Radio programmers say country is healthy

[Troll]

Radio programmers say country is healthyBY PHYLLIS STARKHollywood ReporterIt is a good indicator of the health of the country format that when Billboard's sister publication, Billboard Radio Monitor, asked radio programmers for their top five new country artists and their top five overall country artists of 2005, more than 40 different acts were cited.
Still, there are some clear favorites. In the new-artist category, the hands-down winner is Sugarland.
A whopping 31 of the 50 programmers who responded to Monitor's annual year-end country radio poll named the group the breakthrough act of 2005. Several even listed it among their top overall most valuable acts for the year. One PD calls the band "by far the head of the class."
Following Sugarland in the new-artist category is Carrie Underwood, who received 23 votes. Jason Aldean netted 21, followed by Miranda Lambert with 19. Rounding out the top five is Van Zant, with 15 votes.
Kenny Chesney dominates the top overall artist category in the poll. He was cited by 36 of the 50 programmers surveyed. Hot on his heels is Keith Urban with 34 votes, followed by Toby Keith with 30. Rascal Flatts takes fourth place in the poll with 22 votes, just barely edging out Tim McGraw's 21.
That was not all the good news for country radio in the year-end poll. Asked to agree or disagree with the statement "The country format is healthy," a whopping 90 percent agreed. Just 6 percent disagreed, and the balance did not have any response.
Asked if country radio is in better or worse shape than it was a year ago, 62 percent said it is better off. Twenty-four percent said it is about the same. Only 6 percent think country radio is in worse shape, with the remainder not answering.
One PD thinks country is "becoming cool again" and drawing fringe listeners "out of the closet."
In 2005, independent country labels like Broken Bow Records and 903 Music had some serious airplay success with such artists as Aldean, Craig Morgan and Neal McCoy. Monitor asked if those successes — and the launch of new labels Big Machine Records and Show Dog Nashville — make programmers more willing to consider music from indies or to take them more seriously.
Billboard Radio Monitor polled 50 responding country radio programmers, operations managers, group PDs and consultants from across the United States for the survey, which was conducted by e-mail. They were promised anonymity to encourage candor.
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/entertainment/13603444.htm

[Troll]

Author: Ed Salamon
Executive Director for Country Radio Broadcasters

More Country Stations and More Country Listeners in 2006
As the New Year begins, I offer my annual forecast for Country radio based on what I have observed in 2005 and from my daily interaction with managers and programmers in markets of all sizes.

The share of the radio audience that listens to Country radio was up this year. According to Arbitron’s American Listening Radio Trends Format Trends Report, shares of listening to Country stations in the Spring and the Summer 2005 surveys were at their highest levels since 1999

The number of Country stations grew this year as well. Inside Radio/M Street Journal count as I write this is 2042 fulltime Country stations up from 2021 a year ago. We welcomed additional stations to the format in large markets including Seattle, Las Vegas, Denver, and Raleigh. Radio consultant Mike McVay, President of McVay Media, agrees that Country will grow and predicts the reoccurrence of two (and more) Country stations per market. “It’s the hottest format in America”, says McVay

Based on these growing trends, we will see more Country stations and more Country listeners in 2006.

The challenge for Country radio in 2006 will be turning rating success into revenue. At this year’s CRB Fall Forum, Clear Channel Baltimore Market Manager Jim Dolan said that due to a flat marketplace, because of the economy, radio has not been able to take advantage of the increase in listeners.

Country radio’s use of new technology is resulting in the exposure of more Country songs and recordings. This year, some stations began broadcasting a second channel via HD radio. HD radio technology allows stations to multicast, and thereby provide additional formats on second and third channels. The first commercial station to broadcast a continuously programmed HD muliticast channel was Country formatted WUSN in Chicago. WUSN-FM HD2 is programmed with “Chicago’s Future Country”, set the tone by presenting new music, much of which is not heard on its sister station. WXTU-FM in Philadelphia likewise now broadcasts an HD2 station featuring new music. WKIS-FM in Miami programs “Outlaw Country” on its HD2 channel, again exposing music that would otherwise not be heard in the market.. This increased exposure of more Country songs and records will continue as radio continues toward its eventual move from analog to digital by launching more HD stations in 2006.

Country radio has also begun to embrace podcasting, the archiving of programs on its website which can be listened to on demand via ipods or on computer. Some of the first Country stations to use podcasting are KKCS –FM in Colorado Springs, KPLX-FM “The Wolf” in Dallas and WSM-AM, which offers podcasts of The Grand Ol’ Opry and Eddie Stubbs’ Classic Saturday. More stations are streaming through station’s websites is providing greater opportunity for Country listeners to listen to their favorite station on their computers while at work.

Related industries should benefit from the growing Country audience. At the Country Radio Broadcaster’s Fall Forum, Tony Conway, President and Co-owner of Buddy Lee Attractions reported that at that point a Country artist, Kenny Chesney, was the #1 touring artist in America. Bill Bennett, Executive Vice President, Warner Brothers Nashville, said that record sales were off slightly, but he was optimistic because the shortfall “could be made up with a Kenny Chesney record at Christmastime”. Chesney has indeed gone on to sell more than two million copies of his fourth quarter release, and that plus sales from Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks, Big & Rich, Martina McBride and Reba McEntire have helped Country sales relative to the industry at large. Woody Bomar Sr. VP /GM Creative Services Sony/ATV characterized the songwriting and publishing business as “stable and good”, as new revenue sources make up for older technologies

Exciting music continues to be produced for the Country format. In 2005 the MuzkiMafia influence grew continues through songs written by Big and Rich’s John Rich and Big Kenny Alphin, who songwriter of the year awards from ASCAP and BMI respectively, Sugarland became the format’s breakout act at last year’s New Faces Show, and Garth Brooks was back. Top 40 radio and AC radio gave Country music greater exposure by playing Tim McGraw’s “Live Like You Were Dying” and Keith Urban’s “You’ll Think Of Me”. This year the CRB instituted and award which is presented to show radio’s appreciation to artists and songwriters who create music that has made a difference in growing the Country audience.

We can look forward to hearing a lot of the great new music for 2006 in February at the CRB’s Country Radio Seminar during Nashville’s annual Country Radio Week. I hope to see you there!

http://www.allaboutcountry.com/cfm/Articles.cfm?articleID=693

[canoilers]

Thank you Andrew for posting this article. :D