Cash & Carry: Former KTGX/Tulsa MD/Digital Lead/afternoon host “Natalie Cash” Lefler is returning to crosstown Zoellner Media KWEN/Tulsa, at least temporarily, to be paired in mornings with PD Matt Bradley effective June 1. Prior to her three years at KTGX, Cash spent 10 years in morning drive at KWEN. She left KTGX amid a round of iHeart staff cuts in 2024 (CAT 8/12/24). Bradley tells Country Aircheck, "She is coming back to do a few weeks on-air with me. This is something I am really looking forward to. Will it be extended? Hope so, but we'll have to wait and see."

Tampa Time: “Rick has been an important part of our team here in Tampa, and we’re grateful for the leadership and heart he has brought to the organization,” says Beasley/Tampa VP/MM Ron deCastro, announcing the June 1 departure of  cluster Brand Mgr. and WQYK PD Rick Thomas, as reported this morning (5/19) via Breaking News. Thomas is planning to spend more time with family after more than two years with Beasley. Prior stops include serving as national format leader for Top 40, AC and Hot AC at SummitMedia, VP/Programming for Max Media/Denver and OM for Cox/Tampa.

Gig Alert: Beasley is seeking a successor with a minimum of seven years of radio programming management experience, including in a PPM market. Send cover letter and résumé to deCastro here. Until his departure, reach Thomas here.

Gig Alert: Big Radio/Janesville, WI is seeking experienced part-time, remote air talent to cover fill-in shifts, weekends and holidays for Country WJVL, Rock WWHG and potentially other stations in the cluster. Send a current aircheck (MP3 or link), background and compensation expectations here.

On Broadway: The United Stations Radio Networks (USRN)-syndicated Broadway And Friends show has ended its four-year relationship with Oceanic Tradewinds. Following a prior run with SuiteRadio, the then self-syndicated show (known at the time as The Bud And Broadway Show), teamed with Oceanic Tradewinds in 2022 (CAT 6/22/22), re-branding to Broadway and Friends in early 2023 before Oceanic Tradewinds entered into a strategic partnership with USRN (CAT 3/10/23). Host Jerry Broadway says, "We appreciate the work [Oceanic Tradwinds CEO] Gary [Bernstein] and his team have put into the show, but the time has come to shake things up a bit."

Best Bet: Singer/songwriter/producer Jon Stone has launched boutique label BIA (Bet It All) Records with flagship artist Nakessa. “As an artist myself, I know what it’s like to have your art not be supported in the way that you believe it should be," says Stone. "That’s what we’re really striving to do: be a boutique label that provides superior artist-focused attention." Stone was previously signed to Curb as one half of duo American Young, and his songs have been cut by artists including Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney and Blake Shelton. Reach him here.

Cheer Thirty: WYCD/Detroit's Rob Stone and Holly Hutton, WITL/Lansing's Jonathan "JR" Ruppel and Kristen Matthews, and WMKC/Traverse City's recently retired (CAT 3/17) Susan Melton were among the air personalty winners at the Michigan Assn. of Broadcasters' 30th Annual Broadcast Excellence Awards May 16 in Detroit. See the full winners list, which includes WFXD/Marquette's Adam Carpenter, here.

Tour Support: Charles Wesley Godwin's The Christian Name Tour kicks off July 11 in Fargo, ND and runs through mid-November. In addition to his own shows, Godwin will be doing a co-headline run with Dylan Gossett this summer and will be opening Kacey Musgraves's Middle of Nowhere tour in the fall. Full schedule and ticket info here.

Dax will visit 46 cities as part of his The Anger Management Tour beginning Sept. 11 in Casper, WY and wrapping at Nashville's Brooklyn Bowl Dec. 13; tickets here Friday (5/22). 

Does That Impress Me Much? In last night's (5/18) Country Aircheck Weekly, Country radio programmers including Steve Stewart, Lauren "Lo" Sessions-Barker, Abby Leigh and Brian Jordan weigh in on Sunday’s ACM Awards, sharing their takes on the night’s biggest performances, winners and moments – plus the sound issues, Shania Twain’s hosting and whether Country radio got enough love from the stage. Also in this week’s issue: Q1 CDM Drivetime leaders.

Festive All: Dustin Lynch Pool Situation: Nashville returns June 4 at the rooftop pool of Margaritaville Hotel Nashville. This year, the event will be exclusive to his Stay Country Club fan members and their guests; join here before June 3. 

Tenille Arts, Leah Blevins, Colton Bowlin and more will perform during the fifth annual Ryman & BMI Block Party June 4-6 at the outdoor stage on PNC Plaza. The event is free and open to the public.

Commencing Countdown: Industry vets Maxwell Zotz and Billy Rogers have launched a public beta of AI platform Rocketship, which aims to help independent artists identify an audience for their music. Artists upload a song to Rocketship, which analyzes it across 80 parameters, then cross-references with existing successful songs to find potential fans to whom the track may appeal. More here.

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

• Cody Johnson was named EOTY, and Ella Langley set the record for most ACM wins by a single artist. (5/18)
• Rondal Richardson joined Music Community Foundation as Exec. Dir. (5/18)
• Luke Bryan, Dan + Shay, Waylon Wyatt and more announced new tour dates. (5/18)

Bits & Pieces: Kasey Musgraves has teamed with clothing brand Lee to launch the "Kasey Lee" collection exclusively for Walmart. In addition to men’s and women’s denim bottoms and tops, the 100-plus piece line spans sleepwear, swimwear, dresses, accessories and pet items. Find it here.

Mackenzie Carpenter has partnered with gluten-reduced, low-ABV Beer Girl as the brand expands into Nashville and Alabama. The deal kicked off with Beer Girl’s placement in Carpenter’s new music video, “High Pony,” released May 15, and will be integrated into her current tour dates with Riley Green and Jason Aldean.

Austin's Moody Center unveiled a new backstage lounge dedicated to George Strait, dubbed “The Troubadour” in homage to his 2008 album. Decor includes a vintage jukebox programmed with Strait's catalog, and his boot prints enshrined in a bronze plaque on the floor.

Gretchen Wilson will perform May 25 during the Freedom 250 Memorial Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for May 18, according to Mediabase.

1. TUCKER WETMORE/Brunette (Back Blocks/Mercury) 4612 points
2. ELLA LANGLEY/Be Her (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers) 3933 points
3. RILEY GREEN/Change My Mind (Nash. Harbor) 3770 points
4. JOSH ROSS/Hate How You Look (Core/Mercury) 3679 points
5. JORDAN DAVIS/Turn This Truck Around (MCA) 3576 points

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for May 17-18, compared with the same days last week, according to Mediabase.  

1. TUCKER WETMORE/Brunette (Back Blocks/Mercury) +1347 points
2. JASON ALDEAN/Don't Tell On Me (Macon Music/Broken Bow) +646 points
3. JOSH ROSS/Hate How You Look (Core/Mercury) +528 points
4. KENNY CHESNEY/Carry On (Hey Now) +514 points
5. MORGAN WALLEN/Don't We (Big Loud) +483 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (5/20): Jon Pardi, Melissa Chase, Suzanne Alexander, Dan Wilson, David Adam Byrnes, Paula Bragg, Kellie Robinson, Angela Lange.

Roulette Him In Anyway: Wheelhouse's Blake Shelton invites radio to his Vegas residency ACM Awards weekend. Pictured (back, l-r) are KSCS/Dallas' Al Farb, Georgetown Masters' Andrew Mendelson, the label's JoJamie Hahr, Audacy's Tim Roberts, the label's Ken Tucker, Shelton, Audacy's Justin Cole, iHeart/Rockies' JoJo Turnbeaugh, KUZZ/Bakersfield's Brent Michaels, the label's Steve Pleshe and Peter Strickland and WGTY/York's Scott Donato; (middle, l-r) the label's Katie Kerkhover, guest Gage Farb, the label's Shelley Hargis, KUZZ's Ness Heraldez, KBAY/San Jose's J. Love, the label's Jon Loba, WGTY's Mak McKeehan, guest Marie Marchisotto and WDSY/Pittsburgh's Mark Anderson; (front, l-r) guest Sarah Crane and KONO/San Antonio's Jenny Law.

95.5 The Pull: Leo33's Trey Pendley, KWNR/Las Vegas' MoJoe Roberts, Quartz Hill's Matt Cooper and MCA's Kenny Whitmire (l-r) at KWNR's ACM Awards Week Guitar Pull.