After Taste: Townsquare's weekday Taste Of Country Mornings, hosted by Matt Wood and Nicole Taylor, is set to end production Oct. 17, following a week of "best of" content. The Nashville-based show launched last year (CAT 3/12/24) on KIIK/Quad Cities, IA-IL; KNFM/Odessa, TX; KEKB/Grand Junction, CO and KCGY/Cheyenne, WY, and picked up KYYZ/Williston, ND earlier this year (CAT 8/11). Wood shared on social media, "There is no tea. No ugly backstory, sometimes things just don’t break the way ya hope. That’s life. So if you know of anything, especially here in Nashville, holler at your boy." Reach him here. No word on plans for mornings at those affiliates.

Veep Leap: Warner Chappell Music (WCM) Sr. Dir./A&R Christina Wiltshire has been upped to VP. "Christina will play a key role in further amplifying our songwriters in the US and on the global stage – opening up new opportunities for collaboration and reinforcing the rise of country music around the world," says Pres. Austen Adams, to whom she reports. Wiltshire joined in 2019 (CAT 6/6/19) and rose to her most recent position in 2022 (CAT 4/21/22). Prior stops include Sea Gayle Music and Patrick Joseph Music.

Smith Leaves Audacy: Audacy's Katie & Company Exec. Producer Brody Smith has departed. Smith joined the nationally syndicated show in 2023 after a stint as  Triangle Marketing WKJO/Smithfield, NC PD/afternoon host (CAT 5/5/23). His previous stops include Raleigh, Las Vegas and West Palm Beach. Reach him here. No word on plans for the position.

Bits & Pieces: After being inducted as a new Grand Ole Opry member herself (CAT 8/11), Kathy Mattea surprised Suzy Bogguss onstage with an invitation to join the cast. Watch the moment here.

Audacy SVP/Research & Insights Ray Borelli, Skyview Networks Pres./CEO Steve Jones and James River Broadcasting COO Lance Knudson were elected to the RAB Board of Directors at the group's biannual meeting in Carlsbad, CA Oct. 6-7. See the full board here.

Life Notes: H. Waller Whittemore, father of the Recording Academy's Susan Stewart, died Oct. 7 in Norfolk, VA at the age of 98. See full obituary and Oct. 16 memorial service details here. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his memory to the Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughters here, or the Back Bay Restoration Foundation here. Condolences to Stewart here.

Rilla Whitaker Fletcher, mother of Fletcher Entertainment's Van Fletcher, died Oct. 10 in Boonville, NC at the age of 95. See full obituary here. The funeral was held yesterday (10/12). In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Mountain Valley Hospice here. Reach Van Fletcher here.

Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for the week ending Oct. 11, according to Mediabase 24/7.

1. JORDAN DAVIS/Bar None (MCA) 
2. MORGAN WALLEN/I Got Better (Big Loud) 
3. JELLY ROLL/Heart Of Stone (BMG/Republic/Stoney Creek) 
4. CHASE MATTHEW/Darlin' (Warner/WAR) 
5. LUKE COMBS/Back In The Saddle (Columbia) 

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for Oct. 12, compared with the same day last week, according to Mediabase 24/7.  

1. MORGAN WALLEN/I Got Better (Big Loud) +506 points
2. MIRANDA LAMBERT & CHRIS STAPLETON/A Song To Sing (Republic/Big Loud/Mercury) +251 points
3. MEGAN MORONEY/6 Months Later (Col. NY/Columbia) +247 points
4. HARDY/Favorite Country Song (Big Loud) +216 points
5. LAINEY WILSON/Somewhere Over Laredo (Broken Bow) +204 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (10/14): Natalie Maines (The Chicks), Melba Montgomery, Renee Behrman, Melissa Matthews, Kerri Edwards, Woody Pelt, Evelyn Shriver, Sean Stemaly and the late Spencer Burke.

Bar One: MCA's Jordan Davis celebrates No. 1 "Bar None" in Chicago. Pictured (l-r) are Albright & O'Malley & Brenner's Kenny Jay, KEEY/Minneapolis' Pat Knight, WUSN's Marci Braun, the label's Donna Jo Passuntino, Davis, the label's Katie Bright, KWEN/Tulsa's Karla Cantrell, WUSN's Austin Huff and Kyle Milnamow, WLHK/Indianapolis' Nick Jordan, KTOM/Monterey & KHGE/Fresno's Sam Diggedy and (back) Red Light's Chuck Swaney.