Handleman Withdraws From Music Business

Handleman Company is exiting the music business in North America but will continue to operate its other businesses. The company is selling music inventory and selected other assets related to its Wal-Mart business in...

Curb Merges Promo Teams

Sarah Skates – 05/30/2008

Curb VP Publicity Liz Cavanaugh confirms that one promotion staff will now cover duties for both Curb Records and Curb/Asylum. The merging of two previously separate teams leaves Curb/Asylum VP Adrian Michaels and Curb VP April Rider overseeing the combined department. As part of the changes, nine-year label veteran Carson James has left his post as Sr. VP Promotion. Curb Northeast regional Rick Rockhill has also exited.

Street Closures for the CMA Music Festival

Downtown Nashville will experience some changes in traffic flow to accommodate the numerous events and activities that are part of 2008 CMA Music Festival. The annual four-day festival will take place Thursday through Sunday...

ACM Releases Ratings

Sarah Skates – 05/30/2008

The 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards drew 11.7 million viewers and was the second-highest rated program throughout the three hours it aired on Sun., May 18 on CBS—an increase of 26 percent from the previous year, according to Nielsen Media Research information provided by the organization. Total viewership of the five major networks was 13 percent less than the same time a year ago. GAC’s exclusive ACM Orange Carpet Live pre-show special reached more than 1.1 million viewers, an increase from last year of 82 percent for viewers ages 25-54 and 24 percent for female viewers ages 25-54.

In related news, ACM Award show producers Dick Clark Productions and the Academy of Country Music recently announced an exclusive agreement to develop new concert specials, country music themed reality and competition series, as well as artist profiles and other programming initiatives for television. The partnership is also working on country music programming for new media.

DigitalRodeo.com Partners with Inside Music Row

05/30/2008

Episodes of Inside Music Row will be available every Friday on DigitalRodeo.com, a free online community for country music fans. The program features country music and celebrity news, behind the scenes footage, and more. www.digitalrodeo.com/insidemusicrow

Pictured (L-R): DigitalRodeo.com Dir. Mktg. and Promotions John Pyne, IMR host Bailey, IMR Producer Brian Covert, and IMR Shooter/Editor James Denham.

Industry News Friday (5/30/08)

Several Nashville publishers/administrators including EMI CMG, Sony/ATV and Big Loud Bucks have partnered with Musicnotes, Inc. to share tablature for their catalogs on MXTabs.net. The social community Web site, now in its Beta...

Benefit News Thursday (5/29/08)

The 103 WKDF Country Beach Party benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation presented by Bridgestone will be Tues., June 3 at The Stage on Broadway. Darryl Worley headlines the show that features Rodney Atkins, Mark Chesnutt...

Honors at the International Country Music Conference

05/29/2008

The Belmont Book Award, given annually for the Best Book on Country Music, was awarded to Holly George-Warren for her biography of Gene Autry, Public Cowboy No. 1, at the International Country Music Conference held at Belmont University. Barry McCloud received the “Lifetime Achievement” award and Beverly Keel received the “Contemporary” award for country music journalism. Jay Orr accepted the “Lifetime Achievement Award” for “linking books with country music” on behalf of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Library.

Pictured (L-R): Country Music Hall of Fame members Harold Bradley, Ralph Emery and Jo Walker-Meador; George-Warren; and Don Cusic, co-chair of the conference and Chair of the Book Award Committee.

Valentine, Martin Shuffle Sony BMG Promo Deck

David M. Ross – 05/29/2008

Cheri Lynn Martin and Alex Valentine

Sony BMG announced several promotion department changes today (5/29) with the net result that all four label radio teams remain the same size. The musical chairs music began with the voluntary exit of Columbia Southwest Regional Jordan Pettit who officially leaves the company June 6. Faced with finding a replacement, Columbia VP Jimmy Rector decided his first choice would be to draft Alex Valentine, currently working as Southwest Regional at sister label Arista. Rector asked Arista Promo VP Skip Bishop for his permission and approval which then left Bishop with a spot to fill.

Bishop took action naming Cheri Lynn Martin as Arista Manager Southwest Regional. Martin arrived from an independent promotion position, but had previously worked for BNA Records. Martin will relocate from Seattle, WA to Austin, Texas.

Currently each of Sony BMG’s four promotion teams contain five regionals, one national, one VP and a coordinator. As of this morning, Sony BMG had 34.5% market share on the BDS country singles chart.

GAC Plans For Festival-going Fans

Sarah Skates – 05/29/2008

Great American Country (GAC) is planning plenty of fan activities for the 2008 CMA Music Festival, June 2- June 8, including artist autograph sessions at the GAC Booth, and taping fan video dedications at the GAC Summer Tour Bus (5th & Broadway). The network is also organizing the already sold-out GAC Kick-off Breakfast benefiting the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum featuring Lady Antebellum, Luke Bryan, Jake Owen, Rissi Palmer and The Road Hammers; and GAC Nite Cap, late-night concerts by King Billy, The Road Hammers, James Otto, Crystal Shawanda, Chris Young, Trailer Choir, Carter’s Chord, Flynville Train and Mica Roberts hosted at Limelight.

The GAC Nights, Top 20 Countdown and Country Music Across America camera crews will capture highlights from events such as the GAC Sponsored “Lonestar & Friends Strike Out for the Kids” Bowling tournament, the 18th Annual Celebrity Softball Challenge benefiting City of Hope, the Riverfront Concert stages, and the CMA Celebrity Close Up series at the Ryman Auditorium. The June 6 episode of Top 20 Countdown will be a recap of the highlights, and Suzanne Alexander will share interviews during GAC Nights the week of June 9-13.