CRS Welcomes Eight New Committee Members

(Nashville, Tenn. – April 29, 2013) The 2013-2014 Country Radio Seminar Agenda Committee was released today by CRS officials and includes eight new members.

The complete 2013-2014 CRS Agenda Committee (Bolded and * denotes new committee member):

Lee Adams / Broken Bow Records
Daniel Anstandig / Listener Driven Radio
Lindsey Cerajewski / WUSN*
Andy Denemark / United Stations
Dale Desmond / WCKN
Shelly Easton / WXTU*
Greg Frey / Cumulus Media, Inc.
Heather (Robin Ward) Froglear / KFRG/KXFG/KVFG/KRAK*
Keith Gale / RCA Records*
Jeffrey Green / Stone Door Media Lab (Agenda Co-Chair)
Tom Hanrahan / The Bull Birmingham*
Kurt Johnson / Townsquare Media*
Judi Lakin / Cox Media Group Houston
Stephen Linn / BBR Management
Nick Martin / WXFL
Ron Rodrigues / Arbitron
Annie Sandor / Curb Records (Agenda Chair)
John Trapane / Capitol Records (Agenda Co-Chair)
Rob Williams / Greater Media Boston*
Sue Wilson / Rubber City Radio Group*

The 2013-2014 CRS Agenda Committee is made up of volunteers from all areas of the Country radio and record industries and gathers each year to plan events for Country Radio Seminar.  This year’s Agenda Committee members will meet June 19-20, in Nashville to brainstorm and develop a list of hot topics to be covered at CRS 2014, held Feb. 19 – 21, 2013.

Annie Sandor, CRS Agenda Chair stated, “Each year, we work to put together a group of industry talent that can deliver the best CRS Agenda and this year is no exception! I’m excited to work with this great team of people to deliver an amazing CRS for 2014.”

For more information, visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com.

About Country Radio Seminar:
Country Radio Seminar is an annual convention designed to educate and promote the exchange of ideas and business practices in the Country music industry, with specific emphasis on issues relevant to Country radio.  CRS 2014 will be held Feb. 19 – 21, 2013, in downtown Nashville, Tenn., at the Nashville Convention Center.  Visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com for more information.  Country Radio Seminar is a property of Country Radio Broadcasters.

Photos, Videos, Sessions Now Available on www.CountryRadioSeminar.com

CRS 2013 highlights are now available at www.CountryRadioSeminar.com.

For those that missed this year’s event, which took place Feb. 27 – Mar. 1, there is an opportunity to capture some of the highlights by visiting the official CRS website here.

Some of the highlights include:
-       A wrap-up edition of CRS-TV, hosted by veteran TV personality Amy Marsalis.
-       An overview of the research presentation, as compiled by Edison Research.
-       Panel handouts for five key panels.
-       A photo gallery, which includes images of performances, educational panels and networking events.
-       An online store to purchase CDs from some of this year’s sessions.

CRS 2014 will be held Feb. 19 – 21, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn.  Registration will open July 1, 2013.

About Country Radio Seminar:
Country Radio Seminar is an annual convention designed to educate and promote the exchange of ideas and business practices in the Country music industry, with specific emphasis on issues relevant to Country radio. Visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com for more information.

Sandor Re-elected as Agenda Chair

(Nashville, Tenn. – Mar. 19, 2013) Agenda committee applications for CRS 2014 are now available here and will be accepted through Friday, April 5, 2013.

The CRS Agenda Committee is comprised of volunteer professionals from all areas of the Country radio and record industries.  The committee is responsible for planning events for the upcoming year’s Country Radio Seminar.  Heading up this year’s agenda committee are, re-elected members, Annie Sandor of Curb Records serving as chairman, alongside Jeff Green of Stone Door Media Lab and John Trapane of Capitol Nashville as vice chairs.

Prospective applicants must be available to attend agenda meetings in Nashville on June 19 and 20, 2013 and are expected to attend panels and meetings at CRS 2014, held Feb. 19 – 21, 2014.

About Country Radio Seminar:  Country Radio Seminar is an annual convention designed to educate and promote the exchange of ideas and business practices in the Country music industry, with specific emphasis on issues relevant to Country radio.  CRS 2014 will be held Feb. 19 – 21, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn.

Visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com for more information.

(Nashville, TN – March 5, 2013) During this year’s Country Radio Seminar, artists and songwriters performed for radio and record executives at showcases and after hour events throughout the week. Events included WCRS Live!, sponsored by BMI and Country Aircheck; KCRS Live!, sponsored by ASCAP and City National Bank; and Bob Kingsley’s Acoustic Alley, sponsored by Country Top 40 and co-sponsored by Suntrust Bank. These events gave hit songwriters the opportunity to be in the spotlight and perform the songs that many of the radio programmers attending had played throughout the year.

Above: The Warren Brothers (Brad and Brett) and Thomas Rhett co-headlined WCRS Live! Pictured L to R: Thomas Rhett, Brad Warren and Brett Warren

Above: Love and Theft, JT Harding and Jonathan Singleton appear as the lineup for the KCRS Live! Showcase. Pictured L to R: JT Harding, Jonathan Singleton, and Love and Theft’s Stephen Barker Liles and Eric Gunderson.

Above: For the second consecutive year, “Bob Kingsley’s Acoustic Alley” returned with an all-star lineup of hit songwriters.  Brandy Clark, Tom Douglas, Marv Green, Natalie Hemby, Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Lee Miller, Wendell Mobley and Jeff Stevens performed at the event.  Pictured L to R: Luke Laird, Bob Kingsley, Natalie Hemby, and JT Harding, who performed as one of the evening’s special guests.

(Nashville, TN – March 4, 2013) This year’s Country Radio Seminar experienced a 3 percent increase in attendance, compared to CRS 2012. This is the fifth consecutive year the event experienced a growth in attendee numbers.

A total of 2,995 registrants attended this year’s event, which was held February 27^th – March 1^st at the Nashville Convention Center. The figure comprises of 2,276 full registrants (attendees, exhibitors, panelists and sponsors), and 719 participant registrants. Participant registrants are defined as attendees that register for individual CRS events or purchase single day passes only.

Bill Mayne, CRS Executive Director stated, “The industry has been very positive about this year’s Country Radio Seminar. With the introduction of new and additional special events this year, there was a new enthusiasm surrounding the event. We have already put on our thinking caps for CRS 2014.”

CRS President Mike Culotta added, “We felt that there was a new vitality to the event with the addition of the Grand Ole Opry at CRS and The Cleveland Clinic Heart Labs Inflammation Testing. In addition, this year’s agenda offered so much for so many to enjoy.”

CRS 2014 will be held on February 18 – 22, 2014 in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. Registration for next years Seminar will open July 1^st, 2013.

Edison Research Co-founder and President Larry Rosin delivered one of Country Radio Seminar’s 2013 research studies in front of a packed house, providing an in depth look into the lives and attitudes of Country radio fans and their interactions with the medium.

Cumulus Radio Medical correspondent and Emmy® award-winning CNN chief correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta was Friday’s featured speaker. Gupta addressed attendees in an effort to help raise awareness about important health issues.

About Country Radio Seminar: Country Radio Seminar is an annual convention designed to educate and promote the exchange of ideas and business practices in the Country music industry, with specific emphasis on issues relevant to Country radio.  CRS 2014 will be held Feb. 18 – 22, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn.  Visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com for more information.

(Nashville, Tenn – Mar. 4, 2013) Country Radio Seminar’s annual New Faces of Country Music Show closed out CRS 2013 on Friday, Mar. 1 at the Nashville Convention Center.  The show was co-sponsored by the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), Country Aircheck and the Academy of Country Music (ACM) and featured performances by Easton Corbin, Florida Georgia Line, Brantley Gilbert, Jana Kramer and Kip Moore.

In addition, the evening featured a surprise appearance by Taylor Swift, who took the stage to lend her support to Florida Georgia Line, who will open select dates on her RED Tour, which kicks off March 13th.

Pictured below L to R: CRS President Mike Culotta, Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, Easton Corbin, Jana Kramer, Brantley Gilbert, Kip Moore, and CRS Executive Director Bill Mayne. Photo courtesy of Country Radio Seminar

Pictured below L to R: Big Machine Executive Vice President Jimmy Harnen, Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, Taylor Swift, Big Machine President and CEO Scott Borchetta, CRS President Mike Culotta, and CRS Executive Director Bill Mayne. Photo courtesy of Country Radio Seminar

About Country Radio Seminar: Country Radio Seminar is an annual convention designed to educate and promote the exchange of ideas and business practices in the Country music industry, with specific emphasis on issues relevant to Country radio. Visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com for more information or contact Kristen McRary at 615-327-4487.

Nashville, Tenn. – Feb. 27, 2013) The class of the 2013 Country Radio Hall of Fame in both the Radio and On-Air categories were officially inducted last night, Feb. 26, 2013 at a ceremony and dinner held inside the Nashville Convention Center.

As previously announced, Gaylon Christie was inducted in the Radio category, while Dr. Don Carpenter, Crook & Chase, Eddie Edwards and Bill “Dex” Poindexter were the On-Air category inductees. Other awards presented during the ceremony included the CRS Career Achievement Award, given to George Strait and the CRS President’s Award, presented to Bob Romeo.

The Country Radio Hall of Fame induction ceremonies unofficially kick off Country Radio Seminar each year. For more information, visit www.CRB.org.

(Nashville, TN – Feb. 11, 2013) For the second consecutive year, “Bob Kingsley’s Acoustic Alley” will return with an all-star lineup of hit songwriters.

Rhett Akins, Tom Douglas, Marv Green, Ben Hayslip, Natalie Hemby, Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Wendell Mobley, Jeff Stevens and several surprise guests are set to perform at the event, which is presented by Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40 and co-sponsored by SunTrust Bank.

This year’s event will be held on Thursday night (Feb. 28) from 7 p.m. until midnight at the Renaissance Hotel’s Belmont Room. Food and beverages will be available. A CRS badge will be required for admittance.

“I’m a lifelong fan of songs and songwriters, and if there’s anything that increases my appreciation of good music, it’s hearing the writer tell the story behind the song,” said Bob Kingsley.

CRS Executive Director Bill Mayne added, “Combining the lineups for the Acoustic Alley with WCRS Live! and KCRS Live!, the growing importance of songwriters for Country Radio Seminar in undeniable.”

As previously announced, Love and Theft, JT Harding and Jonathan Singleton have been announced as the lineup at this year’s KCRS Live! and The Warren Brothers (Brad and Brett) and Thomas Rhett are co-headliners of CRS 2013’s WCRS Live!.

CRS 2013 $499 Regular registration rate expires this Friday, Jan. 15. On-site registration increases to $599 effective February 16th.

About Country Radio Seminar: Country Radio Seminar is an annual convention designed to educate and promote the exchange of ideas and business practices in the Country music industry, with specific emphasis on issues relevant to Country radio. CRS 2013 will be held Feb. 27 – March 1, 2013, in downtown Nashville, Tenn., at the Nashville Convention Center. Visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com for more information or contact Kristen McRary at 615-327-4487. Follow CRS on Twitter here and use the hashtag #CRS2013 to join in reporting from CRS 2013.

(Nashville, TN – Feb. 6, 2013) – Country superstar George Strait will be honored with the 2013 Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. Career Achievement Award at the Country Radio Hall of Fame Induction on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m.

The CRB Achievement Award is presented to an individual artist or act that, through their creativity, vision, performance or leadership has made a significant contribution to the development and promotion of country music and country radio.

“George Strait has done a superb job promoting country music and country radio over the years. His dedication to the format and on-going contribution to the industry as a whole make him the perfect recipient for this award,” said Mike Culotta, CRS President.

With a career spanning more than 30 years, George Strait has the most number one singles of any artist in history including Elvis Presley. He has sold nearly 69 million records and with 33 different platinum or multi-platinum albums, has the most RIAA platinum certifications in country music and the third in all genres behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. Strait was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006. Strait is the only artist to have 85 out of 90 radio singles make it to Top 10 and 24 albums at the number one position on Billboard’s Country Music Album Chart, and has recently released “Give It All We Got Tonight” from his forthcoming 2013 album.

As previously announced, the evening will also feature Gaylan Christie being inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame and Dr. Don Carpenter, Crook & Chase, Eddie Edwards and Bill “Dex” Poindexter will be inducted in the Air Personality category. Bob Romeo will receive the 2013 Presidents’ Award.

Previous winners of this Award include Brooks and Dunn, Kenny Rogers, Charlie Daniels, Dolly Parton, and Reba McEntire.

The Country Radio Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony unofficially kicks off Country Radio Seminar each year.

For more information on George Strait, visit www.georgestrait.com. For more information on Country Radio Seminar, visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com

About Country Radio Seminar:
Country Radio Seminar is an annual convention designed to educate and promote the exchange of ideas and business practices in the Country music industry, with specific emphasis on issues relevant to Country radio. CRS 2013 will be held Feb. 27 – March 1, 2013, in downtown Nashville, Tenn., at the Nashville Convention Center. $499 Regular Rate Registration is available available through Feb. 15. Visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com for more information.

(Nashville, Tenn. – Jan. 30, 2013) Love and Theft, JT Harding and Jonathan Singleton have been announced as the lineup at this year’s KCRS Live! Showcase, to be held Thursday, Feb. 28, at CRS 2013.

Sponsored by ASCAP and City National Bank, the showcase will be held from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. inside the Nashville Convention Center in rooms 204-205.

“ASCAP is thrilled to have breakout duo Love and Theft alongside music city hit makers Jonathan Singleton and JT Harding on our 2013 KCRS Live! Round,” said ASCAP Creative Manager Ryan Beuschel. “These ASCAP songwriter-artists are responsible for some of the biggest songs on country radio today. Individually, Love and Theft, Jonathan Singleton and JT Harding have scored massive #1 singles, and we are very excited to have them together on one stage to share those hits with everyone attending CRS. This KCRS Live! lineup promises to be one of the best shows of the CRS week and one you certainly won’t want to miss!”

Holly Bell, a senior vice president and entertainment manager for the South East for City National Bank added, “City National could not be more excited about the 2013 KCRS Live! Showcase. The lineup ASCAP has brought on board is very exciting and a representation of the great talent playing on your radio. This is a “must see” event!”

CRS 2013 is held Feb. 27-Mar. 1, 2013, in downtown Nashville, Tenn. The $499 Regular Rate registration expires Feb. 15. On-Site registration increases to $599 effective Feb. 16. Visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com to register today.

For a full agenda and information on panels, speakers and performers at CRS 2013, visit www.CRB.org or contact 615-327-4487.

About the 2012 KCRS Live! Songwriters:

About Love and Theft: (Stephen Barker Liles and Eric Gunderson) are an ACM, ACA, CMA and CMT-nominated duo who released their self-titled album on RCA Nashville in July 2012. A true duo, Eric and Stephen share lead vocals throughout their album, which was produced by Josh Leo (Alabama, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band). LOVE AND THEFT includes the Gold-Certified, #1 hit “Angel Eyes,” and current single, “Runnin’ Out of Air.” In the summer of 2012, they toured with Brad Paisley, then joined CMT’s Jake Owen: The Summer Never Ends 2012 Tour. In May 2013, they’ll hit the road with Tim McGraw. Visit: www.LoveandTheft.com. Follow: @loveandtheft

About JT Harding: He may be a proud product of the Detroit music scene, but his career path has certainly followed more of a Hollywood-style plot line. Born an orphan, JTX gravitated towards music for as long as he can remember. Endless hours of singing along to the radio and watching MTV convinced him to put together a band and start writing songs. Fun facts JT toured the globe as a personal assistant for Marilyn Manson and he recorded his first demo with money he won on VH-1′s Rock N Roll Jeopardy tv show. Recently JT co-wrote the Double Platinum single “Smile” by Uncle Kracker which is on Uncle Kracker’s current album “Happy Hour”. In addition, JT co-wrote the three week number one hit song “Somewhere With You” by Kenny Chesney. Other recent songs “Feelin Alive” by The Jonas Brothers, “Love in America” by JTX, “Alone With You” by Jake Owen among others.

About Jonathan Singleton: Jonathan Singleton’s hometown of Jackson, Tennessee lies roughly halfway between Memphis and Nashville, and that turns out to be a pretty good guide to the geography of the music he writes. Singleton’s gritty guitars and blues-saturated vocal attack draw heavily from the American center of soul, while the stories and lyrical craft are pure Music City. It’s a potent mix. Jonathan has co-written the #1 “Watching Airplanes” for country maverick Gary Allan, Billy Currington’s #1 “Don’t”, Josh Turner’s latest #1 hit “Why Don’t We Just Dance”, “Let It Rain” and “Red Light” for David Nail. “Red Light” was the longest charting country singles 2009, and was nominated for ACM’s Country single of the year. “Let It Rain” was David’s 1st #1 song on country radio. Jonathan has also recently had songs recorded by Faith Hill, Black Shelton, and Keith Urban. “I try not to get too far ahead of myself,” says the easy-going Singleton. “These songs and what we do on stage every night are real. I just try and stay focused on making authentic music that I can be proud of, and all the rest will just be icing on the cake.”

About ASCAP: The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a professional membership organization of songwriters, composers and music publishers of every kind of music. ASCAP’s mission is to license and promote the music of its members and foreign affiliates, obtain fair compensation for the public performance of their works and to distribute the royalties that it collects based upon those performances. ASCAP members write the world’s best-loved music and ASCAP has pioneered the efficient licensing of that music to hundreds of thousands of enterprises who use it to add value to their business – from bars, restaurants and retail, to radio, TV and cable, to Internet, mobile services and more. The ASCAP license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. With over 450,000 members representing more than 8.5 million copyrighted works, ASCAP is the worldwide leader in performance royalties, service and advocacy for songwriters and composers, and the only American performing rights organization (PRO) owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. http://www.ascap.com

About City National Bank: City National Bank is the wholly owned subsidiary of City National Corporation (NYSE: CYN). It is backed by $28.6 billion in total assets, and provides banking, investment and trust services through 78 offices, including 16 full-service regional centers, in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada, New York City, Nashville and Atlanta. The company and its investment affiliates manage or administer $56.7 billion in client investment assets, including $38.2 billion under direct management. For more information about City National, visit the company’s Website at cnb.com.

About Country Radio Seminar:
Country Radio Seminar is an annual convention designed to educate and promote the exchange of ideas and business practices in the Country music industry, with specific emphasis on issues relevant to Country radio. CRS 2013 will be held Feb. 27 – March 1, 2013, in downtown Nashville, Tenn., at the Nashville Convention Center. Visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com for more information. Country Radio Seminar is a property of Country Radio Broadcasters.