June 29, 2026 News@CountryAircheck.com

Catching Zs: Here are select Nielsen Audio Continuous Diary Measurement (CDM) ratings for May 2026 (three-month rolling average, 3/5-5/27) compared with March and April. Ranks (in parentheses) are among subscribers. Unless otherwise noted, all figures are Persons 12+, Monday-Sunday, 6am-midnight.

Birmingham, AL (Market 61)	WZZK SummitMedia 5.4 (5) - 6.0 (4) - 6.4 (4) Largest share since July 2024. WDXB iHeartMedia 5.9 (4) - 5.4 (5) - 5.8 (5)
Buffalo, NY (59)	WYRK Townsquare 9.3 (2) - 10.1 (1) - 9.9 (1)
Greenville, SC (53)	WESC iHeartMedia Classic Country 8.0 (2) - 7.5 (2) - 6.8 (3) WSSL iHeartMedia 5.1 (5) - 5.7 (5) - 5.3 (6) WROQ Audacy 2.9 (10) - 2.9 (11) - 2.4 (11) Flipped from Classic Rock to Country on Dec. 19, 2025 (CAT 12/19/25).
Richmond, VA (52)	WKHK SummitMedia 6.0 (4) - 5.7 (4) - 5.4 (4)
Rochester, NY (60)	WBEE Audacy 7.1 (2) - 8.1 (2) - 8.3 (1) Largest share since last September. WDVI iHeartMedia 2.1 (9) - 2.2 (9) - 2.9 (8) Largest share since June 2025.

Daughtry Departs: Curtis WQDR/Raleigh's Amanda Daughtry has departed the Q Morning Crew. Previously a Nashville-based singer/songwriter, North Carolina native Daughtry joined WQDR in 2021 (CAT 8/26/21). The station is seeking a successor with a minimum three years of full-time radio experience to pair with Mike Wheless for the 5-11am show. Details on how to apply here. Daughtry is seeking her next opportunity. See Daughtry's video about her departure here; reach her here.

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Taycan Care Of Business: Former Warner Music Nashville EVP A&R/Creative Advisor Scott Hendricks and Combustion Music Sr. Dir./Creative Blake Duncan have launched Nashville-based independent publishing and A&R company Taycan Entertainment. "Our goal is simple: find great songs, invest in great people and build careers that last," says Duncan. Adds Hendricks, "Together, we're building a company centered around creativity, relationships and helping writers reach their full potential." Prior to Combustion, Duncan held creative and A&R roles at Dreamlined Entertainment; reach him here. Hendricks left WMN in 2023 (CAT 12/12/23) after 16 years with the label group; reach him here.

More Cuts: Additional broadcasters affected by last week's iHeartMedia programming cuts:

Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA SVP/Programming and WYYD afternoon host Scott Stevens; reach him here.
WRWD/Poughkeepsie, NY air personality "Uncle" Mike Hansen, who had been with the station since 2013. See his post here; reach him here.
WRWD midday host Beth Christy, who joined the station in 2019 (CAT 6/28/19); reach her here.

See our previous reporting on last week's iHeart layoffs here, here, here and here.

Stacey's On Has Got It Goin' On: Former CMT Dir./Music & Talent Stacey Cato has joined Opry Entertainment Group as Senior Mgr./Artist Relations. He reports to Dir./Artist Relations Jenn Tressler and joins Mgr./Artist Relations Lexi Lampkin on the team. Cato departed CMT after 25 years amid a restructuring in 2024 (CAT 9/25/24). Reach him here.

Gatlin-burg: Radio vet Chad Gatlin has joined Grace Broadcasting WKBQ/Covington, TN for mornings, with his show billed as Dynamite Chad in the Morning. Morning host Gary Murdock has moved to middays, succeeding the syndicated Country With Carsen. Gatlin previously worked in sales at WKBQ, where he also had a weekly’s sports talk show and did football play-by-play.

Opportunity Knocks Out: TKO Artist Management Project Mgr. Megan Pavlovic and Coord./Management Jordan Bernal have been promoted to Artist Mgrs. Additionally, Coord./Management Ben Sojka was upped to Mgr./Publishing & Internal Operations. “Megan, Jordan and Ben continue to be integral pieces of the TKO team," says VP Cassie Petty. "They care deeply for our artists and are constantly evolving as professionals in this business."

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Gig Alert: Nashville-based Johnstone Entertainment is seeking a highly organized, proactive Management Coord. to support day-to-day artist management, touring, promotions and business operations. The company represents Shenandoah, Chris Cagle and Tori Rose. Apply here.

Final Countdown: Submissions are being accepted for the CMA Broadcast Awards through tomorrow (6/30) at 5pm CT. Winners receive a CMA Awards trophy, tickets to the Nov. 18 show in Nashville and (for personality category winners) a lifetime CMA Membership. Apply here.

Peach Vibes: WKHX/Atlanta morning co-host Dallas McCade and Classic Country WCON/Cornelia morning co-host Joel Williams will be inducted into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame Aug. 22 at Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center. Watch McCade get the news from Thomas Rhett here. Details and tickets here.

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Festive All: Stella Lefty, Avery Anna and Kameron Marlowe have been added to the lineup for Rock The South in Decatur, AL following its move from June to Oct. 1-4 and expansion to four days (CAT 6/9). Full lineup and tickets here.

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Tour Support: Kylie Morgan has extended her Healed Cowgirl Tour into the fall with 13 dates kicking off Sept. 4 in Las Vegas and continuing through November. Tickets (7/2) here.

Back East: Eastlan Ratings has expanded its monthly service into two new markets, Seattle and Oklahoma City. The first books in both markets will be published tomorrow (6/30).

ICYMI: Ashley McBryde discusses her early days running loss prevention at Guitar Center and getting paid in chicken strips for writers’ rounds, the difference between an artist and a star, and pandering to the radio ... or not on Laura Veltz's Songwriter Soup Podcast. Listen here.

Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for the week ending June 27, according to Mediabase.

JOSH ROSS/Hate How You Look (Core/Mercury)
JASON ALDEAN/Don't Tell On Me (Macon Music/Broken Bow)
MORGAN WALLEN/Don't We (Big Loud)
ELLA LANGLEY & MORGAN WALLEN/I Can't Love You Anymore (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers/Big Loud)
ELLA LANGLEY/Be Her (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers)

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for June 28, compared with the same day last week, according to Mediabase.

MEGAN MORONEY/Beautiful Things (Col. NY/Columbia) +863 points
JELLY ROLL/Hands Up (BMG/Stoney Creek) +586 points
STELLA LEFTY/Boston (Sandlot/Atlantic Outpost) +326 points
KANE BROWN/Woman (RCA) +269 points
TAYLOR SWIFT/I Knew It, I Knew You (Disney/Republic/MCA) +269 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (6/30): Cole Swindell, Lance Miller, Dwayne O’Brien (Little Texas), Randy Chase, Craig Dunn, Kate Myers, Jessica Chandler, Adam Jeffries, Dawn Michaels.

Tube Check Tomorrow (6/30): Brandon Lake, CBS Mornings.

Write Of Passage: Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Rhett Akins is surprised with an invitation to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Pictured (l-r) are the Opry's Parker Smith, Brooke Stuart, Ragan Harrington, Jenn Tressler, Nikki Powell and Nicole Judd, Brody Akins, Akins and the Opry's Gina Keltner, Dan Rogers, Stacey Cato, Kelly Sutton and Cailee Nace.

Kountry Boy's Dream Girl: Col. NY/Triple Tigers' Ella Langley and Play It Again/Columbia’s Dylan Marlowe with Kickin' Kountry 101's Mel B. and Shannon Steele in Wilmington, NC.

Did Yinz Mean To Double Tap: Columbia's Megan Moroney with the label's Dan Nelson, WDSY's Josh Wolff and WPGB's Mike Kasper (l-r) in Pittsburgh.

Damn Country Radio: Nashville Harbor's Riley Green in Indianapolis (top) and Saratoga Springs, NY. Pictured (top, l-r) are WLHK's Nick Jordan, WFMS' Matt Malone, Green and the label's Ryan Dokke and Bridget Herrmann; (bottom, l-r) WKLI/Albany's Justin Hart and Pete Kelly, Green, guests Scarlett and Stacy, Herrmann and WGNA/Albany’s Matty Jeff.

Signage: Songwriter/producer/artist Chris Sligh signs with Sony Music Publishing Nashville in partnership with Ace High Music. Pictured (back, l-r) are SMP's Rusty Gaston, AHM's Travis Chaney and SMP's Cam Caldwell; (front, l-r) AHM's Abigail Wate Ayala, Sligh and AHM's Chris Poole.