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New PD At WIRK: CBS Radio's AC WEAT & Alternative WPBZ/West Palm Beach PD John O'Connell has added those duties for Country sister WIRK following the exit of 11-year PD/Middayer Mitch Mahan (CAT 12/15). O'Connell, who has been with the stations since July 1995, tells Country Aircheck he will be naming an APD to handle the day-to-day duties at WIRK and a midday replacement for Mahan.
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Equity Spent: After five years in business, Equity Records is suspending operation. Staffers were cleaning out their offices today after being notified late yesterday (12/15). A statement from President Tim Wipperman, who will remain with the company, reads in part, "Our investors tried to find a way to keep the doors open, but with a struggling industry, an overall decline in discretionary spending by consumers and a total freeze on credit markets, the Board of Directors has been forced to make this difficult decision."
Among those departing are SVP/Promotion David Haley (615-973-0132); regionals Jack Christopher (412-916-9314), Gary Greenberg (818-807-9495), Maurisa Halicky (615-428-9708), Heather Propper (602-317-0551) and Ken Rush (214-616-3047); and coordinator Whitney Cheshier (615-574-5221).
Equity was formed in 2003 by partners Clint Black, Mike Kraski, Mike Morey and Charles Sussman. Kraski left the company in November of last year, and Black sued Sussman last month. The label's greatest success came with Little Big Town, who left for Capitol/Nashville in February. The current roster includes Black, Laura Bryna, Kevin Fowler, Carolina Rain and Blake Wise.
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Robbins' Hood: A significant restructuring of CBS Radio/Chicago's upper management has not affected WUSN GM Dave Robbins, who also remains VP/Programming for US99 and for AC WCFS. Sr. VP/Market Manager Rod Zimmerman adds GM duties for Sports WSCR and Alternative WXRT, in addition to overseeing News WBBM-AM. Also, Peter Bowen and Paul Agase get new responsibilities within the cluster as Dan Richman exits.
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Howell Leaves BBR: Broken Bow Records GM Brad Howell has exited after four-and-a-half years with the label. He wrote Country Aircheck today, "It's been a roller coaster ride with wild highs and rare lows. From breaking artists (Craig Morgan and Jason Aldean to Dean Brody's first top 10 in Canada this week) to re-building the staff in the face of turmoil in the fall of '07, I am very proud to be a part of BBR's history and legacy." He can be reached at 615-500-2246 or here. The label is in the process of filling Howell's position.
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Nine Plus One: Former Show Dog Southeast regional Eric Beggs will join Nine North as Dir./Southeast/Southwest Promotion Jan. 5. This is a reunion for Beggs and VP/Promotion/Marketing Tom Moran, with whom he worked at Show Dog. Beggs, who left Show Dog in June, previously worked at Capitol/Nashville and Epic. He replaces Lloyd Stark, who is departing the company after more than a year.
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Snowball Express: RCA's Chuck Wicks performed, chatted, took pictures and signed autographs for the families of fallen soldiers who were on American Airlines' Snowball Express flights that passed through Nashville today. The families are on the way to Disneyland as part of the program, which provides all-expense-paid vacations. Sincerest thanks to Chuck, who filled in at the last minute when the artist scheduled for the event was forced to cancel, and to RCA's Keith Gale for making it happen. We were all deeply touched at the sight of more than 100 kids and other family members wearing T-shirts bearing pictures of a parent in uniform under the words "My Hero." (--L.H.)
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Outside In: Capitol's Lady Antebellum's version of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is now available for download on iTunes. Get it here.
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Cooper's Town: Singer/songwriter Ben Cooper has signed with Montage Music Group Publishing. "We are thrilled to start working with Ben," says Publishing Head Bobby Rymer. "He is an outstanding writer who has already generated quite a bit of attention around Nashville....and beyond."
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Stops The Madness: The winner of CMT.com's third annual unsigned country talent competition Music City Madness is 33-year-old Georgia native Kurt Thomas. His prize includes recording an episode of Unplugged At Studio 330, receiving a private audition with Warner Bros. and a mentoring session with Randy Travis.
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Kudos: Clear Channel's KRYS/Corpus Christi was named the No. 1 radio station in Corpus Christi Caller-Times' "Best Of The Best" readers poll for the third consecutive year. Check it out here.
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Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for Dec. 15:
- RASCAL FLATTS/Here (Lyric Street) 2122 points
- SUGARLAND/Already Gone (Mercury) 1966 points
- ZAC BROWN BAND/Chicken Fried (Atlantic/Home Grown/BPP) 1926 points
- MONTGOMERY GENTRY/Roll With Me (Columbia) 1905 points
- BRAD PAISLEY & KEITH URBAN/Start A Band (Arista) 1821 points
All daily airplay data is from Mediabase 24/7.
» Country Aircheck Today Top 5 Downloads: Here are Play MPE's Top 5 for Dec. 15:
- DARIUS RUCKER/Winter Wonderland (Capitol)
- CRAIG MORGAN/God Must Really Love Me (BNA)
- KELLIE PICKLER/Best Days Of Your Life (Single Edit) (19/BNA)
- TAYLOR SWIFT/White Horse (Big Machine)
- LUKE BRYAN/Run Run Rudolph (Capitol)
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Tube Check Tomorrow (12/17): Little Big Town, Late Night with Conan O'Brien (NBC).
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Tomorrow's Birthdays (12/17): Sharon Skaggs, Duane Propes, Tracy Byrd, Tim Chewning, Tom Banks, Katie Gillon, Mary McKenna, Christine Smith, J.B. Cloud.
Like Honey In The Bank: Clear Channel's WPOC/Baltimore staffers relish a job well done at the station's Holiday Party with performers Sarah Buxton and Randy Houser. The event raised $1,000 and more than 3,000 lbs. of non-perishable food for the Maryland Food Bank. Pictured (l-r) are afternoon host Bob Delmont, PD Meg Stevens, Houser, Buxton and APD Justin Cole, with morning co-host St. Pierre and middayer Michael J down in front.
New York Meets: Arista's Jason Michael Carroll (c) rocks out with WGTY/York, PA PD/morning host Scott Donato and morning co-host Kim Alexander.
Brush With Greatness: The Colgate Country Showdown finalists weren't all able to fit in the WKDF/Nashville conference room so they headed outside for this shot. The entire group was in Nashville last weekend to prepare for their Jan. 15 competition. Back row (l-r) are KXKX/Sedalia, MO finalist LiveWire's Cory Schultz, Adam Hagerman and Danny Bell, WWKA/Orlando finalist Johnny Bulford, KBUK/LaGrange, TX finalist Lance Lipinsky's Aaron Covington and Lance Lipinsky and KIXW-AM/Barstow, CA Matt Reeves. Middle row (l-r) LiveWire's Bobby Degonia, Robbie Helms and Andy Eustler and Lance Lipinsky's Nat Reynolds. Front row (l-r) 'KDF middayer Becca Walls, Showdown Music Dir. Charlie McCoy, WLKS/West Liberty, KY finalist Korey Blake and Lance Lipinsky's Adam Reynolds.
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