January 13, 2026 News@CountryAircheck.com

Watch Dog: Sony Music Publishing Nashville has acquired Nashville-based independent publishing and artist development company Big Yellow Dog Music (BYD). With the agreement, Sony now owns and administers BYD's song catalog and serves as publisher for its roster of songwriters, including Maren Morris, Meghan Trainor, Jessie James Decker, Logan Mize, Trent Tomlinson and Daniel Tashian. BYD was founded in 1998 by Kerry O’Neil and Carla Wallace. Its catalog includes songs cut by Morris, Trainor, Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton, Sabrina Carpenter, Hozier, Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, Leon Bridges, The Black Keys and others.

Necessary Emissary: KDPM/Marshall, TX Dir./Sales & Marketing Seth Necessary has joined crosstown Hanszen KMHT/Marshall as an AE. Necessary joined KDPM in 2021 (CAT 4/2/21) after stops including Copperline Music Group, Riser House and Country Thunder Records. KMHT personality Mary Lynne O'Neal says Necessary will "occasionally join me on the air weekdays from 9-10am for The World Famous Swap Shop.” Reach Necessary here.

Calling Card: Songwriter Rob Williford ("Beautiful Crazy"), studio manager/engineer Spencer Coats of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL and business executive Dan Massey have launched Nashville-based music production company and record label Wildcard Productions. Its first three singles are scheduled for relese in January from artists Aniston Pate, Julia Kate Snow and Austin Bohannon.

Festive All: Kane Brown, Parker McCollum, Riley Green, Shaboozey, Dylan Scott, Russell Dickerson, Gretchen Wilson, Chase Matthew and Lauren Alaina will perform during the Bobby Bones-hosted 2026 iHeartCountry Festival May 2 at the Moody Center in Austin. Tickets go on sale Friday (1/23) here, and the event will broadcast across iHeartCountry stations and the iHeartRadio app.

Dickerson, Scotty McCreery, Warren Zeiders, Hudson Westbrook and Carter Faith have been added to the Windy City Smokeout lineup (CAT 10/27). The festival takes place July 8-12 in Chicago; tickets here.

After Midnight, We Gonna Let It All Shut Down: Nominations close at midnight tonight (1/13) for the 2026 CRS/Country Aircheck Awards. Two subsequent rounds of voting will take place, with winners recognized during the New Faces of Country Music Show March 20 at the Omni Nashville Hotel. Submit nominees including Station, OM/PD, Personality, VP/Promotion, Regional, DSP of the Year and more here.

Tour Support: Leo33's Jenna Paulette is adding dates to her 26-show Back In The Saddle Tour, which kicked off Jan. 9 and is currently scheduled to wrap in July. Tickets here.

David Nail's 13-date, acoustic Down To The Studs Tour, kicking off Jan. 17 in New Haven, KY, will feature the artist solo with no band. It wraps April 10 in Austin. Tickets (1/16) here.

Lakeview will tour Europe in June, with 12 dates in Norway, Sweden, Ireland, the U.K., Germany, Belgium and Italy. The run marks the duo’s third European headline tour in two years. Tickets (1/16) here.

TV Special: Former CMT staffers including Leslie Fram, Chris Parr, Margaret Comeaux, Jennifer Devault, Stacey Cato and Cody Alan look back on favorite stories, unforgettable moments and what made the network’s Nashville-based run so special as that chapter comes to a close. That, along with a breakdown of Country Aircheck/Mediabase chart policies and key 2026 dates, can be found in last night's (1/12) Country Aircheck Weekly.

Four Score: Nonprofit Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio (MIW) has added four to its Board of Directors: KKBQ/Houston APD/MD Lauren "Lo" Session-Barker, Townsquare/Rockford, IL Market Pres. Allyson Hillman, Audacy/San Francisco SVP/MM Kieran Geffert and Salem CRO Linnae Young. The group has also appointed current Board member and P'Pool Media owner Randi P’Pool to its Executive Board as Secretary.

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

WJEN/Rutland, VT midday host Erin Bourne and afternoon personality Jay Kennedy moved to nights and middays, respectively, and Chris O'Neil returned in afternoons. (1/12)
Sweet Talk Sr. Dir. Julianne Cassidy departed. (1/12)
Chronicle: Doug James.

Mercury Rising: The Radio Advertising Bureau has called for entries in its 35th annual Radio Mercury Awards, which celebrate radio creative in 18 categories. The deadline is April 6, with winners to be announced in early May and celebrated at a live event June 3 in New York. Apply here.

Bits & Pieces: BMI/Nashville has named songwriter Lee Thomas Miller as its 2026 Songwriter Ambassador in Residence. The new initiative is designed to "deepen engagement with songwriters as they navigate both the art and the business of music." Miller will host his own BMI Acoustic Lounge, lead BMI’s round at the Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival and perform at BMI’s Key West Songwriters Festival, among other events throughout the year.

Dolly Parton is releasing a new charity single on Friday (1/16), "Light Of A Clear Blue Morning," featuring Lainey Wilson, Miley Cyrus, Queen Latifah and Reba McEntire. Proceeds will benefit Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville in celebration of Parton's 80th birthday (1/19). The track, co-written by Parton, also features David Foster on piano and backing vocals from the The Christ Church Choir of Nashville. It will be available to radio via PlayMPE at 11pm CT on Thursday.

Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for Jan. 12, according to Mediabase 24/7.

HARDY/Favorite Country Song (Big Loud) 4236 points
MEGAN MORONEY/6 Months Later (Col. NY/Columbia) 4224 points
ELLA LANGLEY/Choosin' Texas (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers) 3557 points
BLAKE SHELTON/Stay Country Or Die Tryin' (Wheelhouse) 3391 points
JASON ALDEAN/How Far Does A Goodbye Go (Macon Music/Broken Bow) 3275 points

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for Jan. 11-12, compared with the same days last week, according to Mediabase 24/7.

MEGAN MORONEY/6 Months Later (Col. NY/Columbia) +1836 points
ELLA LANGLEY/Choosin' Texas (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers) +989 points
HARDY/Favorite Country Song (Big Loud) +819 points
RILEY GREEN/Change My Mind (Nash. Harbor) +734 points
JORDAN DAVIS/Turn This Truck Around (MCA) +492 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (1/14): Mike James, Martin Fischer, Susan Levy, Tim Murphy, Katie Bright, Brian Mo, Nick Kaper, Anne Weaver Price, Renee White, T Bone Burnett, the late Chuck Thagard, the late Billie Jo Spears, the late Billy Walker.

Select Group: Columbia/Records Nashville's Ty Myers celebrates the gold certification of The Select and platinum certification of “Thought It Was Love.” Pictured (l-r) are Starstruck's Narvel Blackstock, Records Nashville's Barry Weiss, Myers and Records Nashville's Andrew Saltman and Joe Fisher.

Tour de Nance: Santa Anna/Akando's Tyler Nance (in hat) with the label's JC Coffey and WWKA/Orlando's Steve Stewart and Melissa Quinones (l-r).

This Chucktown's Been Too Good To Us: Curb's Dylan Scott (c) with WCKN/Charleston, SC's Jeff Cushman (l) and Hunter Meyer.

Signage: Singer/songwriter Adam Doleac signs with Peermusic. Pictured (l-r) are the company's Michael Knox, Doleac and the company's Jenny Hall and Matt Michiels.