NIELSEN RADIO MARKET RANKINGS: FALL 2013

Access a full copy of the Fall 2013 Market Populations & Rankings (PDF), which includes updated Market Rankings.

All markets are accredited by the Media Rating Council® (MRC) unless indicated by this symbol: †. See a complete list of Nielsen Audio services accredited by the Media Rating Council.

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Market Code*	Rank	Type	Freq.	Market	Metro 12+ Population	DST	Hispanic 12+ Population**	Black 12+ Population***
001	1	PPM	13	New York†	16,033,100	BH	3,802,300	2,724,700
003	2	PPM	13	Los Angeles	11,179,600	BH	4,803,400	798,100
005	3	PPM	13	Chicago	7,910,200	BH	1,591,500	1,357,900
009	4	PPM	13	San Francisco	6,377,900	BH	1,446,000	451,400
024	5	PPM	13	Dallas-Ft. Worth	5,559,300	BH	1,487,600	844,000
033	6	PPM	13	Houston-Galveston	5,253,500	BH	1,801,500	888,000
015	7	PPM	13	Washington, DC†	4,720,300	BH	672,900	1,262,600
007	8	PPM	13	Philadelphia	4,547,300	BH	358,100	923,300
047	9	PPM	13	Atlanta	4,487,600	BH	461,500	1,469,100
013	10	PPM	13	Boston†	4,145,900	BH	393,600	298,800
429	11	PPM	13	Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood	3,858,000	BH	1,891,600	776,000
011	12	PPM	13	Detroit	3,790,400	B	145,600	839,400
039	13	PPM	13	Seattle-Tacoma†	3,585,700	BH	297,800	220,600
057	14	PPM	13	Phoenix	3,347,700	BH	927,300	177,300
540	15	4S	4	Puerto Rico†	3,128,300		*	*
027	16	PPM	13	Minneapolis-St. Paul	2,827,200	BH	143,300	210,300
063	17	PPM	13	San Diego	2,729,200	BH	849,600	150,500
087	18	PPM	13	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater	2,501,200	BH	398,800	299,600
035	19	PPM	13	Denver-Boulder	2,486,500	BH	503,500	134,600
321	20	PPM	13	Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island)	2,454,700	BH	395,600	230,700
021	21	PPM	13	Baltimore	2,373,000	BH	114,100	679,600
017	22	PPM	13	St. Louis	2,318,800	B	64,800	425,300
051	23	PPM	13	Portland, OR	2,182,400	H	254,800	69,300
093	24	PPM	13	Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill	2,108,900	BH	176,100	466,000
023	25	PPM	13	Pittsburgh, PA	2,008,400	B	32,100	177,400
379	26	PPM	13	Riverside-San Bernardino	1,997,700	BH	1,003,400	175,200
065	27	PPM	13	Sacramento†	1,913,000	BH	360,100	151,500
059	28	PPM	13	San Antonio	1,897,800	BH	991,900	131,400
101	29	PPM	13	Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo†	1,791,400	H	250,700	27,000
031	30	PPM	13	Cincinnati	1,781,400	B	47,900	222,600
019	31	PPM	13	Cleveland	1,763,800	B	81,500	348,900
257	32	PPM	13	Las Vegas†	1,700,200	BH	474,800	185,000
131	33	PPM	13	Orlando†	1,676,600	BH	474,600	270,400
041	34	PPM	13	Kansas City	1,668,100	BH	130,800	221,400
135	35	PPM	13	Austin†	1,586,300	BH	476,300	122,800
215	36	PPM	13	San Jose†	1,574,200	H	406,500	48,000
045	37	PPM	13	Columbus, OH†	1,567,700	B	57,000	242,700
043	38	PPM	13	Milwaukee-Racine	1,489,100	BH	135,600	227,200
393	39	2S	2	Hudson Valley	1,487,300	BH	295,800	187,300
049	40	PPM	13	Indianapolis†	1,468,300	BH	88,500	226,800
413	41	PPM	13	Middlesex-Somerset-Union†	1,454,800	BH	303,500	193,300
115	42	PPM	13	Raleigh-Durham†	1,430,100	BH	139,100	321,700
109	43	PPM	13	Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News†	1,390,200	B	81,000	431,500
077	44	PPM	13	Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket†	1,388,700	H	140,300	71,400
073	45	PPM	13	Nashville†	1,339,200	BH	87,000	216,100
166	46	PPM	13	Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point†	1,239,100	BH	100,200	273,900
053	47	4S	4	New Orleans	1,222,200	BH	90,900	383,600
299	48	PPM	13	West Palm Beach-Boca Raton†	1,200,300	BH	233,800	196,600
083	49	4S	4	Oklahoma City	1,194,300	BH	123,400	126,800
107	50	PPM	13	Jacksonville†	1,184,500	BH	87,800	249,300
075	51	PPM	13	Memphis†	1,122,600	B	56,800	500,000
061	52	PPM	13	Hartford-New Britain-Middletown†	1,077,600	BH	143,800	117,600
516	53	4S	4	Monmouth-Ocean	1,032,700	H	93,800	57,800
055	54	4S	4	Louisville	1,009,400	B	40,400	148,900
105	55	4S	4	Richmond	1,003,700	B	54,000	299,700
037	56	4S	4	Buffalo-Niagara Falls	983,900	B	41,000	119,000
269	57	2S	2	McAllen-Brownsville-Harlingen	975,500	H	862,600	6,500
079	58	4S	4	Rochester, NY	963,800	B	57,300	105,300
191	59	4S	4	Greenville-Spartanburg	913,300	B	54,800	161,500
095	60	4S	4	Birmingham	908,100	B	38,400	264,400
515	61	2S	2	Ft. Myers-Naples-Marco Island	879,600	H	173,600	63,500
207	62	4S	4	Tucson	850,200	H	280,300	32,800
099	63	4S	4	Honolulu	843,500		67,900	39,500
067	64	4S	4	Dayton	836,300	B	19,300	120,800
069	65	4S	4	Albany-Schenectady-Troy	805,200		38,400	62,900
103	66	4S	4	Tulsa	787,800		64,000	69,400
089	67	4S	4	Fresno	777,200	H	379,600	39,900
141	68	4S	4	Albuquerque	749,900	H	339,400	21,900
127	69	4S	4	Grand Rapids	745,200		63,600	56,600
145	70	4S	4	Allentown-Bethlehem	714,800	H	92,000	36,800
121	71	4S	4	Knoxville	699,000		24,800	46,500
175	72	4S	4	Wilkes Barre-Scranton	696,900		49,900	36,000
071	73	4S	4	Des Moines	682,600		36,500	29,200
161	74	4S	4	El Paso	681,400	H	534,600	25,300
085	75	4S	4	Omaha-Council Bluffs	677,000		61,200	58,100
373	76	2S	2	Sarasota-Bradenton	652,100	H	68,200	43,600
143	77	4S	4	Bakersfield	630,200	H	320,600	35,900
139	78	2S	2	Wilmington, DE	613,000	B	46,700	125,100
231	79	4S	4	Charleston, SC	606,500	B	30,400	162,800
081	80	4S	4	Akron	605,700	B	10,800	75,300
223	81	4S	4	Baton Rouge	604,400	B	24,900	202,100
119	82	4S	4	Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle	595,500		33,000	51,700
283	83	4S	4	Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz	589,800	H	261,200	17,300
123	84	4S	4	Little Rock	586,600	B	28,500	132,700
361	85	4S	4	Greenville-New Bern-Jacksonville	585,200	B	40,600	140,900
291	86	2S	2	Stockton	580,700	H	217,900	45,300
183	87	4S	4	Columbia, SC	573,200	B	29,400	187,800
550	88	2S	2	Gainesville-Ocala	569,500	BH	57,000	82,300
091	89	4S	4	Syracuse	567,000		21,000	46,900
233	90	4S	4	Colorado Springs	550,200	H	79,200	40,400
197	91	2S	2	Portland, ME	546,700		9,800	11,300
117	92	4S	4	Springfield, MA	544,100	H	87,100	38,900
341	93	2S	2	Daytona Beach	532,400	BH	57,100	56,500
177	94	4S	4	Spokane	532,100		23,100	12,000
311	95	2S	2	Lakeland-Winter Haven	528,800	BH	90,700	76,200
097	96	4S	4	Toledo	516,100	B	27,900	74,900
133	97	4S	4	Mobile	515,500	B	16,900	136,200
517	98	2S	2	Ft. Pierce-Stuart-Vero Beach	508,700	BH	67,900	62,900
171	99	4S	4	Madison	508,500		26,400	24,400
229	100	2S	2	Boise	506,300	H	59,200	6,900
125	101	4S	4	Wichita	499,700	H	54,100	42,600
259	102	2S	2	Lexington-Fayette	492,600	B	24,100	50,600
331	103	2S	2	Melbourne-Titusville-Cocoa	487,800	B	40,400	49,300
293	104	2S	2	Visalia-Tulare-Hanford	487,000	H	275,100	16,600
327	105	4S	4	Huntsville	476,100	B	23,900	98,000
345	106	4S	4	Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol	471,400		9,200	15,400
181	107	4S	4	Chattanooga	466,700	B	16,400	66,500
253	107	2S	2	Lafayette, LA	466,700	B	16,100	124,800
305	109	2S	2	Augusta, GA	466,000	B	23,100	158,400
155	110	2S	2	Corpus Christi	465,600	H	272,300	19,200
301	111	4S	4	York	463,000		25,400	24,000
255	112	2S	2	Lancaster	445,700		38,000	17,300
165	113	2S	2	Ft. Wayne	445,400		21,600	38,700
419	114	2S	2	Victor Valley	442,200	BH	167,700	45,700
277	115	2S	2	Roanoke-Lynchburg	440,200	B	12,600	71,300
113	116	2S	2	Worcester	438,400		40,600	23,000
590	117	2A	2	Ft. Collins-Greeley, CO	437,600	H	72,900	8,000
343	118	2S	2	Modesto	433,300	H	175,900	14,100
565	119	2C	2	Morristown, NJ	431,500	H	52,500	15,800
594	120	2S	2	Oxnard-Ventura	430,700	H	223,900	10,600
062	121	2S	2	New Haven	429,200	BH	53,100	61,400
574	122	2S	2	Santa Rosa	428,000	H	100,200	9,000
247	123	2S	2	Portsmouth-Dover-Rochester	418,800		8,600	4,600
337	124	2S	2	Bridgeport	417,500	BH	71,500	58,000
275	125	2S	2	Reno	416,500	H	87,300	11,800
169	126	4S	4	Jackson, MS	414,400	B	9,800	196,600
195	127	2S	2	Lansing-East Lansing	402,800	B	23,000	39,900
317	128	2S	2	Pensacola	401,000	B	20,200	67,700
503	129	2A	2	Fayetteville (North West Arkansas)	387,600	H	54,100	13,100
359	130	2S	2	Fayetteville, NC	384,800	B	34,500	126,200
129	131	2S	2	Youngstown-Warren	379,500	B	11,900	47,000
265	132	2S	2	Macon	370,600	B	15,500	139,600
111	133	4S	4	Shreveport	353,400	B	12,700	131,700
273	134	2A	2	Reading, PA	353,300	H	54,800	17,100
163	135	2S	2	Flint	349,100	B	10,300	73,400
082	136	2S	2	Canton	346,400		5,700	26,300
203	137	2S	2	Springfield, MO	341,400		10,500	11,900
592	138	2S	2	Palm Springs	341,000	H	156,100	8,700
303	139	2S	2	Appleton-Oshkosh	339,800		11,800	6,200
271	140	2S	2	Salisbury-Ocean City	335,400	B	20,500	60,500
562	141	2A	2	Killeen-Temple, TX	332,800	BH	68,400	67,300
149	142	2A	2	Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX	327,300	BH	44,400	78,400
505	143	2S	2	Burlington-Plattsburgh	326,300		7,300	8,800
502	144	2S	2	Tyler-Longview	325,200	BH	55,500	58,500
533	145	2S	2	Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula	322,200	B	16,900	69,300
367	146	2S	2	Atlantic City-Cape May	320,700	BH	43,900	40,100
547	147	2A	2	Stamford-Norwalk, CT	318,300		53,500	26,500
416	148	2S	2	Fredericksburg	318,200	B	23,200	58,900
537	149	2S	2	Trenton	317,000	BH	48,700	62,000
241	150	2S	2	Eugene-Springfield	313,000		21,800	5,200
157	151	2S	2	Quad Cities (Davenport-Rock Island-Moline)	311,700		23,100	22,300
285	152	2S	2	Savannah	311,100	B	17,300	102,100
581	153	2C	2	Ann Arbor, MI	308,800	B	13,600	40,600
173	154	2S	2	Montgomery	308,700	B	9,700	129,400
412	155	2A	2	Flagstaff-Prescott, AZ	306,200		39,200	5,700
137	155	2S	2	Peoria	306,200	B	9,500	30,200
510	157	2A	2	Myrtle Beach, SC	304,700	B	15,900	51,100
221	158	2S	2	Asheville	289,300		14,100	17,200
279	159	2S	2	Rockford	288,100	BH	33,100	30,900
589	160	2A	2	Ft. Smith, AR	281,600		21,000	12,900
333	161	2S	2	Tallahassee	278,200	B	18,000	80,200
193	162	2S	2	Huntington-Ashland	269,500		3,000	9,400
185	163	2S	2	Evansville	266,900		5,700	19,300
518	164	2A	2	Poughkeepsie, NY	258,600	B	27,200	26,900
524	165	2A	2	Hagerstown-Chambersburg-Waynesboro, MD-PA	257,100		9,900	20,100
295	166	2S	2	Utica-Rome	256,500		10,300	14,000
147	167	2A	2	Amarillo, TX	251,200	H	66,900	15,600
261	168	2S	2	Lincoln	250,800		14,000	10,000
315	169	2S	2	Anchorage	250,600		19,400	16,900
561	170	2A	2	Odessa-Midland, TX	246,800	H	111,500	13,800
555	171	2A	2	Morgantown-Clarksburg-Fairmont, WV	245,300		4,100	8,400
556	172	2A	2	San Luis Obispo, CA	244,000	H	49,400	6,600
263	173	2S	2	Lubbock	241,400	H	75,600	17,300
239	174	2S	2	Erie	240,300		7,800	17,200
597	175	2A	2	Wausau-Stevens Point, WI (Central WI)	239,000		5,600	2,200
426	176	2S	2	Concord (Lakes Region)	238,300		3,600	2,800
563	177	2A	2	New London, CT	238,100		20,300	15,700
235	178	2S	2	Columbus, GA	232,300	B	15,700	99,400
536	179	2A	2	Merced, CA	229,800	H	116,700	8,700
365	180	2C	2	New Bedford-Fall River, MA	228,000		20,600	10,600
287	181	2S	2	South Bend	223,900	B	15,400	28,100
371	182	2A	2	Tri-Cities, WA (Richland-Kennewick-Pasco)	222,900	H	56,700	5,100
251	183	2S	2	Kalamazoo	220,100	B	8,800	24,700
391	184	2A	2	Ft. Walton Beach-Destin, FL	219,100		14,700	21,100
227	185	2S	2	Binghamton	214,700		6,600	9,900
245	185	2S	2	Green Bay	214,700		14,200	5,800
153	187	2S	2	Charleston, WV	214,600		2,500	13,900
501	188	2A	2	Dothan, AL	212,600	B	8,100	46,000
387	189	2A	2	Salina-Manhattan, KS	209,400		16,000	14,000
543	190	2A	2	Tupelo, MS	206,700	B	5,600	47,700
506	191	2A	2	Laredo, TX	206,300	H	194,700	900
528	192	2C	2	Frederick, MD	206,200	B	15,300	20,100
549	193	2A	2	Bryan-College Station, TX	203,700	BH	45,500	22,300
309	194	2A	2	Waco, TX	200,400	BH	46,000	28,900
325	194	2A	2	Yakima, WA	200,400	H	85,600	2,700
593	196	2A	2	Danbury, CT	198,500		26,000	7,100
535	196	2A	2	Traverse City-Petoskey, MI	198,500		4,500	3,600
267	198	2S	2	Manchester	198,300		10,500	4,700
205	199	2S	2	Topeka	196,500		15,800	14,800
508	200	2A	2	Chico, CA	194,000	H	27,500	4,700
530	201	2A	2	Cape Cod, MA	193,100		4,800	5,300
567	202	2A	2	Santa Maria-Lompoc, CA	191,100	H	98,300	5,900
187	203	2S	2	Fargo-Moorhead	188,100		4,900	4,100
151	204	2S	2	Cedar Rapids	182,900		5,100	8,400
159	205	2S	2	Duluth-Superior	179,400		3,100	4,800
591	206	2A	2	Santa Barbara, CA	179,100	H	53,300	3,200
441	207	2A	2	Las Cruces, NM	179,000	H	113,200	3,600
339	208	2A	2	Medford-Ashland, OR	178,700	H	18,500	2,400
307	209	2S	2	Terre Haute	178,100		3,900	10,000
507	210	2A	2	Champaign, IL	177,800	B	9,800	21,900
436	211	2A	2	Bend, OR	176,500		14,600	1,400
569	212	2A	2	Winchester, VA	174,500		11,600	10,300
554	213	2A	2	Florence, SC	174,000	B	4,000	70,800
596	214	2A	2	Tuscaloosa, AL	172,800	B	5,500	50,800
422	215	2A	2	Muncie-Marion, IN	172,000		4,200	12,100
522	216	2A	2	Laurel-Hattiesburg, MS	171,600	B	6,100	48,600
526	217	2S	2	Bangor	168,300		1,900	1,800
575	218	2A	2	St. Cloud, MN	167,900		4,300	6,800
559	219	2A	2	La Crosse, WI	164,200		3,600	2,700
587	220	2A	2	Alexandria, LA	163,700	B	4,700	48,000
584	221	2A	2	Lake Charles, LA	162,900	B	4,700	40,300
421	222	2A	2	Olean, NY	161,200		2,900	3,800
557	223	2A	2	Elmira-Corning, NY	161,100		3,700	8,000
532	224	2A	2	Rochester, MN	158,400		6,300	6,200
431	225	2C	2	Lebanon-Hanover-White River Junction, NH-VT	157,900		3,400	2,000
497	226	2A	2	Jonesboro, AR	156,000	B	5,300	13,700
509	227	2A	2	Redding, CA	155,100		13,200	2,500
576	228	2A	2	Lima, OH	154,900		4,100	11,900
595	229	2S	2	Lafayette, IN	154,800		10,700	7,600
442	230	2A	2	Twin Falls (Sun Valley), ID	151,700	H	30,900	800
323	231	2S	2	Bloomington	148,500		6,800	11,700
573	231	2A	2	Panama City, FL	148,500	B	7,600	17,300
564	233	2A	2	Columbia, MO	148,100	B	4,800	14,100
534	234	2A	2	Joplin, MO	142,900		8,000	3,900
566	235	2A	2	Muskegon, MI	142,800	B	6,300	21,100
586	236	2A	2	Eau Claire, WI	141,400		2,600	2,300
546	237	2A	2	Abilene, TX	140,800	H	29,300	11,300
353	238	2S	2	Pueblo	136,700	H	54,000	3,300
439	239	2A	2	Lufkin-Nacogdoches, TX	136,300	BH	24,000	22,500
580	240	2A	2	Albany, GA	136,200	B	3,800	70,200
225	241	2A	2	Billings, MT	130,200		5,500	1,800
425	242	2A	2	LaSalle-Peru, IL	130,100		9,600	3,200
585	243	2A	2	Monroe, LA	129,400	B	2,800	46,000
539	244	2A	2	Parkersburg-Marietta, WV-OH	127,900		1,000	2,500
179	245	2S	2	Wheeling	127,200		1,200	5,000
404	246	2A	2	Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL	126,900	B	3,000	16,300
579	247	2A	2	Sussex, NJ	126,700		8,500	2,900
511	248	2A	2	Grand Junction, CO	125,700		15,800	1,700
433	249	2A	2	Valdosta, GA	122,600	B	7,300	42,000
209	250	2A	2	Wichita Falls, TX	119,000	B	19,100	12,500
381	251	2A	2	Grand Island-Kearney-Hastings, NE	117,300	H	15,900	1,900
512	252	2A	2	Texarkana, TX-AR	115,500	B	7,700	27,100
531	253	2A	2	Battle Creek, MI	113,900	B	4,800	13,200
519	254	2A	2	Harrisonburg, VA	113,200		10,500	5,200
545	255	2A	2	Rapid City, SD	111,000		3,800	3,000
219	256	2S	2	Altoona	109,600		1,300	2,500
432	257	2S	2	Montpelier-Barre-St. Johnsbury	107,700		1,800	1,200
527	258	2A	2	Augusta-Waterville, ME	106,300		1,500	900
599	259	2A	2	Lawton, OK	105,700	B	11,200	19,100
578	260	2A	2	Williamsport, PA	102,200		1,700	5,300
577	261	2A	2	Watertown, NY	101,400		7,000	7,100
523	262	2A	2	Sioux City, IA	100,700	H	16,000	3,300
582	263	2A	2	Bismarck, ND	99,700		1,600	1,200
418	264	2A	2	Sheboygan, WI	97,600		4,800	1,800
548	265	2A	2	San Angelo, TX	96,700	H	33,700	5,100
499	266	2A	2	Decatur, IL	93,200	B	2,000	15,100
520	267	2A	2	Bluefield, WV	92,500		800	5,000
572	268	2A	2	Grand Forks, ND-MN	85,500		3,200	1,500
383	269	2A	2	Hot Springs, AR	84,200		3,900	7,400
289	270	2A	2	Jackson, TN	83,400	B	2,800	29,300
560	271	2A	2	Cheyenne, WY	80,800	H	10,200	2,500
513	272	2A	2	Brunswick, GA	69,000	B	4,100	17,700
369	273	2A	2	Casper, WY	68,100		4,700	1,400
558	274	2A	2	Beckley, WV	67,800		1,100	6,100

Type of Measurement Service

PPM	- PPM
4S	- Radio Diary Standard Continuous Measurement
2S	- Radio Diary Standard Measurement
2C	- Radio Diary Condensed Measurement
2A	- Radio Diary 2-book Average

DST (Differential Survey Treatment)

B	- Black ethnic controls
H	- Hispanic ethnic controls
BH	- Black and Hispanic ethnic controls

More information:

Radio Survey Schedule

*Unique numeric identifier for a market
**For a Radio Metro to qualify for Hispanic DST, the Metro’s Hispanic P12+ population must be at least 9.5% Hispanic OR at least 4.5% Hispanic with an estimated Hispanic 12+ population of at least 75,000. Additional criteria apply in Radio Diary Metros and can be referenced in the Radio Description of Methodology.
***For a Radio Metro to qualify for Black DST, the Metro’s Black P12+ population must be at least 9.5% Black or at least 4.5% Black with an estimated Black 12+ population of at least 75,000.
†These markets have not received accreditation from the Media Rating Council. All other markets have been accredited.
Based on Fall 2013 Rankings; Last updated: 11/20

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Garth Brooks

LOS ANGELES- JANUARY 20 2014- GARTH BROOKS was in Dublin today to make a very special announcement in person. Standing in Croke Park, the location of his now legendary sell out concerts in 1997, Garth Brooks announced that he would be returning to that same venue in July 2014 for two very special performances. The shows, two special performances before his worldwide tour which is due to start later this year, are called The Garth Brooks Comeback Special Event. Over two nights in Croke Park Dublin, Garth and his fans will celebrate his legendary career - a career which saw him named the #1-selling solo artist in U.S. history, sell in excess of 128 million albums and receive every accolade the recording industry can bestow on an artist.

Speaking of the announcement Garth Brooks said, "Before we go back on tour in the Fall of 2014, I want to challenge myself, the band, and crew. In '97, we were lucky enough to play Croke Park, the stadium was under construction. 130,000+ of some of the greatest fans in the world. I was quoted then as saying 'When this stadium is finished, I would love to come back and try to fill it again...this time to the brink.'...and we're back to do just that."

Tickets for The Garth Brooks Comeback Special Event on Friday 25 & Saturday 26 July 2014 in Croke Park, presented by Aiken Promotions, go on sale on Thursday 30 January at 9am from ticketmaster and all usual ticket outlets Nationwide.

In 2001, Garth retired and moved back to Oklahoma to raise his children. In 2008 The President Elect, himself, requested that Garth headline President Obama's Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial. A crowd of over 300,000 did the "wave" to Garth's performance of "Shout" while the President sang along. That same year the Governor of California asked Garth to help the State. Garth performed 5 concerts in 2 days with the proceeds from 83,000 tickets sold donated to efforts to prevent fire catastrophes. Portions of the live concerts were shown as a TV special, "Garth Brooks: Live in L.A." allowing viewers to donate as well.

In December 2010, Garth finished an astonishing 9 sold out concerts in 6 days to raise money for the flood relief efforts in Tennessee. ABC World News Tonight declared Garth "The Person of the Week" and the Mayor of Nashville announced that this was a record December for downtown Nashville merchants due to over 145,000 who attended the concerts.

In January, 2012 he was named the best selling artist of the last two decades by Billboard, Nielson and Soundscan, with a whopping 68.5 million sales. Brooks also sold out his recent appearance at the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede. The sell out 15,000+ seats happened in less than a minute. Garth was recently inducted into the International Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York as well as the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In October he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Performing for his induction were his heroes George Strait, James Taylor and Bob Seger. On November 29th, 2013, Garth took the night with almost nine million viewers watching his CBS special "Live From Las Vegas." That very day Garth released his new boxed set, "Blame It All On My Roots," which debuted for the 13th time in Garth's career at #1 on the country charts. The boxed set also rose to the top of the Billboard 200 Chart making it the 9th time Garth has been able to achieve that feat.

The Merrell Fankhauser Signature Impact Guitar - A Rare Collectors Impact model

ARROYO GRANDE CA (IFS) -- Starting in late 2000 the Rock Creek Guitar Manufacturing company produced a limited quantity of the Merrell Fankhauser Signature guitar. The first guitar was to have gone to Merrell, but instead Sir Paul McCartney was given the opportunity to test and play the first commercial copy of the famous guitar, and he fell in love with it. He insisted that he wanted to keep that first one, and off to United Kingdom he went with it. In turn Merrell received the second copy, and his grand daughter Linda Fankhauser received the third copy.

The design and initial manufacturing was done by his son, Tim Fankhauser, a noted musician and songwriter with many credits of his own in the music business, including his timeless "Hazards", the surf music classic that has a life of its own, as his father with "Wipeout". If you get a chance to see one of these guitars anywhere in a music store or at a neighbors garage sale, and you get a chance to play it, you will be fore-warned that this 'Impact' model goes for an incredible $3,500. It's no wonder that Paul McCartney grabbed the first one and ran home with it.

It's just as crazy that the above blue label copy of Merrell's "Some Of Them Escaped It All" single on D-Town Records, on the collectors markets goes for over $50.00 per copy. There was never any reason as to why this particular release did so.

AMY BARBERA

By Don Coleman-A/R Group International

 A voice so angelic and inspirational it pierces the soul; creating a deep connection between the vocalist and the listener. With each of her original songs, there lies a fusion of power and emotion.

 The combination of Amy's talent, voice, lyrics, and melody have come together to create a therapeutic moment for all who listen. Her timeless vocal style transcends all cultural barriers as it speaks of relationships on every level. She is one who is active in the community; reaching out to individuals who are broken in spirit.

The combination of her compassion and professionalism makes her an artist worth listening to over and over again. "Amy Barbera is more than just a blessed gift to the Inspirational genre of music, she is a godsend. Her songs are a colorful display of her deep passion, that envelops the listener in a canvas of hope and love. The absolute beauty that she delivers in her musical creations is a rich combination of the sincerity of her message and the angelic quality of her emotionally charged vocals.

There is no doubt that she has been embraced by a higher power from above. Amy Barbera shines bright and delivers from the heart. She is destined to be recognized as one of the most sincere and passionate singer/songwriters of her time. Her compositions embrace the beauties of life and weave a glorious message to all. Amy Barbera hit a home run to heaven with her 13 song debut album "Beautiful Flower of Life" that was officially released in June 2008.

Her amazing album will lift your spirits to a higher place. Amy was just recently nominated as one of the top 5 artists in the categories best singer/songwriter & best pop artist at the 2013 "Artists In Music Awards" that took place in Los Angeles, California.

In April of 2013 she was also chosen by Betty Dravis as "Favorite Inspirational Singer" for the prestigious awards called "The Betty Awards." In 2012 Jonathan “JDOGG” Lederman & The American Cancer Society presented Amy with a special “Spiritual Entrepreneurs Visionary Award” for outstanding dedication to help other people excel through inspiring and empowering practices. She also received a “Humanitarian Award” from the St. Anne's Holy Name Society “Patch Awards” in New Jersey for “Project Amy” and her “God's Special Angel” ministry work and just this past December of 2013 she was surprised to find out that her fun original dance song “Walking On The Stars” made #1 on “SDC Radio Networks” top 50 music review for all of 2013.

Amy is also very busy working on her second album titled "Paint Me A Rainbow" that will be released in 2014. She is an accomplished live performer and professionally trained session vocalist that has dedicated her time to helping others time and time again. Her charitable efforts for the less fortunate have raised money to benefit many causes.

These include appearances to benefit children with cancer, accident victims, special needs children and people who are suffering from the loss of a loved one. She mesmerizes audiences with her inspirational performances every time she graces the stage. Amy is praised by many national organizations for the healing energy she has provided at her live concerts.

These include the Kiwanis Club and the Shriner's Hospitals. Her God's Special Angel Ministry is another one of her creations that benefits children in the USA and as far away as Uganda Africa."

Amy Barbera Number #1 on SDC Radio Networks Top 50 Songs for 2014

Pyongyang goes pop: Inside North Korea's music scene For the first blog of our short series, our intrepid music reporter is put under house arrest with nothing but the EastEnders theme tune to listen to. That'll teach him not to pay bribes ...

Korea-minded ... Alex Hoban in Pyongyang 

If someone had fulfilled Pyongyang's request to pack Eric Clapton off to North Korea, perhaps all that bother on the divided peninsula would never have started. That is what the hermit government of the north reckons, at least, as one of the less pressing Wikileak cables recently revealed that Kim Jong-il's second son, Kim Jong-chol, was "a great fan" of the rock legend and that a Clapton performance in the capital "could be an opportunity to build goodwill". Using pop to build bridges is perhaps naive, especially in the context of a potential nuclear face-off, but maybe we shouldn't rule out the idea.

If you ask a North Korean their true feelings about pretty much anything they'll stick to whatever the party line tells them they should think (which is why so many tourists get frustrated after probing about General Kim's next move). But ask the right questions and the facade that greets most outsiders will occasionally be broached with genuine warmth. During trips I've made in and around the hermit kingdom over the past year, I've used one uncontroversial topic of conversation to do just that. It seems talking about music is one way for North Koreans to relate their perspectives on the world without being politically controversial.

Pop diplomacy will not solve territorial disputes or prevent governments going head-to-head, but it does offer another perspective on North Koreans. Pop weaves its way into North Korea in unexpected ways. Last September, I was held under 24-hour house arrest in the outpost of Raijin after refusing to pay a bribe. The most perturbing part of the experience was not the fact there was no guarantee of release, but that the hotel foyer we were held in had the EastEnders theme tune playing on loop for the duration of the internment through a croaky speaker.

Perhaps the aim was mental attrition; to irritate us into paying bribes by reminding us of the east London we'd left behind and may never see again. It didn't work – I'm from Putney. Eccentric glimpses of the world North Korea left behind are not so few and far between – in this series I'll be revealing more from inside the secret state: the truth about Michael Jackson's North Korean debut; introducing the best of North Korean pop and revealing the Communist cadre's opinion of Jarvis Cocker. Come join me for the ride.