by Scott Turner

As I've mentioned in previous columns, 8 or 10 of us (writers/producers, etc.) meet for breakfast at a Nashville hotel. Often times, I throw out the question, "Do you have any ideas about what I can write for this month's piece?" And again, trusty ol' Ted Harris came up with this idea: he said, "Why not stress the need for a network TV country-oriented show?" And then he proceeded to quote from a recent national column...."The success of country music continues to climb to new heights. Last year when all other music genres saw a major decline in sales, country music was UP 12 percent." He then stated the highly successful country network shows from the past a la "The Johnny Cash Show", The Glen Campbell Show", and "Hee Haw" amongst others, and I believe he's right. Who would host it? And the names came flying out - Vince Gill, Garth Brooks, George Strait - and even James Garner who is an avid country fan.

This week happens to be Country Seminar Week and the local paper said (to paraphrase), "More than 2000 country music radio personnel have converged here this week, once again defining Nashville as Music City USA." "The 3-day seminar is expected to draw more attendees than last year's event. While a lot of conventions have fallen on hard times, due to the state of the economy, organizers indicate attendance is up because the folks who attend find it relevant to the success of country music," said Ed Salamon, the executive director.

Also, Tim Roberts, the regional manager for Cumulus Media, the second largest radio operator in the country with 250 stations said, "In these times, people don't want to hear hardcore types of music...they want things they can relate to and that make them feel good."

I'm merely quoting other people's remarks, but I think that Ted hit the nail on the head. Perhaps America is ready for another "feel good" hour on television.