(Nashville, TN – March 29, 2012) – The AristoMedia Group has issued the first Country International Report for 2012.  The company has been issuing this quarterly review of global activities since 2008.

Highlights in this issue include:

• A Q&A with the Country Music Association CEO Steve Moore, who discusses some of the organizations current global initiatives.
• An overview of the humanitarian organization World Vision global outreach reaching country artists.
• An update of how American acts made a major impact at this year’s CMC Rock the Hunter festival in Australia.  This year’s CMC Rocks The Hunter festival in Australia drew more U.S. acts than ever before – including headliners Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.  Dierks Bentley, Wynonna, Eli Young Band, Craig Campbell and others also made the trip Down Under.
• A summary of awards presented to Judy Seale, Felicity Urquhart and Marie Moloney
• A recap of the Canadian CMA board meetings recently held in Nashville

The newsletter also notes the dates for the upcoming Global Showcases that occur annually in downtown Nashville, preceeding the CMA Music Festival on June 4 and 5.

The Aristo International Report is best viewed using the latest Firefox browser.Please click one of the links at the bottom of the page to view the newsletter online at www.AristoMedia.com or as a downloadable .pdf file.

CRS 2012 Photo Highlights

(Nashville, Tenn. – Feb. 27, 2012)  CRS 2012 was held Feb. 22-24 in Nashville, Tenn., offering professionals from the Country radio industry three days and nights of panels, speakers, luncheons, research presentations, musical performances and networking opportunities.  Included below are selected photo highlights from CRS 2012.

The 2012 inductees to the Country Radio Hall of Fame, held Tuesday, Feb. 21, as the unofficial kick-off to CRS 2012.  L to R: CRS President Mike Culotta, inductees Eddie Stubbs, Ron Rogers, Beverlee Brannigan, Rusty Walker, Bill Whyte, Moby, CRS President’s Award winner Bob Kingsley, CRS Executive Director Bill Mayne.  (Not pictured: CRS Lifetime Achievement Award winner Glen Campbell).  Photo: Bev Moser.

Rascal Flatts accepted the CRS 2012 Artist Humanitarian of the Year award on Wednesday, Feb. 22, following the seminar’s opening ceremonies.  Photo: Bev Moser.

Songwriter showcase KCRS Live! featured hit songwriters and artists.  Pictured L to R:  Jim Collins, Andy Gibson, Aaron Lewis, Bobby Pinson.  Photo: Bev Moser.

L to R: Marc Chase, Leslie Fram, Lance Tidwell and Tom Baldrica led the “Show Me Your Hits” panel at CRS 2012 on Friday, Feb. 24.  Photo: Bev Moser.

Performers at the annual New Faces of Country Music Show, co-sponsored by MDA and ACM, closed out CRS 2012 on Friday night, Feb. 24, at the Nashville Convention Center.  Pictured L to R, top row: Jon Jones (Eli Young Band), Mike Eli (Eli Young Band), Sunny Sweeney, James Young (Eli Young Band), Chris Thompson (Eli Young Band).  Bottom row, L to R: CRS Executive Director Bill Mayne, David Nail, Hunter Hayes, CRS President Mike Culotta. (Not pictured: New Faces performers Thompson Square). Photo: Bev Moser.

(Nashville, Tenn. – Nov. 28, 2011) Hunter Hayes, David Nail, Sunny Sweeney, Thompson Square and Eli Young Band have been announced as the CRS 2012 New Faces of Country Music Show® performers.

The 2012 New Faces of Country Music Show will be held Friday, Feb. 24, 2012, at Country Radio Seminar inside the downtown Nashville Convention Center.  Co-sponsored by the Academy of Country Music and Muscular Dystrophy Association, the annual new artist showcase event officially closes out the three-day seminar and remains one of the most anticipated performances each year at CRS.  Tickets to last year’s New Faces show sold out more than six weeks prior to CRS 2011.

“The future of Country radio happens every twenty minutes on the New Faces of Country Music Show!  Radio has spoken clearly with this year’s wonderful lineup of Hunter Hayes, David Nail, Sunny Sweeney, Thompson Square and Eli Young Band for the crown jewel of CRS 2012,” says New Faces Committee Chair John Crenshaw.

CRS sponsor Lucchese Boots is proudly providing each New Faces performer with a custom-made pair of Lucchese Boots.

The $499 Regular Registration rate for CRS 2012 is currently available at 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 2012 will be held Feb. 22-24, 2012, 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.

2012 New Faces nominees are Craig Campbell, Edens Edge, Hunter Hayes, David Nail, Sunny Sweeney, Thompson Square, James Wesley and Eli Young Band

(Nashville, Tenn. – Nov. 16, 2011) Voting is now open to all Country radio station employees for the CRS 2012 New Faces of Country Music Show®, to be held Friday, Feb. 24, 2012, at the Nashville Convention Center.

This year’s nominees are: Craig Campbell, Edens Edge, Hunter Hayes, David Nail, Sunny Sweeney, Thompson Square, James Wesley and Eli Young Band. Any employee of a commercial, full-time Country formatted radio station is allowed to vote for the 2012 New Faces of Country Music Show performers.  Voting for the five finalists will remain open at www.CountryRadioSeminar.com (direct link here) through Wednesday, Nov. 23.

“The New Faces show at Country Radio Seminar has always been about giving new artists the opportunity to show us who they are and giving programmers a sense of what the future holds,” says New Faces Committee Chair John Crenshaw.  “We at CRS believe in involving all of radio in deciding in who should have this opportunity.  This is where stars can emerge in a matter of 20 minutes, in large part because of the participation of Country radio.”

The New Faces of Country Music Show, co-sponsored by the Academy of Country Music and Muscular Dystrophy Association, is one of the most anticipated events at Country Radio Seminar, held Feb. 22-24, 2012.  Five emerging artists that have achieved significant success at Country radio during the qualification period are selected to perform at the showcase event.

The official New Faces of Country Music qualification criteria appear on www.CountryRadioSeminar.com as follows:

1. The qualification period is November 1 – October 31, preceding the New Faces Show.

2. The artist(s) selected must have NEVER appeared on the New Faces Show.  Solo performers that become a member of a group or duo, or a group or duo member that becomes a solo artist will be considered as an individual and separate artist, and is therefore eligible.

3. Acts must have had at least ONE Top 25 single on the The Mediabase Country Chart as published in Country Aircheck or at least ONE Top 25 single on the Billboard Country Chart during the qualification period.

4. Acts may not have more than two albums on the Billboard Country Top 50 Country Album chart, nor more than two albums that peaked above No. 50 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart (or corresponding Nielsen Soundscan-based chart) by the end of the qualification period.

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 2012 will be held Feb. 22-24, 2012, 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.