(L-R): Joe Putman, Brad Helton

• • •

Kristen Johnson joins Republic Nashville as the Director of Southwest Promotion effective Aug. 11.
Her background includes on-air and Promotion Director duties at Clear Channel Ann Arbor, MI and KBEQ/Kansas City. In addition, Johnson has worked with Westin Hotels. She will be located in Kansas City and can be reached at 734-883-7362 or at [email protected].
Republic Nashville is home to artists including The Band Perry, Eli Young Band, Cassadee Pope and Florida Georgia Line.

• • •

 
Adelle Borchetta has re-opened her eponymous company offering national MusicRow radio promotion and marketing. She previously served as Director, Radio Promotion & Marketing of Nine North/Edgehill Music Nashville.
“Our sole focus will be working with artists and music we are truly passionate about,” she says. 
Reach her at 615-339-5598 or [email protected]. 
 
 

Fans of Rascal Flatts‘ “Bless The Broken Road,” Tim McGraw‘s “Live Like You Were Dying,” and Kenny Chesney‘s “I Go Back” now have a new station that will air all of their favorite Country songs from the 2000s–SirusXM’s latest Country music channel, Y2Kountry on Channel 57.
“Prime Country tried to handle the early bits of 2000, The Highway tried to handle the later bits, but there were too many hits from country artists to get played,” said Y2Kountry channel program director Joey Black.
To celebrate the launch, Y2Kountry will feature guest DJ launch parties from Martina McBride, Sara Evans, Rascal Flatts, and Clay Walker, who will each select personal favorite songs and talk about their selections. Walker’s party launched Thursday morning (July 17); the singer-songwriter debuted two new songs during his radio slot, “Rock the Radio” and “Long Live the Cowboy,” which he recently recorded for an upcoming project.
“We’re looking for Y2Kountry to inspire nostalgia,” said Black. “All of [the artists we play] are still living and breathing and thriving today. This is a place for these artists to be heard. Who else is still playing Blake Shelton’s ‘Austin’? That was a huge hit. And nobody’s playing it. That’s a huge part of 2000s country history.”
“Sonically, we’ll dip into some later ’90s, and some 2011-2012,” Black continues. “But it’ll be all about sonics. There was a clear distinction when Gretchen Wilson and Big and Rich came on the scene that the direction of country music was changing in the early 2000s. For a while, country music was real serious. But starting in the ’00s, country artists brought a little bit more beer cooler and tailgate back into it. There were still serious subjects, but every other song injected a little more fun.”

Nashville’s The Big 98/WSIX will host its 2014 Guitar-B-Que benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at Losers Bar & Grill on Wednesday, Aug. 13.
Billy Currington is this year’s headliner, along with Tyler Farr, Eric Paslay, The Cadillac Three, Brothers Osborne, and Lindsay Ell.
For more details, visit wsix.com.

Registration for Country Radio Seminar 2015 will open Tuesday, July 15. CRS will offer a limited time $349 Summer Super Saver registration rate for CRS 2015, which is scheduled for Feb. 25-27, 2015.
The special rate will be available July 15, 2014 through Aug. 15, 2014, or to the first 349 registrants, whichever comes first. After the offer expires, an early bird rate of $399 will be offered.
A ticket to the annual New Faces of Country Music show is guaranteed to the first 349 registrants.