November 11, 2024 News@CountryAircheck.com

One Third Less Froggy: Forever Media has entered into an agreement to sell WOGH/Pittsburgh to non-commercial religious broadcaster Educational Media Foundation. Licensed to Burgettstown, PA, WOGH is part of Forever's "Froggy" Pittsburgh-area trimulcast with a signal that reaches the market from the west and also covers parts of Wheeling, WV. WOGH originally joined the Froggy simulcast in 2000, before shifting to Classic Country as WLYI in 2017; the Froggy branding and calls returned two years ago (CAT 8/1/22).

Engineer & Far, Wherever You Are: iHeartMedia promotes VP/Engineering & Systems Steve George to EVP/Engineering, succeeding Jeff Littlejohn, who retires from the role, but remains a consultant to the company. Littlejohn has been with iHeart and its successors for 32 years, starting in 1992 as Chief Engineer for the Cincinnati cluster. Later, he was part of the team that created the iHeartRadio app. He was the recipient of the 2014 NAB Radio Engineering Achievement Award and the 2008 Radio World Excellence in Engineering Award, and served as the Chairman of the NAB Radio Technical Committee. George, a 23-year company veteran, will now oversee engineering for iHeart's 860 stations in 160 markets.

Roads Scholar: Blake Shelton is teaming with Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan on a new singing competition, The Road (working title), for CBS in fall 2025. The "docu-follow format" focuses on a TBA headlining artist's opening acts as they compete to win over local fanbases to secure a spot in the next city and remain on the tour.

The Luke Bryan-hosted It’s All Country docuseries premieres on Hulu Friday (11/15). The series features "never-before-seen performances by some of the biggest stars of country music as Luke uncovers the secrets, the hidden inspirations and the personal moments that shaped the music you love."

Reve-News: Universal Music Group board member and Pershing Square Holdings CEO Bill Ackman posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he will seek to move UMG's domicile from the Netherlands to the US. "UMG trades at a large discount to its intrinsic value with limited liquidity in significant part due to it not having its primary listing on the NYSE or Nasdaq Exchange and not being eligible for S&P 500 and other index inclusion." In response, a UMG statement reads, "Neither UMG nor any of its other board members were involved in the formulation of the views in that post [...] any actions or decisions beyond those necessary to comply (including any decisions to change the domicile of the company) will be based on an analysis taking into account what is value maximizing and in the best interests of all the shareholders of the company."

Festive All: Brooks & Dunn, Old Dominion, Chris Young, Parker McCollum, Jackson Dean and more are included in next year's Boots In The Park lineups. The festival returns to Bakersfield March 7; Norco, CA March 8 and San Diego April 5; individual lineups and ticket info here.

Fort Worth It: The Texas Country Music Awards were presented Sunday night (11/10) at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth. Radio category winners are:

Terrestrial Radio Station Of The Year: KFWR/Fort Worth
Internet Radio Station Of The Year: Texas Red Hot Radio
Broadcast Personality Of The Year: Shayne Hollinger, KFWR.

Bits & Pieces: Throughout November, Beasley Media's Beasley Best Community of Caring initiative is airing PSAs, conducting interviews with veteran organizations and sharing stories across its 57 radio stations to raise awareness about resources and services for those who have served. Partner organizations include the Cohen Veterans Network and Home Base Veteran and Family Care.

Trisha Yearwood will headline Susan G. Komen's Band As One Nashville: Concert For the Cure March 26 at the Ryman Auditorium. The show will raise money for those impacted by breast cancer. Additional artists TBA; tickets go on sale Nov. 15 here.

Crib Note: BMG Nashville artist Brooke Eden and her wife, former Pearl Dir./Promotion Hilary Eden Hoover, welcomed their first child, son Beckham Gene Eden Hoover, Nov. 2. The couple wed in 2022 (CAT 10/31/22).

Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for the week ending Nov. 9, according to Mediabase 24/7.

MORGAN WALLEN/Lies Lies Lies (Big Loud)
JELLY ROLL/I Am Not Okay (BMG/Republic/Stoney Creek)
KANE BROWN & MARSHMELLO/Miles On It (RCA)
PARMALEE/Gonna Love You (Stoney Creek)
THOMAS RHETT/Beautiful As You (Valory)

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for Nov. 10 compared with the same day last week, according to Mediabase 24/7.

TIM MCGRAW/One Bad Habit (Big Machine) +867 points
DYLAN MARLOWE & DYLAN SCOTT/Boys Back Home (Columbia/Curb) +301 points
JORDAN DAVIS/I Ain't Sayin' (MCA) +276 points
GEORGE BIRGE/Cowboy Songs (Records Nashville) +236 points
KEITH URBAN/Messed Up As Me (Capitol) +220 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (11/12): Barbara Fairchild, Jim Catino, Dingo O'Brien.

Tube Check Tonight (11/11): Riley Green and Ella Langley, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC).

WIne, Beer, Whiskey: Capitol's Little Big Town in Milwaukee. Pictured (l-r) are the label's Katie Bright, LBT's Karen Fairchild, WUSN/Chicago's Marci Braun, LBT's Philip Sweet, guest Laurie Sloma, LBT's Kimberly Schlapman, Westwood One's Jackie Stevens and LBT's Jimi Westbrook.

UT Gurl: Walker Hayes' Sober Thoughts tour with Tigirlily Gold stops in Sandy, UT. Pictured (l-r) are KUBL/Salt Lake City's John E. Kage and Matt Ramone, the label's Megan McCaffrey, Tigirlily's Kendra Slaubaugh, Hayes, Tigirlily's Krista Slaubaugh, guest Lisa and KSOP/Salt Lake City's Deb Turpin and Dave Gunderson.

Since U Been Dawn: WKLB/Boston's Dawn Santolucito with RCA's Nate Smith and Columbia/Sony Music Nashville's Alana Springsteen.

Signage: Singer/songwriter Dan Marshall signs with Jonas Group Publishing. Pictured (back, l-r) are JGP's Kevin Jonas Sr., Emily Peacock and George Kreis; (front, l-r) manager Erin Mooring, Marshall and JGP's Leslie T. DiPiero.

Signage: Singer/songwriter Ty Myers signs with Universal Music Publishing Nashville. Pictured (back, l-r) are UMPG's Troy Tomlinson and Starstruck's Narvel Blackstock; (front, l-r) UMPG's Missy Roberts, Myers and UMPG's Roxy King.