October 10, 2025 News@CountryAircheck.com

Doug Days: Audacy Regional Pres. Doug Abernathy has returned to Urban One as Regional VP, overseeing the company's Texas markets, including Houston and Dallas. Houston VP/MM Pam McKay, whose duties included KKBQ, shifts to the same job with the company's Atlanta cluster after eight years with Urban One. Abernathy managed the Urban One/Houston cluster, where he worked from 2004-2015 before joining Entercom (now Audacy). He was promoted to Audacy Regional Pres. over Miami, Orlando, Gainesville, Atlanta, Denver, Greensboro, Greenville, Charlotte, Houston, Austin, Richmond and Norfolk in 2017 (CAT 11/7/17).

Cruise Control: Beasley VP/Financial Reporting Shaun Greening has been promoted to Chief Accounting Officer. His promotion comes as Beasley CFO Lauren Burrows Coleman resigns, effective Oct. 17, according to an SEC filing. Burrows Coleman joined the company on Nov. 1 of last year (CAT 10/24/24). The filing also says that CEO Caroline Beasley "will serve as the company’s principal financial officer on an interim basis." Greening, who has been with the company since 2000, will work alongside John Coury, who was promoted earlier this year from Controller to Corporate Controller & Dir./Treasury.

Remind Me: The application window for the CRS Lisa McKay Women in Radio Scholarship closes Oct. 13. The scholarship gives three women registration for CRS 2026 (March 18-20 in Nashville), hotel accommodations and airfare. Eligibility info and application here.

Bits & Pieces: Eric Church and band's performance of every track from his Evangeline vs. The Machine album, along with past catalog material, will play as a limited release concert film in IMAX theaters in the U.S. and Canada as Evangeline vs. The Machine Comes Alive, beginning Feb. 13, 2026. The show was filmed across two nights at The Pinnacle in Nashville. Watch the trailer here.

Apple Music has launched the second season of its Lost & Found program, beginning with the original “lost” demo of “End of The Night,” written in 2015 by Toby Keith, Bobby Pinson and David Lee Murphy. The newly-recorded “found” version is sung by Ernest.

Stories Of The Week: Search for news and people in the archives at countryaircheck.com.

Country Aircheck’s CMA Voter’s Guide is available here.
WME's Kevin Neal is retiring. (10/9)
Nominations for the Country Radio Hall of Fame are open here through Oct. 31.
The CMA Broadcast winners were announced. (10/9)
iHeartMedia layoffs affected Kaitlyn Askew, JT Bosch, Jeff St. Pierre, Sarah Jacobs, Kevin "Cruise" Mercer, Duce Foreman and Jeremy "Otis" Maher. (10/7)
Mark Handwerger was upped to Connoisseur/Portland MM. (10/7)
Mike Rittberg transitioned to HYBE Label Service as Pres./Global Distribution. (10/6)
Carletta Blake joined WKHK/Richmond, VA as Brand Mgr., succeeding Garrett Doll. (10/6)

ICYMI: Lauren Watkins perfomed "Lose My Cool" on Today; watch here.

Old Dominion’s Matthew Ramsey and Brad Tursi spoke with Car and Driver about their new album, Barbara, and their vehicle collections. Read it here.

Life Note: A GoFundMe account has been established for longtime Nashville journalist Nancy Brooks (Stevens), most recently Beasley Media Group Digital Content Editor. As she continues to battle kidney disease (CAT 12/14/20), she recently lost both legs and a finger, and has had 14 surgeries over the last year and a half with one more coming. In addition to medical expenses, the funds will be used for needed home and auto renovations to help Nancy with mobility. Donate here.

Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for Oct. 9, according to Mediabase 24/7.

JORDAN DAVIS/Bar None (MCA) 4279 points
MORGAN WALLEN/I Got Better (Big Loud) 4056 points
JELLY ROLL/Heart Of Stone (BMG/Republic/Stoney Creek) 3739 points
CHASE MATTHEW/Darlin' (Warner/WAR) 3405 points
LUKE COMBS/Back In The Saddle (Columbia) 3370 points

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for Oct. 5-9, compared with the same days last week, according to Mediabase 24/7.

JORDAN DAVIS/Bar None (MCA) +3381 points
ERIC CHURCH/Hands Of Time (EMI Nashville) +1884 points
CHASE MATTHEW/Darlin' (Warner/WAR) +1643 points
PARMALEE/Cowgirl (Stoney Creek) +1339 points
RILEY GREEN f/ELLA LANGLEY/Don't MInd If I Do (Nash. Harbor) +1242 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (10/11): Paulette Carlson, Gene Watson, Jennifer Reed, Cliff O’Sullivan, Erin Kinsey, the late Dottie West.

Saturday's Birthdays (10/12): Martie Maguire (The Chicks), Shane McAnally, Lisa Andrick-Owen, Mark Evans, Eddie Long, Justin Niebank, Erin Beller, Lisa Matassa, Samantha Stephens, Queeva

Sunday's Birthdays (10/13): Rhett Akins, Lacy J. Dalton, Marie Osmond, John Wiggins, Jesse Addy, Julie Piat, Wayland Stubblefield, Rich Rizzo, Jennifer Switzer, Joe Zanger.

Rocky Top: Zach Top visits with WIVK/Knoxville staff at his recent show in the city. Pictured (l-r) are Nancy Barger, Top, Heather Harrington and Rich Bailey.

We Had To Be There: Columbia's Megan Moroney with The Big Time's Whitney Allen, KUZZ/Bakersfield's Brent Michaels and the label's Larry Santiago (l-r) at a recent tour stop.

Jump Jump: Lauren Watkins stops by Big D & Bubba. Pictured (l-r) are Watkins, Derek "Big D" Haskins, Jessica "Carsen" Humphreville and Sean "Bubba" Powell.

Way 2 Long: Darius Rucker marks his first performance (10/5) at London's O2 Arena, commemorated with the venue's First Time Award. Pictured (l-r) are Maverick's Chris Parr, O2's Alfie Jeffries, Rucker, CAA's Nigel Hassler and Maverick's Clarence Spalding.

Believe In Believe: Speaking of the O2, supporting Rucker's show was Jake Owen, pictured here (l) with Ted Lasso actor Kola Bokinni (Isaac McAdoo). Season four of the Apple TV show is taping now, and a group came out to see the concert.