Best Country 10Q Moments of 2022

As part of our year-end special coverage, we look back at 2022 with the best answers from some of our favorite interviews.

Lance Ballance
Dir./Content
Townsquare/Lubbock

"It was never about being first on a new single, it was about how we can be part of the listeners' lives through real conversations and emotions on the air and online. That's where radio is best, as a partner, friend, and window to the world."

Priscilla Block
Artist
Mercury Nashville

"I think it was easy for people to call artists 'TikTok artists' for a long time because it was so new and it seemed like such a foreign way, but now you have every artist using it to promote their music. I think that title has lessened, and lessened for me. I'm not only a TikTok artist, I'm a Country artist who used that platform (along with any other way to try and make it), and it's worked."

Patrick Scott
PD
WNNF (Cat Country 94.1)/Cincinnati

"I have done my fair share of 'meat remotes,' and I am not knocking them. It gets us out into the community. But the way a radio remote works today is different than when we used to do them. With social media, we have introduced video into our remotes, which benefits the station and the clients because now we can bring a video to show listeners what we are talking about on air."

Eli Young Band's Mike Eli
Artist
The Valory Music Co.

"[The pandemic] really was a reset button for us. It was time to throw out the playbook and reinvent. Sometimes when you do that you find some stuff that maybe you didn't know you had lost along the way. So, while that time was scary, it was also inspiring."

Kaylan Moody
Start Team Lead
Big Machine Label Group

"I'm on the platform so much, I sometimes have dreams about TikToks! But I also really love to create content super tailored to the artist I am working with. My favorite part of the job is sitting down with the artist's music, digging into the lyrics and really trying to find a story that can be told online and that fans can relate to. Right now we are all about TikTok! The platform is ever changing, and it's amazing to see what fans do with the content."

Cameron Moore
PD/MD/Middays
WSOC/WNKS Charlotte, NC

"Working on both the Country and Pop sides has been eye opening. It's interesting to see how each genre operates differently in terms of radio, streaming, labels and the charts. I can then use those differences to see how they may benefit or hinder the opposing genre, and offer fresh ideas. I find it a big advantage to have more than one genre to look at, as it often gives me a broader perspective."

Shawn Parr
Host, "Shawn Parr's Across The Country"
Key Networks

"I have always loved meeting new people and, early on, I watched some veteran DJs not want to get out in front of concerts or remotes and talk to their listeners. I couldn't believe it. So I make it a point to not wait for people to come to me, I go to them. You would be amazed at how many listeners I have met that I am still friends with 30 years later."

Fitz
Host, "Country Top 40 With Fitz"
Skyview Networks

"I think the word 'content' is overused. I believe listeners of radio and other audio companions in 2022 don't turn it on and say, 'I hope I get some good content today.' I believe they give their time to us because of how we make them feel. We are familiar, we are their friends, we are family and we are relatable. We should also be their escape from this crazy world."

Mike Kennedy
Consultant
On Air Group II

"My beliefs and philosophy [don't] match up with centralizing and nationalizing promotions. That goes back to my passion for taking care of and being a part of the local community and the local clients, and that simply doesn't match up with some of today's corporate mentalities. I love the big promotional ops you get from the scale of corporate, but I don't think you should sacrifice what you can do locally."

Cody Johnson
Artist
COJO/Warner Music Nashville

"I struggle a lot with social anxiety. When I get to thinking about it too much, I start second guessing myself … the notes I sing, what I look like when I walk through the door. The only way to get over that for me is to remind myself that, 'Hey, I've been given a talent. I've been given an opportunity. Don't short-change this. Everybody's expecting you to not be freaking out when everybody's screaming your name.' That actually gives me a little bit of courage to think that way."

Tony Brueski
CEO/Podcaster
Real Story Media

"With podcasting, you're competing with everyone in the world, not just the crappy station across town. Competing in the podcast landscape is amazing because you have independent podcasters like myself going head-to-head with brands like National Geographic, NPR, Discovery, and the hoard of other great independents. It makes for a fascinating ecosystem."

Erik Johnson
Area SVP/Programming
iHeartMedia/Omaha, NE

"The pandemic has opened many eyes to what is possible. My team has been spread across the country for a while. The pandemic didn't really change our operations. It is not uncommon for our digital person in Omaha to pitch in and help our team in Grand Forks. Our goal is to create great audio entertainment across multiple platforms without geographical boundaries."

Chris Michaels
OM/Brand Mgr.
Audacy/Memphis

"Never stop learning. Be curious, ask questions, and be a problem solver. I'll give you a bonus that I learned in my very first Big Ape staff meeting with Cat Thomas: 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 = 100,000. 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 5 = 50,000. All it takes is one person on your team pulling half their weight robbing your momentum by 50%. Don't be that person!"

Duane Hobson
Regional Dir./Southwest Promotion
Big Loud Records

"Continue to learn about the evolution of the music industry. Trust yourself and always believe in what you are trying to accomplish."