CMA Announces 2010 Broadcast Awards Finalists

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Final nominees for the nation's top Country radio stations and broadcast personalities were delivered to Country Radio today, when Steel Magnolia revealed the 2010 CMA Broadcast Personality and Radio Station of the Year finalists live from Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. The announcements were carried live to Country radio stations by CMA's official radio partner Premiere Radio Networks.

The winners will be notified in mid-October and will be acknowledged at "The 44th Annual CMA Awards," to be held Wednesday, Nov. 10 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) and broadcast live by the ABC Television Network from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood return to host "Country Music's Biggest Night" for a third year.

The CMA Broadcast Awards finalists were revealed at a press conference today where select CMA Awards finalists were also announced by Justin Moore and Chris Young. Additional CMA Award final nominees will be announced Wednesday, Sept. 1 (8:30 AM/All time zones) on ABC's "Good Morning America," and all CMA Award finalists will be featured during "CMT Insider Special Edition: 2010 CMA Awards Nominations," premiering on Wednesday, Sept. 1 (11:00 AM/ET). The 30-minute special will re-air on Saturday, Sept. 4 (1:30 PM/ET), and again on Sunday, Sept. 5 (11:00 AM/ET).

As always, the National Broadcast Personality of the Year category is a tough race. Lon Helton is already the record holder in the category with four wins in 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008. Not far behind, Lia Knight, won the category in 2005 and 2007, and with four previous nominations under their belt, Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase are looking to nab their first trophy.

Five finalists are selected for CMA Broadcast Personality and CMA Radio Station of the Year in four categories: small, medium, large, and major market; however, there was a tie in the Major Market Broadcast Personality of the Year category resulting in six finalists in this category for 2010. The categories are established by market size based on population as ranked by Arbitron. Entries for Broadcast Personality of the Year are judged on aircheck, ratings, community involvement, and biographical information. Candidates for Station of the Year are judged on airchecks, ratings history, community involvement, and format leadership.

Three finalists are selected for National Broadcast Personality of the Year. To be eligible, candidates 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. The entries are judged by a panel of distinguished broadcast professionals, representing all market sizes and regions.

An aggregate score of the first round of judging and the second round, which is done by a different panel of judges, determines the winners. The international accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP tabulates scoring by the judges. CMA Broadcast Award winners are not eligible to enter in consecutive years; therefore, those who received trophies in 2009 were not eligible in 2010.

CMA BROADCAST PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR:

National

• "CMT's Country Countdown USA with Lon Helton" (Lon Helton) – Westwood One
• "The Crook & Chase Countdown" (Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase) –  Jim Owens Entertainment and Premiere Radio Networks
• "The Lia Show" (Lia Knight) – Dial Global

Major Market

• "Ben & Matt Show" (Ben Campbell and Matt McAllister) – KNIX, Phoenix, Ariz.
• "The Laurie DeYoung Morning Show" (Laurie DeYoung) – WPOC, Baltimore, Md.
• "Lisa Dent and Ramblin' Ray in the Morning" (Lisa Dent and Ramblin' Ray Stevens) – WUSN, Chicago, Ill.
• "Paul Schadt Morning Show" (Paul Schadt, Meg Butterly, and Geof Knight) – WKKT, Charlotte/Gastonia, N.C.; Rock Hill, S.C.
• "Randy and Dave" (Randy Price and Dave McKay) – WQYK, Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Fla.
• "Steve Austin" (Steve Austin) – WQYK, Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Fla.

Large Market

• "Bucky & Bob: The Talk of Austin" (Bucky Godbolt and Bob Cole) – KVET, Austin, Texas
• "Chris Carr & Company" (Chris Carr, Jeffrey "Maverick" Bolen, and Jason Statt) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio
• "The House Foundation" (Gerry House, Mike Bohan, Richard Falklen, Al Voecks, and Duncan Stewart) – WSIX, Nashville, Tenn.
• "Karen, Scott and Radar in the Morning" (Karen Dalessandro, Scott Dolphin, and Tony "Radar" Hess) – WMIL, Milwaukee/Racine, Wis.
• "Eddie Stubbs Show" (Eddie Stubbs) – WSM, Nashville, Tenn.

Medium Market

• "Andy & Alison and the Morning Crew" (Andy Ritchie, Alison Mencer, and Jimmy Holt) – WIVK, Knoxville, Tenn.
• "Kevin Richards Show" (Kevin Richards) – WGNA, Albany/Schenectady/Troy, N.Y.
• "Mornings with Brian and Kellie" (Brian Pierce and Kellie Michaels) – KFDI, Wichita, Kan.
• "The Kat 103 Morning Show with Steve Lundy, Gina, and Craig" (Steve Lundy, Gina Melton, and Craig Allen) – KXKT, Omaha/Council Bluffs, Neb.
• "Tom & Becky in the Morning" (Tom Owens and Becky Palmer) – WBBS, Syracuse, N.Y.

Small Market

• "Barrett, Fox & Berry" (Bill Barrett, Tim Fox, and Tracy Berry) – KKNU, Eugene/Springfield, Ore.
• "The Dex and Mo Show" (Bill Poindexter and Melissa Turner) – WUSY, Chattanooga, Tenn.
• "The Good Morning Guys" (Brian Gary, Todd Harding, and Susan Moore) - KUAD, Ft. Collins/Greeley, Colo.
• "The Jess Wright Show" (Jess Wright and David Conrad) – WFRE, Hagerstown, Md.; Chambersburg/Waynesboro, Pa.
• "Scotty and Carissa in the Morning" (Scotty Cox and Carissa Loethen) – KCLR, Jefferson City, Mo.

CMA RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR

Major Market

• KEEY – Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.
• KWJJ – Portland, Ore.
• WIL – St. Louis, Mo.
• WSOC – Charlotte/Gastonia, N.C.; Rock Hill, S.C.
• WYCD – Detroit, Mich.

Large Market

• KAJA – San Antonio, Texas
• KASE – Austin, Texas
• KVET – Austin, Texas
• WQDR – Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
• WTQR – Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, N.C.

Medium Market

• KFDI – Wichita, Kan.
• KXKT – Omaha, Neb.
• WBBS – Syracuse, N.Y.
• WGNA – Albany/Schenectady/Troy, N.Y.
• WIVK – Knoxville, Tenn.

Small Market

• KCLR –Jefferson City, Mo.
• KUAD – Ft. Collins/Greeley, Colo.
• WFRE – Frederick, Md.
• WGSQ – Cookeville, Tenn.
• WUSY – Chattanooga, Tenn.

"The 44th Annual CMA Awards" is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer, Paul Miller is the Director, and David Wild is the writer. The special will be shot in high definition and broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound.

Premiere Radio Networks is the official radio packager of the CMA Awards. American Airlines is the official airline of the 2010 CMA Awards. Chevrolet, Proud Sponsor of the CMA Awards and Official Ride of Country Music.

For Information, visit www.CMApress.com for CMA Awards history, photos, press releases and logos. On-line media credentialing for the CMA Awards begins Sept. 1. This is a protected site for the media only with restrictions on use.

SOURCE Country Music Association