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February 27, 2026 News@CountryAircheck.com

Remember The Alamo: Cox/San Antonio Dir./Operations Rob Roberts will be retiring at the end of March and relocating to Atlanta to be close to his grandchildren. His responsibilites include KCYY and Classic Country KKYX. Roberts was promoted from Dir./Branding & Programming for the cluster's Classic Hits KONO & Rock KISS to his operations role in 2022 (CAT 11/9/22). He joined Cox in 2019 following 13 years at Cumulus and 14 years at then-Clear Channel. Cox is seeking a new Dir./Ops for the seven-station cluster with a minimum of five years of programming management experience in a top 50 market. Apply here.

Beautiful Things: Former UMG/Nashville Sr. Dir./Digital Marketing Leah Ducey has joined Beautiful Digtal as Head/U.S. Social. Ducey joined UMG (now MCA) in 2020, and left amid a restructuring last summer (CAT 6/11/25). Prior to UMG, she held roles at Crowd Surf and Epic Records in New York, and most recently has been running her own marketing agency, Do See, launched last fall. Reach her here.

Return Of The Zac: Former Dir./Content & morning host Zac Grantham will return to Connoisseur KMKT/Sherman-Denison, TX for mornings March 2, succeeding a syndicated show from Westwood One's Rick Taylor. Grantham departed the then Alpha-owned station after 11 years in 2024 during downsizing (CAT 6/27/24), and more recently had been Dir./Ticketing & Fan Engagement for USL2 soccer team Texoma FC and afternoon host at crosstown Mid-Continental KLBC (CAT 8/1/25). Reach him here.

Tour Support: Jason Aldean's 22-city 2026 Songs About Us Tour kicks off July 16 in Bangor, ME, and continues through the end of September with stops including Fresno, Kansas City, Hamilton and Ontario. Joining on select dates are Chase Matthew, Mackenzie Carpenter and Dee Jay Silver; tickets here March 6.

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

George Briner shares memories and Christie Matthews helps Make-A-Wish kids make new ones in Country Aircheck Weekly.
Alicia Pruitt joined Tape Room Music as Chief Creative Officer and Pres./A&R.
Scott Mallory added OM duties for JVC/Fort Walton Beach, FL. (2/24)
Gordy Rush was promoted to VP/Business Development for Guaranty Communications. (2/23)
Chronicle: Reese Rickards, Brett Jones.

ICYMI: Luke Combs sat down for an in-depth interview with Popcast's Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli of The New York Times.

Megan Moroney was a guest on TikTok's In The Mix.

Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for Feb. 26, according to Mediabase.

MORGAN WALLEN/20 Cigarettes (Big Loud) 4880 points
ELLA LANGLEY/Choosin' Texas (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers) 4445 points
SHABOOZEY & JELLY ROLL/Amen (Empire/Magnolia/Stoney Creek) 4244 points
JUSTIN MOORE/Time's Ticking (Blue Highway) 3359 points
THOMAS RHETT f/JORDAN DAVIS/Ain't A Bad Life (Blue Highway/MCA) 3194 points

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for Feb. 22-26, compared with the same days last week, according to Mediabase.

JORDAN DAVIS/Turn This Truck Around (MCA) +1343 points
TUCKER WETMORE/Brunette (Back Blocks/Mercury) +1304 points
ZACH JOHN KING/Get To Drinkin' (SMN) +1188 points
PARKER MCCOLLUM/Killin' Me (MCA) +794 points
LUKE COMBS/Sleepless In A Hotel Room (Columbia) +762 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (2/28): Jason Aldean, Bruce Logan, Anita Mandell, Gill Stuart, John Zarling, Andrea Burtscher.

Leap Day Birthdays (2/29): Sarah Feldman.

Sunday's Birthdays (3/1): Derek “Big D” Haskins, Janis Oliver (Sweethearts of the Rodeo), Jennifer McCarter (The McCarters), Ryan Kershner.

Monday's Birthdays (3/2): Luke Combs, Larry Stewart (The Frontmen), Kim Wiggins, Paul Jankowski, Chasity Crouch, Storme Warren.

Sane Character Energy: Santa Anna/Akando's Tyler Nance (c) with Akando's Greg Raneiri and KYGO's Brian Michel, Shawn Patrick and Big Mic (l-r) in Denver.

Day Late & A Bull Short: Broke/Lyric Ridge Records' Julia Cole plays KBUL/Reno's Up N Country. Pictured (l-r) are the station's Jen Fisk and Bob Richards, Cole, the station's JJ Christy and Kristen Marie and Lyric Ridge’s Louie Newman.

Highs & Low Dough: Quartz Hill's Matt Cooper (r) with WUSN/Chicago's Marci Braun and Country Countdown USA With Lon Helton at WUSN's Low Dough Show.

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