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Print ArticleBy Bob Doerschuk and Scott Stem
When Bucky Covington and Chuck Wicks, two of Country Music's brightest young stars, are assigned to announce the CMA Broadcast Award nominees, one thing is sure: Their performance will entertain as much as it informs.
Seconds after taking their positions behind two microphone stands at the Suite Level Club in the Sommet Center in Nashville during the CMA Awards nominees press conference Sept. 10, Wicks crouched down slightly to ask, over the speakers set up throughout the room, "Uh, Bucky? Why is your stand higher than mine?"
Covington laughed as he answered, "I think they're trying to tell you something."
They continued to riff back and forth over the next few minutes. (Wicks: "I love every single radio station equally." Covington: "Especially the ones that play your records first.") More important, though, they steered the media spotlight directly toward the radio stations and on-air personalities in the running for these Awards.
This year's announcements, carried live to radio stations by CMA's official radio partner Premiere Radio Networks, included many first-time contenders. Among these were nearly half of the candidates for Broadcast Personality of the Year in various markets, including Kix Brooks, of Brooks & Dunn, host of "American Country Countdown." If he wins, it would be the first time that a Country artist has crossed over to earn a victory in the Broadcast realm.
"It is wonderful to see so many new names and stations nominated this year," said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese. "The talent, time and creativity the stations and broadcast teams put into their entries is really amazing. It is obvious they take this competition very seriously and set a high standard each year."
Five finalists are selected for Broadcast Personality of the Year and Radio Station of the Year in four categories defined by market size based on population as ranked by Arbitron: Major, Large, Medium and Small.
Entries for Broadcast Personality are judged on aircheck, ratings, community involvement and biographical information. Criteria for Radio Station of the Year include airchecks, ratings history, community involvement and format leadership.
Three finalists are chosen for National Broadcast Personality, all of whom must be syndicated, short-form, hub voice-tracking and satellite personalities heard in at least three markets with a minimum of 40 shows per year.
CMA members who are full-time, on-air personalities and CMA member radio stations in the United States and Canada were eligible to enter. Entries are judged by a panel of distinguished broadcast professionals chosen to represent all market sizes and regions. Winners are determined by an aggregate score of the first round and a decision by a different panel of judges for the second round. The international accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche, LLP tabulates scoring by the judges.
CMA Broadcast Awards winners are not eligible to enter in consecutive years, therefore those who received trophies in 2007 were not eligible in 2008. Winners will be notified in mid-October and acknowledged on "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards," broadcast live on Wednesday, Nov. 12 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network from the Sommet Center in Nashville.
2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.
When Bucky Covington and Chuck Wicks, two of Country Music's brightest young stars, are assigned to announce the CMA Broadcast Award nominees, one thing is sure: Their performance will entertain as much as it informs.
Seconds after taking their positions behind two microphone stands at the Suite Level Club in the Sommet Center in Nashville during the CMA Awards nominees press conference Sept. 10, Wicks crouched down slightly to ask, over the speakers set up throughout the room, "Uh, Bucky? Why is your stand higher than mine?"
Covington laughed as he answered, "I think they're trying to tell you something."
They continued to riff back and forth over the next few minutes. (Wicks: "I love every single radio station equally." Covington: "Especially the ones that play your records first.") More important, though, they steered the media spotlight directly toward the radio stations and on-air personalities in the running for these Awards.
This year's announcements, carried live to radio stations by CMA's official radio partner Premiere Radio Networks, included many first-time contenders. Among these were nearly half of the candidates for Broadcast Personality of the Year in various markets, including Kix Brooks, of Brooks & Dunn, host of "American Country Countdown." If he wins, it would be the first time that a Country artist has crossed over to earn a victory in the Broadcast realm.
"It is wonderful to see so many new names and stations nominated this year," said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese. "The talent, time and creativity the stations and broadcast teams put into their entries is really amazing. It is obvious they take this competition very seriously and set a high standard each year."
Five finalists are selected for Broadcast Personality of the Year and Radio Station of the Year in four categories defined by market size based on population as ranked by Arbitron: Major, Large, Medium and Small.
Entries for Broadcast Personality are judged on aircheck, ratings, community involvement and biographical information. Criteria for Radio Station of the Year include airchecks, ratings history, community involvement and format leadership.
Three finalists are chosen for National Broadcast Personality, all of whom must be syndicated, short-form, hub voice-tracking and satellite personalities heard in at least three markets with a minimum of 40 shows per year.
CMA members who are full-time, on-air personalities and CMA member radio stations in the United States and Canada were eligible to enter. Entries are judged by a panel of distinguished broadcast professionals chosen to represent all market sizes and regions. Winners are determined by an aggregate score of the first round and a decision by a different panel of judges for the second round. The international accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche, LLP tabulates scoring by the judges.
CMA Broadcast Awards winners are not eligible to enter in consecutive years, therefore those who received trophies in 2007 were not eligible in 2008. Winners will be notified in mid-October and acknowledged on "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards," broadcast live on Wednesday, Nov. 12 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network from the Sommet Center in Nashville.
2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.
