New York Radio Gets A New Country Station

Country music returned to the radio airwaves in New York on Monday morning, when Cumulus Media introduced “Nash 94.7” with a blast of contemporary country hits and a few old favorites like Brooks & Dunn’s “Boot Scootin’ Boogie.”

It was the first time a major FM station had tried a country format since WYNY abandoned country music and became WKTU in 1996, and it came as welcome relief for beleaguered country fans in New York City, which remains one of the biggest markets for country music in the nation. Throughout the day, a deep voiced announcer intoned the station’s tag line: “America’s country station. New York’s All New Nash FM 94.7.” The first songs played were Randy Houser’s “How Country Feels” by Randy Houser and Alan Jackson’s “She’s Gone Country,” Billboard reported. Then came a steady stream of song from current country charts by artists like Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban.

There were no disc jockeys on the new station, which is common for start-ups in the radio world, and Cumulus declined to comment, saying an official announcement would be made Tuesday.

In October, Cumulus Media bought the station, which was called WFME, from Family Stations, a nonprofit Christian organization and changed the call letters to WRXP, which had most recently been used by a alternative station at 101.9 FM. This fueled speculation a rock format station was returning to the city, even as in recent days the station broadcast rock, pop and smooth jazz to test its equipment and reach.

But this morning, Cumulus, which also owns WABC and WPLJ, ended the guessing game, and made it clear it is betting a country format could be profitable once again in the city. In the past, country stations, like WYNY and WHN, have done well in the city, gathering a larger audience than many stations in oth! er parts of the country where country music is king simply because the pool of total listeners in the city is so large.

“I think this is great for the fans and great for the format,” Mike O’Malley, a media consultant and former programmer at WYNY, told Billboard. “Back in the 90’s there was over a million people in New York listening to country. Today, not only can Jason Aldean sell out Madison Square Garden in 10 minutes but his music is also being played every time the Yankees’ Brett Gardner walks to the plate.”