March 4, 2026 News@CountryAircheck.com

A Lady & A Scholar: Ella Langley and Jo Dee Messina will participate in the CRS 2026 keynote session "The Conversation" March 19 at 2:30pm, sharing their respective journeys to success in a one-on-one chat. In other news, recipients of four scholarships will be recognized during the March 18 "CRS Honors." Rusty Walker Scholarship winners are iHeartMedia/Little Rock's Presleigh Bearden, WIVK/Knoxville's Karly Duggan and WKDF/Nashville's Erin Merimonti. The Lisa McKay Women In Radio Scholarships go to KGNB & KNBT/New Braunfels, TX's Ella Martinez, WTVY/Dothan, AL's Dixie Roberts and WDWG/Rocky Mount, NC's Aston Williams. The Mentoring & Inspiring Women in Country Radio Scholarship winner is KSON/San Diego's Jessica Chenoweth. The Whitney Allen “Hot Mic” Scholarship goes to KONY/St. George, UT's Monica McGlochlin.

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Triple Decker: The CMA will honor 16 songwriters for having three No. 1s in a year at its annual Triple Play Awards April 13 in Nashville. They are: Andy Albert, Louis Bell, John Byron, Jessie Jo Dillon, Ashley Gorley, Riley Green, Charlie Handsome, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Ella Langley, Chase McGill, John Morgan, Blake Pendergrass, Taylor Phillips, Austin Post, Ernest Keith Smith and Morgan Wallen. Albert, Bell, Green, Kasher Hindlin, Langley, Morgan, Pendergrass and Post will receive their first Triple Play Award; Gorley will pick up his 27th. Also at the event, NSAI Exec. Dir. Bart Herbison will receive the CMA Songwriters Advocate Award, while 40 writers will be recognized for having their first No. 1. Songwriter Jim Beavers returns as host.

Jan With The Plan: Here are select January Eastlan Ratings showing Country stations that are leading in the 21 markets measured monthly by the company, compared with November and December. Shares are Persons 12+, Monday-Sunday, 6am-midnight.

KSJJ/Bend, OR Gross: 12.3 - 13.0 - 12.4
WOKO/Burlington, VT Hall: 17.7 - 16.6
Second survey for the market.
WQBE/Charleston, WV Bristol: 13.8 - 12.8 - 13.0
WXBQ/Johnson City, TN Bristol: 17.0 - 15.5 - 14.9
KDBR/Kalispell, MT Bee: 14.3 - 14.2 - 12.2
WGTR/Myrtle Beach, SC iHeartMedia: 8.7 - 8.7 - 8.9
KXLY/Spokane Queen B: 8.6 - 8.5 - 8.6
KEZJ/Twin Falls, ID Townsquare: 15.1 - 14.8 - 16.9
WACO/Waco, TX iHeartMedia: 13.0 - 14.4 - 13.7

Bits & Pieces: CMA CEO Sarah Trahern will receive the Music Business Assn.'s 2026 Presidential Award for Outstanding Executive Achievement during the 5th Annual Bizzy Awards, happening May 13 at Music Biz 2026 in Atlanta.

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

KZSN/Wichita staffers reflect on 40 years while Warner Chappell’s Austen Adams looks ahead in Country Aircheck Weekly.
ACM CEO Damon Whiteside is stepping down in June. (3/3)
KFRG/Riverside tops the ACM radio nominations; full list here. (3/2)
Stephanie Hagerty was named Atlantic Outpost SVP/Country Airplay. (3/2)

ICYMI: Journalist John Spong, PRX and Texas Monthly's One by Willie podcast kicks off March 11 with a conversation about "That Lucky Old Sun" with Kenny Chesney. In each episode, Spong talks to one notable Willie Nelson fan, including Jamey Johnson and Bill Anderson, about one song they love. Listen wherever you get podcasts.

Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for March 3, according to Mediabase.

ELLA LANGLEY/Choosin' Texas (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers) 4750 points
SHABOOZEY & JELLY ROLL/Amen (Empire/Magnolia/Stoney Creek) 4399 points
MORGAN WALLEN/20 Cigarettes (Big Loud) 3520 points
JUSTIN MOORE/Time's Ticking (Blue Highway) 3371 points
THOMAS RHETT f/JORDAN DAVIS/Ain't A Bad Life (Blue Highway/MCA) 3216 points

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for March 1-3, compared with the same days last week, according to Mediabase.

JASON ALDEAN/Don't Tell On Me (Macon Music/Broken Bow) +1305 points
ELLA LANGLEY/Choosin' Texas (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers) +1123 points
MAX MCNOWN/Better Me For You (Col. NY/Magnolia) +832 points
DYLAN SCOTT/What He'll Never Have (Curb) +827 points
JUSTIN MOORE/Time's Ticking (Blue Highway) +649 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (3/5): Gabby Barrett, John Shanks, Aaron Barker, Rob Hatch, Levi Jessen.

Grill In Mine: Parmalee's Josh McSwain, Barry Knox, Matt Thomas and Scott Thomas (l-r) with WKLB/Boston's Dawn Santolucito at Six String Grill & Stage.

Anna-Gram: Warner's Dasha visits Highway Mornings with Cody Alan.

Block Chain: Mercury's Priscilla Block with Big D & Bubba (top) and Taste of Country Nights. Pictured (top, l-r) the show's Jessica "Carsen" Humphreville and Derek “Big D” Haskins, Block and the show's Sean “Bubba” Powell; (bottom, l-r) the label's Houston Gaither, Block and the show's Evan Paul.

Signage: Songwriter/producer Nathan Wallace (c) commemorates his Concord Music Publishing signing with the company's Matt Turner (l) and Brad Kennard.