You Can Go Home Again: Former WMMY/WWMY Boone, NC PD/morning host Jeff "JB" Brown has rejoined his hometown station, Caddell Broadcasting WKSK/West Jefferson, NC, in the newly created OM/midday host position after 26 years away. His background also includes 19 years with iHeartMedia's WTQR, WPTI and WMAG in Greensboro, NC. Reach him here.

Wing It: Jonas Group Publishing Sr. Dir./Creative Emily Peacock has launched Peacock Publishing and Creative Consulting with clients including Shane Stevens, Danny Majic, Steve Fee and Jason Haag. In addition to a publishing division, whose first signing will be announced in 2026, Peacock will serve as a day-to-day manager for songwriters and producers and will also offer services including catalog and calendar management, pitching and A&R. Her experience includes time at Love Monkey Music, Tom-Leis Music, Advanced Alternative Media Inc. and Tree Vibez Music; reach her here.

Crystal Grail: The 50 finalists for the 2026 NAB Crystal Radio Awards include KBHP/Bemidji, MN; KBLB/Brainerd, MN; KCLR/Columbia, MO; KFGE/Lincoln, NE; KFRG/Riverside, CA; KIKV/Alexandria, MN; KKBQ/Houston; KXKT/Omaha, NE; KYGO/Denver; WDSY/Pittsburgh; WFLS/Fredericksburg, VA; WFMS/Indianapolis; WKIS/Miami and WYOT/Rochelle, IL. Country stations make up 28% of the nominees. The awards honor radio stations for their outstanding community service efforts. Ten winners will be chosen by a panel of judges and presented with awards during the NAB State Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., March 3.

Rate Day To Be Alive: Country Radio Seminar (CRS) is offering special registration rates for CRS 2026, including day passes ($349), student ($199) and unemployed ($299) rates, and $450 industry organization rates for members of Women’s Music Business Association (WMBA), the Independent Broadcasters Association (IBA) and the Society of Leaders in Development (SOLID). Applications for the student and unemployed rates must be submitted here by Feb. 18.

Muscle Shirt: Riley Green, Cody Johnson, Kelsea Ballerini, Bailey Zimmerman, Ella Langley, Old Dominion, Tucker Wetmore, Jordan Davis, Dan + Shay, Chris Janson and Zach Top are among the artists participating in St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's Music Gives to St. Jude Kids campaign, posing on their socials in t-shirts sporting the campaign slogan. Additionally, more than 200 stations around the country are hosting radiothons in December to support the campaign, including iHeartMedia, Cumulus and Audacy stations, and Premiere's The Bobby Bones Show. Find more info here.

Tour Support: Carter Faith's inaugural headlining tour, The Cherry Valley Tour, kicks off Feb. 4 in Cambridge, MA, with subsequent stops at Washington D.C.’s Pearl Street Warehouse, New York’s Mercury Lounge, West Hollywood’s Roxy, Nashville’s Exit/In and more. Tickets here Friday (12/5).

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

• Go backstage at the CMA Awards with Exec. Producer Robert Deaton in Country Aircheck Weekly.
• The ACM Awards return to Vegas May 17. 
• Natalie "Nat" Gross, Steve Davis and Shawn Joseph joined the WNCY/Appleton-Green Bay, WI airstaff. (12/1-12/2)
• iHeartMedia's Mike McGuinness was promoted to CFO. (12/1)

Bits & Pieces: WQDR/Raleigh's Q Morning Crew, Mike Wheless and Amanda Daughtry, will be featured on the local CBS affiliate tonight (12/3) for helping a local family, Mindy and Justin Williams. Mindy wrote a letter to the morning duo six months ago asking for help in fulfilling her husband's dying wish of a backyard oasis for the couple to enjoy while Justin lives out his final days. Watch the reveal here.

Picklejar Up All Night is now heard on more than 80 Local Radio Networks affiliates in 7pm-midnight and midnight-6am timeslots. The companies announced a partnership last month (CAT 11/12).

Jordan Davis, Alan Jackson, Jessie Murph, Kacey Musgraves, Old Dominion and Waylon Wyatt are among the artists donating merchandise items or experiences to The 5th Annual ASCAP Foundation Holiday Auction, which supports music eduction and talent development programs across the US. The auction runs through Dec. 17; bid here.

ICYMI: Performances from last night's (12/2) CMA Country Christmas on ABC included:

• Little Big Town and Jordan Davis' "Go Tell It On The Mountain"
• Megan Moroney's "All I Want For Christmas Is A Cowboy"
• Lady A's "Wouldn't Be Christmas"
• Riley Green's "Christmas To Me"
• Parker McCollum's "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"

Speaking of Lady A, the trio sang "Winter Wonderland" on NBC's Today (12/3). 

Kenny Chesney appeared on SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show to promote his new memoir, Heart Life Music, and perform “You And Tequila."

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

1. TUCKER WETMORE/3, 2, 1 (Back Blocks/EMI Nashville) 3780 points
2. RILEY GREEN f/ELLA LANGLEY/Don't Mind If I Do (Nash. Harbor) 3644 points
3. PARMALEE/Cowgirl (Stoney Creek) 3582 points 
4. HARDY/Favorite Country Song (Big Loud) 3206 points
5. CHASE MATTHEW/Darlin' (Warner/WAR) 2867 points

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for Nov. 30-Dec. 2, compared with the same days last week, according to Mediabase 24/7.  

1. TUCKER WETMORE/3, 2, 1 (Back Blocks/EMI Nashville) +2414 points
2. ELLA LANGLEY/Choosin' Texas (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers) +876 points
3. TYLER CHILDERS/Nose On The Grindstone (2025) (RCA) +624 points
4. BLAKE SHELTON/Stay Country Or Die Tryin' (Wheelhouse) +570 points
5. LUKE COMBS/Days Like These (Columbia) +569 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (12/4): Jelly Roll, Lila McCann, Brian Prout (Diamond Rio), Johnny Gray, Mike Dylan.

Tube Check Tonight (12/3): Trisha Yearwood, Lauren Alaina, The War and Treaty and Trace Adkins, Christmas in Nashville (NBC); Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley and Carly Pearce, Christmas in Rockefeller Center (NBC).

Season's Meatings: MCA's Vincent Mason and Triple Tigers' Shane Profitt  play WQMX/Akron's BBQMX benefitting NEOPAT. Pictured (l-r) are the station's Cherise Richards, Mason, MCA's Annie Sandor, the station's Sarah Kay, Profitt and Triple Tigers' Diane Lockner.

Vs., Chorus, Bridge: MCA's Dierks Bentley, Big Loud's Miranda Lambert and Hardy, Stoney Creek's Lanie Gardner and Sony Music Nashville's McCoy Moore (l-r) at the American Cancer Society's Country vs. Cancer Concert last night (12/2).

You Spin Me Write Round: Studio Bank and BMI celebrate songwriters with an in-the-round event in Nashville. Pictured (l-r) are BMI's Mason Hunter, songwriters Brad Warren and Brett Warren, Studio Bank's Aaron Dorn, songwriters Liz Rose and Phil Barton, Studio Bank's Ron Cox and BMI's Clay Bradley.