SYRACUSE -- Clear Channel country station B104.7 (WBBS) is nominated for medium market Station of the Year; and morning show co-hosts Tom Owens and Becky Palmer are nominated for medium market Personalities of the Year in the 44th annual Country Music Association Awards.
The CMA Broadcast Awards finalists were announced yesterday in Nashville by the group Steel Magnolia. According to the official CMA press release, winners will be notified in mid-October. They'll be recognized during The 44th Annual CMA Awards, to be televised nationally on ABC, on Wednesday, November 10.
But B104.7 may not be the only station able to brag about having nominated talent on its roster: a number of sydicated personalities carried by stations within the four-market CNYRadio.com coverage area are nominated for National Broadcast Personality of the Year. Those include 4-time winner Lon Helton, two-time winner Lia Knight, and four-time nominees Lorianne Crook & Charlie Chase.
This is at least the third year in a row Owens and Palmer were nominated in the medium market personality category. As a station overall, WBBS didn't make it as a finalist last year, but the station was in the top five in 2008. It was the exact opposite in 2007; WBBS was nominated, but the morning show was not.
The Country Music Association is not to be confused with a different (but very similar sounding) awards show, the Academy of Country Music Awards -- in which Tom, Becky and WBBS have also been nominated in nearly-identical categories.
The CMA announcement says entries are judged on a variety of factors including ratings, biographical information, airchecks and leadership in community service.