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Scott Husky is President of RWPC, a Corinth, Mississippi-based consulting firm focusing primarily on Country radio.
Husky worked for the late Rusty Walker, and the company name reflects a nod to Rusty Walker Programming and his work.
He is this week’s featured consultant.
Jeff Lynn: What is the current state of Country Radio?
Scott Husky: I think we are currently in somewhat of a transition phase of Country. The music is really good right now, and there is nationwide attention to the format. We have a ton of fresh new artists breaking out, thanks to TikTok and YouTube. The music has variety. Every song doesn’t sound the same. Story songs are coming back some, and that’s the root of Country music.
My biggest fear is that since we have a ton of new artists coming out, we run the risk of becoming a song-based format. Call me old-fashioned, but the central core of the format has always been that it’s an artist-driven format. The listeners want to wrap their arms around the artists, and it’s tough when there are so many of them, and some of them don’t get a chance to mature.
JL: How do you advise clients to handle that overwhelming amount of new music coming out of Nashville?
SH: We have to carefully manage the songs coming out of Nashville. The great music I just spoke of can get lost if we don’t manage it. Certainly, artist separation is not as much an issue as in the past. You can play the same artist within a shorter period of time than a few years ago.
I like to have special features that showcase a new song or group of new songs that’s something that can be done a couple times a day and not just at night. That way, we can expose new songs and tell our listeners that we hear the new stuff but not have to try to rotationally play ALL the new things coming out. With so much coming so fast, it’s hard to develop a passion for a song, and that’s what radio still needs to do: create a passion for the music.
JL: You carry the mantle for the legendary Rusty Walker. What does it mean to you to carry on his work?
SH: It was a dream come true when I was able to begin working with Rusty years ago. I was fortunate enough to be a client for nearly ten years before I joined the team. We still maintain the same philosophy about focusing on the listener, and underpromising and overperforming are our goals. Being associated with one the members of the Mount Rushmore of consultants is an honor that we don’t take lightly. In the past 12 years since his passing, there have been many times where I have said, “I’m gonna ask Rusty…”. The fortunate thing he did for us on the team was allow us to develop our own style. My particular case, since I was a client for so long with some good success (KCYY Y100), allowed me to learn from Rusty before putting it into practice.
JL: How important is the resurgence of 90s music to a current-based Country station?
SH: I think, based on the market situation, some 90s sprinkled in gives some great depth to the station. The younger demo is finding that music, and it’s pretty good. In lots of cases, that music adds dimension but doesn’t necessarily add shares. The issue is really what to do with the early 2000’s.
JL: Considering market differences, generally, what is a good balance of current/recurrent/gold?
SH: Again, market-to-market is different. Competitive situations are different, but I like to balance a little newer today: 30%-40% gold, 60-70% Current/recurrent.
JL: How are you coaching morning teams to extend their brand from just four hours in the morning to across the day? How important is video and podcasting for shows, and does it need to be more than just a repost of the show?
SH: It’s extremely important to extend the brand as listeners are consumers of multiple types of media. I encourage all my mornings shows to create touchpoints throughout the day whether it is via podcast or Facebook or Insta or X interaction.
Just like the music the listener wants to get their arms around the personalities. I think podcasts are key and they can be anything from the “show after the show” where you can let your hair down a bit and continue on with the thread from the day or you can tackle those things that didn’t make it on the show.
I also encourage all talent to use video whenever they can and if they have a special passion or interest I suggest they create a podcast about that passion. That can give the listener another way got get to know the personality.
JL: What are a couple of the best promotions you have seen lately?
SH: This time of year I especially like “Random Acts of Cash” where a listener wins cash and the station donates the same amount to a charity of the listener choice in the listeners name. Generally, I like some of the standards like Secret Sound or Crack the Code. If it has vicarious playing to it, I like it.
JL: Social media is a daily moving target. How are you advising clients to create a strategy?
SH: You are correct about a moving target. The best advice I give is fish where the fish are. Be present on the platforms of choice, TikTok, Insta, and FB, to a certain extent. I believe all things should point back to the station and have a reason for being. I could be wrong, but I don’t like posting things just to post things. Again, video is key.
JL: What is the best piece of career advice ever given to you?
SH: Lead, don’t Tell…..Coach, don’t boss. And always carry a litterbag in your car., it doesn’t take up much room, and when it gets full, you can just throw it out the window anyway (thank Steve Martin)
Reach Scott by email here:
RWPC
P.O. Box 2349
Corinth, Mississippi
662-423-8092
Jeff Lynn serves as Editor of Barrett Media’s Music Radio coverage. Prior to joining Barrett Media, Jeff spent time programming in Milwaukee, Omaha, Cleveland, Des Moines, and Madison for multiple radio groups, including iHeartMedia, Townsquare Media, NRG Media, and Entercom (now Audacy). He also worked as a Country Format Editor for All Access until the outlet shut down in August 2023.
To get in touch with Jeff by email, reach him at Jeff@BarrettMedia.com.
