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| May 21, 2026 News@CountryAircheck.com |
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SEO Speedwagon: Hey Now has added Sr. Dir./Digital Marketing Melissa McGreevy, Dir./Marketing Samantha Kane and Coord./Digital Marketing Aidan Brown to its team. "Person-by-person, we are building Hey Now with intentionality," says Pres./Co-Founder Kris Lamb. "We’re trying to create a dream team who super-serves each aspect of our artist needs … and in this rapidly evolving business, this is a team who understands artists first." McGreevy joins from Warner Records Nashville's marketing department; Kane's prior stops include the CMA, BMLG and the Opry; and Brown recently graduated from the University of Miami.
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Vincent Van Go: Torrez Music Group CEO/Founder Alex Torrez and the company's Emily Vincent have partnered to launch Vincent Torrez Management. Their roster includes Natalie Del Carmen, Mario Flores, Sophie Gault, Braxton Keith, Gabe Lee and Zach Meadows. “With 40 years in the music business and 14 years of growth and success in producing records and developing artists at Torrez Music Group, it became clear that forming a standalone management company was something we were ready for, and Emily Vincent was the only person I trusted to build it,” says Torrez. Reach Vincent here and Torrez here.
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Seminar-ians: Agenda committee members for CRS 2027 are: Cody Alan (SiriusXM), Tony Bannon (DMR/Interactive), Meagan Bennington (Spotify), Andrea Burtscher (Audacy), Tim Clarke (TC Projects Media + Entertainment), Gideon Dean (WBQK/Williamsburg, VA), Al Farb (KSCS/Dallas), Shelley Hargis (BMG), Bridget Herrmann (Nashville Harbor), Tahsin Rakib Himi (BMG), Michael J (iHeartMedia), Stella Prado Kuipers (Nashville Harbor), Charlie Maxx (WXCY/Wilmington, DE), John Mayer (Virgin Music), Jared Meyer (Q Prime South), Jennipher Miller (Cumulus/Nashville), Morgan Mills (Cmnd Shft), Blake Nixon (Triple Tigers), Ed Rivadavia (MTheory) Sean Ross (Advantage Music Research), Lauren “Lo” Sessions-Barker (KKBQ/Houston), Jennifer Shaffer (Wheelhouse), Lexi Sidders (SiriusXM), Michael Sloane (Dream Big Music), Jimmy Steal (Collective Heads Consulting), Neil Wilson (Neil Wilson Voiceovers) and Tim Wipperman (Humanable).
The agenda committee leadership of Brittani Johnson (The Core Entertainment), Krista Hayes (BMG) and Kevin Callahan (Pamal) was revealed last month (CAT 4/16). Rivadavia will lead the seminar's integrated Digital Music Summit track. CRS 2027 is set for March 17–19 at the Omni Nashville Hotel.
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Paylist: Spotify and Universal Music Group's new licensing agreement will allow premium subscribers to make AI-generated covers and remixes of songs by TBA participating artists and songwriters on the label group's roster. Details here.
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Can't You Zea: Nielsen subsidiary GfK, which issues three diary-based surveys per year in New Zealand, has released its first survey for 2026, and the second since the launch of NZME's iHeartCountry New Zealand (CAT 5/2/25), covering the period from August 10, 2025 to May 2. In Auckland, the country's largest market, the station moved from a 1.1 to 1.2 share among Persons 10+, ranking 19th. On a national basis, the network's cume increased 35% to 54,400. |
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Working Man Cues: A coalition of music organizations led by the American Association of Independent Music and Artist Rights Alliance are supporting the reintroduction of the Protect Working Musicians Act (PWMA) legislation by Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC). First introduced in 2023 and recently updated, the bill would grant independent musicians and labels the ability to collectively negotiate with artificial intelligence companies and digital streaming platforms. Details and messages of support here.
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Stories Of The Week: Search for news and people in the archives at countryaircheck.com.
- Radio reacts to the ACM Awards in Country Aircheck Weekly.
- Chuck Damico is adding programming responsibilities for WXTU/Philadelphia. (5/20)
- Fritz Moser is departing Midwest Communications. (5/20)
- Beasley/Tampa's Rick Thomas is stepping down. (5/19)
- Cody Johnson was named EOTY, and Ella Langley set the record for most ACM wins by a single artist. (5/18)
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Bits & Pieces: Parker McCollum has signed a multi-year partnership with Under Armour. He will be the brand's official ambassador for footwear and apparel, with his first ad launching today (5/21). In addition to appearing in campaigns and wearing the brand on and off stage, McCollum will collaborate with Under Armour on initiatives supporting UA Freedom, the company’s platform dedicated to honoring and supporting military members, first responders and their families.
Carly Pearce will host her fifth annual Carly's Closet event June 5 from 2-4pm at Music City Center in Nashville during CMA Fest. Pearce will sell items from her personal wardrobe to benefit the CMA Foundation. Admission is free, but those making a purchase get access to an exclusive signing with Pearce afterwards.
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ICYMI: Jelly Roll's "Rise Up" is the official theme song for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and will be featured across NHL broadcasts, in arenas and social media throughout the playoffs. Watch the video here.
Jo Dee Messina performed "Some Bridges" on NBC's Today.
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| Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for May 20, according to Mediabase.
- TUCKER WETMORE/Brunette (Back Blocks/Mercury) 4467 points
- ELLA LANGLEY/Be Her (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers) 3994 points
- JORDAN DAVIS/Turn This Truck Around (MCA) 3740 points
- RILEY GREEN/Change My Mind (Nash. Harbor) 3590 points
- JOSH ROSS/Hate How You Look (Core/Mercury) 3440 points
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| Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for May 17-20, compared with the same days last week, according to Mediabase.
- TUCKER WETMORE/Brunette (Back Blocks/Mercury) +2001 points
- JOSH ROSS/Hate How You Look (Core/Mercury) +1338 points
- JASON ALDEAN/Don't Tell On Me (Macon Music/Broken Bow) +1207 points
- ELLA LANGLEY/Be Her (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers) +1140 points
- MORGAN WALLEN/Don't We (Big Loud) +986 points
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| Tomorrow's Birthdays (5/22): Elvie Shane, Dana Williams (Diamond Rio), Van Fletcher. |
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All That Razz: Retiring WXTU/Philadelphia PD/midday host Mark "Razz" Radziewicz is presented a plaque in recognition of the more than $1.3 million he's helped raise for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Pictured (l-r) are ALSAC/St. Jude Pastor Giraud, the station's Jeff Kurkjian and Andi Summers, Razz, ALSAC/St. Jude's Courtney Cooke and Scott Hinshelwood, and the station's Shannon Boyle and Donnie Black.
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First Like You: Col. NY/Records Nashville's Koe Wetzel receives a plaque for his first Country Aircheck/Mediabase No. 1, "High Road," after previewing upcoming album The Night Champion in Nashville Wednesday (5/20). Pictured (l-r) are Columbia's Marissa Mollica, Floating Leaf Management's Cody Maldonado, Columbia's Hannah Friedland, Country Aircheck's Chuck Aly, Wetzel, producer Gabe Simon, Records Nashville's Josh Easler and Jamice Jennings, and Floating Leaf's Jeb Hurt. |
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Traffic Jam: Warner Records Nashville's James Marsh and Redferrin, WKKT/Charlotte's Ashley Wilson and Warner's Gavin Adcock (l-r) at Fast Cars & Guitars.
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Seein' Remote: Broken Bow's Dustin Lynch (l) with WKSF/Asheville, NC's Amanda and Eddie Foxx at the ACM radio remotes in Las Vegas. |
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