Crescent Cred: Here are select Nielsen Audio Continuous Diary Measurement (CDM) ratings for August 2026 (three-month rolling average, 5/28-8/19) compared with June and July. Ranks (in parentheses) are among subscribers. Unless otherwise noted, all figures are Persons 12+, Monday-Sunday, 6am-midnight.

On The Marc: Winter Park, FL-based Marc Media is purchasing five Nature Coast stations, including simulcast Country WXCZ & WXZC/Cedar Key-Inglis, FL (known on-air as "Naturecoast Country") from WGUL-FM, Inc. That deal comes on the heels of Marc's purchase of WHKR/Melbourne, FL and its two sister stations from Cumulus (CAT 9/3). Both transactions are pending FCC approval. With their closing, Marc will own 27 stations in Florida and Texas. This year, the company more than doubled its size, adding 16 stations to last year’s 11, including WPCV/Lakeland, FL (CAT 3/12).

Tour Support: Garth Brooks has added a third show at Salt Lake City's Delta Center (CAT 9/9) on Oct. 11 (matinee show). Tickets go on sale Tuesday (9/22) here. 

Gavin Adcock will play two album release shows presented by Comulus stations in Dallas (10/5 at Studio at The Bomb Factory, presented by KSCS) and Atlanta (10/8 at The Eastern, presented by WKHX) following the Oct. 2 drop of his new WRN/Thrivin Here project The Day I Hang it Up. Tickets here and here, respectively.

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

• Eastlan CEO Mike Gould discussed the ever-shifting sands of audience measurement in Country Aircheck Weekly. 
• BBRMG's Lee Adams, Ken Tucker and Adrian Michaels are stepping down. (9/17)
• Jay Michaels was named APD/MD and afternoon host for WLHK/Indianapolis. (9/16)
• WDAF/Kansas City's Jenny and Jagger in the Morning was added to WXBK-HD2/New York.

Bits & Pieces: Neste Live! Pres. Gil Cunningham will be inducted (alongside Chubby Checker) into the International Entertainment Buyers Association's IEBA Hall of Fame during its 2026 Honors & Awards Ceremony Oct. 6 at Nashville's The Pinnacle.

Chronicle: Veteran Nashville music journalist and author Edward "Ed" Morris died Sept. 17 at the age of 90. Best known for his 14-year tenure at Billboard, where he was Country Music Editor, and his 20-year stint as a writer for CMT online, Morris' work was also published in dozens of other magazines and newspapers. He authored eight books, including Edward Morris’ Complete Guide To Country Music Videos (1997), Garth Brooks: Platinum Cowboy (1993), Alabama (1985) and At Carter Stanley’s Grave: Musings on Country Music & Musicians (2011) and contributed to liner notes for albums and box sets by The Judds, Keith Whitley, Eddy Arnold, Guy Clark, Hank Snow, Chet Atkins and others. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Planned Parenthood.

Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for Sept. 17, according to Mediabase.

1. STELLA LEFTY/Boston (Sandlot/Atlantic Outpost) 4836 points
2. LUKE COMBS/Be By You (Columbia) 4253 points
3. MORGAN WALLEN/Been By Now (Big Loud) 3976 points
4. KENNY CHESNEY/Carry On (Hey Now) 3852 points
5. JOHN MORGAN/Kid Myself (Night Train/Broken Bow) 3448 points

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for Sept. 13-17, compared with the same day last week, according to Mediabase.  

1. STELLA LEFTY/Boston (Sandlot/Atlantic Outpost) +2302 points
2. DAN + SHAY/Say So (Warner/WRN) +1813 points
3. ELLA LANGLEY/Loving Life Again (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers) +1623 points
4. MORGAN WALLEN/Been By Now (Big Loud) +1496 points
5. JOHN MORGAN/Kid Myself (Night Train/Broken Bow) +1418 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (9/19): Trisha Yearwood, Chase Rice, Nate Smith, KK Johnson (Track45), Jeff Bates, Luke Jensen, Kevin Callahan, Tree Paine, Ralph Carroll, Carl Geisler, Sam Ramage, Wally Wilson, Laurie Gail, the late Bob Heatherly.

Sunday's Birthdays (9/20): Niko Moon, Garth Fundis, Grover Collins, Jeff Pierce, Brian Taylor, the late Pearl Butler.

Monday's Birthdays (9/21): Faith Hill, Ingrid Andress, Stacy Blythe, Ronna Reeves, Dickey Lee, Don Felder (Eagles), Katharine Hodges, Lynn Waggoner, Mark Wright, Rob Simbeck, the late Ed Morris. 

Halfway To Hall: Performers Lukas Nelson, Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson (l-r) at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's All for the Hall in Los Angeles last night (9/17).

Sandy Again: Mercury/The Core's Tyler Hubbard and Josh Ross at the Jones Beach stop of Dan + Shay's The Young Tour. Pictured (l-r) are Anthony Lurillo and fiancée/WWWF/Nassau's "Sabrina From Queens" Sergio, Hubbard, Ross, WJVC/Nassau's Murphdawg, Phathead and Bruce Shepard with wife Rosemarie and Mercury's Summer Harlow.

Reid Carpet: Big Machine's Cole Goodwin (r) with KNIX/Phoenix's Reid Spivey at the Celebrity Theatre.