CMA Announces 2012 Broadcast Awards Finalists

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CMA celebrated the "The Year of Country Radio" with the announcement today of the finalists for CMA Broadcast Awards for Radio Personality and Station of the Year during a breakfast for CMA members. The finalists were announced by CMA New Artist of the Year nominee Lee Brice via live stream from CMA's offices in Nashville, Tenn.

The CMA Broadcast Award winners will be notified in mid-October and will be acknowledged at "The 46^th Annual CMA Awards," to be held Thursday, Nov. 1 (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 the fifth time.

"Country radio is on the frontline of our industry connecting with the fans, introducing new music, and advancing the careers of our artists at every level," said CMA Chief Executive Officer Steve Moore. "Much of our success is tied to the vitality and creativity of these important radio professionals and we recognize their contributions with the presentation of the CMA Broadcast Awards."

Five finalists are selected for CMA Broadcast Personality and CMA Radio Station of the Year in four categories: Small, Medium, Large, and Major Market. There was a tie in this year's Medium Market Personality of the Year thus there are six contenders in the category. 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 aircheck, 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.

As a feature of the Year of Country Radio, CMA granted complimentary membership to every Country radio station in the U.S. In addition, CMA gave complimentary memberships to the general manager and program director at each station.

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 2011 were not eligible in 2012.

CMA BROADCAST PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR:

National

• "The Big Time with Whitney Allen" (Whitney Allen) – Dial Global
• "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 Networks

Major Market

• "Fitz in the Morning" (Cory "Fitz" Fitzner, Ellen Tailor, Tony Russell, and Randy "Biscuit" Stein) – KKWF, Seattle-Tacoma, Wash.
• "K102 Wakeup Crew" (Donna Valentine and Mike Mussman) – KEEY, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
• "Laurie DeYoung Morning Show" (Laurie DeYoung) – WPOC, Baltimore, Md.
• "Mike & Amy" – (Mike Chase and Amy Faust) – KWJJ, Portland, Ore.
• "Paul Schadt Morning Show" (Paul Schadt and Meg Butterly) – WKKT, Charlotte-Gastonia, N.C./ Rock Hill, S.C.

Large Market

• Angie Ward – WTQR, Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point, N.C.
• "Big Dave and Chelsie" (David Chandler and Chelsie Shinkle) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio
• "Mornings with Dave O'Brien" (Dave O'Brien) – WLHK, Indianapolis, Ind.
• "Q Morning Crew" (Mike Wheless, Marty Young, and Janie Carothers) – WQDR, Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
• "KJ and Friends" (Randy Carroll and Jamie Martin) – KAJA, San Antonio, Texas

Medium Market

• "The 97 Country Breakfast Club" (Tom O'Brien, Roger Todd, and Melissa Moran) – WPCV, Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.
• "Andy & Alison and the Morning Crew" (Andy Ritchie and Alison Mencer) – WIVK, Knoxville, Tenn.
• "Buzz Jackson" (Buzz Jackson) – KIIM, Tucson, Ariz.
• "Ellis and Bradley Morning Show" (Bill Ellis and Beth Bradley) – WSSL, Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.
• "Kevin Richards Show" (Kevin Richards) – WGNA, Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y.
• "Party Marty Mitchell & The Morning Tailgate" (Marty Mitchell) – WKMK, Monmouth-Ocean, N.J.

Small Market

• "Barrett, Fox & Berry" (Bill Barrett, Tim Fox, and Tracy Berry) – KKNU, Eugene-Springfield, Ore.
• "Dex and Mo Show" (Bill Poindexter and Melissa Turner) – WUSY, Chattanooga, Tenn.
• "The Eddie Foxx Show" (Eddie Foxx and Sharon Green) – WKSF, Asheville, N.C.
• "Gary, Nelson, & Kellie" (Gary Greenwood, Josh Nelson, and Kellie Wesslund) – KFGE, Lincoln, Neb.
• "Officer Don and DeAnn" (Don Chase and DeAnn Stephens) – WBUL, Lexington-Fayette, Ky.

CMA RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR

Major Market
KNIX – Phoenix, Ariz.
KWJJ – Portland, Ore.
WKLB – Boston, Mass.
WMZQ - Washington, D.C.
WPOC – Baltimore, Md.

Large Market
KAJA – San Antonio, Texas
WCTK – Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket, R.I.
WFMS – Indianapolis, Ind.
WLHK – Indianapolis, Ind.
WUBE – Cincinnati, Ohio

Medium Market
KFDI – Wichita, Kan.
KUZZ – Bakersfield, Calif.
KXKT – Omaha, Neb./Council Bluffs, Iowa
WIVK – Knoxville, Tenn.
WSSL – Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.

Small Market
WGSQ – Cookeville, Tenn.
WKSF – Asheville, N.C.
WKXC – Augusta, Ga.
WLLR – Quad Cities: Davenport-Rock Island, Iowa/Moline, Ill.
WUSY – Chattanooga, Tenn.

"The 46^th 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.

Chevrolet™ is the Official Ride of Country Music. American Airlines is the Official Airline of the CMA Awards.

SOURCE Country Music Association