For the past 22 years, I have attended the annual Country Radio Seminar. In the past two weeks, I have talked to and heard from a few CRS “newbies” – either new to the format or coming from outside the format – about their impressions of this year’s conference.
The universal takeaway? They all raved at how everyone was so welcoming and excited to see each other.
Experiencing this made me realize that the country format has always had something truly special – something that those of us involved often take for granted. There’s no secret sauce, but the answer is clear: this format is all about growing and nurturing relationships. When I attended my first CRS, I remarked to someone that I hadn’t seen any gathering like this since the early days of those Radio & Records conventions – but this was several levels higher.
It’s easy to overlook what’s right in front of us. Whether it’s our house, our radio station, or our format, we all have a tendency to poke holes in what we’re closest to. It often takes an outside perspective to remind us that we might be doing things as well as anyone could. The country format, especially at CRS, exemplifies what we do best.
Close to a thousand professionals from small, medium, and large market radio, independent and major record labels, digital service providers, and more converge on the Omni Hotel in Nashville. They engage in honest and open discussions about the format’s issues – whether in organized panels, over meals, or even just in the hotel lobby.
Yes, the format has its problems, but we know what they are because we talk about them and, in some cases, really take action. I hear many ask why other formats can’t do the same. First and foremost, it involves taking the time to start and develop relationships across the format. I was in Top 40 for about 20-plus years and the only real bonds were between labels and radio. No artists. No managers.
For country, face-to-face has always been a major part of that equation. When I walked into the Omni lobby on the first day of CRS last week, it took me 30 minutes to get from one end to the other because of seeing old friends and some new acquaintances. That’s just a “normal” 30-minute span at CRS.
Whether you work in CHR, Hip-Hop, News/Talk, Rock, etc., you should send a rep to CRS ’26 (March 18-20, 2026) and learn. It can be done but it takes work from all sides. Thank you to those “newbies” for letting the Country format know what a good thing we have.
