Spring Is Not Here

Jimmy Carter on the road in Florida

Forty-two degrees at Daytona Beach in March does not feel like Spring. Up the road a few miles, in Jacksonville Kenny Chesney is about to do one of those "Keg in the Closet" shows. Three hours of Kenny warm-up before he takes to the stadium in Tampa, March 16th. Forty degrees as the sun sets on Jax Beach, but the No Shoes Nation could care less.

Luke Bryan is the future king of Spring. His new Spring Break CD opens at #1 on the pop and country album charts. Luke's first pop album #1. When he takes the stage again this week in Panama City, it will be even more crazy. You don't see this kind of excitement outside Country except for the teens and the Beeb/One Direction -- and those kids can't legally buy beer.

For a Spring read, go get the Clive Davis book, "SoundTrack of My Life." If you were around at the turn of the '60s, it is something you can't put down. The inner workings of the record business. Fascinating and certainly not the world of today!

Post-CRS, so many issues in the conversation. The country demographic ... going younger and younger ... how do the local sales people adapt to that? National radio shows ... ditto ... the impact on local sales. And from the front page, the worry about how the economy and layoffs of government workers will affect the radio bottom line. No matter what, it is the economy stupid. (Thank you, Mr. Carville...)

Look up the Hollywood Reporter interview with the boss at Lionsgate ....the big bosses of the Nashville show. Check out the part where he says the ABC Entertainment boss may be blaming the name "Nashville" for the ratings shortfalls. I have known that the name "Nashville" comes with some pre-conceived notions -- mostly with people over 40. Interesting theory.

A new Darius Rucker tour and video coming. "Wagon Wheel" video features the "Duck Dynasty" crew. When you are hot you are hot.

More Google homework: again the Hollywood Reporter ... story on new CMT programming in the pipeline. New shows with Dog the Bounty Hunter, "Cops Reloaded," "Hillbillies" ... nothing with Country music featured ... that's the common thread. Long gone is the day of living off live music and the music video.

Well, off to a Spring training baseball game ... The Washington Nationals and The St Louis Cardinals. Some traditional things still feel good.