October 4, 2024 News@CountryAircheck.com

The Crash Frontier: iHeartMedia News-Talk KENI-AM, Sports KTZN & Classic Rock KBFX/Anchorage PD Joe "Crash" Albrecht has been named SVPP/Alaska. His oversight includes Country KASH/Anchorage and KIAK/Fairbanks. He succeeds Mark Murphy, who is retiring after 30 years with the company. Albrecht has been with the Anchorage cluster for more than 25 years; reach him here.

Olson Wins: Graham KSAT-TV/San Antonio Mgr./Local Sales Ansel Olson has joined Cox's cluster in the market, which includes KCYY, as GSM. He succeeds Chris Saglian who is now Mgr./Business Development. Olson spent the last seven years in television sales, including stops at Tegna/San Antonio and Sinclair/Portland, OR. Prior to that, he was Dir./Digital Sales at the CBS Radio/Seattle cluster, which included then-Country KMPS. Reach him here.

Saga's McKay Departs: Saga/Manchester, NH OM Pat McKay has departed the company, where his oversight included WMLL and Classic Country WZID-HD3/W276BJ. He was also Brand Mgr. for AC WZID. McKay had been with the cluster since 2010, and previously was OM of then-Clear Channel's stations in Springfield & Worcester, MA, including WPKX/Springfield. Reach him here.

Bits & Pieces: Beasley/Charlotte, which includes WSOC, will host a supply drive for Hurricane Helene victims Oct. 8 at its studios; details here.

iHeartMedia/Charlotte, which includes WKKT, has parterned with Operation Airdrop to help airlift more than 317,000 pounds of supplies over 554 flights to western North Carolina in the past week.

Audacy/Chattanooga, which includes WUSY, held its Operation: Good Neighbor relief drive Oct. 2 and filled four semi-trailers with supplies (pictured) that were delivered to western North Carolina.

Cumulus WIVK/Knoxville delivered two semi-trailers with donated supplies to the hard-hit towns of Cosby and Erwin in East Tennessee.

Bristol WXBQ/Johnson City, TN has been collecting supplies for the last three days at local Food City locations, as well as accepting monetary donations.

No Mountain High Enough: Dolly Parton has donated $1 million to the nonprofit Mountain Ways Foundation, which is assisting with Hurricane Helene relief efforts. Additionally, Parton's hospitality businesses, including Dollywood Parks & Resorts, as well as her Dollywood Foundation, have collectively pledged to match that donation. A designated spot near Dollywood's front gate will also be used as a collection point for those willing to donate clean-up and relief supplies.

The Morgan Wallen Foundation teamed with Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee to launch the "Help" campaign to collect funds and food for hurricane victims in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. The effort includes an online food drive here and a limited edition "Help" t-shirt inspired by Wallen and Post Malone's "I Had Some Help," with proceeds supporting Second Harvest and MANNA FoodBank of Western North Carolina. On. Oct 9, there will also be a food and water drive in Knoxville and a group packing disaster relief boxes in Nashville alongside members of Wallen's band and crew.

Eric Church has released a new song, "Darkest Hour," signing over his publishing royalties to the people of North Carolina to assist wih relief efforts via his Chiefs Cares nonprofit.

John Berry has released a new version of his "All Come Together" to support relief efforts, adding vocals from artist friends including Keb Mo, John Oates, Collin Raye, Heidi Newfield, Bryan White, Casey James, John Cowan and others. Watch the music video here.

Signage: On the heels of signing with Warner Music Nashville (CAT 10/2), Jamey Johnson has added TKO Artist Management to his team. “Jamey and I have been friends for a long time and frequently spoke about working together," says owner TK Kimbrell. "You just don’t miss an opportunity to work with a talent like Jamey Johnson."

Signage: Singer/songwriter Lindsay Ell signed with Universal Music Canada. Her new single, "Story I Tell Myself," is out today (10/4).

Girl Next Door: Lainey Wilson will host and perform at the Grand Ole Opry's fourth annual Opry NextStage show Dec. 9 at the Opry House in Nashville. Also performing are the NextStage Class of 2024: 9 Winchester, Anne Wilson, Charles Wesley Godwin, Chase Matthew, Ella Langley, Flatland Cavalry, Josh Ross, Madeline Edwards and Wyatt Flores (CAT 2/28). Tickets here.

Festive All: Hardy will headline the third annual Voices of America Country Music Fest Aug. 7-10, 2025 at Voice of America MetroPark in West Chester, OH. The event is expected to include more than 30 TBA country acts; tickets here.

Shania Twain, Maren Morris, Brandy Clark and Brittney Spencer are among the performers at Brandi Carlile's sixth annual Girls Just Wanna Weekend January 16-20, 2025 at Barceló Maya Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico. Tickets and travel packags here.

Chronicle: Radio veteran AJ McCloud died suddenly today (10/4) at the age of 62. He most recently was APD/MD/afternoon host at Cumulus WWFF/Huntsville, AL for three years until his departure in 2019. Before that, McCloud spent a decade at crosstown iHeartMedia WDRM, where he was APD/MD and afternoon personality. He also previously handled those same duties at WDXB/Birmingham, with prior radio stops in Louisville and Youngstown, OH. Services have not yet been set.

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

Country Aircheck's fall print issue is available here.
Find out which artists and labels are leading the chart share race in Country Aircheck Weekly.
Mary Catherine Kinney joined Republic as EVP/Artist & Label Strategy.
Ronnie Glover segued to Beasley/Las Vegas as Cluster Mgr.
CMT's Leslie Fram exited; reach her here.
We checked in with stations in areas affected by Helene.
Luke Bryan, Lainey Wilson and Peyton Manning will host the 58th Annual CMA Awards.
Chronicle: Kris Kristofferson, Henry Williams (Steve Gary), Al Schiltz, Jason Parkin.

ICYMI: Nate Smith appeared on The Viall Files and talked about his new album, California Gold.

Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for Oct. 3, according to Mediabase 24/7.

LUKE BRYAN/Love You, Miss You, Mean It (Capitol) 4845 points
POST MALONE f/BLAKE SHELTON/Pour Me A Drink (Mercury/Republic/Big Loud) 4640 points
JELLY ROLL/I Am Not Okay (BMG/Republic/Stoney Creek) 4225 points
KANE BROWN & MARSHMELLO/Miles On It (RCA) 4110 points
JUSTIN MOORE/This Is My Dirt (Valory) 3708 points

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for Sep. 29-Oct. 3 compared with the same days last week, according to Mediabase 24/7.

LUKE BRYAN/Love You, Miss You, Mean It (Capitol) +3836 points
CODY JOHNSON w/CARRIE UNDERWOOD/I'm Gonna Love You (CoJo/Warner/WMN) +2828 points
JELLY ROLL/I Am Not Okay (BMG/Republic/Stoney Creek) +2772 points
ELLA LANGLEY & RILEY GREEN/You Look Like You Love Me (Sawgod/Columbia/Nashville Harbor) +2542 points
MORGAN WALLEN/Lies Lies Lies (Big Loud) +1901 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (10/5): Del Bryant, Britta Coleman, J.J. Gerard, the late Johnny Duncan.

Sunday's Birthdays (10/6): Tim Rushlow, Dixie Carter, Sheila Brooks, Jim Dandy, Jim O'Hara, Barry Mardit, Jody Jo Mize, Morgan Huelsman.

Monday's Birthdays (10/7): Brent Rupard (Everette), Pete O’Heeron, Philip Gibbons, Robby Bridges, Kieran Kane, Bill Dotson, Mary Hamilton, Cindy Hunt, Jon Peterson, Ryan Simpson, Rick Walker, William Patton, Teri Brown, the late Buddy Lee, the late Hugh Cherry.

Tube Check Sunday (10/6): Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Kane Brown, Reba McEntire and more, American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special (CBS); Craig Morgan, NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 Playoff (NBC).

Web Check Sunday (10/6): Hardy, Lukas Nelson and more, Miranda Lambert & Friends Music For Mutts 15th anniversary benefit concert at 8:30pm CT (Facebook and YouTube).

Grills Just Wanna Have Fun: Lyric Ridge's Drew Baldride celebrates his inaugural No. 1, "She's Somebody's Daughter," with a backyard barbecue on BMI's rooftop. Pictured (back, l-r) are Sony Music Publishing’s Rusty Gaston, Hipgnosis’ Ashley Alexander, BMI’s MaryAnn Keen, Studio Bank’s Kari Barnhart and BMI’s Clay Bradley; (front, l-r) producer Nick Schwarz and songwriters Cameron Jaymes, Baldridge and Jimmy Yeary.

Red Bull Gives You Sings: Back Blocks/EMI Nashville’s Tucker Wetmore (l) with CMT/SXM's Cody Alan at the Red Bull Jukebox Concert.

Merry-Go-Sounds: Leo33's Zach Top plays the Fort Bend County Fair. Pictured (l-r) are Country Aircheck's Chris Huff, KILT/Houston's Nick Russo, the label's Tracy Gibson, Top, KKBQ/Houston's Gerardo Sproet and KILT's Monica "Mo" Lunsford.

Signage: Songwriter Terri Jo Box re-signs with Jonas Group Publishing. Pictured (back, l-r) are JGP's Denise Jonas, Emily Peacock and Leslie T. DiPiero; (front) JGP's Kevin Jonas Sr. and Box.