Unsettling Times.....

Jimmy Carter in his homebase Nashville

A number of people I know got the boot this week. It's part of the business, but not part of the business I signed up for!

Some good folks, too, who were good employees. Broadcasting just isn't a stable business for people with families. I would NEVER suggest it, but what business is anymore? The music business? Yeah, right!

The market falling is doing some, if not all, of this layoff business and who knows how and when it will get better. The business manager types on Music Row say the economy hasn't really shaken up their world. Add the word YET here ...You know ticket sales and everything else are screwed if this keeps getting worse. It has to roll downhill.

Lorrie Morgan filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy this week, but it may or may not be related to current economic climate.

This layoff junk is going to trickle down. Radio, TV and Music aren't going out of business. Nor are cell phones, cable and movies. BUT they are not food and shelter. It all just depends on how bad this gets.

One area getting hosed seems to be the radio news area. Long a whipping boy. The L.A. all-News stations whacked other day, I recall. When radio and its immediacy doesn't cover breaking news, who does? Nothing is as fast as radio ... Hate to think of news as a luxury, but maybe now it is.

The holiday movie season is about here ... comes earlier every year.

"High School Musical Three" was good ... Took my 11-year-old and the Top 40 station did a good screening, complete with real high school cheerleaders.

The Chesney first week sales (170,000-ish) were good enough to get him a #1. But did anyone see the projected sales for AC/DC? 800,000!

Congratulations to country music good guy Craig Morgan. The newest member of the Grand Old Opry.

Everyone see the five-minute commercial for Obama done by Ron Howard? The one with Opie, Andy Griffith and the Fonz? It's at www.skjimmycarter.com.

Another video that shows the ever-changing landscape is Taylor Swift's video diary. It's at her MySpace account. She is the master of the Internet universe.

Tim McGraw's public hissy-fit with Curb has quieted down. Who knows how that's all going to end up? CD sales stink, as does the economy. That should make for a very interesting fourth quarter that is now almost one-third gone.