THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 37 MARCH 26, 2020
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lot of shows. A lot of it was gut as
well. At CMT, we look at what’s
streaming. We look at Shazam.
We still go to shows and see
people live — from baby acts at
the Basement East, which thank
God is going to be rebuilt after the
tornado, to Bridgestone Arena.Tell me a little bit about CMT’s
tornado recovery efforts.
Within 24 hours, we worked withthe NBC affiliate and the Red
Cross on the telethon. Artists
came together quickly, but I’m not
sure people understand the bil-
lions of dollars it’s going to take
to rebuild.With the ViacomCBS merger, what’s
been the most noticeable change?
We heavily supported the
Grammys, which air on CBS. I
think if they can support what we
do and we can support what they
do, we’re one big happy family.
The next six months should be
really interesting. [ViacomCBS
CEO] Bob Bakish is a big country
fan. He comes to all our shows
and wants to stand in line to get
his tickets. We’re, like, “No, you’re
Bob Bakish.”As for the Grammys, how is the
leadership tumult at the Recording
Academy affecting the industry?
I’ve been a part of the Academy
for over 20 years. They do so much
advocacy that maybe they’re not
given credit for. Do there need to
be changes? Yes. I’m hoping for
a quick resolution. I don’t want
to take away from any artist,
producer or engineer who’s won a
Grammy. It is the highest honor.Interview edited for length
and clarity.Some female artists were leaving
the format, Taylor Swift or whom-
ever, and there wasn’t enough
inventory to replenish them.
Labels weren’t signing enough
female artists. Publishers weren’t
signing female songwriters. It’s
this horrible ripple effect.So what’s next?
This is the year of action, as far
as CMT is concerned. It’s about
bringing all the gatekeepers
together and working together.
If we could all move a little bit
this year, then we’ll see differ-
ent results at the end of 2020. We
have been looking at the same
miserable results year after year.How has your job changed in your
near-decade with the network?
When I was in radio, we always
looked at sales, and we went to a[upcoming] record, and they
immediately remind you why
you miss the Dixie Chicks. Their
voices matter, and I believe the
format has sorely missed them. I
know that radio stations are play-
ing the first single, “Gaslighter.”
We are playing the video. I will
do anything and everything for
the Dixie Chicks. No one has ever
replaced them or ever will. I’m
hoping this is the year of the Dixie
Chicks back in country.CMT started the Equal Play initia-
tive to showcase more female
voices in country. Why is the indus-
try still so male-dominated?
Even in the ’90s, when people
thought it was the heyday with
Shania Twain, Reba McIntire
and Faith Hill, women were only
30 percent of the playlist. Now
we’re down to 10 or 11 percent.“I have a button on
my desk that
says ‘NO,’ ” says Fram,
who finds herself
at live shows most
nights. “It’s very hard
for me to hit.” She
was photographed
March 9 in her office
in Nashville.RÉSUMÉ
CURRENT TITLE
Senior vp music strategy,
CMT
PREVIOUS JOB
Program director
at New York’s
101.9 WRXP-FM
BIG HIT
The CMT Awards,
which reached nearly
3 million viewers on
premiere night in 2019Fram keeps a
CMT Awards trophy
from each year
she’s run the show
since joining
the company in 2011.10biz_CSfram_L [P]{Print}_53633979.indd 37 3/24/20 6:05 PM