night host/Promotions Dir. JackieMcKayRadio@gmail.com •JD Greene Former WPGB/Pittsburgh PD/afternoons OConnell1631@yahoo.com 412-613-2539 •Kenny Jay Former WUSN/Chicago PD KennyJayRadio@gmail.com 612-704-9780 •Corey Garrison Former WTHT/Portland, ME PD GarrisonCorey@yahoo.com •Jared Marlowe Former WWOF/Tallahassee weekender RadioJared@gmail.com •Chris Cardenas Former KCYY/San Antonio night host/ morning producer Cardenas_Christopher@yahoo.com •Dan Gallo Former KTHT/Houston morning co-host DanJGallo@hotmail.com •Chuck Akers Former KTHT/Houston morning co-host chuckakers@comcast.net •Chris Clare Former WNNF/Cincinnati PD/afternoons ChrisClare@ymail.com

September 27, 2021 LW

Artist/Title (Label)

Total Points +/- Points Total Plays +/- Plays Audience +/- Aud Stations ADDS

SCOTTY MCCREERY 4 You Time (Triple Tigers)

29631

2544

8204

769

38.023 3.119

160

J. RODGERS f/L. COMBS/Cold Beer... (River House/Columbia) 4 28253

1740

7700

409

35.348

LEE BRICE/Memory I Don't Mess With (Curb) 4

26211

1949

7122

549

33.786 3.733

160

J. ALDEAN & C. UNDERWOOD/If I...(Macon/BBR/Capitol) 4

23178

2022

6454

574

28.423 2.577

160

ELVIE SHANE/My Boy (Wheelhouse)

21554

1105

6167

320

25.065 1.281

158

LAINEY WILSON/Things A Man Oughta Know (Broken Bow)

19556

-3157

24.815 -13.251

159

RYAN HURD w/MAREN MORRIS/Chasing After You (Arista)

19283

1660

5455

467

22.636 1.356

157

WALKER HAYES/Fancy Like (Monument)

18853

4372

5293

1250

22.299 5.205

150

OLD DOMINION/I Was On A Boat That Day (Arista)

17550

206

4835

21.777 0.203

160

KENNY CHESNEY/Knowing You (Blue Chair/Warner/WEA)

17234

859

4757

203

21.081 1.536

160

LADY A/Like A Lady (BMLGR)

16642

794

4423

186

19.408

160

LUKE COMBS/Cold As You (River House/Columbia)

16495

919

4458

230

19.576 1.061

160

ZAC BROWN BAND/Same Boat (Home Grown/Warner/WAR)

16285

1623

4396

440

19.698 1.895

156

THOMAS RHETT/Country Again (Valory)

16268

-6104

4551

-1635

-7.49

160

JON PARDI/Tequila Little Time (Capitol)

15484

4249

18.776 0.982

159

J. ALLEN & B. PAISLEY/Freedom Was A Highway (Stoney Creek)

14860

174

4033

17.413 0.451

160

MICHAEL RAY/Whiskey And Rain (Warner/WEA)

14241

677

3793

53 -176

15.573

159

DUSTIN LYNCH f/M. PORTER/Thinking 'Bout You (Broken Bow)

13244

1488

3433

365

15.868 2.438

156

PRISCILLA BLOCK/Just About Over You (InDent/Mercury)

12686

342

3405

13.728 0.426

157

CHRIS STAPLETON/You Should Probably Leave (Mercury)

11091

561

3093

145

12.634 0.958

156

CALLISTA CLARK/It's 'Cause I Am (Big Machine)

10317

272

2946

0.008

156

RUSSELL DICKERSON/Home Sweet (Triple Tigers)

10173

207

2645

11.133 0.449

154

KANE BROWN/One Mississippi (RCA)

9926

1065

2692

324

11.146 1.104

157

JORDAN DAVIS f/LUKE BRYAN/Buy Dirt (MCA)

9841

530

2746

194

10.34

0.859

157

PARKER MCCOLLUM/To Be Loved By You (MCA)

9741

208

2592

10.07

0.221

154

-10786 5280

22.44

9.936

2.97

0.89

1.14

4 =Top 5 Point Gainers

Chart Page 1

September 27, 2021 LW

Artist/Title (Label)

Total Points +/- Points Total Plays +/- Plays Audience +/- Aud Stations ADDS

KELSEA BALLERINI f/K. CHESNEY/Half Of... (Black River)

9664

581

2808

165

10.151 0.127

157

MORGAN WALLEN/Sand In My Boots (Big Loud)

9479

1066

2624

293

11.332 0.982

146

ERIC CHURCH/Heart On Fire (EMI Nashville)

7647

594

2134

143

8.38

0.631

150

ELLE KING & MIRANDA LAMBERT/Drunk ... (RCA/Columbia)

6495

662

1762

192

6.136

0.773

116

HARDY/Give Heaven Some Hell (Big Loud)

6456

116

1882

5.534 -0.129

144

GARTH BROOKS/That's What Cowboys Do (Pearl)

5470

181

1480

4.676

0.327

127

MATT STELL/That Ain't Me No More (Records/Arista)

5247

297

1460

4.713

0.145

143

SAM HUNT/23 (MCA)

4912

1708

1274

494

4.982

1.752

116

KEITH URBAN/Wild Hearts (Capitol)

4728

665

1213

155

4.537

0.702

122

LAUREN ALAINA w/JON PARDI/Getting Over Him (Mercury)

4708

264

1356

3.804

0.068

146

JAKE OWEN/Best Thing Since Backroads (Big Loud)

4611

328

1232

4.407

0.216

139

TOBY KEITH/Old School (Show Dog)

4047

213

1228

3.017

1.053

128

CAITLYN SMITH f/OLD DOMINION/I Can't (Monument)

4029

1220

2.954

0.004

106

D. BENTLEY f/BRELAND & HARDY/Beers... (Atlantic/Big Loud/Capitol) 3805

344

987

5.309

0.673

108

DARIUS RUCKER/My Masterpiece (Capitol)

3756

583

1027

171

3.227

0.148

120

TIM MCGRAW/7500 OBO (Big Machine)

3418

369

913

2.649

0.121

104

BROTHERS OSBORNE/I'm Not For Everyone (EMI Nashville)

3357

257

982

2.354

0.308

105

DAN + SHAY/Steal My Love (Warner/WAR)

3044

851

2.547

0.032

103

TENILLE ARTS/Back Then, Right Now (19th & Grand)

3006

157

850

1.523

0.041

104

NATE BARNES/You Ain't Pretty (Quartz Hill)

2681

208

822

1.425

0.12

C. PEARCE & A. MCBRYDE/Never... (Big Machine/Warner/WMN)

2584

375

688

2.641 -0.634

FRANK RAY/Country'd Look Good On You (Stoney Creek)

2393

695

1.329

0.022

CHRIS LANE/Fill Them Boots (Big Loud)

2297

670

1.765

0.146

CAROLINE JONES/Come In ... (Mailboat/New Revolution)

2256

122

704

1.067

0.02

CAM/Till There's Nothing Left (Triple Tigers)

2068

625

-5

0.9

0.026

Re-Enter 49 Debut 50

4 =Top 5 Point Gainers

Chart Page 3

September 27, 2021 Country Aircheck Add Leaders

Adds

Activator Top Point Gainers

WALKER HAYES/Fancy Like (Monument)

1148 4

NIKO MOON/Paradise To Me (RCA)

SAM HUNT/23 (MCA)

1033 4

CONNER SMITH/Learn From It (Valory)

KANE BROWN/One Mississippi (RCA)

SAM HUNT/23 (MCA)

ZAC BROWN BAND/Same Boat (Home Grown/Warner/WAR) 619 4

KEITH URBAN/Wild Hearts (Capitol)

RYAN HURD w/MAREN MORRIS/Chasing After You (Arista)

618 4

C. PEARCE & A. MCBRYDE/Never... (Big Machine/Warner/WMN)

J. ALDEAN & C. UNDERWOOD/If I... (Broken Bow/Capitol)

610

BEN GALLAHER/Every Small Town (Quartz Hill)

MICHAEL RAY/Whiskey And Rain (Warner/WEA)

544

E. KING & M. LAMBERT/Drunk ... (RCA/Columbia)

KEITH URBAN/Wild Hearts (Capitol)

520

D. LYNCH f/M. PORTER/Thinking 'Bout You (Broken Bow)

493

LEE BRICE/Memory I Don't Mess With (Curb)

403

CHRIS JANSON/Bye Mom (Warner/WAR)

DARIUS RUCKER/My Masterpiece (Capitol)

JAKE OWEN/Best Thing Since Backroads (Big Loud)

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers

646 4

Activator Top Spin Gainers WALKER HAYES/Fancy Like (Monument)

222

SAM HUNT/23 (MCA)

169

ZAC BROWN BAND/Same Boat (Home Grown/Warner/WAR)

134

RYAN HURD w/MAREN MORRIS/Chasing After You (Arista)

127

J. RODGERS f/L. COMBS/Cold Beer... (River House/Columbia)

4 2544 4 2022 4 1949 4 1740 4

MICHAEL RAY/Whiskey And Rain (Warner/WEA)

127

SAM HUNT/23 (MCA)

1708

KEITH URBAN/Wild Hearts (Capitol)

119

RYAN HURD w/MAREN MORRIS/Chasing After You (Arista)

1660

J. ALDEAN & C. UNDERWOOD/If I... (Broken Bow/Capitol)

115

1623

KANE BROWN/One Mississippi (RCA)

107

DUSTIN LYNCH f/M. PORTER/Thinking 'Bout You (Broken Bow) 1488

D. LYNCH f/M. PORTER/Thinking 'Bout You (Broken Bow)

105

ELVIE SHANE/My Boy (Wheelhouse)

LEE BRICE/Memory I Don't Mess With (Curb)

WALKER HAYES/Fancy Like (Monument) SCOTTY MCCREERY/You Time (Triple Tigers) J. ALDEAN & C. UNDERWOOD/If I... (Macon/BBR/Capitol) LEE BRICE/Memory I Don't Mess With (Curb)

ZAC BROWN BAND/Same Boat (Home Grown/Warner/WAR)

4372

1105

Country Aircheck Top Recurrents

Country Aircheck Top Spin Gainers

Points

4372

LUKE BRYAN/Waves (Capitol)

21915

SCOTTY MCCREERY/You Time (Triple Tigers)

2544

CHRIS YOUNG & KANE BROWN/Famous Friends (RCA)

19327

J. ALDEAN & C. UNDERWOOD/If I... (Macon/BBR/Capitol)

2022

LUKE COMBS/Forever After All (River House/Columbia)

15727

LEE BRICE/Memory I Don't Mess With (Curb)

1949

CHASE RICE f/FGL/Drinkin' Beer... (Dack Janiels/BBR/BMLGR)

15602

SAM HUNT/23 (MCA)

1708

COLE SWINDELL/Single Saturday Night (Warner/WMN)

15291

RYAN HURD w/MAREN MORRIS/Chasing After You (Arista)

1660

DAN + SHAY/Glad You Exist (Warner/WAR)

12656

ZAC BROWN BAND/Same Boat (Home Grown/Warner/WAR)

1623

JUSTIN MOORE/We Didn't Have Much (Valory)

11658

J. RODGERS f/L. COMBS/Cold Beer... (River House/Columbia)

1740

PARMALEE f/BLANCO BROWN/Just The Way (Stoney Creek)

11165

DUSTIN LYNCH f/M. PORTER/Thinking 'Bout You (Broken Bow)

1488

DIERKS BENTLEY/Gone (Capitol)

10336

KANE BROWN/One Mississippi (RCA)

1065

THOMAS RHETT/What's Your Country Song (Valory)

WALKER HAYES/Fancy Like (Monument)

9499

4 =Top 5 Point Gainers

Chart Page 5

September 27, 2021

COUNTRY AIRCHECK ACTIVITY NATE BARNES/You Ain’t Pretty (Quartz Hill) Moves 46-45* 2681 points, 822 spins; No adds C. PEARCE & A. MCBRYDE/Never Wanted To Be That Girl (Big Machine/Warner/WMN) Moves 50-46* 2584 points, 688 spins 16 adds, including: KFRG, KKGO, KPLM, KSCS*, KSON, KWJJ, WDRM, WGGY, WNCY, WSOC FRANK RAY/Country’d Look Good On You (Stoney Creek) Moves 47-47* 2393 points, 695 spins 1 add: WLFP CHRIS LANE/Fill Them Boots (Big Loud) Moves 48-48* 2297 points, 670 spins 2 adds: WIL, WYCD CAROLINE JONES/Come In (But Don’t Make Yourself Comfortable) (Mailboat/New Revolution) Re-enters 49* 2256 points, 704 spins 4 adds: KASE, KSSN, WDRM, WRNX CAM/Till There’s Nothing Left (Triple Tigers) Debut 50* 2068 points, 625 spins 2 adds: KWBL, WAVW DYLAN SCOTT/New Truck (Curb) 2021 points, 586 spins 2 adds: KCYY, WMAD DREW PARKER/While You’re Gone (Warner/WMN) 1845 points, 503 spins 4 adds: WHKO*, WKKT, WPAW, WQHK* GABBY BARRETT/Footprints On The Moon (Warner/WAR) 1800 points, 536 spins 2 adds: WAMZ, WBUL TRAVIS DENNING/ABBY (Mercury) 1756 points, 512 spins; No adds

ADD DATES Send yours to adds@countryaircheck.com

OCTOBER 4

MORGAN WADE/Wilder Days (Arista) PARMALEE/Take My Name (Stoney Creek)

OCTOBER 11

AMERICAN BLONDE/Quicksand (--)

OCTOBER 18

CODY JOHNSON/’Til You Can’t (Warner/CoJo/WMN)

CHECK OUT OCTOBER 1

LOGAN MIZE Welcome To Prairieville (Big Yellow Dog Music) Mize spent nearly a decade developing the concept behind the album and co-wrote all but one of the 11 songs on the track listing. LILY ROSE Stronger Than I Am (Back Blocks/Big Loud) The project features two unreleased tracks accompanied by five previous releases, including viral hit “Villain,” and writing credits from Sam Hunt, Breland and more.

©2021 Countrw/MITCHELL y Aircheck™ —TENPENNY/At All r ights reser ved. SignOf upAfree CHRIS YOUNG The End Bar at w w w.countr yaircheck .com. S end news to news@countr yaircheck .com (RCA) 1652 points, 415 spins 8 adds: KCCY, KCYE, KKWF, KWJJ, WKLB, WKML, WKXC, WSOC

Chart Page 6

September 27, 2021 LW

Artist/Title (Label)

J. ALDEAN & C. UNDERWOOD

Points

+/- Points

Plays

+/- Plays Stations ADDS

10828

610

2072

115

LEE BRICE/Memory I Don't Mess With (Curb)

10515

403

2137

J. RODGERS f/L. COMBS/Cold Beer Calling… (River House/Columbia)

10315

150

2043

If I Didn’t Have You (Macon/Broken Bow/Capitol)

SCOTTY MCCREERY/You Time (Triple Tigers)

10146

175

2027

ELVIE SHANE/My Boy (Wheelhouse)

9002

-225

1878

-26

OLD DOMINION/I Was On A Boat That Day (Arista)

8334

304

1615

LAINEY WILSON/Things A Man Oughta Know (Broken Bow)

7703

-1904

1588

-439

KENNY CHESNEY/Knowing You (Blue Chair/Warner/WEA)

7405

288

1482

THOMAS RHETT/Country Again (Valory)

7362

-2128

1464

-436

12 10

ZAC BROWN BAND/Same Boat (Home Grown/Warner/WAR) 4

7312

619

1402

134

13 11

RYAN HURD w/MAREN MORRIS/Chasing After You (Arista) 4

7191

618

1490

127

10 12

LUKE COMBS/Cold As You (River House/Columbia)

7176

362

1398

11 13

JON PARDI/Tequila Little Time (Capitol)

6860

1372

14 14

LADY A/Like A Lady (BMLGR)

6644

141

1340

17 15

WALKER HAYES/Fancy Like (Monument) 4

6010

1148

1207

222

15 16

MICHAEL RAY/Whiskey And Rain (Warner/WEA)

5979

544

1183

127

16 17

JIMMIE ALLEN & BRAD PAISLEY/Freedom Was A Highway (Stoney Creek)

5134

223

1018

20 18

JORDAN DAVIS f/LUKE BRYAN/Buy Dirt (MCA)

4634

213

902

19 19

ERIC CHURCH/Heart On Fire (EMI Nashville)

4575

140

814

18 20

CHRIS STAPLETON/You Should Probably Leave (Mercury)

4470

894

23 21

DUSTIN LYNCH f/MACKENZIE PORTER/Thinking 'Bout You (Broken Bow)

4431

493

861

105

21 22

PRISCILLA BLOCK/Just About Over You (InDent/Mercury)

4396

247

894

24 23

KANE BROWN/One Mississippi (RCA) 4

4326

646

775

107

25 24

MORGAN WALLEN/Sand In My Boots (Big Loud)

3943

374

800

22 25

PARKER MCCOLLUM/To Be Loved By You (MCA)

3906

-47

763

26 26

CALLISTA CLARK/It's 'Cause I Am (Big Machine)

3509

655

28 27

KEITH URBAN/Wild Hearts (Capitol)

3476

520

638

119

29 28

RUSSELL DICKERSON/Home Sweet (Triple Tigers)

3199

374

636

27 29

KELSEA BALLERINI f/KENNY CHESNEY/Half Of My Hometown (Black River)

3174

623

30 30

GARTH BROOKS/That's What Cowboys Do (Pearl)

2217

-72

463

-7

4 =Top 5 Point Gainers

Chart Page 7

September 27, 2021 LW

Artist/Title (Label)

Points +/- Points

32 31

ELLE KING & MIRANDA LAMBERT/Drunk... (RCA/Columbia)

1992

301

Plays

382

+/- Plays

Stations Adds

33 32

JAKE OWEN/Best Thing Since Backroads (Big Loud)

1840

307

351

31 33

HARDY/Give Heaven Some Hell (Big Loud)

1817

34 34

DIERKS BENTLEY f/BRELAND & HARDY/Beers On Me (Atlantic/Big Loud/Capitol) 1697

47 35

SAM HUNT/23 (MCA) 4

36 36

383

273

249

1582

1033

271

169

TIM MCGRAW/7500 OBO (Big Machine)

1376

137

252

39 37

DAN + SHAY/Steal My Love (Warner/WAR)

1271

136

186

35 38

TOBY KEITH/Old School (Show Dog)

1260

250

-1

37 39

LAUREN ALAINA w/JON PARDI/Getting Over Him (Mercury)

1231

261

38 40

MATT STELL/That Ain't Me No More (Records/Arista)

1138

241

40 41

JACKSON MICHELSON/Tip Jar (Curb/MCC)

1008

-13

208

-3

42 42

CAITLYN SMITH f/OLD DOMINION/I Can't (Monument)

856

110

212

54 43

DARIUS RUCKER/My Masterpiece (Capitol)

810

338

199

41 44

BROTHERS OSBORNE/I'm Not For Everyone (EMI Nashville)

683

-91

159

-18

44 45

MIDLAND/Sunrise Tells The Story (Big Machine)

669

45 46

CHRIS STAPLETON/Joy Of My Life (Mercury)

640

51 47

C. PEARCE & A. MCBRYDE/Never Wanted... (Big Machine/Warner/WMN)

604

124

113

46 48

LUKE COMBS/South On Ya (River House/Columbia)

600

Debut 49

CHRIS YOUNG f/MITCHELL TENPENNY/At The End Of A Bar (RCA)

583

219

43 50

MORGAN WADE/Wilder Days (Ladylike/Thirty Tigers)

582

-103

-11

48 51

NATE BARNES/You Ain't Pretty (Quartz Hill)

533

116

-2

49 52

MADDIE & TAE/Woman You Got (Mercury)

506

-22

-3

53 53

MADISON STATION/Shoes Under My Bed (Yellow Hammer)

480

Debut 54

TENILLE ARTS/Back Then, Right Now (19th & Grand)

470

125

52 55

MATT STILLWELL/Hey Dad ('21) (723 Entertainment)

463

-13

-2

59 56

DUSTIN LYNCH f/CHRIS LANE/Tequila On A Boat (Broken Bow)

460

56 57

INGRID ANDRESS w/SAM HUNT/Wishful Drinking (Warner/WEA)

460

60 58

MITCHELL TENPENNY/Truth About You (Riser House/Columbia)

450

Re-Enter 59 57 60

CAROLINE JONES/Come In ... (Mailboat/New Revolution)

450

SPENCER CRANDALL/My Person (---)

440

-10

-1

4 =Top 5 Point Gainers

Chart Page 8