October 21, 2024 News@CountryAircheck.com

Hawkeye On The Prize: Here are select Nielsen Audio Continuous Diary Measurement (CDM) ratings for September 2024 (three-month rolling average, 6/20-9/11) compared with July and August. Ranks (in parentheses) are among subscribers. Unless otherwise noted, all figures are Persons 12+, Monday-Sunday, 6am-midnight.

Colorado Springs, CO (Market 89)	KATC Cumulus 4.1 (6) - 4.3 (6) - 3.5 (8) KCCY iHeartMedia 4.5 - 4.1 (7) - 3.1 (9t)
Des Moines, IA (70)	KHKI Cumulus 9.1 (1) - 6.7 (1) - 6.8 (1) KJJY Cumulus 5.5 (5) - 5.4 (5t) - 4.5 (7)
Mobile, AL (100)	WKSJ iHeartMedia 6.0 (3) - 7.1 (3) - 5.9 (3t)
Spokane, WA (88)	KXLY QueenB 6.6 (1t) - 7.3 (1) - 5.9 (2) KICR Blue Sky 4.7 (6t) - 4.9 (4t) - 5.0 (4) Largest share since March 2023. KDRK Stephens 3.7 (10t) - 4.3 (7) - 4.0 (7)
Wichita, KS (105)	KFDI SummitMedia 8.6 (1) - 7.8 (1) - 5.9 (2t) KZSN iHeartMedia 6.8 (2) - 5.8 (3t) - 5.7 (4) KVWF Murfin 0.9 (16) - 2.0 (15) - 2.3 (14t) Re-launched with mainstream format and new airstaff in May (CAT 5/2). KGHF Steckline Classic Country 1.4 (15) - 1.6 (17) - 1.4 (17) KFTI-AM SummitMedia Classic Country 0.7 (17t) - 1.1 (18) - 0.9 (19)

I Wanna Talk About Me: "I wish Toby were here to sing it, but I'll do my best," said Eric Church before his emotional performance of "Don't Let The Old Man In" during Sunday night's (10/20) Medallion Ceremony. Church, Post Malone, Keith Richards, Elvis Costello, Blake Shelton and Brad Paisley were among the artists who celebrated the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame – John Anderson, Toby Keith and James Burton. Read a full recap in tonight's (10/21) Country Aircheck Weekly.

Spud Finder: Market vet Cory Mikhals will take over mornings on Lotus Classic Country KTHI/Boise, which launched five months ago (CAT 5/6). The shift had been handled by Mary Kennedy on a part-time basis. PD Jeff Connell tells Country Aircheck, "[Mikhals'] history and reputation in the market made this a very easy decision and he's going to be a great fit." Mikhals has been out of radio since exiting crosstown Cumulus KIZN in 2019 (CAT 9/27/19). Prior to his five years at KIZN, he spent more than a decade at clustermate KQFC. Reach him here.

Ray Exits Cox: WWKA/Orlando night host Korby Ray has exited after a year in the daypart (CAT 6/27/23). Ray had been with the company four years and was based in Miami, where she also co-hosted mornings on Soft AC WFEZ. Ray's previous stops include WGTR/Myrtle Beach, SC, where she co-hosted mornings with WWKA PD Steve Stewart from 2006-15. No word on plans for the position.

Wayne World: Sarkes Tarzian Hot AC WAJI/Fort Wayne, IN afternoon host and Classic Hits WLDE midday host Angie Nash has joined crosstown Adams WBTU for middays. She will also handle afternoons on sister Top 40 WJFX. WBTU PD Randy Alomar had been handling middays and moves to afternoons, previously voiced remotely by WWOF/Tallahassee morning co-host Woody Hayes. This is a return to the cluster for Nash who, prior to 12 years at Sarkes, spent more than a decade in mornings at WJFX. Reach her here.

Board Of The Rings: Townsquare COO Erik Hellum, Cox Exec. Pres./Radio Rob Babin, Bonneville EVP/Regional Media Scott Sutherland and Lenawee Pres. Julie Koehn have been elected Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Secretary, respectively, for the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB)'s 2024 Board of Directors. Connoisseur CEO Jeff Warshaw is the Immediate Past Chair, while Reach Media/Urban One's Josh Rahmani and MediaCo's Albert Rodriguez have been added to the Board of Directors. Additionally, All Pro's Duane Davis, Saga's Chris Forgy and Cumulus/Westwood One's Bob Walker have joined the Executive Committee. A complete list of the Board is available here.

Week Link: There's one week left to submit nominations for the Country Radio Hall of Fame Class of 2025 before the deadline (10/28). The CRHoF honors individuals who have made lasting and significant contributions to the Country radio industry, and have worked in radio for a minimum of 20 years, with at least 15 of those spent in Country; nominate candidates here. Inductees will be announced during CRS 2025 Feb. 19-21 at the Omni Nashville Hotel.

Festive All: Morgan Wallen, Post Malone, Brooks & Dunn and Hardy will headline Wallen's Sand In My Boots festival May 16-18 in Gulf Shores, AL. Additional performers include Riley Green, Bailey Zimmerman, T-Pain and Diplo; full lineup and ticket info here.

Hoosier Daddy: Country honorees in the Indiana Broadcasters Association's 2024 Spectrum Awards, which are divided among the four largest markets in the state and remaining stations, are:

Station Of The Year (Other Markets): WBDC/Huntingburg
Radio Commercial (Large Markets): Flying Squirrel Axe Throwing, WLHK/Indianapolis
Local Community Impact (Small Markets): The Country Showdown, WBDC
Investigative Reporting (Small Markets): Differently Able, WBDC

View all honorees here.

Let's Go, Girls: Applications for the WMBA (Women Music Business Association) Class of 2025 are open here through Nov. 15. Along with a letter of recommendation, applicants must have a full year of working experience in the music industry, earn the majority of their income from a music-related job and singer/songwriters must be affiliated with a Performance Rights Organization (PRO).

Crib Note: Cumulus KSCS/Dallas midday host Rachel Ryan and husband Richard Rotella welcomed their first child, Luca Raffaele Rotella, Oct. 15. "Our little 'bringer of light,'" she shared on social media. "You are our whole world and my life is all yours." Congratulate her here.

Chronicle: Veteran broadcaster Charlie "Byrd" Lindsey passed Oct. 16. He was 81. Lindsey spent most of his career in Charleston, SC, starting in 1962 at then-Top 40 WTMA-AM. In 1968, he moved to then-Country WQSN-AM, and subsequently became the first PD and morning host at WEZL when it went Country in 1973. Lindsey moved to crosstown WBUB when it went Country in 1991. In 2007, he joined WIWF in mornings for its launch. Local coverage here. No services are planned.

ICYMI: Warren Zeiders performed "Relapse" and talked Jelly Roll, staying fit on the road and that viral moment on The Kelly Clarkson Show (10/18).

Jelly Roll performed alongside surprise guests including Keith Urban and Machine Gun Kelly during Amazon Music Live followng Thursday Night Football (10/17). Watch Mr. Roll and MGK's "Time Of Day" here.

Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for the week ending October 19, according to Mediabase 24/7.

JUSTIN MOORE/This Is My Dirt (Valory)
JELLY ROLL/I Am Not Okay (BMG/Republic/Stoney Creek)
KANE BROWN & MARSHMELLO/Miles On It (RCA)
POST MALONE f/BLAKE SHELTON/Pour Me A Drink (Mercury/Republic/Big Loud)
MORGAN WALLEN/Lies Lies Lies (Big Loud)

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for October 20 compared with the same day last week, according to Mediabase 24/7.

KANE BROWN & MARSHMELLO/Miles On It (RCA) +945 points
MORGAN WALLEN/Love Somebody (Big Loud) +796 points
ERIC CHURCH/Darkest Hour (EMI Nashville) +378 points
LAINEY WILSON/4X4XU (Broken Bow) +298 points
ZACH TOP/Sounds Like The Radio (Leo33) +266 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (10/22): Warren Zeiders, Dylan Scott, Rich Bowers, Chris DeCarlo, Tim Foisset, John Ettinger, Judi Turner, Tim Gates (Due West), Kurt Bardella.

Waking In Memphis: Gathering in Memphis for the Country Cares For St. Jude Kids Seminar this morning are (l-r) Sony/Nashville's Lauren Thomas, ALSAC/St. Jude's Lynn Page and Samantha Maltin and Capitol's Chris Schuler.

Pour Me A Drink: Mercury/Republic/Big Loud's Post Malone with the SiriusXM crew at Music Row Happy Hour Friday in Nashville (10/18). Pictured (l-r) are Christina Mooney, Trapper John, Ania Hammar, Victoria Alfonso, Post, McCartney Sullivan, Kathleen St Clair, Buzz Brainard, Nick Elliott and, in front, Johnny Chiang.

4X4XTwo: Broken Bow's Lainey Wilson and Leo33's Zach Top in Atlanta. Pictured (top) Wilson with WUBL's Angie Ward and (bottom) Top with WKHX’s Mike Moore.

Ella, Where Have You Been Loca: SawGod/Columbia/Nashville Harbor's Ella Langley (c) with WUSY/Chattanooga's Melissa "Mo" Wagner and Greg "StyckMan" Owens.

Signage: Singer/songwriter Ryan Hurd signs with Big Machine. Pictured (back, l-r) are the label's Erik Powell and Kris Lamb, and songwriter/producer Aaron Eshuis; (front, l-r) Big Machine Music’s Mike Molinar, the label's Scott Borchetta, Hurd and the label's Megan Joyce.

Signage: Duo Crowe Boys (brothers Ocie and Wes) sign with UMG/Nashville. Pictured (l-r) are C3 Management’s Drew Carey, Ocie, the label's Cindy Mabe, C3 Management’s Morgan Young and Wes.

Signage: Singer/songwriter Zach Meadows signs with WME. Pictured (l-r) are WME's Alex Sera, Alex Collignon and Hayley Riddle, Meadows and Torrex Music Group's Alex Torrez and Emily Vincent.

Signage: Scottish singer/songwriter Jordan Harvey signs with Edgehill Music Publishing. Pictured (back, l-r) are Edgehill's Josh Joseph and Make Wake's Tyler Corrado and Chris Kappy; (front, l-r) Edgehill's Tara Joseph, Harvey and Edgehill's Julia Keefe.