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| December 16, 2025 News@CountryAircheck.com |
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 Whistle Grower: Here are select Nielsen Audio Continuous Diary Measurement (CDM) ratings for November 2025 (three-month rolling average, 8/21-11/12) compared with September and October. Ranks (in parentheses) are among subscribers. Unless otherwise noted, all figures are Persons 12+, Monday-Sunday, 6am-midnight.
Birmingham, AL
(Market 61) |
WZZK SummitMedia
5.1 (4) - 5.6 (4) - 5.1 (5)
WDXB iHeartMedia
4.5 (6) - 4.3 (7t) - 4.4 (7t)
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Buffalo, NY
(59) |
WYRK Townsquare
8.8 (2) - 8.4 (3) - 8.4 (3)
WLKK Audacy
1.6 (14) - 1.3 (14) - 1.4 (14)
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Greenville, SC
(53) |
WSSL iHeartMedia
5.6 (4) - 5.8 (4) - 6.4 (2)
WESC iHeartMedia Classic Country
5.8 (3) - 5.4 (5) - 5.7 (4)
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Richmond, VA
(52) |
WKHK SummitMedia
7.0 (3) - 7.3 (2) - 6.2 (3) |
Rochester, NY
(60) |
WBEE Audacy
8.5 (2) - 8.2 (2) - 7.3 (2)
WDVI iHeartMedia
2.0 (10t) - 2.1 (10) - 2.1 (9) |
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 Global Warming: CTK Enterprises VP/Global Marketing Kelly Ridgeway has joined Results Global as Head/Global Marketing and head of the New York office. In Nashville, Abbey Kovacevich, formerly with Triple 7 Public Relations, has been named Mgr./Marketing & Communications, establishing a new communications division for the company. Reach Ridgeway here and Kovacevich here. The company is recruiting social media managers in both Nashville and New York. Learn more about those positions here. |
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 Seattle Shift: Hubbard KPNW/Seattle morning host Fitz will discontinue tracking that shift effective Dec. 31. He has been heard on the station since its relaunch as a Country outlet last year (CAT 4/1/24), and previously did mornings from 2019-2021 when the station was known as KNUC. OM Scott Mahalick will reveal plans for the daypart early in the new year. KPNW will continue to carry The Country Top 40 With Fitz on weekends. |
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 Big & Easy: The Media 3 Entertainment-produced, nationally syndicated Murphy, Sam & Jodi morning show will join Premiere Networks’ lineup Jan. 1. While most of its nearly 90 affiliates are AC and Classic Hits, the five-hour weekday and Saturday show has three Country affiliates: KFLP/Floydada, TX; WAWC/Syracuse, IN; and WHUG/Jamestown, NY. The New Orleans-based show has been syndicated since 2003, and struck a sales agreement with Skyview Networks in 2022, extending it the following year (CAT 9/13/23).
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 Certs With Retsyn: Seven years after receiving his first RIAA Gold certification, Morgan Wallen has beome the RIAA's highest certified country artist of all time with 239.5 million certified singles (solo and collaborations) and 26 million albums. Wallen simultaneously becomes the third most-certified artist, all-genre, and the No. 2 digital singles-certified solo artist, all-genre. He now has five singles that are Diamond-certified or higher, including the newly certified “Heartless,” his 2019 collaboration with Diplo. See the full list of his certifications here. |
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 Tudum: Bobby Bones Presents: The BobbyCast is included in a new partnership that makes more than 15 original iHeartMedia video podcasts available to stream on Netflix. The agreement includes all new episodes, as well as select library episodes from each show. New episodes will launch on Netflix in early 2026 in the U.S., with more markets to follow. Other podcasts included in the deal include The Breakfast Club, My Favorite Murder and Dear Chelsea.
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 Tour Support: The 24-date Trace Adkins 30th Anniversary Tour kicks off Jan. 16 in Oxford, AL; tickets (12/19) and schedule here.
Dolly Parton is taking Threads: My Songs in Symphony (CAT 5/21/24) to 12 cities, including Denver (Jan. 3-4), Nashville (March 19-21) and Phoenix (March 28); on-sale dates here.
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 Every Milestone A Memory: As the Grand Ole Opry looks ahead to its next century, SVP/Exec. Producer Dan Rogers reflects on what the milestone means for the institution’s future. Plus, Country radio once again proves its impact, raising more than $19.3 million for charity through radiothons nationwide. It's all in last night's (12/15) Country Aircheck Weekly. |
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 Total Eclipse Of The Art: Songwriter Emily Shackleton’s catalog has been acquired by Eclipse Music Group. Her songs have been recorded by artists including Carly Pearce, Reba McEntire, Runaway June, David Nail, Sara Evans and Mickey Guyton.
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 A Barter Song: Country Radio Broadcasters is continuing its partnership with iMAR Entertainment to offer radio stations and programmers an opportunity to attend CRS 2026 in Nashville March 18-20 on a 100% barter basis. The package includes full seminar registration, round-trip flights and airport transfers, a two or three night stay at the Omni Nashville Hotel and travel support in exchange for commercial inventory. Learn more and register here. |
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 Benefit News: Jon Pardi donated $40,000 to support local charities in each city he visited during his annual The Christmas Show
— St. Augustine Youth Services and St. Augustine Art Association (St. Augustine, FL), Little Smiles (Palm Beach Gardens, FL), and A Kids Place of Tampa Bay (Tampa, FL)
— via his Starlight Fund.
 Audacy WLKK/Buffalo, NY and sister WBEN raised $132,000 during their 22nd annual SPCA Serving Erie County Radiothon. Proceeds help the SPCA provide food, shelter and medical attention to pets and wildlife.
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 Stories Of The Week: Search for news and people in the archives at countryaircheck.com.
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Country Aircheck’s Grammy Voter's Guide is available here.
- Back Blocks Music's Elizabeth Cook was promoted, and Megan Clemens and Laine Lonero added to the team. (12/15)
- Cumulus launched WBAP-HD2/Dallas as "Country Legends & Texas Classics 93.3 HD2."
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 ICYMI: Brad Paisley talked about taking song requests during shows, his free grocery and toy store and Snow Globe Town on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers (12/15).
Craig Campbell sang the national anthem prior to the Miami Dolphins vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game (12/15).
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 Chronicle: Grammy-winning and CMA Award-nominated singer/songwriter Joe Ely died yesterday (12/15) at the age of 78 at his home in Taos, NM. Ely revealed earlier this year that he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia
and Parkinson’s disease (CAT 9/9). His death was attributed to complications from those diseases and pneumonia. Ely signed with MCA in the 1970s, and spent more than five decades performing and recording, both solo and as a member of The Flatlanders. No word yet on services. Watch his 2018 Songwriter Session at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum here.
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| Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for Dec. 15, according to Mediabase 24/7.
- RILEY GREEN f/ELLA LANGLEY/Don't Mind If I Do (Nash. Harbor) 4099 points
- PARMALEE/Cowgirl (Stoney Creek) 3830 points
- HARDY/Favorite Country Song (Big Loud) 3579 points
- BLAKE SHELTON/Stay Country Or Die Tryin' (Wheelhouse) 3364 points
- MEGAN MORONEY/6 Months Later (Col. NY/Columbia) 3068 points
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| Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for Dec. 14-15, compared with the same days last week, according to Mediabase 24/7.
- ELLA LANGLEY/Choosin' Texas (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers) +818 points
- MORGAN WALLEN/20 Cigarettes (Big Loud) +508 points
- BLAKE SHELTON/Stay Country Or Die Tryin' (Wheelhouse) +485 points
- LUKE COMBS/Days Like These (Columbia) +458 points
- COREY KENT f/KOE WETZEL/Rocky Mountain Low (Combustion/RCA) +434 points
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Tomorrow's Birthdays (12/17): Chad Michael Jervis (King Calaway), Mark Wystrach (Midland), Tracy Byrd, Sharon White Skaggs (The Whites), Duane Propes (Little Texas), Tim Chewning (Ricochet), Michael Steele, Brooke Nixon, Stephanie Hagerty, Katie Gillon, Christine Smith, J.B. Cloud, the late Ben Vaughn.
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| Tube Check Tomorrow (12/17): Brad Paisley, Today (NBC). |
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 Group Chatt: WUSY/Chattanooga's Melissa "Mo" Wagner, Greg "StyckMan" Owens, Justin Cole and "Cowboy" Kyle Croft (l-r) reveal the total ($711,250) raised during the station's St. Jude radiothon last week. |
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 Fly, Santa, Fly: WXTU/Philadelphia's two-day St. Jude radiothon raises $335,250, bringing their six-year total to more than $1.7 million. |
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 Feliz Navidog: WKIS/Miami's 22nd annual Kiss Country Cares Radiothon for Joe Dimaggio Children's Hospital raises $344,003.55. Pictured with staff and volunteers are the station's Tim "TC" Conlon and Dina B (c).
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 'MoCash: Galaxy's LoCash play for listeners who contributed to KSON/San Diego's St. Jude radiothon total of $324,908. Pictured (l-r) are the station's Jessica Chenoweth, ALSAC/St. Jude's Jennifer Castell, the duo's Chris Lucas, the station's John Flint and Tammy Lee, the duo's Preston Brust and St. Jude family Liz and Joe Devins.
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 Media Darling: MCA's Luke Bryan surprises former CMT VP/Music & Talent Donna Duncan with the
2025 CMA Media Achievement Award. |
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