http://nypost.com/2014/02/17/cumulus-chief-plans-media-splurge-for-radio-brand/
When the head of Cumulus says he wants to spend money, pay attention. This isn’t really new news, but the size and importance are getting clearer.
Cumulus is betting the farm on Country Music. The Dickeys started with News/Talk, creating a national syndicated schedule, mostly for airing on their Owned and Operated stations. Third party programs (like those from TRN and Sean Hannity) get shown the door.
Introducing NashFM – it launched in New York City and the existing Cumulus Country music stations are being given a uniform sound. No need for Classic Country, urban Country, Nashville Country, Western Country, Texas Country, Hit Country, Bluegrass – Country is Country, don’t you know.
Cumulus has bought a 50% share in a weekly influential Country magazine that will be rebranded . They’re shopping for a Cable TV partner – radio, magazines & Cable TV – with that innovative technology, success is pretty certain. Some low performing music stations have been switched to Country to ride the wave of NashFM.
Only somewhat related, Sweetjack, the Groupon like deal of the day is being retooled. It doesn’t seem to be generating the cash flow they hoped. They’re thinking about making it “deals of the week”.
Young people are really starting to become major consumers of Country Music. Cumulus may be onto something. Bob Pittman over at Clear Channel belatedly seems to have realized that young people are fed up with Green Day and Justin Bieber. He’s now trying to pull together an iHeart Country music concert. That free Country Music Concert in Ada Michigan a few years that drew 50,000 country music fans to a muddy field should have been a wake up call.
Kind of a split – the younger generation either survives the brainwashing in schools and listens to country music or they succumb and become Bieber and Beyoncé heads.
There may be hope for pop music – time will tell. There may not be hope for the U.S.
As I was sitting in the waiting room at the car dealer service department, they had ESPN on and they were talking about Beyoncé. They had some video of her sprawled out on the floor. I don’t think the story has a happy ending, but it is hard for me to get interested.
Here is the story
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/02/19/report-surveillance-video-shows-ray-rice-dragging-fiancee-out-of-elevator/
It wasn’t Beyoncé – maybe they were comparing him to Jay Z.
My kids public school is a never-ending steam of vendors selling knick knacks with a few cents on the dollar going to the public school that chose to spend their tax money in the wrong places.
I thought we already knew about ‘Nash’ ? I read it somewhere
parrott
You know about from here – the news is the NY Post now thinks it is news.