Spring Break Edition ... Daytona

Jimmy Carter in his homebase Nashville.

Had a friend driving in very Southern Tennessee and NE Alabama during the tornado outbreak last Friday. He was very nervous traveling back from a meeting in tornado-scarred Chattanooga ... He scanned and scanned the radio and no one was wall-to-wall with the coverage. Just music ... Keep that policy up, radio station owners, and you can use that transmitter to warm your soup!

TV has taken over for what radio once did fantastically well. At least some smart owners simulcast TV's live coverage.

Some markets do great -- and you know who you are ... it's the smaller stations of consolidation most hurt. Very, very sad!

Talent TV shows: Is there a point when you can have too many? How typical is it that copycats flood the marketplace as soon as the trailblazers come up with a great idea? "Idol," then "The Voice" ... KA-BOOM ... now the spillway is open. The ABC upcoming talent show entry with Jennifer Nettles called "Duets." KaBOOM ... John Rich is in for a show where you have to be from the hometown they are holding auditions ... Of course the loud return of "America's Got Talent" with Howard Stern. Already taping shows in St Louis and Austin. "X Factor" auditions are underway. We must have more talent around than gasoline! Can you say overdone?

The new "Nashville" TV show sure sounds a lot like the movie Country Strong. Older female singer with a younger one breathing down her back -- and the husband living off the older female singer. ABC has gone Country! You pray this works -- otherwise Nashville the city and Country music looks bad. "PanAm" didn't make it ... "Revenge" is in danger ... "Housewives" ran out of gas. "Hawaii 5-0" isn't exactly kicking butt. It's tough out there on hour-long network TV shows. Can a Country music-based show make it in primetime with little violence or sex? "Dallas" had all that. I hope to be amazed and will be. Episode 3 better be as good as Episode one!

What's the deal with all the tour buses catching fire? Jerrod Niemann the last in Chattanooga. Joining Lee Brice and Randy Houser with Matt Stillwell and an unknown singer having their tour buses blown over by high winds.

Footloose is out on DVD; it was a decent movie. Did okay at the box office ... only okay ... and that was a nice budget film. Should "Nashville" the TV show be concerned?

Changing Tammy Wynette's name on her grave happened maybe six months ago, but only recently making the news. It has fans in an uproar. Behind the scenes, lawyers for the Tammy side of the family are in action. This story involves more than a name change. Publishing rights, royalties, etc. Stay tuned!

The Country Music Hall of Fame picked its three for induction. Of course, all three deserved the honor. Garth, Pig Robbins (the amazing blind studio session player) and the beloved Connie Smith. Fantastic honor and deserved. I would still love to hear the rationale behind the snub of Kenny Rogers, Ronnie Milsapand Anne Murray, for starters. Those three made Country famous well beyond its boundaries. That closed society on Music Row needs to get out more.

Might be a good piece of advice to a lot of people in suits in control of a lot of businesses. Get out in the parking lot ... go upstairs during the show and have a beer. Ever heard of One Direction? My high-schooler came home without a voice, screaming for them Wednesday night. Go walk through a place like Henryville, IN, like I did last Sunday. Get out and pay those gas prices, fight with ticket brokers, pay the extortionist parking fees. Maybe you will understand. When I hear sirens in my neighborhood and my radio station is playing music ... I don't love you anymore