ACM Awards Rocked Vegas: This year, I had the privilege of viewing the show from the comfort of my living room. Reba as host struck just the right notes. Faith Hill never sang better. The Reba/Kelly Clarkson "event" truly was one. The highlight for me though was Taylor Swift singing "Tim McGraw" to Tim McGraw with Faith Hill looking amused. One large point that should be noted: For the most part, the stars sang hits. And there was tempo. I don't recall any back to back ballads. Even the out of place TV stars didn't really bother me this year. They're at OUR party, so welcome! Independent record labels were acknowledged with awards: Equity's Little Big Town and Curb's Rodney Atkins. I do wonder though if the block voting hurt Big and Rich and Rascal Flatts who lost the Album of the Year Award to an equally deserving Carrie Underwood. How cool was it that the great Vince Gill, who hasn't a big hit in years rocked the house, too. I'm sure there were flaws in the show. This time, I chose not to notice them.

Too Hip For The Room?: Podcasts, uploading pictures and video. We're all moving in that direction if we're not there already. Do not assume however that your listeners understand your hot new contest which requires uploading or other technical skills. Bottom line is that we have to bring much of our audience along with us. Like too much unfamiliar music, too many unfamiliar technical requirements can doom your station's promotion or message. Relevancy is key. We must balance the need to sound connected to today's technology while helping the audience understand how to use it. Let's not get too hip for the room.