Here They Come!

In the words of Johnny Horton’s “The Battle of New Orleans,” “There wasn’t nigh as many as there was a while ago.” The invasion known as Country Radio Seminar (CRS) is ahead for those learning, and those deciding, and those trying to find new gigs in the world of Country radio.

It will be a fine event -- always is. The labels will trot out a mind numbing number of new discoveries.

I defy anyone to be able to name all the signed acts at the major labels. It’s the most new blood noticed in a long time. The changing of the guard is almost complete.

Garth Brooks will retain the king status among the royals visiting the convention, but the new folks are really the story. Who will you see that impresses you? Who will get the most buzz? No spoilers, but cream usually does rise to the top.

The dean of Country drummers and maybe the most colorful sideman in Country music died this week. Willie Nelson’s drummer, Paul English, was 87. He was Willie’s great friend and band member since 1966! Go do some homework on that guy. He would be the subject of an interesting movie some day.

Sugarland is going back on the road. Maren Morris is still planning to play the Houston Rodeo in her ninth month of pregnancy. That will certainly add some drama to the show.

The CMA Awards people and the ACM Awards folks too should pay attention to the ratings for the Oscars. What a horrible show, and lowest rated of all time. Huge disconnect with the audience on what they expected to see and what they got.

What can the Country shows learn from that? For one thing, you better trot out some familiar faces. The Oscars were very low wattage. CMAs/ACMs need all hands on deck to show the country flag. One big family, right? Do more than you have been doing. It’s always about the next big thing, but network TV in the U.S. is shrinking. The young demo has as many TVs as they do physical radios: one or none thanks to cord cutting and streamers. That’s what they are doing. Give them a reason to watch!

The Country award shows should be streaming and they are not. That demo is what the networks want, and Billie Eilish singing for the departed was one of the things that actually worked at the Oscars. Remembering the deceased is a great part of the Oscars and Emmys, but not so much at the Country shows. When Jerry Reed died they carved out 30 seconds? It’s pitiful. That time might cut out a performance from the new next big thing.

There has got to be a way to serve all the masters, growing the young and respecting the old. Radio today can’t and won’t do it. TV still needs to. An older demo is better than NO demo, and that might well be the choice. ABC is not going to do anything but think “young demo,” so that might be a fight no one locally has the clout to fight.

The ACM nominations are coming out before the end of February. Can Miranda Lambert win her first Entertainer of the Year award? That is to be seen. (And how in the world did “Parasite” win best director and picture?)

Water cooler CRS talk will be about all the iHeartMedia changes and what future changes like that are coming down the road?

What are Tim McGraw’s plans following his departure from Sony? You know he has some. Is that album he talked about last year coming out somewhere? Can a Country artist over 45 have a Top 10 hit? Will programmers even try?

The battle about men’s vs. women’s airplay is heard daily. One show stated they will now do a 50/50 mix. Is that really do-able in the mass radio world? Are quotas even smart?

And what about ageism: prejudice against an artist due to age, be it 10 years old or 50? Ageism is as real as sexism. These are interesting times!

Hope some of the CRS folks check out the new Glen Campbell museum down there on party street. He was the real deal!