NASHVILLE, TN. (Top40 Charts/ CMA) - Country radio learned exciting news today when 2007 CMA Horizon Award nominee
Jason Aldean called to inform the 2007 CMA Broadcast Awards winners of their wins. The CMA Broadcast Personality of the Year, including
National Broadcast Personality of the Year and CMA
Radio Station of the Year recipients will be recognized during the "The 41st Annual CMA Awards," airing live Wednesday, Nov. 7 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn.
The CMA Broadcast Personality and CMA Radio Station of the Year winners were contacted on the stations' studio lines by Aldean. The CMA Broadcast Awards finalists were announced at a press conference in Nashville in late August by Montgomery Gentry and Taylor Swift.
"The Country radio format is alive and well thanks to theses guys, who work so hard to help get our music played," said Aldean. "I owe them a tremendous amount of credit for helping me get my career off the ground the past several years, so being able to give them their big news earlier today was a real honor. Congrats again to all of them."
"CMA is proud to recognize these outstanding Country radio stations and broadcast personalities," said CMA Chief Operating Officer Tammy Genovese. "Having one of our most exciting CMA Award nominees surprise the winners with the news just adds to the excitement."
Lia Knight (above), host of "The Lia Show" on Jones Radio Networks, won her second National Broadcast Personality of the Year Award. The 20+ year veteran won her first Award in the category in 2005.
"I totally did not expect this! This is my twentieth year in radio-what a way to celebrate. I feel so honored," said Knight when she heard the news.
Many of the radio stations and personalities were first-time finalists for a CMA Broadcast Award. Nineteen percent of the stations and 45 percent of the radio personalities had never made it to the final ballot and that was reflected in the winners.
"It is very exciting to see so many new faces and stations on the list of winners," said Genovese. "Having so many first-time winners speaks to the creativity, talent and dedication of the format's radio professionals."
2007 CMA Broadcast Personality of the Year Winners:
National Broadcast Personality - Lia Knight, "The Lia Show," Jones Radio Networks
Major Market - Chris Carr, KEEY, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.
Carr was a finalist in 2006, but this is his first win.
Large Market - "Jim, Deborah and Kevin" (Jim Denny, Kevin Freeman and Deborah Honeycut) - WFMS, Indianapolis, Ind.)
The trio was nominated every year from 2002-2005. This is their first win.
Medium Market - Dan Tooker in the Morning with Jon Watkins and Colby Ericson - (show was formerly on KFDI, Wichita, Kan.)
This was their first nomination and win.
Small Market - "Gator & The StyckMan" (Gator Harrison and Greg "StyckMan" Owens) - WGSQ, Cookeville, Tenn.
This marked their first nomination and win.
2007 CMA Radio Station of the Year Winners:
Major Market - KYGO, Denver/Boulder, Colo.
Was a finalist five times, and won the category in 2000.
Large Market - WMIL, Milwaukee/Racine, Wis.
Was a finalist five times between 1995 and 2006.
Medium Market - KXKT, Omaha/Council Bluffs, Iowa
Was a finalist in 2002 and 2006.
Small Market - WKXC, Augusta, Ga.
Was a finalist in 2000.
CMA Broadcast Awards winners are not eligible to enter in consecutive years. For National Broadcast Personality of the Year, syndicated, short-form, hub-tracking and satellite radio personalities heard in at least three markets with a minimum of 40 shows per year were eligible. In addition to the CMA National Broadcast Personality of the Year Award, winners were selected in four market categories (Small, Medium, Large and Major) for CMA Broadcast Personality and CMA Radio Station of the Year.
The categories are established by market size based on Arbitron rankings. Entries for CMA Broadcast Personality of the Year were judged on aircheck, ratings, community involvement and biographical information. Radio stations were judged on airchecks, ratings history, community involvement and leadership. CMA members who are full-time, Country on-air personalities and CMA member radio stations in the United States and Canada were eligible to enter. Winners were determined in two rounds of judging by a panel of broadcast professionals. The accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP tabulated the scoring by the judges.
The winning entries are posted on CMA's official Web site, www.CMAawards.com.
For more information about the CMA Awards visit our official Web site at CMAawards.com.
