June 1, 2026 News@CountryAircheck.com

WYRK Release: Here are select Nielsen Audio Continuous Diary Measurement (CDM) ratings for April 2026 (three-month rolling average, 2/5-4/29) compared with February and March. Ranks (in parentheses) are among subscribers. Unless otherwise noted, all figures are Persons 12+, Monday-Sunday, 6am-midnight.

Birmingham, AL (Market 61)	WZZK SummitMedia 4.4 (6) - 5.4 (5) - 6.0 (4) Largest share since Jan. 2025. WDXB iHeartMedia 5.0 (5) - 5.9 (4) - 5.4 (5)
Buffalo, NY (59)	WYRK Townsquare 8.8 (2) - 9.3 (2) - 10.1 (1) Largest share since Nov. 2024; first No. 1 since Jan. 2025.
Greenville, SC (53)	WESC iHeartMedia Classic Country 7.0 (3) - 8.0 (2) - 7.5 (2) WSSL iHeartMedia 5.2 (5t) - 5.1 (5) - 5.7 (5) WROQ Audacy 3.7 (9) - 2.9 (10) - 2.9 (11) Flipped from Classic Rock to Country on Dec. 19, 2025 (CAT 12/19/25).
Richmond, VA (52)	WKHK SummitMedia 6.3 (4) - 6.0 (4) - 5.7 (4)
Rochester, NY (60)	WBEE Audacy 5.7 (5) - 7.1 (2) - 8.1 (2) Largest share since last October. WDVI iHeartMedia 1.8 (11) - 2.1 (9) - 2.2 (9)

Community's Kimberlin Departs: Community/Abilene, TX VP/Programming Kaden Kimberlin, whose oversight included Country duo KABW & KORQ, has exited for a position outside the industry. Kimberlin, who also handled afternoons on KABW, joined the company 10 years ago, following 10 years in Lubbock. No word on plans for the position.

Coup de Grace: Calling her a "great leader," Black River Entertainment EVP Rick Froio announced the promotion of Sr. Dir./Streaming & Revenue Grace Watson to VP/Commercial Partnerships & Digital, as reported earlier today (6/1) via Breaking News. Watson joined BRE from Capitol Christian Music Group three years ago (CAT 6/14/2023). Reach her here.

Hub-Bub: Hubbard Radio is being rebranded as Hubbard – Media That Connects. CEO Ginny Hubbard announced the change during a staff town hall today (6/1). The rebrand "reflects the continued evolution of Hubbard’s 103-year legacy of connecting consumers and advertisers to build better businesses and communities. What began with a single AM radio station in 1923 has grown into a diversified media company that today includes 50 radio stations across 12 markets, national digital marketing agency 2060 Digital and Gamut Podcast Network," according to a statement. Hubbard's Country stations include WIL/St. Louis, WUBE/Cincinnati & WIRK/West Palm. Explanatory video here.

Air Jordan: Former WCJW/Warsaw, NY PD/afternoon host Rick "RJ" Jordan has joined the station's now parent company, Pure Media Group, as a programming consultant, working alongside WCJW PD Jimi Jamm. Jordan worked at WCJW for nearly four years before joining GrassRoots Promotion as Mgr./Music Row Promotion in 2015, departing last year after rising to Dir./Promotion (CAT 7/18/25). His promotion background includes stops at indie labels 903, Country Thunder, Stroudavarious and Golden, and his radio stints include Rochester and Syracuse, Portland, ME and Cape Cod, MA. Reach him here.

99 Problems But A Pitch Ain't One: Former McNeely Brockman Public Relations and FINN Partners intern Ann Sowell has joined Quartz Hill Music Group in the newly created role of Assoc. Publicist. She reports to VP/ Publicity Natalie Kilgore. Sowell's hiring follows the exit of Mgr./Publicity Anthony Priwer (CAT 5/29). Reach her here.

To Witt: Lonestar Broadcasting Group has closed on its purchase of VilleCom, which includes Country stations KYOX and KSTV, along with two AMs and two translators, all serving the Stephenville/Comanche, TX market. KSTV has been repositioned from "The Mighty 93" to "Cowboy 93" featuring Texas Country music and a live morning show hosted by Lonestar co-owner Kenneth Witt; listen here. Longtime VilleCom owners Bob Haschke and Robert “Boots” Elliot will remain involved with the stations in a reduced capacity, but no longer own broadcast assets. PD/afternoon host "Kevin McCoy" Blanford remains in place.

Tour Support: Riley Green has added fall dates to his Cowboy As It Gets Tour, including stops in Long Beach, CA, Los Angeles and Austin. Joining on select dates are Randy Houser, Kashus Culpepper and Hannah McFarland. Tickets here Friday (6/5).

Choosin' Texas: Nominations for the Texas Radio Hall of Fame’s 2026 induction class are open here through June 30. Candidates may be nominated by voting members in good standing. A final voting phase will determine the 20 individuals who will be honored at the TRHOF’s Induction Ceremony and Radio Reunion Weekend, set for Nov. 7-8 at the Texas Broadcast Museum in Kilgore, TX. New this year is the “Small Markets/Big Voices” category, which Exec. Dir. Doug Harris says salutes "broadcast professionals who have built their careers serving listeners in small and medium size markets.”

Signage: Arkansas-based, 23-year-old Country and Christian singer-songwriter Caleb King has jointly signed with Records Nashville and Provident Entertainment, with new single "Good Ole Boys" set for a June 12 release.

ICYMI: The 35th annual Radio Mercury Awards, taking place June 3 at 7pm CT in New York City, will be streamed live on the Radio Mercury Awards website and RAB website.

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Life Note: Longtime Ryman Hospitality Properties WSM-AM/Nashville morning host and Grand Ole Opry announcer Bill Cody remains hospitalized in heart and kidney failure, awaiting a double transplant. The station shared a message on Facebook from his daughter, Hannah Davis, saying, "We need a miracle and we know God is able. Please, if you’re able, stop and pray." Cody went on a medical hiatus from the show in March (CAT 3/30). Get well messages can be sent to the Grand Ole Opry House at 2804 Opryland Drive, Nashville, TN 37214 or via the contact page at WSMRadio.com.

Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for the week ending May 30, according to Mediabase.

JORDAN DAVIS/Turn This Truck Around (MCA)
ELLA LANGLEY/Be Her (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers)
RILEY GREEN/Change My Mind (Nash. Harbor)
JOSH ROSS/Hate How You Look (Core/Mercury)
JASON ALDEAN/Don't Tell On Me (Macon Music/Broken Bow)

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for May 31, compared with the same day last week, according to Mediabase.

RILEY GREEN/Change My Mind (Nash. Harbor) +1000 points
LUKE COMBS/Be By You (Columbia) +773 points
ELLA LANGLEY & MORGAN WALLEN/I Can't Love You Anymore (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers/Big Loud) +568 points
JASON ALDEAN/Don't Tell On Me (Macon Music/Broken Bow) +426 points
KENNY CHESNEY/Carry On (Hey Now) +402 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (6/2): Fletcher Foster, Shane Tarleton, Kellie LaJack, Sarah Romero, Clay Bradley, Brooke Trissel, the late Carl Butler.

Feminine Rager: KWJJ/Portland (top) and KSON/San Diego celebrate the Leading Ladies of country music. Pictured (top) are (back, l-r) Curb's Todd Thomas and Kristy Osmunson, Leo33's Jenna Paulette, Quartz Hill's Lakelin Lemmings, Big Loud's Ashley Cooke, Dave Kirth and Lauren Alaina, and Red Street's Sally Allgeier; (front, l-r) the station's Danny Dwyer and Scott Roddy, Leo33's Tracy Gibson and Stone Country's Tara Shayne; (bottom, l-r) the station's John Flint, Wheelhouse's Alexandra Kay, Atlantic Outpost's Stella Lefty, Cooke, Alaina and the station's Tammy Lee.

Mile Hi: Warner's Gavin Adcock at the Denver stop of Morgan Wallen's Still The Problem Tour. Pictured (l-r) are KFGE/Lincoln's Cory Edmondson, KYGO's Big Mic, the label's Paige Elliott, KYGO's Shawn Patrick, Adcock, KNIX/Phoenix's Lois Lewis, iHeart/Rockies' JoJo Turnbeaugh, KUBL/Salt Lake City's John E Kage and KZPK/St. Cloud, MN's Kris Valentine.

Signage: Singer/songwriter Carson Peters signs with Sony Music Publishing Nashville. Pictured (l-r) are SMPN's Rusty Gaston, Peters and SMPN's Emily Carignan and Aubrey Landon.