Report: CRS Explores Growth of Country Radio

As the industry gathers in Nashville for the annual Country Radio Seminar Feb. 8-10, the confab’s agenda reflects a wealth of relevant broadcasting topics—both within the format and outside of the country radio realm.

InsideRadio reports among the most intriguing sessions planned is Wednesday’s “From the Outside Looking In: Other Formats Give Their Take on Country,” with PDs, talent and brand managers offering their “outsider” and objective opinions on the genre and its continued evolution. The agenda also comprises music, promotional, branding and on-air tips. Panelists include Doc Wynter, director of Urban at iHeartMedia; Troy Hanson, director of rock at Cumulus; John Ivey, director of CHR for iHeartMedia; and Rick Gillette, PD of Cumulus hot AC WPLJ New York (95.5).

Congrats to Keith Urban for taking home the Artist Humanitarian Award #CRS2016 https://t.co/ZFrXimDVVd pic.twitter.com/ZikJTYJhdM

— FirstLook LIVE (@FirstLookLive) February 8, 2016

Also On tap today:

Programming Breakfast and the Managers Breakfast with FCC Commissioner, Michael O’Rielly. Following the breakfasts, Noah Galloway will appear and share with attendees how he has overcome his life’s challenge of living with a major injury he endured during the Iraq War. Galloway’s speech is sponsored by Homes For Our Troops.

Panels will follow immediately and run throughout the day. Tuesday’spanel highlights include: "Radio as The Insurgent: What if ‘They’ Were Here First?,” “Beyond the News Feed – Using Social Media For More Than ‘Listen Now,’” “Big Market Sound in Any Size Town,”and “Who’s Hits Are Bigger? How We Program; Us vs. Them.”

For its seventh consecutive year, the UMG Artist Performance and Luncheon will take place at 11:30 a.m. This year’s performers include Lauren Alaina, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Vince Gill, Charles Kelley, Little Big Town, Kip Moore, Kacey Musgraves, David Nail, Jon Pardi, Eric Paslay, Darius Rucker, Canaan Smith, Chris Stapleton and Keith Urban.

Following the afternoon panels, Tuesday’s events will conclude with Bob Kingsley's Acoustic Alley, sponsored by Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40 and Suntrust Bank. Bob Kingsley will host what has become a CRS tradition that will feature performances by Rhett Akins, Rodney Clawson, Ross Copperman, Andrew Dorff, Josh Kear, Shane McAnally, Heather Morgan, Tim Nichols, Josh Osborne, Jonathan Singleton and Jimmy Yeary.