The CWLA is a non-profit society that works within communities to promote the safety and well being of children. The CWLA’s advocacy efforts cover many areas including adoption, child protection, housing and homelessness, mental health, positive youth development, substance abuse prevention and treatment, and a range of community services that strengthen and support parents and families.

“I have led a very fortunate life,” says Ashley regarding her involvement with CWLA. “It is so wonderful to play a part in these children’s lives by introducing them to some of the great things in life in which I have come to know.”

Ashley will perform in Washington, DC at the league’s National Conference Children 2008: A Call for Action – Leading the Nation for Children and Families Monday, February 25, 2008.

On the recording front, Ashley has been in the studio working with noted producer Byron Gallimore (Tim McGraw, Faith Hill) on her much anticipated Curb Records release. At age 12, Ashley made history as the youngest female artist to enter Billboard’s Hot Country Singles Chart with “Can You Hear Me When I Talk To You?” Now 16, she has received many accolades including the Uncut Diamond Award as a rising star from ASCAP and Best Female Country Artist in a New Country Artist poll in 2006. Her new single, “Out The Window” is scheduled for release in early spring. She will also be appearing at the CRS-39 Curb luncheon with label mate Rodney Atkins.

For more information on Ashley Gearing, visit www.ashleygearing.com

The program will feature acoustic performances by Dave Berg, Tony Mullins, LeAnn Rimes, Neil Thrasher, and Phil Vassar. ASCAP KCRS Live! will take place Wednesday, March 5, 2008 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:20 p.m.

Connie Bradley, ASCAP Senior Vice President stated, “We at ASCAP feel very honored to play a part in Country Radio Seminar once again. Our relationship with the Country Radio Broadcasters and country radio is very important to us and we are excited to present such talented writers as Dave Berg, Tony Mullins, LeAnn Rimes, Neil Thrasher, and Phil Vassar at this year’s event.”

A brief introduction to each of the featured performers is below.

Dave Berg
**Songwriter of the 2007 ASCAP Country Song of the Year, “If You’re Going Through Hell (Before The Devil Even Knows).”
Originally from Portland, Oregon, Berg has an impressive list of nominations and awards. He is the newest recipient of the Country Music Association’s coveted Triple Play Award (for achieving three number one singles in twelve months), has been named Billboard’s #1 Hot Country Songwriter and is NSAI’s Songwriter of the Year. With hits like “If You’re Going Through Hell” and “These are My People” by Rodney Atkins, “Stupid Boy” by Keith Urban and “Moments” by Emerson Drive, it is clear that the praise is well deserved.

Tony Mullins
**Songwriter of the 2000 ASCAP Country Song of the year, “How Forever Feels.”
Mullins moved to Nashville from the small town of Pound, Virginia in 1992. Since then, artists such as Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Clay Walker, Aaron Tippin, John Michael Montgomery, and Lonestar have recorded his songs. Most recently Mullins has written hits for Rascal Flatts (”Me and My Gang”), Van Zant (”Nobody Gonna Tell Me What To Do”), LeAnn Rimes (”Something’s Gotta Give”) and Craig Morgan (”Little Bit of Life”).

LeAnn Rimes
The 2007 release of her album Family marked a milestone for this well-known Curb recording artist; every track on the new album was written or co-written by Rimes. Well known for her powerful vocal style, Rimes is embracing the opportunity to express an even more personal part of herself as a writer. The success of the first single, “Nothing Better to Do” is a testament to the multi-talented singer and songwriter.

Neil Thrasher
**2004 ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year
A talented vocalist in his own right, Thrasher was half of the Asylum Records duo Thrasher Shiver in the 90’s. The duo was twice nominated for the CMA Duo of the Year before deciding to pursue other interests. Thrasher decided to explore a career as a songwriter. Artists from Rascal Flatts (”I Melt,” “Take Me There,” “Fast Cars and Freedom”) to Kenny Chesney (”There Goes My Life,” “I Lost It”) to Montgomery Gentry (”Some People Change”) are very glad that he did.

Phil Vassar
**1999 ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year, Songwriter of the 1999 ASCAP Country Song of the Year, “Bye, Bye” and 2001 ASCAP Songwriter/Artist of the Year.
Prayer Of A Common Man is Vassar’s fourth studio album and first for Universal Records South. The Virginia-born singer, songwriter and musician may be known as country’s leading piano man, but his writing has grown steadily introspective and personal. Along with his own hits like “Carlene,” “Rose Bouquet,” “That’s When I Love You,” “Just Another Day In Paradise” and “Six-Pack Summer,” Vassar has scored hits with Alan Jackson (”Right On The Money”), Tim McGraw (”For A Little While”) and Jo Dee Messina (”Bye Bye,” “I’m Alright”).

CRS-39 will take place from March 5th to 7th at the Nashville Convention Center. All agenda and registration details are available at www.crb.org. For additional information contact the CRB office at 615-327-4487.

The material, originally released in the late 1970s on Con Brio Records, includes several nationally charted singles from that time period. During the mid to late 1970s, Con Brio Records was active on the country record scene and was named Billboard magazine’s “Best New Country Label of The Year” in 1977.

According to GMV spokesman Matt Watkins, “With the advancement of digital media technology and digital distribution growing so rapidly, GMV couldn’t resist the opportunity to reissue some of its best material. We are so excited to reintroduce these timeless albums for today’s generation to enjoy.”

The albums released to date are: The Dale McBride Collection; Dale McBride’s Takin’ A Long Look; The Don King Collection, Volume 1 & 2; Don King’s Thanks To You; The Terri Hollowell Collection; Terri Hollowell’s Stay With Me and Lori Parker’s Just Steppin’ Out.

Don King moved to Nashville from Omaha, Nebraska in the mid 70s. In 1976, he signed with Con Brio Records and yielded several nationally charted singles including, “I’ve Got You (To Come Home To),” “The Feeling’s So Right Tonight,” and “She’s The Girl of My Dreams.”

Terri Hollowell, a native of Jeffersonville, Indiana, signed with Con Brio in 1978. She scored five nationally charted singles on the label including the haunting “May I (See You Again),” “It’s Too Soon To Say Goodbye,” and her widely acclaimed country cover version of the Beatles “Strawberry Fields Forever.”

Lori Parker was born in Williamson, West Virginia where she became a self-taught guitarist and songwriter. In 1976, she signed with Con Brio Records. During that tenure, she had three single releases and songs cut by label mates Don King and Terri Hollowell.

Dale McBride hailed from Lampass, Texas. He was a fixture on the Texas music scene in the 70s. McBride’s Con Brio single “Ordinary Man” bulleted onto the national chart and was quickly followed by such memorable songs as “Savin’ Up Sunshine” and “Always Lovin’ Her Man.”

All albums were produced and arranged by Bill Walker. Walker is well known for his role as musical director of the Johnny Cash television show (1969-1971), the Statler Brothers show on TNN (Nashville Network) and the CMA Awards from the 70’s through the early 90’s.

AristoMedia’s Jeff Walker was the Executive Producer of the digital albums, Digital authoring was implemented by AristoWorks director Jon Walker, and Jim Gilmore of Audio Productions handled the mastering of the project.

In conjunction with the release of the albums GMV Nashville has established a website, gmvnashville.com, which provides artist biographies, album information, and track listings.

To enter, contestants must sign up for a free profile on DigitalRodeo.com and add Trisha Yearwood as a neighbor. Contestants can increase their chances of winning by inviting other people to join DigitalRodeo.com. Each person that accepts an invitation, signs up with DigitalRodeo.com and joins Trisha’s neighborhood, will earn the contestant another entry into the contest. Winners will be chosen at random.

In correlation with the promotion, DigitalRodeo.com will be featuring exclusive behind the scenes footage from Trisha’s newest video, “This Is Me You’re Talking To.” “This Is Me You’re Talking To” is Trisha’s latest must-hear single off her most recent CD, Heaven, Heartache, and The Power of Love.

For more information on DigitalRodeo.com, please visit www.digitalrodeo.com.

For more information on Trisha Yearwood, please visit www.trishayearwood.com.

For more information about Big Machine Records, please visit http://www.bigmachinerecords.com.

This year’s event, which is set for March 5th to 7th, features a wide variety of educational events, artist and songwriter showcases, panel discussions and luncheon performances commencing with a special conversation with country superstar Garth Brooks and concluding with the annual New Faces of Country Music ShowTM.

In addition, there are still a limited number of tickets available for the Country Music DJ and Radio Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies on Tuesday, March 4, 2008. These tickets are $100 or $80 with CRS registration and include access to the post-party hosted by Universal Records South.

Single-day registrations can be purchased for Thursday’s Music Industry Town Meeting, which includes admittance to all of Thursday’s panels and events, for $250.

Registration for Friday’s Country Radio Sales Day includes access to all of Friday’s activities and a ticket to the New Faces of Country Music ShowTM. Friday registration is $350.

All agenda and registration details are available at www.crb.org. For additional information contact the CRB office at 615-327-4487.

Honorees at the 2008 Country Radio Broadcasters’ Country Music DJ and Radio Hall of Fame celebration include Bill Cody and Bob Robbins (Country Music DJ Hall of Fame Inductees), and Jaye Albright, Bobby Kraig and Michael Owens (Country Music Radio Hall Of Fame Inductees). Charlie Daniels will receive the Career Achievement Award and Mike Milom will receive the President’s Award.

The event is open to all CRS registrants, Hall of Fame inductees, and those attending the Hall Of Fame dinner.

Teddi Bonadies, Vice President of National Promotion at Universal Records South, “Universal South is proud to honor 2008 inductees at our first annual Hall of Fame dinner post party. We feel it is an opportunity to celebrate the unique and successful partnership between country radio and music row- as well as the accomplishments of the Broadcasters that are being honored.”

A limited number of tickets are still available for the event, which is preceded by a cocktail party commencing at 5:30. The event will be held at the Renaissance Hotel Ballroom. Single tickets may be purchased for $100; while sponsored tables are $2000. Proceeds go to the DJ and Radio Hall of Fame. To purchase tickets, please contact the Country Radio Broadcasters at 615-327-4487 or visit www.crb.org.

CRS-39® takes place March 5th through March 7th, 2008 at the Nashville Convention Center. Complete seminar information may be obtained by contacting CRB, Inc.® at 615.327.4487 or by visiting www.crb.org. Country Radio Seminar is a registered trademark of Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc.®

Registrants will be able to attend a full day of CRS activities as well as Friday night’s annual New Faces of Country Music ShowTM. Friday’s schedule will focus on radio sales topics. The four panels include: PPM: Our New World of Selling, Ten Great Sales Ideas, Overcoming Challenges, Radio in the Digital Age and I Wish I Said That – Words that get Results.

PPM is designed to improve measurement of audiences for radio, television and cable; however the PPM environment is creating new challenges. PPM, Our New World of Selling will have panelists who currently have PPM in their market and will educate attendees on how to sell in the PPM world. Buyers are faced with challenges; are consumers really listening to twice as many radio stations as previously thought?; is it really possible to go from top five to bottom five and vice versa? Some stations are seeing 10 times the number of listeners that they had with the diary. Every seller or manager who has PPM or is getting PPM in the next 18 months should attend as they will be provided with tools on how to prepare to sell in the PPM world.

Every sales person can use great sales ideas that they can apply in their market. By attending Ten Sales Ideas that even a PD would Love, attendees will be provided with ideas that will make them money in their market. Ideas will be shared on how to sell and make money on new CD launches. Are you in an NFL city or close by: there is an idea for a concert series – your PD will love the ideas, as the branding is good for your station. Included is a Hannah Montana Promotion that was well executed for a west coast Country station. Take these ideas back to your market!

Overcoming Challenges in a Difficult Environment will provide sellers with ideas on how to motivate their sales staffs. When your seller comes to you and indicates the market is down, how do you motivate them to make more calls and sell the power of the Country format. How does Country Radio – the most powerful format – play in your difficult environment? How do you attract new clients in a difficult environment? Are you doing everything you can to retain your radio stations best clients? With the television writers strike – does this create an opportunity for Country Radio? This panel will educate and provide tools for all sales mangers and account executives.

There will be a 48 percent increase in local online ad spending in 2008 to $12.6 billion and this will surpass radio spending in 2008. How do you capture part of this revenue? With 77% of American adults using the internet and the average adult spending more than nine hours per week on line Radio in the Digital Age will educate radio sellers on how to capitalize on radio and digital sales. This panel will be lead by Sheila Kirby who is Senior Vice President of Interep Innovations, where she drives group sales and revenue development. A leader in the industry, Sheila will share ideas on how to capture digital dollars and how your station can achieve your digital budget. This is a must attend session!

Have you ever had a client on your radio station and they did not get the results they were looking for? How can you improve the copy for your client? Wish I Had Said That: Words That Get Results will provide attendees with useful information on creating effective radio ads. Careful research will show that if you work for the client the rest takes care of itself and the money will continue to come in! Tim Miles is a Partner in the Wizard of Ads. Tim has created ads that have run in 80+ US markets, Canada, the UK, and Australia. His web copy has been viewed by hundreds of thousands. In addition to American Small Business, his thoughts have been published by Radio Ink, Direct Magazine, GrokDotCom, and Radio and Production, among others. In his five years at Boston-based MMB, Patrick Lindsay has done award-winning work on virtually every account at the agency, including Subway, Jiffy Lube, LL Bean, Harvard Business School, Atari Video Game and ESPN. He recently won the $100,000 Grand Prize at the Radio Mercury Awards in New York City for his Subway Radio Spot, “Badonkadonk”. He is a graduate of the Creative Circus in Atlanta and the University of the South in Sewanee, TN.

Full registration to the Country Radio Seminar is $650 and is available through February 8th, 2008. After February 9th the on-site rate is $700.

CRS-39® takes place March 5th through March 7th, 2008 at the Nashville Convention Center. Complete seminar information may be obtained by contacting CRB, Inc.® at 615.327.4487 or by visiting www.crb.org. Country Radio Seminar is a registered trademark of Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc.®

Panels will include:
* “Engaging the X/Y Consumer,” a study of younger consumers and how to reach them effectively, presented by The Intelligence Group.

* “Research 101: Callout, Focus, Music Tests,” an in-depth examination of call-out research, and how music testing is used by radio programmers to affect their programming decisions.

* Jose Cancela, a noted expert on Hispanic communications will present “The Power of Business in Español,” offering valuable insight into the Latino market.

Thursday will also see the first ever Tech Track at CRS. The Tech Track is a half-day series of panels that focus on technological issues including growing an online presence, text message marketing, and a review of the current trends in consumer technology.

Town Meeting participants will be treated to performances by Keith Anderson and Montgomery Gentry at the Sony/BMG luncheon, and the BMI / Country Aircheck sponsored WCRS-Live songwriter showcase. Participants may also attend the evening showcases and the Exhibit Area Networking Hour.

The registration fee for this full day of education, networking and entertainment is $250.00.

“This year’s CRS is putting additional emphasis on curriculum for the Music Industry,” explained CRB Executive Director Ed Salamon. “2007 was a challenging year for many of the record labels and we hope that this agenda will provide them with the opportunity to find some solutions as well as create a better understanding of their relationship with the radio community.”

A full schedule of the day’s activities is listed below.
8:00 – 8:50 a.m. Bytes and Bagels: Tech 101 (Tech Track)
9:00 – 9:50 a.m. Again… This is Not A Test (Small Market)
9:00 – 9:50 a.m. Growing Online (Tech Track)
9:00 – 9:50 a.m. The Power of Business in Espanol with Jose Cancela
9:00 – 10:15 a.m. The Charts and Beyond
10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Small Market Superstars (Small Market)
10:00 – 10:50 a.m. TXT WTF? (Tech Track)
10:00 – 10:50 a.m. How Do I Get To Be That Guy?
10:00 – 10:50 a.m. Morning Show Marvels (Sponsored by Big D and Bubba)
11:00 – 11:50 a.m. Book or Bust: A Look at Hot Tech Trends (Tech Track)
11:00 – 11:50 a.m. Woman to Woman
11:00 – 11:50 a.m. I’m Just A Song
12:00 – 1:50 p.m. Lunch & Performance (Sponsored by SonyBMG)
2:00 – 2:50 p.m. Sonic Architecture: It Ain’t Imaging No Mo’
2:00 – 3:10 p.m. Flex Your Promo Pecs (Small Market)
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Engaging the X/Y Consumer CAA: The Intelligence Group (Sponsored by BMI)
3:00 – 3:50 p.m. 60 Seconds: An Awesome Idea Every Minute
3:05 – 3:55 p.m. Research 101: Callout, Focus, Music Tests (Sponsored by Mediabase)
4:10 – 5:30 p.m. WCRS Live! (Sponsored by BMI and Country Aircheck)
5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Exhibit Area Networking Hour (Sponsored by BMI)

For registration information for the Music Industry Town Meeting, contact the CRB office at (615) 327-4487 or visit www.crb.org.

Full registration to the Country Radio Seminar is $650 and is available through February 8th, 2008. After February 9th the on-site rate is $700.

“Truckers deserve the chance to build the American dream from the ground up, just like everybody else. It’s high time for truckers to take a stand and demand a fair deal from factoring companies that lock you in and take you down, and have their money actually work for them instead of just the factoring companies,” said Charlie Daniels.

“We’re thrilled to be joining Charlie Daniels in support of responsible and fair financing for the trucking industry,” said Dudley Boyd, CEO, National Bankers Trust. “Like any other business, small trucking companies must have access to financial services that maximize their cash flow today and give them tools to accumulate profit for growth and ultimately self-capitalization.”

Charlie will be promoting fair financial practices in the trucking industry through a number of different advertising and public relations initiatives including radio ads. Charlie has a long history of supporting the trucking industry and is the official voice of Sirius Radio’s Road Dog channel 147, a 24-hour channel geared toward professional drivers and trucking culture.

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About National Bankers Trust
National Bankers Trust provides responsible and fair financial services to the transportation industry. Headquartered in Memphis Tennessee, the distribution hub of America, National Bankers Trust builds partnerships with its clients across America and offers proprietary lines of credit that maximize cash flow and facilitates capital formation. For more information call 1-877-255-8330.

Media Contact for National Bankers Trust:
Amy Simpson
Chandler Ehrlich
P: (901) 761 – 5748
E: asimpson@cecnet.com

Media Contact for Charlie Daniels:
Christy Walker-Watkins
AristoMedia
P: (615) 269-7071 ext. 124
E: christy@aristomedia.com

Paula Szeigis
The Charlie Daniels Band
P: (615) 443-2112 ext. 123
E: paulacdb@aol.com

Ashley Gearing (Curb) is no stranger to the demands of the music business. At the young age of 12, she made history by entering Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart, eclipsing a 46 year-old record previously held by Brenda Lee. Her version of “Can You Hear Me When I Talk to You” gave Ashley immediate national exposure by displaying a talent well beyond her years. She received ASCAP’s “Uncut Diamond” award as a future Country rising star, has performed numerous times on the famed stage of the Grand Ole Opry, and was voted Best Female Country artist in a New Country Artist poll in 2006.

Rodney Atkins (Curb) may have gone through hell, but things are certainly looking up. The 2007 CMA Horizon award winner has a platinum album, If You’re Going Through Hell, and three consecutive number one singles, “If You’re Going Through Hell,” “Watching You,” and “These Are My People,” under his belt heading into 2008. His latest single “Cleaning This Gun” is climbing the charts and Atkins is currently on the road with Brad Paisley on the “Bonfires and Amplifiers” tour.

Columbia Nashville’s Keith Anderson earned a CMA Song of the Year nomination in 2007, co-writing the Big & Rich #1 single, “Lost in this Moment,” and now, the talented songwriter delivers new music of his own with a January 28 impact date for “I Still Miss You,” from his upcoming album, C’MON!. Keith’s Gold-certified debut disc, Three Chord Country and American Rock & Roll, launched a pair of Top 10 singles (”Every Time I Hear Your Name” and “Pickin’ Wildflowers”), making Anderson an immediate fan favorite and Billboard’s top new solo country artist in his first year on the charts.

With 11 Top 5 singles to their credit, including current smash, “What Do Ya Think About That,” and recent chart-topper, “Lucky Man,” Montgomery Gentry (Sony Nashville) has proven time and again – rocking the house on disc and on stage – that what they do is about a lot more than luck. Some People Change, their latest Columbia Nashville disc, has delivered three back-to-back hit singles, as the award-winning duo continues to rack up the airplay and the accolades, recently earning a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

The trio of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood originally came together in 2006 to create music as songwriters and soon learned that there was chemistry in the room, and decided that whatever they were going to do in the future had to be done together. Thus Lady Antebellum (Capitol) was formed. The trio has been chosen as one of Billboard magazine’s “Faces to Watch” in 2008, Country Weekly’s “Who’s Hot in ‘08,” the Boston Globe’s “New Artists to Watch” and Nashville Lifestyles called them the “Next Big Thing.” Their current single “Love Don’t Live Here” has already climbed in to the Top 30 of the country singles charts and their self-titled debut album is expected to be released April 15.

Emily West’s (Capitol) rich, distinctive vocals and smart, emotive songs make her hard to ignore, much like the iconic female country artists – Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn – that she’s always looked up to. This Waterloo, Iowa native moved to Music City in 2000, honing her writing and performing skills within the Nashville songwriting community until she came to the attention of Capitol Records Nashville. Emily West’s first single comes out in February 2008, with an album anticipated by the end the year.

Country Radio Seminar 39® (CRS-39) takes place March 5th-7th, 2008 at the Nashville Convention Center. If received by February 5th, The CRS-39® registration rate is $650.00. The registration rate will increase to $700.00 on-site.