Kerry EdwardsPresident of KP Entertainment (KPE), hired Ryan Gardenhire as day-to-day manager for Kelleigh Bannen and platinum selling artist Cole Swindell. Ryan's work history includes seven years at the William Morris office, five of them as an agent. After leaving the agency in 2009, he founded Breakaway Artists managing The Dirt Drifters and Adam Hood as well as working with Sony/ATV to run their artist development program before joining KPE last month.
Ryan will work alongside members of the KPE staff Dustin Eichten (Vice president), Waylon Weatherholt (day-to-day manager for Adam Craig and Jon Langston), Jacoby Plyler (Digital Marketing Manager), Ethan Helms (Tour/Digital Content Coordinator) and Kate Murphy (Executive Assistant to Kerri Edwards) as well as the President and Owner of KPE Edwards.
KP Entertainment's full artist roster includes Luke Bryan, Cole Swindell, Kelleigh Bannen, CB30, Adam Craig, Jon Langston, Chancie Neal and DJ Rock. The company also operates a publishing arm of Peanut Creek Music, a joint venture with Sony/ATV, as well as a partnership with songwriter-representing Kobalt Music Publishing Mike Mobley.
Ryan can be reached at 615-545-9200 or Ryan@kpentertainment.co.
Tom Baldrica has been named director of operations for the Hibbing/Iron Range Communications Midwest cluster
Midwest Communications, Inc Tom Baldricka in Operations Manager for the Hibbing/Iron Range radio station complex. Tom joined MWC after a 20-year career in the music industry, most notably as VP/Promotion for Sony Nashville. Tom's radio career began on the Iron Range at Radio USA.
Baldrica will continue his afternoon show on WUSZ, Hibbing and KTCO, Duluth. Baldrica was also influential in the development and expansion of the Duke FM (Legends of Country) format for Midwest Communications. Additional duties will have Baldrica overseeing the programming operations of WNMT-AM, WMFG AM-FM, WTBX and WUSZ. Once the transfer of stations from Red Rock is complete, he will also oversee WEVE and KGPZ in the Iron Range.
Baldrica reports directly to Market Manager Kristi Westrem and VP/Programming, Jeff McCarthy.
WWE adds Caitlin DeForest
WWE added Caitlin DeForest in its talent relations department, beginning November 29. DeForest will operate out of Stamford, Connecticut. DeForest previously spent five years as a publicist for Webster PR in Nashville.
She can be reached at caitlindeforest@gmail.com.
The country network is headed to Roku
Country Network is headed to Roku's streaming media platform. Country music fans with their Roku-enabled device or Smart TV can now access their country, Americana, red dirt and Texas programming, as well as TCN's original programming—including series such as Live from the couch, On the rise, Our Earth: The Music Road, Studio B Sessionsand more.
“The addition of Roku is extremely important to us,” he states Tim Eaton, President and CEO of The Country Network. “Four out of 10 households currently have an OTT streaming device, and by next year, Streaming Media Player penetration will reach 40 percent of all US homes with internet. The number of ways people get TV content is expanding rapidly, and we want to be a part of that conversation and be available to fans through a wide variety of sources.”