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September 17, 2025 News@CountryAircheck.com

Hop Fotsch: Former SummitMedia KTTS/Springfield, MO morning host Jay Fotsch has launched Fotsch Productions. He departed the Fotsch & Friends show at KTTS last month (CAT 8/13) after 25 years in Springfield morning radio. Reach Fotsch here.

Grace Notes: iHeartMedia EVP/Global Music Marketing Alissa Pollack and NAB Leadership Foundation Pres. and NAB Chief Diversity Officer Michelle Duke are among the women who will be recognized at the 2025 Gracies Leadership Awards, taking place Nov. 18 in New York City.

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Festive All: Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley will headline the Winstock Country Music Festival June 19-20 in Winsted, MN. Additional performers include Mitchell Tenpenny, Carly Pearce, Maddie & Tae, Easton Corbin, Zach John King and Lauren Watkins. Tickets here.

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

Things get weird with Greg Beharrell, nostalgic with Tony Martin and deep with Chase McDaniel in Country Aircheck Weekly.
Ailie Birchfield and Connor Hunt joined MCA as VP/Media Strategy & Communications and Sr. Dir./Media, respectively.
Dylan Salisbury was named Connoisseur/Portland, OR Dir./Content. (9/15)
Chronicle: Dan "The Man" Taylor.

ICYMI: Brad Paisley's “Counting Down The Days” is the official anthem of Hallmark Channel’s 16th annual Countdown to Christmas programming event. Hallmark revealed their first holiday promo during Today's Pop Start (watch here).

Songwriter Jordan Reynolds is the first guest on season four of Laura Veltz's podcast Songwriter Soup (listen + watch here).

Crib Note: Lady A's Charles Kelley and wife Cassie welcomed son Archer Lancaster Kelley Sept. 16. He joins 9-year-old big brother Ward in the family.

Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for Sept. 16, according to Mediabase 24/7.

RUSSELL DICKERSON/Happen To Me (Triple Tigers) 4454 points
JELLY ROLL/Heart Of Stone (BMG/Republic/Stoney Creek) 3891 points
SCOTTY MCCREERY f/HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH/Bottle Rockets (Triple Tigers) 3762 points
SHABOOZEY/Good News (Empire/Magnolia) 3444 points
MORGAN WALLEN/I Got Better (Big Loud) 3266 points

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for Sept. 14-16, compared with the same days last week, according to Mediabase 24/7.

JASON ALDEAN/How Far Does A Goodbye Go (Macon Music/Broken Bow) +1488 points
JELLY ROLL/Heart Of Stone (BMG/Republic/Stoney Creek) +633 points
SCOTTY MCCREERY f/HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH/Bottle Rockets (Triple Tigers) +502 points
MORGAN WALLEN/I Got Better (Big Loud) +420 points
PARMALEE/Cowgirl (Stoney Creek) +323 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (9/18): Taylor Dye (Maddie & Tae), Stokes Nielson (The Lost Trailers), Carl Jackson, Steve Fishell, Marci Braun, Tatum Hauck Allsep, Erin Morris, Tim Wipperman, Jim Mantel.

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In Case You Didn't Fresno: Nashville Harbor's Brett Young (c) with KSKS/Fresno, CA's Kiss Country Morning Show hosts Kris Daniels and Joe Castelan at Boots in the Park.

Springsteel: EMI's Eric Church in Pittsburgh. Pictured (l-r) are the label's Jack Christopher, Marie and husband/WDSY's Mark Anderson, guest Rizzi, Church, guest David Ollio, Anne Marie and fiancée/iHeart's Gene Romano and WOGI’s Melissa Kasula and Jeremy "Danger" Mulder.

Wait In The Cybertruck: Big Loud's Hardy (in hat) with SiriusXM/Pandora's Jordan Hatton, Victoria Alfonso and Johnny Chiang (l-r).

Signage: Songwriter Spencer Jordan signs with Sony Music Publishing Nashville and River House Artists. Pictured (l-r) are RHA's Kayla Adkins, Jordan, Rough Gem Music's Jessica Strassman and RHA's Lauren Lieu.

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