Radio and country music legend Smoky Dawson has died and an era of radio and hillbilly country music has died with him.

Its one of the biggest festivals on the calendar and the current Australian of the Year, Lee Kernaghan, one of its leading exponents, yet Country Music is still shunned by mainstream radio – for the most part, even in Tamworth itself. This, according to its pundits, is what prevents it from getting serious sponsorship and the kind of investment needed to attract media. It’s a vicious circle.

Sound familiar? It’s where soccer – sorry, football – was just three years ago. Yet, in one fell swoop, since Australia’s success in the World Cup, football has become a major sport drawing serious crowds and media attention.

Why not Country Music? As the annual Tamworth Festival demonstrates, Australian Country Music is blessed with a plethora of world class talent and a thriving community of followers. What needs to happen for it to be taken seriously by mainstream radio and get the airplay it’s fans believe it deserves.

Why is Radio so averse to the “C” word?

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