The season is autumn. It's harvest time for pumpkins and apples. It's also harvest time for professional singers to gather the fruits of their songs - upcoming Christmas sales of albums and concert tickets. What better promotion than the annual american Country Music awards TV show? They’ve been held for about 35 years. I've attended a number of them, where I met or interviewed for radio, Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers, The Oakridge Boys, The Statlers and many others. But this year the Country Music awards are abandoning the Ozarks and heading for the bright lights of New York, presenting their prestigious awards on the CBS Television network this Tuesday night, November 15.
as Honourary Chaplain of the Canadian Country Music association, I'll be attending the awards Show and afterwards, joining the biggest Stars of Country Music at the Post award Party on Broadway with its sumptuous delicacies, its melting ice sculptures and rare opportunity to meet, greet and bless. This year there'll be the added excitement of country music making it big in on national and international TV; that feeling of accomplishment; as the Frank Sinatra song says, "If we can make it there, we can make it anywhere."
What's a Country Music Chaplain doing there? Blessing the event? "It don't seem to be working!" you say? What about all them drinking and cheating songs? Well we ain't got it perfect yet. 'But it's better to light one candle than curse the darkness.' But how can a poor priest afford to go to?
Honestly! I just about couldn't. The plane ticket cost $400. Luckily, I had enough air miles to cover it. But a hotel room costs over $300. a night for four nights. No way could I afford that. So, I scouted the Internet and found one for $135. But I was a little suspicious. So I phoned a Franciscan Monastery, Yes! They had a room. "How much would it cost?" "The monk cautiously asked, "Would $25 a night be too much?" I couldn't believe my ears! $25 was manna from Heaven!
I'll be busy attending Country Music events. But maybe I could squeeze in a Rangers NHL hockey game on Saturday night. To get some information, I phoned some former Ranger players. arnie Brown was gone on the hunt. George Sullivan must have been out hunting for arnie.
So I contacted former New York Ranger assistant coach, Dick Todd, now the head coach of the Peterborough Petes Junior a's. Even though his team was just about to step on the Memorial Centre ice, Dick took the time to find a schedule. The Rangers were away. Dick's a class act, which Big Time New York never changed. Hopefully, it won't change country music people either. Nice guys don't always finish last.
COUNTRY RaDIO RETURNS TO FOR 2005 CMa aWaRDS
NaSHVILLE - after a three-year absence from the radio dial in New York City, Country Music is making a return on WNYE 91.5-FM through the 2005 CMa awards.
"One of our goals in bringing the awards to this year was to demonstrate that Country Music is a viable format in this market," said CMa Executive Director Ed Benson. "Programming Country Music on the city-owned station is a valuable tool in reaching potential consumers and decision makers with great music and programs put together by some of the most talented radio professionals in the nation."
Country Music will be programmed on the channel during weekday morning drive time (-/EST) and during the and evening drive (/EST). Top radio personalities from around the country are supplying custom content including music, Top 20 countdowns and interviews with artists. Participating in the program are on-air crews from KMPS/Seattle, KZLa/, WKHX/atlanta, KNIX/Phoenix, WGaR/Cleveland, WSIX/Nashville and more. Nationally syndicated Country personalities include 2005 CMa National Broadcast Personality of the Year Lia from Jones Radio Networks, Blair Garner from "after Midnite," Bob Kingsley of "american Country Countdown" and "Country Countdown " host Lon Helton.
Helton, who also chairs CMa's Radio Committee, said, "It's been over three years since had a Country station of its own. and there's no better prelude to 'Country Takes NYC' and the CMa awards than showcasing 's top Country radio personalities and 's favorite music on 91.5 WNYE."
WXTU-FM Philadelphia, is also participating in bringing Country Music to the Big apple with on-air hosts Evans and andie and Cadillac Jack.
"We are excited to join the 'Country Takes NYC' celebration by giving New Yorkers a taste of 92.5 XTU flavor," said Natalie Conner, VP/GM of the station. "It's an honor to be part of such a landmark celebration, and we expect that Evans and andie and Cadillac Jack will win over the audience."
Programming began early last week, with the broadcast of XM Satellite Radio's contemporary Country channel, Highway 16 (XM Channel 16), which is one of XM's six Country offerings. The satellite radio service has 5 million subscribres.
Eric Logan, Executive VP of Programming for XM, said, "Country Music is a vital part of american culture and we think it's important to offer Country Music to New York radio listeners as part of our dynamic programming lineup that will help build anticipation for the CMa awards at Madison Square Garden."
"We are excited to be the station bringing Country Music back to the airwaves," said arick Wierson, the GM of NYC Media Group, which oversees WNYE 91.5-FM. "The numbers speak for themselves. Country is too big to not have a presence in the world's largest media market."
"We are delighted to hear that XM received calls from New Yorkers ecstatic to hear Country radio back in ," said Maureen J. Reidy, President of NYC Big Events. "It would be incredible if hosting the CMa awards in NYC encouraged the rebirth of Country radio in the City."
In addition, CMa's radio partner, MJI Broadcasting, a Division of Premiere Radio Networks, is bringing 50 of the top market stations and Blair Garner to NYC for three days of remote broadcasts during morning and afternoon drive time.
The last full-signal Country radio station WYNY switched formats in 1996. a second WYNY, which was four smaller suburban stations simulcasting their programming, dropped the format in 2002. Since then, Country Music has turned up as genre-specific shows on various stations and non-commercial radio, on television-delivered music channels, and satellite radio with XM and Sirius, which both program multiple Country channels.
Country is the most popular radio format in the with more than 2,000 stations, with Talk Radio coming in a distant second. Of the major markets, only NYC and are missing Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride and alan Jackson from the radio dial.
Even without the benefit of a full-time Country station, is the No. 1 or 2 sales market for Country Music product each year accounting for 2.5 percent of all Country albums sold.
"We know there are consumers here that will embrace Country radio," Benson said. "and now through the CMa awards it will be even easier to sample and enjoy the best music in the format on WNYE."
Walter C. Miller is the Executive Producer of the CMa awards. Paul Miller is the director and David Wild will script the ceremonies. MJI Programming, a division of Premiere Radio Networks, is the official radio packager of the CMa awards, which includes Red Carpet coverage and a stereo-radio simulcast of the gala event. Chevy, an american Revolution, is the official automotive sponsor of the 2005 CMa awards. american airlines is the official airline of the 2005 CMa awards. additional promotional sponsors include Prilosec OTC., aolmusic.com, BMG Columbia House, Inc., Chase, Country Weekly, Creme Savers. Candy, Crisco., Gibson Guitars, Jack Daniel's, Kellogg's., Kmart(sm), Kodak, Lever 2000. and XM Satellite Radio.. Charles Fazzino is the official artist of the 2005 CMa awards. FilmMagic.com is the Official Photographer of the 2005 CMa awards.
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