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October 31, 2024 News@CountryAircheck.com

Randy Corn: Mid-West Family/Madison, WI VP/Programming Randy Hawke, whose oversight includes Country WWQM and Classic Country WHIT-AM, has been elevated to Market Manager, assuming the duties previously held by company Pres. Tom Walker. Hawke has been with the cluster 22 years, and added his latest VP role in 2019 (CAT 2/11/19). Reach him here.

Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun: CMA Sr. Dir./Integrated Marketing Michelle Kirk is transitioning to the CMA Foundation as Sr. Dir., effective Dec. 1. In her new position, Kirk will be involved in the planning, program development, operational oversight and directing of foundation initiatives and goals. “[Michelle's] expertise and fresh perspective align perfectly with our strategic vision for growth and innovation," says CMAF Exec. Dir. & CMA SVP/Industry Relations & Philanthropy Tiffany Kerns, to whom Kirk will report. Kirk re-joined CMA in 2019 (CAT 1/7/19) following time with WME, and was upped to her most recent position in April (CAT 4/18); reach her here.

Creep It Real: Audacy Classic Country KQKS-HD2 & K276FK/Denver has become the first FM broadcast station to utilize Super Hi-Fi's AI-powered technologies, including the Program Director Radio Operating System, which handles curation, scheduling, voice tracking, production and playout. The company instituted the technology on five of its HD-only channels in April (CAT 4/16). "Together, [Audacy & Super Hi-Fi will] optimize human-led programming and production efforts to better serve station listeners and partners,” says Audacy Chief Programming Officer Jeff Sottolano. KQKS-HD2 flipped to Classic Country in March 2023 (CAT 3/3/23) and registered a 0.8 share in the latest ratings (PPM 10/30). Stream here.

A Rate Worse Than Death: Here are select September Eastlan Ratings showing Country stations that are leading in the 17 markets measured monthly by the company, compared with July and August. Shares are Persons 12+, Monday-Sunday, 6am-midnight.

KSJJ/Bend, OR Gross: 11.6 - 11.9 - 11.5
KCTR/Billings, MT Townsquare: 12.8 - 12.4 - 12.5
WQBE/Charleston, WV Bristol: 18.5 - 19.2 - 19.1
WBYT/Elkhart, IN (South Bend) Federated: 11.8 - 10.5 - 11.1
WXBQ/Johnson City, TN Bristol: 21.9 - 23.3 - 22.3
KDBR/Kalispell, MT Bee: 16.1 - 14.5 - 15.0
WALS/LaSalle, IL Shaw Local: 11.8 - 11.2 - 11.6
WBBN/Laurel, MS Blakeney: 16.2 - 15.3 - 15.4
KKJG/San Luis Obispo, CA AGM: 14.9 - 14.8 - 14.6
WBYT/South Bend, IN Federated: 11.3 - 10.7 - 11.1
KEZJ/Twin Falls, ID Townsquare: 10.0 - 10.5 - 11.0
WACO/Waco, TX iHeartMedia: 14.9 - 14.4 - 16.5

Digging Up Bones: Universal Music Group reported revenue of €2.870 billion (approximately $3.12b) for Q3 2024, a 4.9% year-to-year increase in constant currency. EBITDA for the quarter grew to €621 million ($675m), up 8.2% in constant currency. Recorded music revenue was €2.1b ($2.33b), up 6.2% year-to-year. "Even as we continue to grow revenue and Adjusted EBITDA, we are already making progress on the strategic initiatives we outlined at our recent Capital Markets Day,” says Chairman/CEO Sir Lucian Grainge. See full release here.

Here For The Boos: Cooper Alan's To The Bar Tour kicks off Feb. 1 in Charlotte with subsequent stops in cities including Denver (2/7), Fort Worth, TX (2/21), Indianapolis (3/15) and Minneapolis (3/28); schedule here.

Boo Proof: Handwritten lyrics from songwriters and artists including Vince Gill, Sam Hunt, Morgan Wallen and Ashley Gorley are included in Music Health Alliance and Julien's Auctions' Lyrics For A Cause; bid here and at Julien’s Played, Worn & Torn II auction Nov. 21 at The Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville.

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

The St. Jude Country Cares Seminar celebrated 35 years and $1 billion raised.
Ray Borelli was named SVP/Research & Insights for Audacy.
Urban One's Eddie Harrell, Jr. and Deon Levingston will rise to Co-Presidents/Audio Division when David Kantor retires Jan. 5.
KKWF/Seattle's Gabe Mercer, Ron Koons and Matt McAllister added afternoons at KMLE/Phoenix.
Chronicle: Ed Chandler, John Reynolds.

Rest In Bits & Pieces: As part of its ambassadorship with Cornerstone Building Brands (CAT 2/15), Lady A and its charity, LadyAID, are making a $50,000 exterior building product donation to Habitat for Humanity. The funds will be used to rebuild homes impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the band members' home states of Tennessee and Georgia.

When West Virginia Radio Classic Country WKWS/Charleston, WV set a new fundraising record with its Kids Radiothon earlier this year, morning host Robb Reel promised he would walk the check the 172 miles from Charleston to WVU Medicine Children's Hospital in Morgantown. He completed his two-week "Walktober" trek today, delivering the $191,740 check to hospital staff.

ICYMI: Kelsea Ballerini performed "Patterns" and talked sliding into Chase Stokes' DMs on NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (10/30).

Jordan Davis sang "I Ain't Sayin'" (10/30) and Reba McEntire dressed as Delia Deetz (10/31) on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

Former Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40 producer Ken Halford has co-written and produced "Matthew Kelly," a song aimed at bringing attention to homelessness among veterans. Watch the video here.

The Ring: Warner Music Nashville artist Randall King recently became engaged to his longtime girlfriend, fellow country artist Brittany Warthan, sharing on social media, "There’s a lot of miles in front of us and I want only you by my side to take this life head on and make it ours."

Country Aircheck Today Chop 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for October 30, according to Mediabase 24/7.

JELLY ROLL/I Am Not Okay (BMG/Republic/Stoney Creek) 4232 points
MORGAN WALLEN/Lies Lies Lies (Big Loud) 3511 points
POST MALONE f/BLAKE SHELTON/Pour Me A Drink (Mercury/Republic/Big Loud) 3337 points
KANE BROWN & MARSHMELLO/Miles On It (RCA) 3231 points
DASHA/Austin (Warner/WMN) 2712 points

Country Aircheck Top Point Painers: Here are the top point gainers for October 27-30 compared with the same days last week, according to Mediabase 24/7.

JELLY ROLL/I Am Not Okay (BMG/Republic/Stoney Creek) +1503 points
DASHA/Austin (Warner/WMN) +1465 points
MORGAN WALLEN/Lies Lies Lies (Big Loud) +1110 points
MORGAN WALLEN/Love Somebody (Big Loud) +1106 points
ELLA LANGLEY & RILEY GREEN/You Look LIke You Love Me (Sawgod/Nashville Harbor/Columbia) +1063 points

Tomorrow's Boodays (11/1): Big Kenny Alphin, Bill Anderson, Lyle Lovett, Dale Wallace (Emerson Drive), Keith Stegall, Even Stevens.

Tin/10: Runaway June's Natalie Stovall, Stevie Woodward and Jennifer Wayne (l-r) with WRBT/Harrisburg's Mike Miller.

There's Some Horrors In This House: Nashville Harbor's Riley Green (top) and Back Blocks/EMI Nashville’s Tucker Wetmore visit Big D & Bubba. Pictured (top, l-r) are Green and the show's Derek “Big D” Haskins, Jessica “Carsen” Humphreville and Sean “Bubba” Powell; (bottom, l-r) Haskins, Wetmore, Humphreville, the label's Houston Gaither and Powell.

Let's Go, Ghouls: Capitol's Jon Pardi with the label's Mara Sidweber, KILT's Melissa Chase and Monica "Mo" Lunsford, and KKBQ's Lauren "Lo" Sessions (l-r).