December 8, 2025 News@CountryAircheck.com

Bruns Leaves iHeart: iHeartMedia/Tucson SVPP Nick Bruns has departed the company after more than 12 years. Bruns transferred from the iHeartMedia/Des Moines Dir./Marketing & Promotions job to Dir./Promotions & Events for the Tucson cluster in 2018 (CAT 4/26/18), and was promoted to his most recent role in 2020. iHeart EVP/Programming Steve Geofferies is seeking a successor to program KHUD and oversee the cluster's other five stations. Country and Top 40 experience is a plus. Apply here.

Free People: Connoisseur WCCQ & WXLC/Chicago APD/MD/afternoon host Drew Walker has been promoted to PD/mornings. Walker joined the stations at their launch (CAT 5/24/24) after a long tenure at crosstown WUSN. In mornings, which he begins the first week of January, Walker succeeds The Bobby Bones Show. Rock sister WIIL/suburban Chicago morning host Leah Andersen moves to afternoons at WCCQ & WXLC, where she was already doing weekends. OM Gordon Mays says, "We have a unique opportunity to continue evolving with authentic, local voices, and that’s a big win for our listeners.” Reach Walker here.

Asking Price: Connoisseur/Bakersfield, CA MM Jeremy Price has been named VP/MM for Cumulus' Stockton-Modesto, CA, cluster, including KATM. Prior to his time with Connoisseur and its Alpha Media predecessor, Price was Pres. of iHeartMedia-Bakersfield, GSM for KMGV/Fresno, CA and Dir./Digital Sales for Peak Broadcasting.

Hoosier Hike: Rock WBYR/Fort Wayne and WRBR/South Bend PD Kyle Guderian has been promoted to Dir./Operations for Federated Media stations in both Indiana markets, including overseeing WQHK/Fort Wayne and WBYT/Elkhart-South Bend. He will continue in his previous PD role; reach him here.

High Rodes: Mel Wheeler WSLC/Roanoke, VA MD and Dir./Promotions Rachel Rodes has been upped to Dir./Promotions & Events for the seven-station cluster. Rodes will retain the WSLC MD duties, which she took on in 2014 (CAT 7/18/14). Reach her here.

CKRY's Balka Departs: Corus CKRY/Calgary, AB morning co-host Josie Balka has departed after five years with the station. Gregg Reynolds remains solo in the daypart. "This industry changes fast, but I’m leaving with so much gratitude," she shared on social media. "Getting to share mornings with the city I love, with someone who has become one of my closest friends, was one of the best chapters of my life and I’ll never forget it." Balka previously spent five years at crosstown Top 40 CIBK. Reach her here.

Gig Alert: Stonecom is seeking remote voice trackers for its Cookeville, TN cluster, including Country WKXD and Classic Country WUCH. There's potential for an in-person role for the right candidate. Country or Rock format experience is a plus. Submit résumé, aircheck, commercial sample, writing sample and newscast to VP/Programming Marcia Lee Lorance here.

Tour Support: Jake Owen’s Dreams To Dream tour, inspired by the recent release of his similarity named album, kicks off Feb. 26 in Washington, D.C., with opener Kendell Marvel. Tickets go on sale Friday (12/12) here. Watch the Dreams To Dream mini-doc on YouTube.

Trisha Yearwood will embark on The Mirror Tour: An Intimate Acoustic Evening of Stories and Songs featuring Leslie Satcher and Bridgette Tatum beginning March 4 in Santa Rosa, CA; tickets (12/12) here.

Festive All: Keith Urban will headline the Boots In The Park festival at Gilbert Regional Park in Gilbert, AZ March 21. Also set to perform are Dustin Lynch, Mitchell Tenpenny, Mackenzie Carpenter and Bryan Martin. Tickets (12/12) here.

Mic Tyson: The Charley Foundation's 22nd Annual Ringside: A Fight for Kids boxing gala card includes:

Wiles + Taylor's Joan Vance vs. Wiatr & Associates' Ali Nageotte
River House's Peyton Heben vs. Rich MGMT's Chase Miller
Big Loud's Sarah Headley vs. One Riot's Halle Bartlett
Conway Ent.'s Blake McDaniel vs. Raise Financial's Wesley Belden

Tickets and tables to Rumble on the Row — taking place March 6 at The Factory’s Liberty Hall in Franklin, TN — are available here.

Specials Delivery: MCA's six-hour Christmas special, A Country Christmas, includes new holiday music from Brad Paisley, Lamont Landers, Mickey Guyton, Carter Faith and others. Each hour is hosted by a different artist: Reba McEntire, Little Big Town, Jordan Davis, Jon Pardi, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan. Stations can run all six hours, or break it up. Contact MCA's Houston Gaither here to carry the show.

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RFC Media/SuiteRadio's Rowdy Yates is offering barter-free content for the Christmas holiday season, including long-form music specials A Really Rowdy Christmas and A Lone Star Christmas, plus his full daypart shows Ridin’ with Rowdy and morning show Rowdy On The Rise, both available to plug in for vacationing airstaff. Reach out here for more info.

Bits & Pieces: Catamount Radio WJEN/Rutland, VT helped the local Wheels For Warmth campaign raise $115,000 from tire sales and cash donations to help vulnerable Vermonters stay warm this winter. The station and its cluster sisters also help raise 16,160 pounds of food and $42,000 for local charities at the annual Stuff A Bus event last month, and are also the media sponsor for The Gift Of Life Marathon Blood Drive, kicking off Tuesday (12/9).

ICYMI: Maddie & Tae's Maddie Marlow Font and Tae Dye Kerr announced they are splitting after 15 years so Kerr can be a stay-at-home mom and Font can launch a solo career.

Life Note: L ongtime SiriusXM Willie's Roadhouse and Outlaw Country personality Dallas Wayne returned to his job yesterday (12/7) after taking some time away for chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant to treat his multiple myeloma (CAT 10/14). He posted on social media, "Though this fight ... is far from over, everything seems to be heading in a positive direction toward remission."

Mary Profitt, mother of the USO's Jackie Proffit, died Dec 5 at the age of 93. Services are set for Dec. 10 in Gallipolis, OH. Details here. Reach Jackie here.

Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for the week ending Dec. 6, according to Mediabase 24/7.

TUCKER WETMORE/3, 2, 1 (Back Blocks/EMI Nashville)
RILEY GREEN f/ELLA LANGLEY/Don't Mind If I Do (Nash. Harbor)
PARMALEE/Cowgirl (Stoney Creek)
HARDY/Favorite Country Song (Big Loud)
MEGAN MORONEY/6 Months Later (Col. NY/Columbia)

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

RILEY GREEN f/ELLA LANGLEY/Don't Mind If I Do (Nash. Harbor) +708 points
ELLA LANGLEY/Choosin' Texas (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers) +469 points
HARDY/Favorite Country Song (Big Loud) +390 points
SHABOOZEY & JELLY ROLL/Amen (Empire/Magnolia/Stoney Creek) +361 points
PARMALEE/Cowgirl (Stoney Creek) +338 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (12/9): Sylvia Hutton, David Kersh, Mick Anselmo, the late David Houston.

North Of Sanity: Leo33's Zach Top celebrates his inaugural Canadian certifications, “I Never Lie” (platinum 2x) and “Sounds Like The Radio” (platinum), with JR Country. Pictured (holding plaques) are Top and the label's Katie Dean; (l-r) the station's Brayden Mack, guest Savannah Jackson, the station's Russell James, Dana Thompson and Docc Andrews, guests Tyler Ewing, Lexi Giesbrecht and Brielle Gauer, and the station's Celine Trimarchi.

Grand Dad: Grand Ole Opry guest host Tim Leary with singer/songwriter Lily Rose. Watch his explanation of the significance of the purple mohawk here.

Nashvillain: Speaking of Rose, she and her team celebrated the platinum certification of "Villain." Pictured (l-r) are Red Light's Claire Karliak and Nicolette McCann, Fusion/Red Light's Daniel Miller, Big Loud's Stacy Blythe, Back Blocks' Rakiyah Marshall-England, Daira Williamson, Rose, producer Matt Morrissey, attorneys Matt Cottingham, Austin Wells and Hunter Reynolds and LR Touring's Phil Day.

Lone Star Of Bethlehem: River House/Warner/WAR’s Hudson Westbrook at KFRG/Riverside's Christmas Throwdown. Pictured (l-r) are the station's Vicki Pepper and niece Cora, the station's Dana Johnson, Westbrook, Heather Froglear and Anthony Donatelli and River House's Lance Houston.

Add Omen: Nashville Harbor's Caroline Jones previews Good Omen (out Feb. 13) for iHeartMedia staffers before performing with Zac Brown Band at The Sphere in Las Vegas. Pictured (back, l-r) are Maynard, Rod Phillips, the label's Liz Santana, Ashley Morrison, Rich Davis, Jones, Shelby Mitchell, MoJoe Roberts, the label's Dexter Bensman and Christina Hunt, JoJo Turnbeaugh and the label's Jimmy Harnen; (front, l-r) the label's Andrew Thoen and Ryan Dokke, iHeart’s Michelle Buckles and the label's Bridget Herrmann and Martha Huertas.