Marci Braun is the Program Director for Audacy’s US 99 WUSN Chicago. Her peers and industry executives recently voted her the number one Country Programmer in Barrett Media’s Top 20 Country Programmers.
I talked to Braun about both landing the top spot and her thoughts on The Country Radio Seminar.
“I was blown away, Jeff. It was so wonderful to be recognized by the industry, and I, in no way would have ever thought that I would be at the top of the list. It was just so cool.”
Braun enjoyed hearing from industry colleagues regarding landing the top spot.
“I love the reach that Barrett has because you hear from people outside of your format and people who have been in Country but left. I heard from a ton of people. It was very sweet. It was a great couple of days.”
CRS opens today at the Omni Nashville Hotel in Downtown Nashville. One thing that Braun looks forward to is all the music.
“The first time I went to CRS was as a music director, and for years and years, I was MD/APD. So, at the core, CRS is a wonderful chance for me to get exposed to new music and new artists and who the labels are rolling out. That has always been first and foremost for me. And I love it. I try to soak everything up, and I just get reinvigorated and excited again.”
Networking also rates high on the list of things Braun looks forward to.
“I love the networking, chatting with people, and hearing what they’re doing. I love hearing ideas of what they’re doing on the streets, on the air, and just checking in on friends.”
“You think with social media you keep up with everybody. You see what they’re doing on Facebook or Instagram, and you feel you don’t need to reach out to them because this is going on with so-and-so. But it’s always just really good to hug people’s necks and see them in person and make sure they’re doing well.”
Braun remembers a particular networking experience early in her career with Becky Brenner, now of Albright & O’Malley & Brenner consultants.
“When I was a baby at WNCY in Green Bay, I looked at the agenda and didn’t even know what the panel was about. I just knew Becky Brenner ran the world and was head of everything. She was on all these boards, and I had to meet her. I went to it and then hung out afterward and introduced myself.”
“It is very weird and very cool that now Becky and I are friends, and we hang out and we run together at CRS. Becky can stay out later than anybody, which is amazing. And trying to keep up with Becky Brenner is one of the fun parts of CRS as well.”
Braun encourages people to make the most of those opportunities.
“Don’t hesitate for a second; scan the rooms, the badges, and the name. And because you might not know what everybody looks like, there’s nothing wrong with looking at somebody and quickly looking down at the badge. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.”
Braun will be a part of this year’s Women’s Mentoring Breakfast.
“The wonderful thing about the Women’s Mentoring Breakfast is that it’s not just for women; guys come by too. It’s just a chance to sit one-on-one with people. It’s kind of like speed dating. You sit at a table with somebody in programming, marketing, records, promotion, or whatever.”
Braun remembers one mentee in particular.
“Paisley Dunn-Banks. She came over and sat at my table, and what I got from her was more than I think I gave her because she came in so wide-eyed and so excited about being at CRS and being around everybody and just absorbing all she could to take back to her market. And just her telling me how passionate she was about radio, why she got into it, and all that stuff. I took that to heart so much, as well.”
“I think that probably through networking, one of the most important things I’ve learned, and it’s just being around everybody at CRS, is to treat your people well. You hear the good and the bad at CRS. I love my job, or I’m struggling because of X, Y, Z. It’s really about taking care of your staff and your people and always having their back.”
I asked about memories that stand out over the years.
“I’ll say that I miss the Sony boat. I really do. I loved that. That moment when Trisha Yearwood was on Sony and she sang ‘Blue Bayou.’ Dead, killed me dead. It was fantastic. And I remember one of the first years I got invited on the Sony boat when they brought Martina McBride over to say hi and meet me. That was just mind-blowing.”
One common thread through this series is how valuable the annual research project is.
“The research presentations are invaluable. That is just learning where our listener’s heads are these days. It’s just super important.”
What advice does Braun have for first-time attendees?
“Don’t stay out too late—pot kettle black. I learned from Becky Brenner that you stay out; you’re still up for the first thing in the morning.”
“Don’t miss things. Plan ahead. If you’re lucky enough to go with somebody else from your building or your company, divide and conquer because there are going to be times when you want to go to two sessions at once, and it’s impossible. So, you say, hey, you go to this one, I go to this one, let’s meet up afterward to compare notes and share.”
I hope you have enjoyed the Countdown To CRS series. Enjoy your time in Nashville, have fun, and have a great seminar.
Barrett Media President Jason Barrett and Director of Strategic Partnerships Stephanie Eads will be there. They would both welcome the chance to meet you and say hi.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
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.
