For the first time in many years, we experienced significant turnover on our Country PD list. As a result of the Entercom/CBS merger, Shelly Easton, who was number two on our list in 2018, is no longer in the Country format. Bruce Logan, who spent five years at KILT in Houston, left the station. Logan was number five on our list last year. And everyone remembers the sad news of WQDR/Raleigh’s Lisa McKay, who passed away just as our 2018 list was released. McKay was fourth on our 2018 Best PDs In Country Radio list.
How the Best PDs in Country are chosen:
Every PD must be nominated. If they are not nominated, they cannot be considered for our list. They can be nominated by their manager, a co-worker, a friend, their mom, a competing company, a record label, or the CEO of the company they work for. The nomination forms are very detailed, and we consider many things when we finalize the list, including longevity in the format, ratings, community service, how they manage people, etc. It has to be more than just sitting in the PD easy chair of a heritage station on cruise control. Then, over the course of several months, Radio Ink consults with a panel of country music and radio experts to establish a consensus on who should make our list. We work extra hard to be sure to include program directors from every market size. Once our list of 30 is decided, everyone votes on the order, including the 30 PDs who make the list.
Here are the Best Program Directors in Country Radio for 2019
1. Tim Roberts
VP/Music Programming
WYCD-FM/Detroit
Detroit
[email protected]
40 years in radio
40 years programming Country
2. Johnny Chiang
KKBQ/Houston
Cox Media Group
[email protected].
28 years in radio
15 years programming Country
3. Gator Harrison
WSIX-FM (The Big 98)/Nashville
iHeartCountry Brand Coordinator
iHeartMedia
33 years in radio
23 years programming Country
4. Mike Moore
VP/Programming and Country Music Format Captain
Entercom
[email protected]
36 years in radio
25 years programming Country
5. Jeff Garrison
KCYY/San Antonio
Cox Media Group
[email protected]
36 years in radio
27 years programming Country
6. Gregg Swedberg
KEEY-FM/Minneapolis
iHeartRadio
40 years in radio
28 years programming Country
7. Kenny Jay
WUSN-FM/Chicago
Entercom
22 year in radio
21 years programming Country
8. Mac Daniels
KPLX (99.5 The Wolf) & KSCS/Dallas
Cumulus
[email protected]
43 years in radio
33 years programming Country
9. Charlie Cook
WSM-FM/Nashville
VP Country Formats
Cumulus Media
48 years in radio
40 years programming Country
10. Steve Geofferies
KNIX/Phoenix
iHeartMedia
[email protected]
21 years in radio
16 years programming Country
11. Meg Stevens
Region Senior VP/Programming Virginia-Carolina
PD, WKKT/Charlotte
iHeartCountry Brand Coordinator
[email protected]
32 years in radio
24 years programming Country
12. Grover Collins
WUBE-FM/Cincinnati
Hubbard
[email protected]
33 years in radio
25 years programming Country
13. Travis Daily
WQYK-FM/Tampa
Beasley Media Group
[email protected]
20 years in radio
20 years programming Country
14. Scott Roddy
WIL-FM/St. Louis
Hubbard
[email protected]
30 years in radio
7 years programming Country
15. Kevin Callahan
KSON/San Diego
Entercom
[email protected]
29 years in radio
10 years programming Country
16. JoJo Turnbeaugh
KWBL/Denver
Regional Senior VP/Programming
Denver Region
iHeartMedia
[email protected]
38 years in radio
10 years programming Country
17. David Corey
WKLB/Boston
Beasley Media Group
[email protected]
30 years in radio
2 years programming Country
18. Drew Bland
KKWF/Seattle
Entercom
[email protected]
15 years in radio
11 years programming Country
19. Tee Gentry
WKXC-FM/Augusta, GA
Beasley Media
[email protected]
30 years in radio
25 years programming Country
20. Cindy Spicer
Program Director
WFUS-FM/Tampa
iHeartMedia
[email protected]
30 years in radio
8 years programming Country
21. John E. Kage
KYGO/Denver
Bonneville
[email protected]
25 years in radio
2 years programming Country
22. Julie Stevens
KRTY/San Jose, CA
Empire Broadcasting
[email protected]
40 years in radio
35 years programming Country
23. MoJoe Roberts
Country Format Captain
PD, KUPL (The Bull)/Portland; KDES/Palm Springs, CA; and WXCL/Peoria, IL
Alpha Media
[email protected]
23 years in radio
24. M. Fletcher Brown
WXFL-FM/Florence, AL
Big River Broadcasting
[email protected]
21 years in radio
13 years programming Country
25. Tosh Jackson
KNTY (101.9 The Wolf)/Sacramento
Entravision
[email protected]
21 years in radio
9 years programming Country
26. Jesse Garcia
WBYT (B100)/South Bend, IN
Federated Media
[email protected]
34 years in radio.
25 years programming country music
27. Mike Shamus
WKOA/Lafayette, IN
Neuhoff Media
[email protected]
24 years in radio
13 years programming Country
28. Randy Brooks
KIXQ-FM/Joplin, MO
Zimmer Radio
[email protected]
30 years in radio
8 years programming Country
29. John Kimmons
KOMG (105.1 The Bull), Springfield, MO
Midwest Family Broadcasting
[email protected]
29 years in radio
5 years programming Country
30. Jess Jennings
WCKN-FM/Charleston, SC
Charleston Radio Group
8 years in radio
2 years programming Country
