Cumulus Media: “It’s Time For Country To Fragment”
Ever since the partnership between radio owner Cumulus Media and the Big Machine Label Group called NASH Icon was proposed, the big question has been if it will it result in the country music radio format splitting in two. Country music is one of the last genres to resist splintering, but as Top 40 country continues to abandon older economically-viable artists, it has become a necessity to give older artists a home somewhere on the radio dial.
After a conference call on Monday (8-25) with Cumulus Media’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer John Dickey (brother of President and CEO Lew Dickey), all speculation about whether a country split will happen can be put to bed, at least if Cumulus has anything to say about it. Country Music is splitting, and will eventually constitute two completely different formats. And though you may still hear Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line on the new format upon occasion, you will also hear Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Randy Travis, George Strait, and many other artists that were relevant in the 80’s and 90’s that mainstream country has abandoned.
“It is time for country to fragment,” John Dickey said plainly on the conference call, while offering more detailed insight than ever into exactly what NASH Icon will look like when it’s rolled out. Cumulus launched 15 initial NASH Icon stations recently, but says it won’t be until 2015 before everything is completely up an running.
READ: A Breakdown of the NASH Icon Playlist
The Rationale
Why does country music need to fragment into two formats? John Dickey explains.
“Country today is the largest format in terms of appeal and market share, certainly the last of its size that hasn’t fragmented. To me it wasn’t a question of will the format fragment, but when. And that time has come. The whole idea around NASH Icon is to create a parallel universe in country. Not a flanking format, but another platform for artists that were extremely prolific in the mid to late ‘80s, ‘90s and early to mid 2000s to regain some of that relevancy again. Unlike other attempts to fragment this format … this is really based on solid metrics, the depth, appeal, and attraction of these artists, the low burn of their music (meaning people still enjoy it), and the fact that they’re not present in country on the radio.”
Forget the 25-Year, “Classic” Country Window
When NASH Icon was first announced, the Cliff Notes version of what it would feel like was centered around country music’s “Class of ’89” with artists like Garth Brooks, Clint Black, and Alan Jackson. However NASH Icon’s range will be much wider, going deeper into the 80’s than 1989, and ranging all the way up to present-day hits.
“The format is going to be about 25% current-driven, and that’s going to increase as some of these artists … get into the studio and start to put out new music,” says Dickey
In other words, older artists who were relevant in the 80’s and 90’s, but who put out new music today, will have a home on NASH Icon for brand new singles.
“The balance is going to be made up from calls from the 80’s, 90’s, and 2000’s, predominantly anchored in the 90’s and 2000’s, with a little bit of ’80’s. But this format is really all about the face cards—the big artists from that 20-25 year period of time, mixed in with artists from today that make sense and have a sound that fits and is compatible.”
Dickey also addresses so-called “Bro-Country,” saying, “You won’t hear a lot of what we affectionately term in the business today as ‘Bro-Country.” This is a format that I can expect to be competitive 25-34, but like Hot AC, is really going to find a sweet spot 30-50.”
However if you look at the playlist of one of the recently-launched NASH Icon stations, you can find plays for songs like Luke Bryan’s “That’s My Kind of Night,” or “Blake Shelton’s “Boys ‘Round Here.” Those plays may disappear over time as the format tweaks itself, but at the moment, there is a discrepancy between John Dickey’s words, and the NASH Icon playlists. Those “current” songs may also be replaced by new songs from older artists, once those songs are released to the new format.
The Impact
John Dickey and Cumulus do not see NASH Icon as second-rate country music programing. They see it living side-by-side with Top 40, competing aggressively, if not challenging country music as a whole to step up its game.
“[It is] already resonating big time and is only going to snowball and pick up more steam,” Dickey says. “As we continue to build out this platform, people will see this format is capable at playing at the biggest levels alongside where mainstream country is. This can stand side-by-side with mainstream country, and not Cannibalize it, but grow the total shares in the markets. What it’s going to do … is shape the creative community in Nashville, or motivate them a little bit more on some music that they probably haven’t been able to find the right home for. And I’m talking about specifically the writing community.“
The content glut of worthy songs that are not finding artists to cut them has been a side story to the Top 40, “Bro-Country” dominance of the format currently. We’ve heard people ranging from T Bone Burnett to Garth Brooks say that the amount and quality of songs waiting to be heard is astounding. There just hasn’t been an outlet for substantive material in country music for some time.
What Else To Expect
“There will be a morning show out of our NASH campus that will be purposed for NASH Icon,” John Dickey says. “It will be different than what we’re doing with NASH and ‘America’s Morning Show’ with Blair Garner. It’s going to [have] more of a living room setting and be more music intensive, but more interview-driven. Artists will come in and sit alongside the host of the show … I expect that to be online by the end of the year. With respect to any other day parts, there is nothing planned at this point that we would syndicate.”
“Westwood One is going to be offering NASH Icon as a format to affiliates starting almost immediately. We’re going to build on Stork platform, on what we call our localized format; completely customizable for any market. The Stork technology allows for somebody to take any day part or piece of the format that we offer and customize that around any live day parts that happen to be running … That technology allows for a very customized sound and custom feel to the format.”
This is where Cumulus and NASH differ from their biggest national competitor, Clear Channel. Clear Channel does not allow local formats to customize in many cases, breeding national homogenization to local formats. However many times local NASH affiliates still decide to go with national programming because the cost is cheaper than hiring local talent.
John Dickey also says that he expects Big Machine Records to begin announcing NASH Icon artists for the record label “sooner rather than later, probably within the next 30 to 60 days.”
What This All Means
As we can already see from the discrepancy between what John Dickey is saying about “Bro-Country” and what is showing up on playlists, it is going to take some time for NASH Icon to get its feet under itself and smooth out all the wrinkles. Regardless of who is being played from the current crop of mainstream country stars, you can also see from both the current NASH Icon playlists, and John Dickey’s words that older artist will once again be found on the radio airwaves, and not just on small, “classic” country stations. This new format also doesn’t threaten to Cannibalize those existing independent classic country stations unless they’re directly converted to a NASH Icon affiliate by Cumulus, because those listeners are not going to want to listen to Luke Bryan mixed in with their Randy Travis and Willie Nelson. But the format will potentially introduce those older artists to an entirely new audience, and challenge Top 40 country to deliver a little more variety and substance, or force listeners to switch channels.
One of the big questions that still remains is if Clear Channel—the #1 radio station owner in the country—will launch its own answer to NASH Icon.
READ: The Best & Worst Case Scenarios For The New Classic Country Format
August 26, 2014 @ 10:23 am
The more this develops, the more I like it. I hate the country radio in LA. It’s hot garbage. If another station in LA switches over to the NASH ICON brand, then I may be able to listen to it, and I’d appreciate that. I’d also love to see NASH ICON develop young talent with an old-school feel. Whitey Morgan immediately comes to mind. Let Clear Channel have Cole Swindell and FLGALine. I’ll take Whitey Morgan and Jason Isbell on NASH ICON, please.
August 26, 2014 @ 10:49 am
The way it sounds right now, people like Isbell won’t be played on ICON. It appears that only people from the 80s-early 00s with new material will be played.
It would be nice to play some new indie country acts but I’m not holding my breath.
August 26, 2014 @ 10:59 am
I don’t think they are going to be rocking Whitey Morgan or Jason Isbell anytime soon though. They are still going to be mining the safe country vein with the commercial and cliche crowd of Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, etc… This is still going to be all about safe proven past hit makers just getting recycled with no cause for excitement. Unless you are just dying for the recycling of safe commercial cliche country save for the occasional Johnny Cash song. And I’m not really sure he ever was really “country”. Was he? He seemed to be something more.
On another note, I found it interesting that in the entirety of the article that when referencing artists for whatever reason they isn’t a single female performer mentioned. Do they need their own sub-genre?
August 26, 2014 @ 11:18 am
The question for me is not if this is going to be ideal for Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson fans. These are artists who have purposely remained independent, and not receiving mainstream radio play is one of the penances you pay for that. Sturgill has been gloating how he’s been turning down major labels left and right. Okay then, there’s your ticket to mainstream radio play being thrown out the window. Thirty Tigers is never going to be able to service a legitimate single to radio. I’m not necessarily complaining. Major labels come with their own trappings, and I’m not necessarily endorsing Sturgill sign to one. I’m just saying, it is Sturgill’s mindset keeping him off of radio as much as anything. It’s not necessarily fair to just blame corporations for being unimaginative. If they’re reaching out to artists like Sturgill, they’re at least trying to do their part.
The real question is if this will be a step better. Will it be an alternative to what we have now that may open up consumer’s minds on a mass level to an entire new world of country music. This in turn could lead to more attention for an artist like Sturgill Simpson, and all classic country-styled artists.
August 26, 2014 @ 11:51 am
True that the majors are lining up for SS and that deal might happen on one of their subsidaries at some point (of course he might find a rhyme for Bronco first). Anywho we are on the same page on this.
Oh BTW didn’t you find it interesting that no female artists were mentioned? I don’t think its intentional but obivious once noticed. Like they never existed. Thoughts?
August 26, 2014 @ 12:49 pm
Trisha Yearwood, Lee Ann Womack, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, and others have already been mentioned to be part of the format. I think they were just throwing the top few names around that happen to be male. I expect the same female discrepancy that exists throughout country music represented with NASH Icon, but I don’t see them being excluded. In fact they may be the biggest signees to the NASH Icon label.
August 26, 2014 @ 5:34 pm
Personally, I have never understood why people claim that Johnny Cash wasn’t a country artist. It’s true that his appeal transcends the country category, but the same could also be said of artists like Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris. In my experience, some modern Cash fans claim that he wasn’t country because they look down on country music and want to dissociate from it, but I wonder how many of those people are aware of how much Cash idolized the Louvin Brothers, or recall the fact that throughout most of his life, Cash participated in mainstream country award shows, employed mainstream country acts on his tours, and so on. He even appeared on corny shows like Hee Haw. (Oh, and I’m not lumping you in to the category I’m describing Bigfoot. Just making an observation. )
Regarding female artists who are suited to the new format: I’ve recently been following Lee Ann Womack’s Twitter account, and I’m beginning to catch on to the fact that she’s a pretty hip lady. She really seems to know her stuff when it comes to country music, especially that of the current independent variety. Her new single is really good too (very rootsy), and the Nash Icon stations continue to play it, bless their hearts. I could see her being a strong advocate for real country music moving forward.
August 26, 2014 @ 6:13 pm
“I Hope You Dance” notwithstanding, Lee Ann Womack has been a vocal champion of Real Country Music for her entire career. Even on that album she was covering Buddy and Julie Miller’s “Does My Ring Burn Your Finger.” And There’s More Where That Came From was the best mainstream country album to come out in the last 30 years, IMO.
August 26, 2014 @ 6:22 pm
‘Never Again, Again’ is an underappreciated classic. It was her debut single and didn’t make the top ten but is as country as it can get. It could easily have been a Tammy Wynette song from the early seventies.
August 26, 2014 @ 12:26 pm
…..Easton Corbin , Josh Turner , Chris Young . Sturgill Simpson and many many more , of course , . solid ‘new’ country talent that is all but ignored by bro-country formats.
Perhaps the pendulum is beginning to swing ? This is GREAT news -if this network can get a foothold and NOT back-pedal on their proposed format to cater strictly to $$$.
August 26, 2014 @ 12:43 pm
“I”™d also love to see NASH ICON develop young talent with an old-school feel.”
As a read Trigger’s write up I was thinking this too. I want to hear new folks like Sturgill Simpson on these NASH stations.
August 26, 2014 @ 10:32 am
This is why pop radio needs to play country music by Taylor Swift. In my mind, I want Taylor Swift’s country songs like Ours on pop radio or even top 40 radio this year. Why? Because Taylor Swift is no longer country and her entire pop singles selection is incomplete.
August 26, 2014 @ 10:42 am
I read CMT Edge constantly and I noticed, why can’t we have radio station whose playlist is like that?
August 26, 2014 @ 10:51 am
Because many of the artists CMT Edge and some of the artists Saving Country Music features are not economically viable on a mainstream level, and that is just the cold hard truth of the matter. That is why CMT couches them as “EDGE”, which I don’t agree with because it relegates these artists to a substandard set.
What is interesting about the NASH Icon idea is that it puts older artists alongside newer artists, offering no marked distinction between Florida Georgia Line, Willie Nelson, and Randy Travis. In my opinion, this is a much more healthy environment to facilitate discovery and introduction of worthy artists to new audiences.
August 26, 2014 @ 5:43 pm
I just hope that Randy hasn’t been silenced forever. It is especially tragic to think that a new radio format has come along that is specifically suited to play new Randy Travis music and breathe new life into his career, and that he might not be able to participate. Damn.
Also, on a much less tragic but still sad note, George Strait retired too soon! This format could extend his career indefinitely, and he could even record more traditional-sounding country than the current mainstream format would ever let him get away with.
August 27, 2014 @ 9:36 am
For what it’s worth, Applejack, George Strait said he was going to be retiring from touring. He’ll still be recording music. If I remember right he signed another five-album deal with MCA Nashville when he announced his final tour. I wouldn’t be surprised if Strait records music till the day he dies. And it’ll certainly have a place with this new format.
August 26, 2014 @ 4:03 pm
do yourself a favor and download the 95.9 the ranch APP to your phone
August 26, 2014 @ 10:43 am
and what Nash is now doing is what WSM has already been doing years and years ago only WSM stretches their classics all the way to the ’40s.
August 26, 2014 @ 10:53 am
Of course WSM and dozens of other radio stations have been doing this for years, but guess what, barely anyone is listening to them compared to the numbers and entire format split could deliver. And if some of those people find the classic music on NASH Icon speaking to them, maybe they will abandon corporate music altogether and begin to listen to stations like WSM.
August 26, 2014 @ 5:58 pm
On the whole, I think this new format is a positive development, but the biggest thing that worries me personally is wondering what might happen to WSM-AM in the future.
Cumulus just launched the Nash Icon format in Nashville, and its playlist is similar enough to WSM-AM’s standard format that I can’t imagine that it’s not going to cut into WSM-AM’s meager market share.
Generally, I think Gaylord does a good job with WSM, but at the end of the day, Gaylord a business, not a non-profit organization. If WSM-AM can’t compete in the current marketplace, I fear what might happen to it. But hey, maybe their audience is loyal enough that they will do just fine.
For me, the ideal scenario is that one day the station might be operated by the Country Music Hall of Fame somehow, but I have no idea if that would even be a possibility.
August 26, 2014 @ 7:36 pm
It doesn’t help that it’s the WSM FM equivalent that was the station selected in Nashville to carry this new format, but in the end I think WSM AM’s reputation is so legendary it will withstand any competition. If listeners really feel torn between the two, they’ll go with The Legend. I have been lobbying for years for WSM and the Grand Ole Opry come under the control of the Country Music Hall of Fame to ensure their preservation and take the commercial concerns out of their business model. But of course, this is mostly a pipe dream.
August 26, 2014 @ 9:54 pm
I hope you’re right about WSM AM, Trig.
I realize there’s no indication at the moment of Gaylord being interested in spinning off its “entertainment brands,” as they are called on the company website, but if they were, I wonder if the Country Music Hall of Fame would even be interested in acquiring them.
I don’t know enough about “the business” to know what the biggest obstacle to such an acquisition might be, or how much money it would cost to manage either of those properties, but I’m pretty sure both of them still turn a profit at this point. At least, that guy Byron Fay seems to think the Opry is still profitable.
August 31, 2014 @ 10:47 am
I believe WSM-AM has enough supports that they have no reason not to keep it true country.The fact that WSM-AM has so many listeners around the world on line,plus through app’s on smart phones,proves that.It would be foolish to change it now.
As far as NASH goes,until they start playing songs by my no/1 favorite singer ; Loretta Lynn,I don’t listen to them.We have a NASH station in nearby Cincinnati Ohio that I don’t listen to because of this.I don’t listen to the competing country station either for the same reason.I’m 50,and I LOVE Loretta.Have loved her since I was 5 or 6 years old.She will forever be my no.1 favorite singer.And I only listen to country stations that play her songs.Or I play her CD’s.The so called country stations that won’t play her songs,I won’t listen to.Period.
August 26, 2014 @ 10:43 am
I can’t wait to hear from artists that may get Airplay. On the senior end aside from Willie, I’ve programmed new music from Jim Ed Brown and Bill Anderson. How many of Merle Haggards upcoming projects may be considered. Also will they program dead
hit makers such as Eddie Rabbit and Mel McDaniel.
August 27, 2014 @ 9:00 pm
Along the line of artests that might be played, Marty Rayborn is reuniting Shanendoah
for a few upcoming dates and a possable album.
http://bluegrasstoday.com/marty-raybon-announces-shenandoah-reunion-tour/
August 26, 2014 @ 10:49 am
There’s one line in this that really stands out to me: “But this format is really all about the face cards””the big artists from that 20-25 year period of time, mixed in with artists from today that make sense and have a sound that fits and is compatible.”
Do you think this means artists like Jamey Johnson, Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson and other classic country independent artists will be given a shot on this NASH Icon venture? I’m skeptical, but I’m curious as to what you think.
August 26, 2014 @ 10:56 am
I really have no idea, but I do think we could only expect the very very top of the independent music world, like Sturgill, Old Crow Medicine Show, etc. to show up here. Really, the main thing that has to be worked out is how singles will be serviced to this new format. If an artist wants a song heard, they just can’t simply release it and hope someone plays it. They have to solicit radio for plays. If someone like Sturgill Simpson or Jason Isbell did this, would it be well received? That’s a big question at the moment.
August 26, 2014 @ 11:37 am
Looking at it from the perspective of a former radio programmer, I really doubt it.
Reason being, even starting with a blank slate everything has to fit. We know that the focus is going to be recurrent hits primarily from the 1990s with new material from artists of that era and a smattering of current artists like Luke Bryan and his ilk, someone like Sturgill Simpson is still out of place. That doesn’t necessarily mean that an “underground” artist who fits more into the ’90s-era vein won’t be played, though.
August 26, 2014 @ 10:59 am
I could probably get behind something like this if it cultivated new talent as opposed to just playing the older artists that have been shuffled off the radio. Sooner or later all these folks are going to retire and die, and then where’s country music going to be? Without that new talent it’s going to be in the same place rock music is now, and that would be a shame.
I am also glad to see them dispensing with the 25-year window, even if I’d like to see them going back further than just the early 1980s. ‘Cause let’s face it, while the ’90s did have its high points, it also had its share of crap. See: Neal McCoy, Bryan White, Mark Wills, etc.
August 26, 2014 @ 11:20 am
Great writeup, Trigger.
Are you sure about this? The Cumulus description of what the Stork technology will be used for sounds an awful lot like Clear Channel’s Premium Choice as described here, and that was launched 5 years ago. 2 1/2 years after it was launched, Clear Channel launched some major restructuring of small market stations that bumped up the Premium Choice content on their stations over local talent.
There are 3 Premium Choice stations on the Mediabase country panel: PCCO, PCLC, and PCTR and to be honest, I’m not sure how they’re differentiated (the 2 7-day playlists I looked at from 2 of the stations didn’t look very different from each other.
I’m for this format in principle, especially if it encourages labels to sign acts and release material from currently disenfranchised acts for currently disenfranchised fans. But it remains to be seen how it works in practice.
August 26, 2014 @ 11:38 am
I’m only sure about what John Dickey said, which alludes to allowing local affiliates the choice of how much national NASH Icon talent to run, and how much local content to include.
I think there’s two ways to look at this: 1) The technology 2) The approach of the business. Generally speaking, Clear Channel seems to be making many decisions from on high about how much and what its affiliates carry as far as local and national programming. For example, we’ve seen Bobby Bones replace well-known, well-liked, and successful local morning crews who either get fired or bumped to mid days, even if it means a ratings drop. Cumulus however insists local Program Directos still have a say so. Whether the Stork technology is simply a Trojan Horse to national takeover, we will just have to see.
August 26, 2014 @ 11:23 am
You know, this “new” format sounds slightly familiar… a home for older country artists who have been pushed out of rotation on mainstream country radio where they can also market their new material, with just a little of a new stuff thrown in for good measure. sounds like a classic idea…classic, why, thats it! A NEW idea, how about a “classic” country station…
Yeah. Gotta love these big corporate bean counters “keeping up with the times.”
Hopefully Cumulus’s so-called new format won’t end up dying on the vine like most of the locally owned classic country stations have been doing in recent years 🙁
August 31, 2014 @ 10:52 am
The fact is,there are classic country format stations already.There are stations in Lexington KY,Dry Ridge KY,Xenia Ohio,(just to name a few) that DO use the name classic country,and do play the classics.
In fact,the one in Xenia Ohio,not only plays the classics,but they play new songs by the legends as well.Now,that’s something all country stations should do,IMO.
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August 26, 2014 @ 11:55 am
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August 26, 2014 @ 12:56 pm
I love Jason Isbell, “Southeastern” is one of the greatest albums I have ever heard, but I don’t see really how it’s seen as classic country style music. I’ve always just imagined it as singer/songwriter or storytelling music vs. straight up country. It’s beautiful music and I love the freedom that comes with the Americana style music
August 26, 2014 @ 2:25 pm
As Jason said in reply to a fan who shouted out a similar (though drunken) sentiment:
“It’s country because I wrote it”.
Good enough for me…
August 26, 2014 @ 2:51 pm
I still think the best that could happen is for this debt laden company to go bankrupt and have the stations auctioned off to the highest bidders BEFORE they implement this NASH crap.
Sorry, but I don’t pine for the nineties and aughts music with a smattering of eighties. Visiting this site and discovering new music that I love to death, I’ve also been exploring what I’ve missed. Including:
Herb Pederson
Hank Jr.
Donna Fargo
Ferlin Husky
Mel Tillis
Emmylou Harris
Glen Campbell
Slim Dusty
Skeeter Davis
The Davis Sisters
Porter Wagoner
Roy Acuff
Bob Wills
Marty Robbins
David Wills
Vern Gosdin
Ray Price
Davidson Brothers
Jim Reeves
Guy Clark
Loretta Lynn
Spade Cooley
Herb Pederson
Lou Bradley
Gary Morris
Bob Luman
Eddie Rabbit
George Jones
And others of course.
While I don’t expect to hear many of those on any radio station (other than Internet or streaming), the arbitrary cutoff guarantees I won’t hear them on NASH. “Classic” rock stations play their roots music, so if country HAS to be subdivided (which I don’t buy) why not include true classics in the format?
I know many here are excited/hopeful that this will be a good thing…especially with the state of things now. To that I’d reply beware the cure isn’t worse than the disease.
August 26, 2014 @ 5:54 pm
Just what we need, another format that doesn’t play new current music from the best women country radio isn’t playing (Kellie Pickler, Kacey Musgraves, Ashley Monroe, Brandy Clark and more). Let us know when they add them. Until then I’m not interested.
August 27, 2014 @ 1:48 am
This sounds like a crock to me. First, it was the last 25 years, now it’s the last 20 to 25 years with some stuff from the 2000’s and bro-cuntry thrown in. Great, we’ll still have to hear Rascal Craps and Barf Looks alongside Puke Bryan. Wonderful! Sign me up!
What’s going to happen is history’s going to repeat itself. The stuff we hate will just creep in more and more, until we have two formats that suck instead of one. The only real solutions are for the people in charge to start caring more about music and culture than they do money; and for the human race to stop being morons. Until both of those things happen, forget about it.
August 27, 2014 @ 8:47 am
One thing that I recommend everyone on here do, is to get the list of all the NASH icons stations and email them like CRAZY and tell them WHAT WE REALLY WANT!
August 27, 2014 @ 9:53 am
I agree. This is a critical time where the consumer needs to rise up and engage with the industry and let them know what they want from this.
August 31, 2014 @ 1:22 pm
But the questions are:Will the Nash stations play what we really want? Or will they be like 99.9 percent of the so called Country stations in the US & Canada that say they play what we the fans want,yet never do.
Over the years,not only have I done this,but a lot of other Loretta Lynn fans have called the stations to request Loretta’s songs,yet the PD’s or MD’s of the stations will use every excuse they can think of to try to get off of the hook with us fans who called to request that song.And those stations want us the fans to believe they are playing what the majority of us wanna hear? Actions speak louder than words.
If NASH starts playing Loretta’s songs,I will listen to them.Til then,I won’t.
August 27, 2014 @ 4:45 am
. . .in terms of appeal and market share . . . flanking format . . . solid metrics . . . low burn . . . expect to be competitive 25-34 . . . sweet spot 30-50 . . . build out this platform . . . grow the total shares in the markets . . . build on Stork platform, on what we call our localized format . . .
You hear that kind of talk and you just go, ugh! Here comes THIS motherfucker. About what you would expect from some Stanford grad, and the owner’s brother at that. Lovely. Roll out the business-speak, when what is needed is someone with a passion for the music.
Wake me up when someone announces the ‘next big thing’ by saying, ‘Y’aller gonna lahk this raht cheer!’
The money men have always latched on to the purse strings of the music industry, of course. It’s just a wonder any good music has ever survived, or ever WILL survive.
August 27, 2014 @ 8:15 am
I’d be very happy if they played plenty of Marty Stuart, Dwight Yokam and Rodney Crowell. Didn’t they all start to rise around 1986 or so? Do they miss the stupid cutoff year of 1989?
August 27, 2014 @ 8:44 am
I hope they do, especially their new releases as well.
August 27, 2014 @ 9:58 am
The 1989 cutoff year is gone, and we already see that with the current NASH playlists. Unfortunately, we’re also seeing a lot more current music than was sold to us before the launch, but this stuff may balance out more over time, we’ll see.
August 31, 2014 @ 1:24 pm
I hope & pray your right Trigger.
August 27, 2014 @ 8:43 am
If there is going to be a “split” in the country genre, does that mean there will be 2 different Billboard country charts? One for “mainstream” country (the crap) and one for “traditional” country (the good stuff)? I’d like to see the new music from the traditional artists that get played on NASH icons get the credit it deserves on the charts, that way any new music from Alan Jackson, Sturgill Simpson, Lee Ann Womack (to name a few) can be hit songs on the radio and those kind of artists will make new fans.
August 27, 2014 @ 9:55 am
I don’t know that there will be two different charts, but older and more traditional names could start showing up on the charts more if their radio play and sales increase. We are already seeing this on the album charts, and we could start seeing this on the song charts. One thing I’ve proposed is that traditional country artists also get their own awards and the CMA’s and ACM’s. If country is serious about not abandoning traditional country, then step up there and give them some awards so they’re represented as well.
Quotable Country – 08/31/14 Edition | Country California
August 31, 2014 @ 5:12 pm
[…] (meaning people still enjoy it), and the fact that they”™re not present in country on the radio. â— — Cumulus Media’s John Dickey, quoted via Saving Country […]