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July 3, 2025 News@CountryAircheck.com

Pivot: Former iHeartMedia Classic Hits WBGG/Miami PD Ross MacLeod has joined Alpha Media/Portland, OR as OM for the cluster, which includes KUPL. He will also serve as Dir./Content for News-Talk KXL and Sports KXTG. During his five years with iHeart, MacLeod also programmed KJAQ/Seattle, KYRV/Sacramento and KFBW/Portland. Reach him here. Alpha Media is currently in the process of being acquired by Connoisseur Media, with an LMA in place and the deal expected to close in Q3 (CAT 5/5).

The Shann With The Plan: Whitehead KTTX/Bryan-College Station, TX Asst. GM Shannan Canales has been elevated to GM, assuming the duties which had been handled by Owner/Pres. Tom Whitehead. Canales is the first person outside the Whitehead family to manage the stations since sister KWHI-AM signed on in 1947. She joined the company in 2020 and was named Asst. GM last year. Reach her here.

EZ Does It: Here are select May Eastlan Ratings showing Country stations that are leading in the 15 markets measured monthly by the company, compared with March and April. Shares are Persons 12+, Monday-Sunday, 6am-midnight.

KSJJ/Bend, OR Gross: 11.6 - 11.0 - 11.5
KCTR/Billings, MT Townsquare: 12.6 - 11.4 - 12.0
WQBE/Charleston, WV Bristol: 14.6 - 15.4 - 15.0
WXFL/Florence, AL Big River: 11.9 - 12.1 - 10.8
WXBQ/Johnson City, TN Bristol: 21.3 - 20.4 - 20.8
KDBR/Kalispell, MT Bee: 14.1 - 13.7 - 12.8
WALS/LaSalle, IL Shaw Local: 13.1 - 13.8 - 13.3
WBBN/Laurel, MS Blakeney: 16.2 - 15.9 - 13.7
KEZJ/Twin Falls, ID Townsquare: 11.4 - 11.8 - 12.1
Largest share since June 2024.

Contact Update: Former iHeartMedia Custom Country Talent Mgr. and KTCS/Fort Smith, AR morning co-host Presleigh (Webb) Bearden has joined iHeartMedia Top 40 KHKN/Little Rock as midday host and Mgr./Social Media. Reach her here.

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

Get the scoop on Triple Tigers' new promotional arm, Akando Music, in Country Aircheck Weekly.
WOOZ/Marion-Carbondale, IL PD/midday host Tracy McSherry-McKown retired. (7/1)
Mike McVay and Julie Talbott are among the Radio Hall of Fame 2025 inductees. (6/30)
Audacy/Houston VP/Programming and KILT Brand Mgr. Melissa Chase exited. (6/30)
iHeartMedia Madison & Milwaukee Area President Jeff Tyler retired.

Bits & Pieces: Dolly Parton and host Sheryl Crow will appear in the hour-long Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) fundraising special, airing from Nashville for the first time Aug. 15 at 7pm CT across more than 30 participating platforms, including ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.

Crib Note: MCA's Jordan Davis and wife Kristen welcomed their fourth child, daughter Sadie Davis, yesterday (7/2). He shared on social media, "Her and Momma are doing great …We're back home and the kids are obsessed with their new baby sister …God is good and I am so pumped I get to be her Dad."

The Treason For The Season: The Country Aircheck offices will be closed tomorrow (7/4) in observance of Independence Day. Country Aircheck Today will return Monday (7/7).

Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for July 2, according to Mediabase 24/7.

ELLA LANGLEY/Weren't For The Wind (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers) 4192 points
MORGAN WALLEN/Just In Case (Big Loud) 3990 points
NATE SMITH/Fix What You Didn't Break (RCA) 3273 points
COREY KENT/This Heart (Combustion/RCA) 3244 points
SAM HUNT/Country House (MCA) 3199 points

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for June 29-July 2 compared with the same days last week, according to Mediabase 24/7.

ELLA LANGLEY/Weren't For The Wind (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers) +3432 points
MORGAN WALLEN/Just In Case (Big Loud) +1703 points
SCOTTY MCCREERY f/HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH/Bottle Rockets +979 points
SHABOOZEY/Good News (Empire/Magnolia) +838 points
MORGAN WALLEN/I Got Better (Big Loud) +818 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (7/4): Post Malone, Teddy Carr (Ricochet), Bill McCorvey (Pirates Of The Mississippi), Woody Mullis, Tony Toliver, Alexandria English, James Stroud, the late Ray Pillow.

Saturday's Birthdays (7/5): Dave Haywood (Lady A), Aaron Asida, Denny Dabmun-Bixby, Chris Houser, Laurissa Juzwiak, Jonathan French, Ted Greene, Rick Russell, Charles Vente, Doak Turner, Doug Howard.

Sunday's Birthdays (7/6): Jeannie Seely, Mike McClure, John Jorgenson, Steve Murray, Darin Murphy, Dale O'Brian, Brooks Quigley, the late Settle Townsend, the late Nanci Griffith.

Monday's Birthdays (7/7): Maddie Font (Maddie & Tae), Stix Franklin, John Dorris, Reeves Kirtner, Gregory Toy, the late Doyle Wilburn, the late Charlie Louvin.

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Tube Check Tomorrow (7/4): Craig Morgan, Live With Kelly & Mark (syndicated); Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley, Ashley McBryde and The War And Treaty, The Fourth In America (CNN); Eric Church and Trisha Yearwood, Macy's Fourth of July (NBC); Josh Turner and LoCash, A Capitol Fourth (PBS).

Tube Check Monday (7/7): Shenandoah, Fox & Friends.

Pretty Heat: MCA's Parker McCollum talks new music and fatherhood with Country Heat Weekly's Amber Anderson (l) and Kelly Sutton.

There's A Frontier In My Beer: Columbia's Kameron Marlowe (r) with WJVL/Janesville, WI's Justin Brown at Old Settlers Days.

Long Live 93Q Country: Triple Tigers' Shane Profitt visits KKBQ/Houston. Pictured (l-r) are the station's Travis Moon, Gerardo Sproet and Andy "Riggs" Riggle, Profitt, the station's Lauren "Lo" Sessions-Barker and the label's Julianna Vaughn.