Cooper Moves To Morris; Meacham Promoted At Columbia/BNA

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Buffy Cooper

Morris Artist Management has named Columbia/BNA Dir./National Promotion Buffy Cooper to the brand new post of VP Radio & Marketing. In her new role, she will be working with the company’s entire roster including Kenny Chesney, Jake Owen, and Martina McBride. Cooper has been working with Sony Music for 14 years, and begins her new adventure at the start of 2012. Congratulate her here.

RJ Meacham

Meanwhile over at Sony Music Nashville, RJ Meacham has been named as Cooper’s successor in the Dir./National Promotion position for Columbia/BNA. Meacham was most recently Manager, Northeast Regional Promotion for the imprint, and joined the Sony Music Nashville team in 2007. He will continue to be based in Nashville, and report directly to Columbia/BNA VP Promo Norbert Nix.

Meacham’s 15 years promotion experience also include time with Monument Records and Curb/Asylum. Congratulate him here.

The Columbia/BNA promotion team is responsible for artists on both imprints, which includes Wade Bowen, Kenny Chesney, Casey James, The Lunabelles, Kellie Pickler, Tyler Farr, Bradley Gaskin, Jordyn Shellhart, and Joanna Smith.

CountryBreakout No. 1 Song

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It’s December, which means it’s time for everyone to start putting together those “Best of 2011” lists so we can see what gems we might have missed during the last 12 months. One album that has been popping up consistently on those lists is Eric Church’s Chief, and it’s certainly received a few spins around our office.

Well, some magazine called Rolling Stone apparently liked Chief too, because it just landed at No. 19 on the publication’s 50 Best Albums of 2011 list. Here’s what they said:

“Church is a country singer a rock fan could love – saluting Jesus and Springsteen, mixing up backwoods twang with power chords and Stones riffs. If he’s great at playing the boozed-up tough guy, the lilting songs on his third LP show he’s got an endearing soft side when he sobers up – sometime around 11 a.m. Monday.”

He’s in full-on “boozed-up tough guy” mode for “Drink In My Hand,” which earns its second week at No. 1 on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart. Though it’s been an pretty great 2011 for Church, he has plenty to look forward to in 2012: Chief is nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Album, and he’s also embarking on his Blood, Sweat, & Beers tour of the U.S. in January with partner-in-booze Brantley Gilbert.

So raise your glasses, and have a great (but responsible!) weekend.

Weekly Chart Report (12/9/11)

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Stoney Creek/Broken Bow labelmates Thompson Square and Jason Aldean celebrated their multiple wins backstage after the American Country Awards in Las Vegas Nov. 5. The artists took home a combined nine honors at the ACAs, including an Artist of the Year win for Aldean and Single of the Year by a Group for Thompson Square’s “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not.”

SPIN ZONE
It’s a perpetual party on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart, as Eric Church’s “Drink In My Hand” maintains its slightly buzzed footing to stick at No. 1 for a second consecutive week. (More on that here). The Band Perry’s “All Your Life” is still at No. 2, followed by new No. 3 Luke Bryan’s “I Don’t Want This Night To End.” Angling for Top 5 status soon are Martina McBride’s “I’m Gonna Love YOu Through It” at No. 6, followed by Dierks Bentley’s “Home” at No. 7.

Drinking is a fairly common theme in country music, of course, and there are some other boozy songs besides “Drink In My Hand” right now. Sunny Sweeney’s “Drink Myself Single” at No. 19 comes to mind, but perhaps the most notorious and polarizing of them all is Toby Keith’s consumer-friendly “Red Solo Cup,” (currently at No. 15) which just got the Glee treatment in Tuesday’s (12/6) episode. Veteran songplugger Sherrill Blackman predicts, with tongue in cheek, that Keith’s latest could signal the start of a new trend for the Nashville song machine.

“Writers and artists will want to jump on the bandwagon to try to achieve similar success with product endorsements. Thus, in the coming months, we will have singles released with such titles as ‘Yellow Post-It Note,’ ‘Black Sharpie Pen,’ and ‘Green Giant Beans.’ Writers will only be limited by their imaginations and available color schemes.”

So there’s hope someone might write “Pink Pepto Bismol”? Fingers crossed.

Frozen Playlists: KBCN, KMKS, KSED, KVVP, KYKX, WKWS, WRHT, WMEV, WOWF

Toys collected at WKDF/WGFX Toy Field on Wednesday, Dec. 7

GOOD WORKS
Congrats and kudos to Nashville Cumulus stations WKDF and sports sibling WGFX/104.5 The Zone for collecting over 8,600 toys during the annual Toy Field event Dec. 7 at LP Field to benefit Salvation Army’s Forgotten Angel Program.

Upcoming Singles
December 12
Josh Thompson/Comin’ Around/RCA
Tim Dugger/Way Past My Beer Time/Curb
Brantley Gilbert/You Don’t Know Her Like I Do/Valory

January 9
Canaan Smith/We Got Us/Mercury

January 16
Ronnie Dunn/Let The Cowboy Rock/Arista

• • • • •

New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Tim McGraw/Better Than I Used To Be/Curb — 52
Brantley Gilbert/You Don’t Know Her Like I Do/Valory — 61
Love and Theft/Angel Eyes/RCA — 70
Wade Bowen/Saturday Night/Sea Gayle/BNA — 78

Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Taylor Swift/Ours/Big Machine — 550
Tim McGraw/Better Than I Used To Be/Curb — 457
Keith Urban/You Gonna Fly/Capitol — 246
Brantley Gilbert/You Don’t Know Her Like I Do/Valory — 241
Dierks Bentley/Home/Capitol — 240

Most Added
Artist/song/label — New Adds
Tim McGraw/Better Than I Used To Be/Curb — 35
Taylor Swift/Ours/Big Machine — 33
Brantley Gilbert/You Don’t Know Her Like I Do/Valory — 19
Tyler Farr/Hot Mess/BNA 9
Lady Antebellum/Dancin’ Away With My Heart/Capitol — 9
Neal McCoy/A—Ok/Blaster Records — 8
The Lost Trailers/Underdog/CO5 — 8
Love and Theft/Angel Eyes/RCA — 8

On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
Sawyer Brown/Travelin’ Band — 171
Oak Ridge Boys/What’cha Gonna Do/Cracker Barrel — 168
Shawna Russell/Waitin’ On Sunrise/Way Out West Records — 164
Jackie Arredondo/Rockin’ the Trailer/Gold Voice — 161
The Farm/Home Sweet Home/All In/Elektra/New Revolution — 153

• • • • •

Several major market radio outlets gathered to broadcast at the Music Row Live! Fall Remote during CMA Awards week in Nashville. Attendees also celebrated Music Row Live! Owner & Operator Sharla McCoy’s 10th year in business. The theme was Wild Wild West and Rugged Country, and PRCA Rodeo Announcer of the Year Wayne Brooks co-hosted the kickoff party.

Pictured: Marty Mitchell (WKMK/NYC-NJ); Tom Owens & Becky Palmer (WBBS/Syracuse); Mason & Remy (KSD/St. Louis); Danger Frog (WOGI/Pittsburgh); Jessie Roberts and Owens & Crockett (WGGY/Scranton); Shane Collins (WPAP/Panama City), Mike & Kera (WPKX/Springfield); Jonathan Wilde and Mudflap & Brooke (KWOF/Denver); Keith & Noelle Stubbs (KEGA/Salt Lake City); Sue Wilson, Scott Wynn & Jody Wheatley, Donna Reusser (WQMX/Akron); Cassandra Tluczek (RAM Country Music) Captain Jack and Bob Steele (Renegade Radio Nashville); John Ritter (Rise Up); Jack Waren (Nashville Music Minute), Sharla McCoy (McCoy & Associates). Photo: AJC Entertainment, LLC / Arron & Jody Christopherson

Charlie Cook On Air

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Format Explosion

I was talking to my friend Lon Helton the other day about the state of the Country format and whether we are on the precipice of another explosion like the early ‘90s when Garth was the most important performer on the radio.

I won’t speak for Lon—he has the vehicle to do that—but we agreed that we are there again and this time it is because of that lovely young lady who apparently owns the musical world. Taylor Swift is a phenomenon. I am not going to say anything new here. Every one already knows how important she has been the music business and to Country radio.

Ken Kragen used to talk about the rule of three. It is important to make three impressions if you expect to make a lasting impression the consumer.

Taylor is the champion of three. In less than a week’s time she wins the Entertainer of the Year Award at the CMA show, appears on 60 Minutes (more on that in a minute) and then cleans up at the American Music Awards show.

Taylor’s 60 Minutes bit may have gotten lost on east coast and Central time zone viewers because football games on CBS went 30 minutes late. Her appearance was at about 8:15, already into the AMA (where she, Lady A and Blake Shelton won awards) on ABC and Sunday Night Football on NBC (where Faith Hill sings the game on). But I watched it. And I was blown away.

It often appears that Taylor is the only person in the room that is surprised when good things happen to her, or when she wins something and the 60 Minutes reporter asked her about that. I believed Taylor when she said that she is surprised and feels fortunate every time she wins something. She might work on a genuine smile in place of her shocked response, but that’s just me.

I was absolutely taken by how grown up she is today. Like many of you, I met Taylor early in her career. She was always confident in her ability and she was attractively gangly at the start. Today she is a real CEO of a REAL big company and she is running it like one of Scott Borchetta’s race cars. On all cylinders.

The turning point, if the format is going to explode again is when it is everywhere. When every time you turn around you see Country Music and Country Music performers. Then the sky is the limit.

Taylor is there every time we turn around. She dominates the charts. I have not seen one reviewer give her anything less than glowing accolades for her show. She wins something on every music awards show.

I believe that Taylor has opened the door for the next wave of crossover Country artists. The Band Perry had a number one AC song. Sure, it was a special song and jumped out of the radio but something had to grease the skids for AC and CHR programmers to give it a listen. Lady Antebellum continues to chart on AC stations.

Is it possible that these three are the next wave of crossover Country artists? Is it possible that they are going to nudge out Keith Urban, Faith, and Tim McGraw who were staples on many AC stations for years?

These additions would be a great move for the format because these acts have stayed true to their Country Radio roots, as did Keith, Faith and Tim. Come on, would any of us be surprised if Taylor spent more time with contemporary radio and less with Country? Not really. But she is a bigger person than I. She came to the dance with Nashville and she has stayed with us.

We can be pretty safe in knowing that the Perry Kids and Lady A are going to stay fixed in the format.

With Country acts on non-country TV and the CMA show doing so great in the ratings (and by the way kudos to the CMA and ABC for spending a LOT of money marketing the show) we stand on the edge of another explosion in the format.

Hopefully the general public brings their wallets with them.

SiriusXM Salutes Waylon Jennings

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SiriusXM hosted a special taping honoring the late Waylon Jennings on Tuesday (12/6) at the SiriusXM Theater inside Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. The show featured his son singer Shooter Jennings, and Shooter’s mother, singer Jessi Colter. The event celebrate the upcoming release of Waylon: The Music Inside, Vol. 2. Among the surprise guests were Josh Thompson, Jamey Johnson, Hank Williams Jr., Jack Clement and Billy Joe Shaver.

(L-R): Josh Thompson, Jamey Johnson, Shooter Jennings, Hank Williams Jr., and Jessi Colter. Photo: Alan Mayor

CRS 2012 Updates

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Country Radio Seminar has commissioned a comprehensive Country music research study for presentation at CRS 2012, with data focusing on a broader spectrum of Country music fans than previous CRS research studies.

The extensive research surveys more than 1,000 randomly selected male and female Country music listeners, ages 18-54, from a representative sample of Country music fans across the U.S. It will provide a comprehensive look at listening habits, music discovery trends and technology usage. The presentation will also include video interviews conducted with Country music fans from around the country.

New Jersey-based market research firm Edison Research is conducting the study and will present its results during the CRS research panel at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 22. The CRS research study is sponsored by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“This unique approach will provide the macro look at the marketplace and the micro view from the individual perspective. The results will provide CRS attendees with actionable tools to improve their business performance,” says CRS Executive Director Bill Mayne.

CRS 2012 will be held Feb. 22-24, 2012, at the Nashville Convention Center.

$99 Unemployment Rate: For the third straight year, the $99 Unemployment Rate is being offered at Country Radio Seminar. Available through Jan. 27, 2012, the $99 rate provides CRS attendees access to more than 30 on-site educational panels and roundtable discussions. However, tickets to the Lady Antebellum show, New Faces of Country Music Show and daily luncheons must be purchased separately at an additional cost.

An on-site $99 Unemployment Rate will be available for walk-up registrants, but advance Unemployment Rate registrations must be received at the CRS offices for processing no later than Jan. 27. Contact Kristen McRary at (615) 327-4487 or [email protected] for registration materials. Proof of unemployment may be subject to verification.

Radio Humanitarian Awards: Submissions are now being accepted through Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, for the Radio Humanitarian Awards. The awards are presented at CRS to full-time Country radio stations for their efforts to improve the quality of life for the communities they serve. Awards are presented to stations in Large (markets 1-50), Medium (markets 51-130) and Small (markets 131+) categories for public service performed between Nov. 1, 2010, and Dec. 31, 2011. Applicants should submit a brief written presentation (two pages maximum, including photos) to [email protected], summarizing the details of the station’s community service efforts performed during that period.

McGraw, Curb Release Separate Singles

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In the midst of an ongoing legal battle between Curb Records and Tim McGraw, both sides have announced the release of new McGraw music.

Curb is going for adds with a new McGraw single “Better Than I Used To Be,” and has set a January 2012 release date for his album Emotional Traffic. It will be his final project released via Curb, according to a court ruling last week which states he is no longer obligated to the label which launched his career. Emotional Traffic was completed over a year ago by most reports, but never released. It has already spawned hit lead single, “Felt Good on My Lips.”

Meanwhile, 
McGraw announced a new a holiday song as well as a single in early 2012. In a Dec. 2, 2011 statement on his website he explains:

I fought very hard for the release of Emotional Traffic, it’s an album full of music of which I am very proud. It’s extremely unfortunate that it wasn’t released earlier this year in conjunction with the Emotional Traffic tour but all I want to do now is focus on the positive and look to the future. I’m really excited about the new music I’m recording. Next week I’m putting out a holiday song I’ve just recorded called “Christmas All Over The World.” After the first of the year I’ll have a brand new single which I can hardly wait to share with everyone. I am so appreciative of the support I’ve received over the years, and I’m looking forward to this next chapter of my career.

Arista Adds New Regional Promotion Manager

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Arista Nashville VP National Promotion Lesly Tyson has announced the hiring of Andy Elliott to the position of Regional Promotion Manager. He officially starts his new gig Dec. 12 and will report to Tyson.

“We are thrilled to have Andy join the Arista Nashville family,” said Tyson. “Some people are just born to do promotion and Andy is one of those people. His innate promotion ability coupled with his awesome understanding of radio make him the perfect addition to our team.”

“The opportunity to work at Arista is beyond my wildest dreams,” shares Elliott. “The caliber of talent from the artists to the staff is amazing. I’m honored and thrilled to join the team.”

Elliott brings 18 years of radio experience with him, including time as PD for KJJY and KHKI in Des Moines. Most recently he was Director of Promotion for the Midwest and Southwest at New Revolution Entertainment. Starting Dec. 12, reach him here.

Charlie Cook On Air

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Evolution.

I was having a conversation this morning about the technological changes taking place in radio. Being able to re-broadcast an AM station on an FM translator is a huge jump forward for increased access to the listener. Without question any form of programming that requires high fidelity is challenged on the AM band. So allowing the programming to be heard on FM is a real advantage for the station.

When I was young, AM radio dominated the ratings. I grew up in Detroit and CKLW, WXYZ and WKNR were the popular stations among my peers. We had no problem listening to these stations (WKNR was a little tougher as its signal was on the Downriver side of town). Generally their signals covered the metro area. The fidelity was good enough for my transistor and car radio.

Today the extraneous sound from things like street lights, neon signs, computers and monitors, florescent lights, microwave ovens, cell phones and many more everyday sources cause problems with AM radio reception.

Who knew that George Martin was such a genius listening to the Beatles on AM radio?   Who knew that Motown was as fabulous instrumentally as it is lyrically listening to AM radio?

Today CKLW, as important a station in the Midwest as WCFL, WLS and WOWO, is referred to as the Information Station. WXYZ, now known as WXYT is Talk and Sports and WKNR is now Keener13.com and not a terrestrial signal.

That is your tour down memory lane with Charlie. Normally, I would charge you a nickel for that but there is nothing you can do with a nickel these days.

This is not a discussion of music moving to FM. This is more a discussion of evolving and using your strengths to keep viable.

Would we all agree that Rush Limbaugh has kept AM radio viable? Certainly sports have helped, as most Major League Baseball teams and NFL teams remain on AM. The AM station operators were smart enough to see that they were not going to compete on a level playing field with FM stations when it comes to Taylor, Toby and The Band Perry.

If AM radio has figured out where they can play on a more level playing field, has FM radio? Yes and no.

Some stations and companies have chosen to engage the Internet on a very large level. Clear Channel has bet big with iHeartRadio. CBS has Radio.com. This may be a great business model if you have hundreds of stations across the entire country.

But other smart FM broadcasters have decided that not only is the model iffy but the expense is huge and going up.

The self-proclaimed king of the Internet music scene does not look like it will turn a profit until the 3rd quarter of 2013, at the earliest. Apparently Pandora can live a few years underwater.

Many and more radio stations are deciding that they already have the best distribution system and it does not cost $15 a month or $50 a month and is delivered over devices already in place.

These FM stations are already playing fees to publishers for the terrestrial rights. I know that there may someday be a fee tacked on to stations that stream music, on top of the fees already paid for this service. Then many are going to decide that there is no business model and we’ll see music stations stop streaming.

Believe me, that will not be the end of radio. It is not like the physical radio is going away. Why not own a distribution system instead of paying additional fees to fight dedicated music services, personal music libraries and national platforms that provide out of market radio?

Broadcasters are asking where are the benefits for a radio station in Ashtabula, Ohio having someone in Ashwood, OR streaming the station all day. Those fees add up.

Had AM radio sat still and tried to force mono music programming on a stereo world, there would be a lot of foreign language radio stations up and down the dial.

Will the failure to move assets to the Internet spell doom for FM broadcasters? Or will the financial burden of doing something that puts you in an arena stacked against you stifle your primary business?

Definition of evolution: The gradual development of something, esp. from a simple form to a more complex form.

Definition of a bad business model: the inability to get customers to follow you from one brand to the next. If your brand is abstract and scattered and your secondary brand fails to your meet competitor’s strengths, that is a bad business model.

CountryBreakout No. 1 Song

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Everybody needs an anthem. Even folks (like me) who find themselves daydreaming about happy hour specials as early as noon on Wednesdays. Shh, don’t tell the bossman.

Though the song might become the scourge of 12-steppers everywhere, Eric Church’s “Drink In My Hand” has knocked back the artist’s first CountryBreakout No. 1. Church has experienced a few firsts in recent weeks: his first CMA nomination for New Artist of the Year, the birth of his first child (Boone McCoy Church), and just yesterday his first Grammy nomination for Best Country Album (for Chief). It’s been a long time coming for Church, who now has three albums and countless live performances (like his game-changing slot on the 45th Annual CMA Awards) under his belt. It might be tough to legitimately call him ‘new’ at this point, but at least the rest of the music world is starting to realize what the folks in Nashville have known for years.

“The Grammys are the ultimate honor for any recording artist,” says Church. “It’s very cool that they recognized Chief in what I feel is the most coveted category. I got into the music business because of great records and the feelings they imparted on my heart. I’ve poured everything I am into making those kinds of albums, and I am very thankful for this nod.”

Starting in 2012, Church will join forces with Brantley Gilbert on the Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour of 50 US cities. I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but I suspect that might be cause for a drink (or two) in the hand.