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The Country Format Is Bullish on Beyoncé’s ‘Texas Hold ‘Em,’ Top Radio Execs Say
Radio chain execs say the country format is excited about Beyoncé's new single, playing down media skepticism about how a crossover might be received.
This is a gift,” says Brian Philips, chief content officer at Cumulus Media, who just oversaw a Zoom call Wednesday with programmers at the chain’s major country stations, during which he said everyone spoke enthusiastically about “Texas.” The phrase “officially rolled out” presumably refers to Sony Music sending the song to country stations and actively promoting it there, something that was left uncertain in the immediate wake of Beyoncé doing a surprise drop Sunday night after a reveal in a Super Bowl commercial. The perception of a possible standoff was driven on Monday by reports of a station in a small Oklahoma town that had reacted to an emailed request for the song with a response that said Beyonce would not be played on the outlet, because she is not a country artist.
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