Country Aircheck
 August 11, 2008
» Ratings Wrap: The Providence Spring 2008 book was reissued today, and while WCTK's 6.8 share didn't change, its rank sure did. The reissued book pushes the Hall station from second to No. 1, 12+, a pretty nice going-away present for PD Steve Giutarri, who exited in early July. (Losing a half-share in the reissue was Citadel's Talk WPRO-AM, which grew 5.9-6.7 instead of to the 7.2 originally posted.)

In other ratings highlights from recently released books: Cumulus' KHAK/Cedar Rapids notched a 15.5 to remain No. 1. WGZR/Hilton Head, SC vaulted almost two shares to a 5.0 and second. KDBR/Kalispell, MT remained No. 1 with an 11.2. Great Plains WGSQ/Cookeville, TN popped a first-place 21.3. And, deuces wild for First Media's WJLS/Beckley, WV with its 22.2 market-topping 12+ share.

» Swayin' Ours: Show Dog VP/A&R Allison Jones has been hired in the same capacity by Big Machine/Valory Music Co. The move reunites Jones with Big Machine/Valory President/CEO Scott Borchetta, with whom she worked at DreamWorks. "I've stayed away from an 'official' A&R person since we opened because most of our first signings were singer/songwriters, which were predominantly self-contained," Borchetta says. "Allison is the perfect complement to me, our roster and our staffs, and she instinctively knows what to do; this will be seamless. To say I'm thrilled is an understatement. This is like one of your best friends moving back home." In addition to Show Dog and DreamWorks, Jones' prior A&R stops include UMG/Nashville, Giant and BNA.

» How Many Weeks' Allowance? Big Machine's Taylor Swift announced that she had donated $100,000 to the Cedar Rapids Flood Relief Effort last week after performing "Change" in front of pictures of the flooding that affected the city. KHAK PD Bob James was in the audience. "Taylor's show...was the first concert to take place downtown since the flood, which left the Cedar River at more than 31 feet — 19 above flood stage and 11 above the all-time record." James says Swift had "tears in her eyes" as she announced the donation prior to her encore. "KHAK and the entire Cedar Rapids community thanks Taylor for her incredibly gracious show of support," James says.

Apparently Swift's good karma is already working for her, as she is nominated in the Best New Artist category of the 2008 Video Music Awards for her "Teardrops On My Guitar" video. Other fan-voted nominees include Miley Cyrus, Jordin Sparks, Katy Perry and Tokio Hotel. The show airs Sept. 7 on MTV.

» Hello, Newman: Clear Channel/Columbus, GA Dir./Sales Jennifer Newman has been upped to Market Manager of the cluster, which includes Country WSTH/Columbus and WOBB/Albany in addition to Classic Country WCOH/Newnan. She replaces Jim Martin.

» Baby Grows Up: Former Top 40 KHTT/Tulsa's Billy The Baby DJ is joining WTVY/Dothan, AL as Billy The Kidd for afternoons. As a result, PD/afternoon jock Kris Van Dyke will be moving to nights and tells Country Aircheck the complete lineup is coming next week.

» Hip To Be Square: Nominees for the 42nd Annual CMA Awards will be announced Sept. 10 during ABC-TV's Good Morning America. Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift will announce selected categories live from Times Square, after which CMT Insider will feature Lady Antebellum and James Otto naming the remaining nominees from Nashville's Sommet Center. The winners will be named during the awards show Nov. 12 at 8pm ET/PT on ABC.

» Chronicle: Our sincere condolences to Schmidt Relations' Darlene Bieber on the passing of her husband Mike this past weekend. The funeral will be held tomorrow at 4pm at Bowling Green, KY's Eastwood Baptist Church. The family asks that expressions of sympathy be donations to the University of Louisville Cancer Research or Eastwood Baptist Church Building Fund.

Our thoughts are also with family and friends of steel guitarist Don Helms, who passed away early this morning. He was 81. Helms was a member of Hank Williams' Drifting Cowboys Band and can be heard on recordings such as "Your Cheatin' Heart" and "Cold, Cold Heart" in addition to Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight" and Lefty Frizzell's "Long Black Veil."

» Err Check: The phone number for former KMLE/Phoenix afternoon sidekick and traffic anchor Dena "Fox" Yasner was incorrect in Friday's edition. Reach her at 602-863-0183 or here. We regret the error.

» Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for the week ending August 9. Look for the full chart in the Country Aircheck Music Edition. 

  1. TAYLOR SWIFT/Should've Said No (Big Machine)
  2. KEITH URBAN/You Look Good In My Shirt (Capitol)
  3. BROOKS & DUNN/Put A Girl In It (Arista)
  4. SUGARLAND/All I Want To Do (Mercury)
  5. KEITH ANDERSON/I Still Miss You (Columbia)

All daily airplay data is from Mediabase 24/7.

» Country Aircheck Today Top 5 Downloads: Here are Play MPE's Top 5 for August 10:

  1. LEANN RIMES/What I Cannot Change (Curb)
  2. MELISSA LAWSON/What If It All Goes Right (Warner Bros.)
  3. JOEY + RORY/Cheater Cheater (Vanguard/Sugar Hill/Nine North)
  4. CHAD BROCK/Put A Redneck In The White House (Straight Shooter)
  5. TIM MCGRAW/Let It Go (Curb)

» Tube Check Tomorrow (8/12): Melissa Lawson, Today (NBC).

» Tomorrow's Birthdays (8/12): the late Buck Owens, the late Porter Wagoner, Danny Shirley (Confederate Railroad), Gary Greenberg, Laura LiPuma-Nash, Brooke Sommer, Marty Fitzpatrick.

40 Days On The Road: Valory's Jewel (c) was interviewed backstage at the Dallas Paisley Party Tour stop by Bob Kingsley for his Country Top 40 Countdown. They're pictured above with Nan Kingsley.

Net Workin': Columbia's Keith Anderson (c) stopped by ABC Radio Networks for a couple of interviews. Here he is with Today's Best Country PD Gary Reynolds and Real Country's Kris Wilson.

Super Monkey Ball: Citadel's WHWK/Binghamton, NY PD Don Brake visited with Carter's Chord members (l-r) Joanna, Becky and Emily Robertson in the Thirsty Monkey backstage area of Toby Keith's Biggest & Baddest Tour.