Birds & Bees: “We’re a medium that programs in formats, but the audience doesn’t listen that way anymore," said iHeartMedia's Alissa Pollack at Friday's (3/20) “Embracing The Change: Country Is Cross Pollinating (And That’s Okay)" panel. “Country music isn’t a monolith,” said Amazon Music's Emily Cohen Belote, who added that artists appreciate the opportunity to be embraced in new genres “to grow and evolve, not be put in a box.” While the door to crossovers may be cracked, Casual Records Founder/CEO Heather Vassar said, “I wish it was more widely open.”

Panelists also spoke about the importance of radio, with Vassar saying she’s lost out on signings from artists too singularly focused on radio airplay, noting that the days of always going to radio first to break an artist are “shifting.” Pollack countered that while radio may not be perceived as “the cool kids” anymore, it still “creates the superstars. I challenge people to name one artist who hasn’t had a radio hit and is a household name.”

Hall I Want: "Everything good in my life has come from country music,” said Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Tim McGraw. “From my best memories as a kid, to meeting my wife, to this music community, to the friendships I’ve made along the way. To represent country music at the highest level is the greatest honor anyone could bestow on me." As announced via Breaking News, McGraw will be inducted in the Modern Era Artist category alongside The Stanley Brothers (Veterans Era Artist) and Paul Overstreet (Songwriter) at the annual Medallion Ceremony later this year.

Scott’s Version: Big Machine Records and Nashville Harbor’s CRS lunch doubled as both a showcase and a reset, coming just after Scott Borchetta’s departure from the newly rebranded Blue Highway Records. Borchetta addressed the room with his trademark confidence, joking about his next chapter as “Big Machine (Scott’s Version).” The music kicked off with a true whirlwind moment as Naomi Carman took the stage just 30 minutes after officially signing, performing two songs including a cover of "Be-Bop-A-Lula.” Cole Goodwin also made his CRS debut with “Call Me Colorado” and “Howdy,” which he introduced as his “version of a pickup line.” Caroline Jones followed with “You’re It For Me, Honey” and “Storm Chaser,” with additional performances by Hunter Flynn (“Ghost Of A Girl”) and Shaylen (“You Smell Like A Cigarette”). Mackenzie Carpenter dropped some lore during her set of “High Pony” and “All In Already,” sharing that she broke up with her boyfriend the same day she met her now-husband. The Jack Wharff Band delivered “Strange” and “Washed,” followed by a surprise video appearance from Billy Bob Thornton and Mark Collie (The Back Beat Troubadours) announcing a film about Bobby Ray Hall. Collie tied it in with a performance of “True American Racer,” accompanied by Thornton on screen.
Closing the event, The Band Perry delivered a nostalgic punch with “You Lie” and “Better Dig Two,” and, much like the new but not-so-new label, looked ahead with new single “Psycho Logical.”

Core Strength: The Core Entertainment has added former Columbia Records Associate Dir./Marketing Sarah Pfeiffer as Head/Marketing, and former 7s Management day-to-day Manager Gabriella Pulley as Chief of Staff. Pfeiffer spent eight years with Columbia in New York. Pulley worked with Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats at 7s and, earlier in her career, oversaw day-to-day for Zach Bryan. Both are based in Nashville and report to The Core CEOs/Co-Founders Simon Tikhman and Chief Zaruk.

Every Thorn Has Its Rose: Jelly Roll received the CRS Artist Humanitarian Award Friday (3/20) for his extensive support of underserved youth, particularly at Nashville’s Judge Dinkins Educational Center. He punctuated the ceremony with a $500,000 personal donation to the program. “The biggest thing has always been understanding that cumulative advantages are real and privilege is real,” he said. "There are kids in this city that are extremely underserved.” To that end, many of the programs he champions focus on prevention. “We are all searching for connection, fulfillment and purpose,” he continued. “You now have people in your corner. It would have done so much for me if this program had existed.”

Hoodoo Voodoo: A 600-person music test by NuVoodoo principals Carolyn Gilbert and Leigh Jacobs presented at CRS Friday (3/20) found that those who rely more on streaming than radio: include fewer people who are passionate about new releases; prefer more older titles then those who rely on radio; and have less consensus about their music choices. The study slightly favored men (53%), representing what the researchers say is a shift among country listeners overall. The study also surprisingly found that the longer listeners of any sex have been country fans, the more interested they are in discovering new songs. 

New Face Book: Vulnerability, mentorship and self care were among the topics addressed at Friday morning's "Lead Me Like You Mean It" CRS panel. The Great Story Workshop's Dawn Ziegerer shared a cautionary leadership tale about low paid radio staff coming out of their pockets for lunch at a remote while an on-site station owner remained oblivious, calling it "demoralizing." The TJ Show's TJ Taormina said the best leaders recognize that "the quickest way to be relatable and have influence is to be honest about [their own] failures." Cumulus/Nashville's Allison Warren said having mentors can be a critical outlet for leaders. "It can be pretty lonely [at the top]," she said. "You're not venting down, and you gotta be really careful venting sidewise." She also suggested leaders take five minutes for themselves before meetings to "rearrange your face." CMA's Mia Jones moderated.

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

• Find out what you missed at CRS ’26 in Daily Buzz.
• Eight rising women in radio arrive in Nashville as scholarship winners, and the March print edition lands with a focus on “Growth Through Sharing,” highlighted in Country Aircheck Weekly.
• Casey Carter added WQIK/Jacksonville programming duties, and Heath West took over afternoons. (3/19)
• Clint Higham, Kenny Chesney, John Esposito and Kris Lamb launched Hey Now Records. (3/17)
• MCA's Miranda McDonald and Jimmy Rector were promoted to SVPs. (3/16)
• Todd Thomas and Allyson Gelnett (Massey) are taking the Curb promo reins from RJ Meacham. (3/16)
• Skip Bishop, LoCash and Shane Harluk launched Music City Power Company with Mara Sidweber as VP. (3/16)
• Scott Borchetta's newly launched Borchetta Entertainment Group hired Mike Blong and signed Carly Pearce. (3/16)
• Chronicle: Cliff Blake.

Bits & Pieces: Radney Foster will receive the Living Legend Award at the 16th annual T3R Texas Music & Radio Awards March 23 at Texas Live! in Arlington. Tickets here.

Carly Pearce has been added to the lineup for the May 2 iHeartCountry Festival at the Moody Center in Austin, TX. Tickets here.

Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for March 19, according to Mediabase.

1. SHABOOZEY & JELLY ROLL/Amen (Empire/Magnolia/Stoney Creek) 4789 points
2. ELLA LANGLEY/Choosin' Texas (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers) 3891 points
3. JUSTIN MOORE/Time's Ticking (Blue Highway) 3727 points
4. THOMAS RHETT f/JORDAN DAVIS/Ain't A Bad Life (Blue Highway/MCA) 3404 points
5. DYLAN SCOTT/What He'll Never Have (Curb) 3310 points 

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for March 15-19, compared with the same days last week, according to Mediabase.  

1. KANE BROWN/Woman (RCA) +2440 points
2. RILEY GREEN/Change My Mind (Nash. Harbor) +2209 points
3. TUCKER WETMORE/Brunette (Back Blocks/Mercury) +1928 points
4. SHABOOZEY & JELLY ROLL/Amen (Empire/Magnolia/Stoney Creek) +1823 points
5. DYLAN SCOTT/What He'll Never Have (Curb) +1768 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (3/21): Jackson Michelson, Samantha Landrum, Lisa Duff, Shane Lane, Denny Mosesman, Rick Moxley, Jimmy Rector, Mike Rogers, John Landrum.

Sunday's Birthdays (3/22): James House, Randy Sharp.

Monday's Birthdays (3/23): Brett Eldredge, Brett Young, Roxie Dean, Byron Gallimore, Eric Durrance, Jim Mazza, Ed Hill.