New CRB Officers, Board Members Announced

(Nashville, TN – March 1, 2010) Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc.® has announced the attendance figures for CRS 2010, reflecting a 3.5 percent increase over 2009 Country Radio Seminar attendance numbers.

This year’s CRS 2010 total attendance was 2,181, with 1,576 full registrants (attendees, exhibitors, panelists and sponsors) and 605 participant registrants. Participant registrants represent attendees that register for individual events or single day passes, but not the full three-day seminar. Last year’s CRS 2009 total attendance was 2,106.

“We are extremely pleased that CRS 2010 not only met our expectations, but exceeded them this year in many ways,” says CRB interim Executive Director Bill Mayne. “The attendance, sponsorship, participation, and enthusiasm were especially heartening. The level of artist talent was stellar, and the radio agenda panels were thought provoking and relevant. We were encouraged to see the Country Radio industry really get behind this year’s seminar, and our attendance figures show that. Every participant had the opportunity to walk away with valuable resources, relationships and ideas, and we look forward to continuing to improve the CRS experience as we move forward with this event for many more years to come.”

Several changes to the CRS agenda committee and CRB board of directors have been announced, including the creation of an additional CRS Co-Vice Chair position.

The newly elected CRB board officers and CRS agenda committee members are as follows:

CRB President: Mike Culotta (WQYK, Tampa, Fla.)
CRB Vice President: R.J. Curtis (Arista Nashville, Nashville, Tenn.)
CRB Secretary: Carole Bowen (WKIS, Miami, Fla.)

CRB Treasurer: Jeff Walker (The AristoMedia Group, Nashville, Tenn.)
CRS 2011 Agenda Chair: John Paul (Dial Global, Denver, Colo.)

CRS 2011 Co-Vice Chair: Clint Marsh (Talking Stick Communications, Warsaw, Ind.)
CRB 2011 Co-Vice Chair: Annie Sandor (Curb Records, Nashville, Tenn.)

“We feel it’s important to emphasize the sales side of Country radio at CRS 2011, so we have added another Vice Chair position to our agenda committee,” says Agenda Chair John Paul. “With the addition of Clint Marsh, we now have a Vice Chair who comes from the General Manager side of things, while the other Vice Chair, Annie Sandor, comes from the label/promotion side. With my experience in programming, we have nearly every angle of our business covered as we begin planning CRS 2011.”

The newly elected CRB board members are Jim Asker (All Access, Nashville, Tenn.) and Charlie Morgan (Emmis Communications, Indianapolis, Ind.). Both will serve three-year terms on the CRB board, along with re-elected members Becky Brenner, Joel Burke, Mike Dungan, Renee Leymon, Mike McVay, Joel Raab and John Zarling.

Continuing their terms on the CRB board are: Tom Baldrica, Carole Bowen, Natalie Conner, John Crenshaw, Mike Culotta, R.J. Curtis, David Haley, Clay Hunnicutt, Keith Kaufman, Scott Lindy, Bill Macky, Michael Osterhout, Royce Risser, Denise Roberts, Tim Roberts, John Shomby, Jeff Walker and Rusty Walker.

Newly elected CRB President Mike Culotta summed up CRS 2010 this way. “Wow! What a vivacious, energetic Country Radio Seminar we had this year! I think it proves that when we work together as an industry, even during these challenging times, there’s nothing this event can’t accomplish. I’ve always been a huge believer in CRS, and we all need to believe in it now more than ever. Let’s continue to grow through learning and innovation, because that’s what distinguishes leaders from followers.”

CRS 2011 will be held March 2-4, 2011, at the Nashville Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn. Visit www.CRB.org for more information about Country Radio Seminar and the Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc.

About CRS:
The Country Radio Seminar is an annual convention designed to educate and promote the exchange of ideas in the country music industry. Country Radio Seminar is a registered trademark of Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. CRS 2011 will be held March 2-4, 2011, in downtown Nashville, Tenn.

About CRB:

The Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. ® is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization founded in 1969 to bring radio broadcasters from around the world together with the Country Music Industry to ensure vitality and promote growth in the Country Radio format. More information may be obtained at: www.CRB.org or at the CRB office at 615-327-4487.

Presentations Held During New Faces of Country Music Show®

(Nashville, TN – Feb. 26, 2010) The inaugural CRB-Country Aircheck Awards were held Friday, Feb. 26, inside the Nashville Convention Center at CRS 2010.

CRB President Becky Brenner co-presented the 28 awards with Country Aircheck’s Lon Helton in between performances at the New Faces of Country Music Show.

The 2010 CRB-Country Aircheck Award winners are:

WUSN/Chicago – Major Market Country Radio Station

WSIX/Nashville – Large Market Country Radio Station

WIVK/Knoxville – Medium Market Country Radio Station

WUSY/Chattanooga – Small Market Country Radio Station

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Lisa Decker – Market Manager/GM, Major Market

Tom English – Market Manager/GM, Large Market

Mel Owens – Market Manager/GM, Medium Market

Ken Salyer – Market Manager/GM, Small Market

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Meg Stevens – Major Market OM/Program Director

Mac Daniels – Large Market OM/Program Director

Mike Hammond – Medium Market OM/Program Director

Gator Harrison – Small Market OM/Program Director

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Marci Braun – Major Market Music Director

Bob Pickett – Large Market Music Director

Kix Layton – Medium Market Music Director

Brian Hatfield – Small Market Music Director

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Bob Kingsley – National Air Personality

Lisa Dent & Ramblin’ Ray – Major Market Personality

Gerry House & The House Foundation – Large Market Personality

Andy & Allison – Medium Market Personality

Bearman & Ken – Small Market Personality

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Capitol/Nashville – Platinum Record Label

Big Machine – Gold Record Label

Jack Purcell – VP/Promotion

Renee Leymon – Director/National Promotion

Mandy McCormack – Regional Promoter

Larry Paregis – Independent Promoter

Mark Medina – New Face Of Country

There were 28 total awards given out Friday night: 21 Radio Awards, five Record Label Awards, one Independent Promotion Team/Promoter Award and a New Face of Country Professional Award.

Radio awards were broken into four markets: Major (1-25), Large (26-50), Medium (51-100) and Small (101+). Awards for each market recognized outstanding achievement in the Station, General Manager, Program Director, Music Director and Air Personality categories. There was also one National Personality award presented.

About CRB: The Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc.® is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization founded in 1969 to bring radio broadcasters from around the world together with the Country Music Industry to ensure vitality and promote growth in the Country Radio format.

About CRS: The Country Radio Seminar (CRS) is an annual convention designed to educate and promote the exchange of ideas in the country music industry. CRS takes place at the Nashville Convention Center in downtown Nashville, Tenn. Country Radio Seminar is a registered trademark of Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc.

About Country Aircheck: Country Aircheck is the leading force in the Country radio trade publication industry as a multi-faceted news and information source. The Nashville-based company publishes several branded products including Country Aircheck Today, Country Aircheck Weekly, Country Aircheck’s “The Adds,” and Country Aircheck quarterly Print Publications. For more information, call 615-320-1450 or visit www.countryaircheck.com.

(Nashville, TN – Feb. 24, 2010) On Wednesday, Feb. 24, Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. handed out its 2010 Artist Humanitarian, Radio Humanitarian and Tom Rivers Humanitarian Awards at CRS 2010.

This year’s CRB Artist Humanitarian Award was presented to Trace Adkins. Since 2002, Adkins has worked closely with the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to educating others about potentially life-threatening food allergies. Adkins’ daughter, Brianna, was diagnosed with severe food allergies when she was nine months old. Adkins became a National Spokesperson for FAAN in 2005 and has also served as the organization’s Honorary Chair. The Country singer appeared on “The Celebrity Apprentice” in 2008 in an effort to raise money for the foundation and co-sponsored legislation with U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker that would help schools protect the more than 2.2 million children nationwide who suffer from food allergies.

In 1990, CRB instituted the Artist Humanitarian Award, which was first presented during CRS-21. Past honorees include Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Garth Brooks, Charlie Daniels and Kenny Rogers. Last year’s recipient, Randy Owen, presented Adkins with the award on Wednesday morning at the Artist and Radio Humanitarian Awards Presentation during CRS.

The CRB Radio Humanitarian Awards, sponsored by Radio Ink, are presented to full-time Country radio stations for their efforts to improve the quality of life for communities they serve. The 2010 awards are presented to stations in three categories: Large (markets 1-50), Medium (markets 51-130), and Small (markets 131+) for public service performed November 1, 2008 – December 31, 2009.

Large Market Winner: 97.3 WGH, Norfolk-Hampton Roads, Va.
Eagle 97.3 has been a part of the Country Cares For St. Jude Kids program for the past 18 years. Each year, the station partners with the Center for Child and Family Services to raise funding with the “Country for Kids Concert” and also serves as an integral part in many local homecoming celebrations for troops returning from deployment around the world. The station is also involved with the Susan G. Komen programs, Feed the Hungry Union Mission, March of Dimes, Hampton Roads Crimeline and countless other community service programs to benefit their community.

Medium Market Winner: 103.7 KXKT, Omaha, Neb.
KXKT KAT 103.7 has been an integral part of the Omaha community for more than 16 years. With the help of their loyal listeners, they raised more than 1.3 million dollars for more than 50 different charities. Their involvement provides major funding for Children’s Hospital of Omaha, The Salvation Army, The Foodbank for the Heartland, Nebraska Organ Recovery Program, YMCA, Toys for Tots, Heart Association, The Nebraska Children’s home and many more.

Small Market Winner: 99.9 WKSF, Asheville, NC

99.9 WKSF Kiss Country gives back to their listeners and local charities by raising funds for Mission Children’s Hospital, Toys For Tots, Western Carolina Rescue Mission, Local Hospice, The Tye Blanton Foundation, Humane Society, The First Life Organization, March of Dimes, and many more. In 2009, they contributed to more than 70 charities, raising more than 1 million dollars.

This year’s Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award went to George G. Beasley, noted radio broadcaster, educator and founder of Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc. Located in Naples, Fla., Beasley Broadcast Group owns and operates 42 radio stations in 11 large and mid-sized markets, including five markets with Country-formatted stations. Beasley was inducted into the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1998 after receiving the prestigious Distinguished Broadcaster of North Carolina Award. In 2003, he received the Broadcast Pioneer Award from the Broadcasters Foundation and was recently honored with the addition of the George G. Beasley Broadcasting Complex to the Appalachian State University campus in Boone, NC. Prior to his radio career, Beasley was a schoolteacher, principal and 16-year member of the Wayne County Board of Education in Goldsboro, NC.

The intent of the Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award, given at the discretion of the Country Radio Broadcasters Board of Directors, is to recognize an individual in the Country Radio industry who has displayed a magnanimous spirit of caring and generosity in service to their community. The award is given when the board feels an individual, through outstanding service, warrants the recognition.