Cumulus Extends ''Next'' Franchise with neXt2rock

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, September 7, 2017

Rock's popularity is on the rise again, and Cumulus Media is kicking off a national and local grassroots search to discover the nation's newest rock star. Starting Thursday, Cumulus' neXt2rock 2017 competition pays tribute to the tradition of radio as a launch pad for favorite musical talent, while celebrating rock music. The neXt2rock 2017 contest is being announced on-air by Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, with the winner of this four-month-long competition receiving a record deal with Big Machine/John Varvatos Records, as well as substantial exposure, commensurate with a major label release, on Cumulus nationwide.

neXt2rock 2017 is Cumulus Media's second installment of its "Next" franchise, which was launched last year with NASH Next, the Country version of the competition. While television boasts several talent competitions, only the "Next" franchise contests offer its winners radio play, which is the most effective medium to cultivate an artist and propel a major music career.

Sixty-one Cumulus stations in 47 markets, including Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Minneapolis, will conduct local grassroot searches, with additional national participation made possible by Cumulus' digital properties and syndicated rock shows.

"By launching neXt2rock under Cumulus Media's "Next" franchise, we are putting a stake in the ground to support the next generation of music talent, further signaling to listeners, advertisers and business partners that Cumulus is invested in the future of music and radio," said Cumulus President/CEO Mary Berner. "With the renewed interest in the rock genre among Millennials and Gen Xers, Cumulus has even more opportunities for growth, providing expanded exclusive content and programming for fans, and an even larger audience for America's newest rock star."

Rossdale added, "The process of being discovered has changed a lot over the years but one thing is for certain-my career wouldn't have gone the way it has without the support of radio. It plays a big role in every artist's music career and has been an amazing partner for me over the past two plus decades. When my friends at Cumulus asked if I would be interested in lending my voice and support to help find a hard-working, aspiring artist fulfill a dream to be in this business, how could I say no? I had so many people help me in my early days when I was trying to launch my career, and I consider it an honor to be part of this unique talent search."

Emerging artists will first be rated by Cumulus listeners and judged by local music industry pros in their communities. Finalists, and the 2017 winner, will be selected by a panel of music luminaries, including Gavin Rossdale, Big Machine Label Group founder/President and CEO Scott Borchetta, music producer Bob Ezrin (Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, Kiss, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, and Phish), Songwriters Hall Of Famer Desmond Child (Kiss, Cher, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Ricky Martin, Kelly Clarkson, and Selena Gomez) and rock guitarist Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols.