Country Superstar Tapped As New Host of ABC Radio Networks American
Country Countdown
NEW YORK, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- He's been Entertainer of the Year 4 times
... Headlined countless major tours and written #1 hits for himself and many
others ... and with partner Ronnie Dunn pretty much defined what modern honky
tonk music post-Waylon Jennings and the heart of Saturday night. And now, the
utterly hospitable Kix Brooks has been tapped by ABC Radio Networks as the new
host for its American Country Countdown -- the longest running and most
listened to count to #1 in the nation.
"The thing about Kix -- not only is he a consummate entertainer, he loves
what he does ... and he has done it as completely as anyone I've ever seen,"
says John McConnell, Senior Vice President of ABC Radio Networks, of the
choice. "He knows the music. He knows the songs. He knows the people. He knows
the life. But especially, he knows the stories -- and the artists and fans
just seem to take him places they wouldn't most other people."
Brooks will take over as the host of the 16-time Billboard
Network/Syndicated Show of the Year winner in January 2006. A music intensive
4 hours that counts down the biggest 40 songs in country music each week,
American Country Countdown is heard on more than 400 radio stations
nationwide, along with the Armed Forces Radio Network and internationally
through a joint venture with Radio Express.
"I think this is gonna be cool," says the man with the smoky voice, the
quick laugh and the sparkle in his eyes. "The idea of getting to bring the
listeners into our world, to give them insight into where the music comes from
and what our lives are like out here ... it's a great way to bring people even
closer to what we do every week -- and I love that."
Having just wrapped the wildly successful Deuces Wild Tour -- with special
guests Big & Rich and the Warren Brothers -- Brooks & Dunn head straight into
their second year hosting the annual Country Music Association Awards. With
their nearing platinum Hillbilly Deluxe debuting at #1 on Billboard's Country
Album Chart and "Play Something Country" topping both of the singles charts,
the duo who've been hailed as "Country music's Mick and Keith" by no less than
The Village Voice show no signs of slowing down ... so American Country
Countdown is in for a pretty spectacular ride.
"This positions us to take a show that's the standard by which everyone
else is compared to even deeper places," says McConnell. "Kix is a natural
story-teller -- and he brings that out in others. This is a show that's not
just what the hits are, but who the people writing and recording them are. So,
American Country Countdown is poised to be the definitive source. And, given
Kix's personality, the listeners will have a lot of fun."
Brooks & Dunn will play a rare stripped down club gig at Irving Plaza in
New York City on Nov. 10, then will host "The 39th Annual Country Music
Association Awards," broadcast live from Madison Square Garden on CBS, Nov.
15. With "Believe," the searing song about generational connections and faith
beyond words currently taking the charts, Hillbilly Deluxe continues flexing
its muscle as the duo's most personal and musically expansive project yet.
About ABC Radio Networks
ABC Radio Networks has 4,600 affiliate radio stations reaching 109 million
people age 12 and over each week. Programs and services include ABC News
Radio, Paul Harvey News and Comment, The Sean Hannity Show, Satellite Sisters,
The Tom Joyner Morning Show, The Doug Banks Morning Show, MoneyTalk with Bob
Brinker, The Mark Davis Show, The Larry Elder Show, American Country
Countdown, The Dan Patrick Show, The Michael Baisden Show, Dick Bartley's Rock
& Roll's Greatest Hits, The John Batchelor Show, Todd Pettengill at the 80s,
Renan Almendarez Coello-El Cucuy de la Manana, El Vacilon de la Manana with
Luis Jimenez and Moonshadow and El Vacilon de la Manana with Enrique Santos
and Joe Ferrero. Other ABC broadcast services include ABC Sports Radio, Radio
Disney, syndicated music and talk programs including Flashback,
format-specific ePREP and production libraries, ABC's Jack FM(TM) and eleven
other 24-Hour Formats, including Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel and ESPN
Radio, which is the exclusive network radio home of Major League Baseball, the
NBA and the Bowl Championship Series.
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SOURCE ABC Radio Networks
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CONTACT:
Holly Gleason, Joe's Garage, +1-615-269-3238,
or Allen Brown, Arista Nashville, +1-615-301-4300, or Bennett
Kleinberg, for ABC Radio Networks, +1-212-576-2700,
bkleinberg@goodmanmedia.com
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