Westwood One Ends Distribution Of Lon Helton’s ‘Country Countdown USA’; Cumulus Execs Doug Cohn, John Kilgo Out, Plus Other Programming & Staff Cuts

Programming & Staff Cuts

Shocker! In the middle of a day when WESTWOOD ONE has been making cuts, ALL ACCESS confirms that LON HELTON’s “Country Countdown USA” will no longer be distributed by the company after the weekend of JULY 30th & 31st.

HELTON told ALL ACCESS, “We have had a great run of 30 years, and my deepest thanks to all of the stations and artists who have contributed to our success. Our longtime writer/producer GEORGE ACHAVES is out as well, and together we will keep the show going as we always have with a different Country star as a co-host each week. We are exploring other platforms and opportunities.”

ALL ACCESS has also learned that CUMULUS SVP Music/Entertainment DOUG COHN and 20-year Cumulus VP Label Relations JOHN KILGO have exited the Content team. Reach DOUG at doug.cohn1@gmail.com or (917) 841-0819, and find KILGO at (404) 414-1134 and killerkilgo@gmail.com.

CUMULUS EVP/Content BRIAN PHILIPS noted, “Our plan is to merge two departmental positions into a single pivotal new role, embracing our friends—artists, labels, management and touring. Our forthcoming new Head of Music Partnerships will report to me.

“The person who serves in this new position will oversee the vast landscape of creative and revenue-driving promotional and programming opportunities across our 300+ music stations and WESTWOOD ONE NETWORK music franchises," PHILIPS continued. "The new Music Partnership division will draw on collaboration from our expert team of format VPs and Vice Presidents of Programming Operations as we further spread our wings in CHR, Rock, Urban, Country and AC. We aim to add this new leader by the end of JULY.

“DOUG’s leadership has reinvigorated our confidence and sense of possibility in music, as we expand into touring, on-air music events and programming initiatives. DOUG exudes professionalism, kindness and class. We are thankful DOUG opened new doors for CUMULUS, and helped solidify the foundation for our future."

PHILIPS added of KILGO, “JOHN enjoys deep relationships across the label spectrum, and has served as an essential liaison for each format and every artist embraced by CUMULUS. JOHN brought natural enthusiasm and smart deal-making to the department. We thank him for his important contributions to our business over the past two decades.”

VP Country Formats NICK FOX has also exited. He joined WESTWOOD ONE in 2019 as PD/Country Formats and was elevated to the VP role in FEBRUARY, a role in which he oversaw all of the company's Country formats, which include Mainstream Country, Hot Country, Classic Country, Real Country and Nash Icon. Reach FOX at nickfoxradio@gmail.com, by phone at (205) 792-9149, or via his LINKED in profile here.

Affiliate Relations Manager for the 24/7 Formats at WESTWOOD ONE DAN PEARMAN also exits. He can be reached at danpearman@earthlink.net.

Veteran Program JACK SILVER exits after 10 years with the company. SILVER served as PD for NBC SPORTS RADIO heard on over 350 affiliates nationwide, as well as OM for WW1's CULVER CITY STUDIOS overseeing the production crew for NFL,college football and basketball as well as music, talk shows and podcasts produced in the facility. He can be reached at JackSilver36@gmail.com.

Classic Country format afternoon host MARK STEVENS is also out. He's been working with WESTWOOD ONE since 2017. STEVENS can be reached at mstevenslas@yahoo.com.

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