Cumulus Unveils New Country Programming Line-Up

• Ty Bentli New Co-Host of America’s Morning Show, with Kelly Ford and Chuck Wicks
• Country Superstar Kix Brooks Doubles Down With American Country Countdown
• Blair Garner to Overnights with New Show, The Blair Garner Show

Ty Bentli

Cumulus Media introduces Ty Bentli as the new co-host of America’s Morning Show with Kelly Ford and Chuck Wicks starting on September 6th.

Bentli replaces Blair Garner who will host the new overnight show The Blair Garner Show. Garner, a Country Radio Hall of Fame inductee, will debut his new show later this fall. The show marks a return to overnight programming for Garner, who achieved success as host of the long-running nationally syndicated overnight show, After Midnite, which aired from 1993-2013.

Concurrently, three-time CMA "National Broadcast Personality of the Year" Kix Brooks, who this year celebrates ten years as Host of American Country Countdown on the NASH Network, will exit the overnight show, Kickin’ It With Kix, to focus fully on American Country Countdown. Last week, Brooks inked an extended multi-year partnership agreement with Cumulus. In addition to being a celebrity judge for Cumulus’ NASH Next 2016 competition, Brooks is a regular contributor to NASHCountryDaily.com.

Blair Garner

Mike McVay, Senior Vice President, Content and Programming/Cumulus Media, said: "These are exciting and dramatic moves. We are fortunate to have such brilliant talent in our company. Blair first approached me a couple months ago with the desire to recreate his successful overnight show on a grand scale and the search for his replacement in the morning began. Ty Bentli has been a part of our company for the past two years as a morning talent in D.C. and has already worked with Kelly and Chuck on the Red Carpet at our award show broadcasts. Kix will continue with his highly successful American Country Countdown and Suzanne Alexander will continue to partner with him. The NASH campus is a stable of talent and superstars."

John Shomby, Director of Programming/NASH Network, said: “I can’t believe I get to work daily with the amazing talent here at the NASH campus. This is a veritable broadcast All-Star team. The excitement is building as we work our way toward a winning fall season with four well-produced, well-researched, hugely entertaining shows!”

Kelly Ford

Garner said: “This opportunity is a godsend for me and my family. My kids staged what amounted to an intervention. They candidly shared that they were unhappy with how little "Dad Time" they were getting. It rattled me. Mary and Mike were beyond understanding and graciously agreed to swing me back into my home turf of working overnights. I can't think of many companies that would accommodate such a request. But it's a new Cumulus, and they care about their family members. I'm so incredibly grateful to get to continue with the work that I love, and to show my kids that nothing will ever take priority over them.”

Bentli said: “My wife and I have spent the last several weeks attempting to explain to our three-year-old how awesome life has just become.  We listed the trillion things we love about Nashville, and threw NASH dance parties in our living room.”

Chuck Wicks

Bentli continued: “Thank you to Mary Berner, Mike McVay, Charlie Cook, John Shomby, Jeff Brown and Allison Warren for the opportunity to extend my time with Cumulus - a company I believe in and am excited by! Thank you to Blair for being a longstanding part of my love for country music and for creating a staff filled with talented people. I am so excited to join Kelly, Chuck, Glenn, Matt and the whole team in Nashville!  #TruckYeah”

Brooks said: “Ten years ago when I was offered the opportunity to host American Country Countdown, I thought ‘Wow I don’t know much about talking on the radio, but I love this business, and I love great songs and talent. And now Cumulus has flattered me again, by asking me to continue with the American Country Countdown show for years to come. I consider this to be a huge responsibility, and I look forward to sharing my experiences, along with the lives and music of our great country artists. I am also excited to work more closely with Suzanne Alexander in her expanded role.”