If you love listening to country music, you’ve probably tried several different country radio stations in your search for a good station. There are many reasons for this, including the format, origins, and stations. You may also want to consider the station’s Minority artists, if they’re represented on that station. Listed below are some of the best stations for country music in central New York. Read on for more information! WWT Radio has over 10k radio stations for you to listen to. Make sure you check them out.
Origins
Early American families listened to radio for entertainment. The “Grand Ole Opry,” a live country music variety show broadcast from Nashville, Tennessee, helped popularize country music to new audiences. The show featured both western and old-time music, often with clip-clop rhythms, and songs about cowboys in love. This music became even more popular during the 1930s as singing cowboys appeared in Hollywood cowboy films.
Today, country music is a subgenre of popular music that originated in the American Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in working-class folk music and is often associated with a certain social class. Origins of the genre are disputed, and one style dominates the radio and record industries. The history of country music radio and pop is often obscured by social misunderstandings and misconceptions about the genre. It is a genre that has undergone several evolutions and subgenres over the years.
In the 1970s, the emergence of rock n’ roll artists such as Buddy Holly and Merle Haggard brought a rock n’ roll influence to country music. The genre was further influenced by the popularity of singers like Hank Williams, Jr. and Gary Allan. As a result, alternative country gained a foothold in the country radio scene. But today, there are more genres of country music than ever before.
In the 1940s, honky-tonk became a popular form of country music. This style was characterized by driving rhythms. In fact, this style of country music was the first urban form of country music. The name “honky-tonk” was derived from saloons where illegal alcohol was served. This music style became popular after the repeal of Prohibition. The lyrics were focused on the realities of human life and the struggle for happiness and love.
Stations
It is difficult to listen to country music on a radio station without evoking images of lonesome white men. Yet country music has a history of white male dominance, and the declarations of change are often merely performative. This is changing, however, with the rise of queer, female, and black artists. Columbia University student Izzy Bohn argues that country radio stations need to recognize this history, and do what is right for their audiences.
In Arkansas, there are several country radio stations that specialize in the genre. Kiss Country 93.7, for example, plays today’s hit country, along with country radio staples from the past 20 years. Located on the Arkansas-Louisiana state line, Kiss Country covers a large area, including the eastern portion of the state. Its music playlist features the country superstars, including Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, and Taylor Swift. Big Frog 104, meanwhile, plays continuous country favorites throughout the day, and Mayor Cefus hosts talk shows and contests.
Those in the United Kingdom can tune into the popular digital country music service 3C on DAB. The station has national carriage on Freeview digital TV service. In Northern Ireland, it will coexist with the Downtown Country operation. Greatest Hits Radio has replaced KissFresh on DAB. The channel’s website is available in several languages, including English, German, and Spanish. It is also available on SiriusXM.
Despite the lack of diversity, country music would benefit from greater integration. In addition to attracting diverse audiences, country music should be accessible to everyone. While Latin and black performers are the majority of artists on pop radio, the country format remains one of the few places in which white musicians can be heard. Unfortunately, this does not translate into a lot of new listeners for the format. And as a result, the format is losing its market share. The recent loss of WNSH in New York City is a stark reminder of the need to focus on a more niche market.
In New York City, country radio is almost nonexistent. WKMK-FM 106.3 Thunder 106 in Monmouth-Ocean, N.J., is the top music station in the city. Morristown, N.J.’s WNSH, meanwhile, is ranked No. 1 in the country market. It has a 5.8 share during the fall of 2019 and 3.4 share in spring 2021.
Format
A new country music radio format is forming that will feature older artists. While the mainstream radio market has been skewed toward young artists, older country artists could find a home in a new format. The Big Machine Label Group has formed a joint venture with Cumulus Media, called NASH Icons, to produce original content for the country genre. Meanwhile, GARTH-FM, a regionally-owned radio station in Kentucky, has rebranded itself.
The Country music radio format has four primary parameters: style, time period, and sophistication. The format of a radio station is determined by these four factors. The music style is the type of music played, while the time period refers to the amount of activity the station has. The sophistication of the music, on the other hand, is the amount of sophistication that the format displays. The radio format for country music is the most diverse of any format.
A country radio format features both new and older country music, and has been the most popular radio format in the United States since the 1920s. Typically, country stations will play a mix of recent country hits and classic country songs from previous decades. These songs are popular for a wide range of audiences, and many listeners find a country station to be their favorite. It’s not uncommon to hear songs from the 1920s that have been rewritten and re-recorded several times.
In addition to the “classic” country music format, there are also new formats featuring more contemporary artists and subgenres. For instance, the country format that comes closest to its roots might be called NASH Icons. Its pecking age limit makes it more accessible to younger listeners. NASH Icons will feature artists who began their careers in 1989, such as Faith Hill and Shania Twain. In addition to the classics, the format will feature new country music from both artists.
KIIM-FM is a new country music radio station in Tucson, Arizona, owned by the Tucson Broadcasting Company. It began broadcasting live country music on AM 1400 KTUC and moved it to FM. The name changed to KIIM in 1991, but the station still identifies itself as Country Favorites KIIM. This station was previously the only country outlet on FM, but later became a co-owned station with AM 1290 KCUB.
Minority artists
Despite a slight improvement in the representation of Black artists on country radio, a new study shows that black women still do not receive sufficient airplay to break into the Top 20 of any chart. Black LGBTQ+ artists are also under-represented on country radio, despite the rise of crossover artists. One example of under-representation is Lil Nas X, whose single “Better Than You Left Me” received a paltry 2.7% of country radio airplay in 2015.
The majority of radio airplay went to white artists, although BIPOC groups received a much smaller percentage of airplay. During the last 19 years, the number of spins for BIPOC artists was 2.3% compared to 95.7% for white and non-Hispanic artists. Nonetheless, the figures indicate that more work is needed to improve the situation. Minority artists on country radio deserve a chance to make their mark.
The radio industry has much more to do to improve the representation of women. It has long been known that male artists have the upper hand when it comes to radio play. Until now, women were underrepresented in country radio, often relegated to a few low-rated time slots. In 2019, a listener could tune into a station and go more than an hour without hearing a female song. While this is a start, the representation of women on country radio is far from representative.
Despite the lack of representation, women in country music continue to be a small fraction of the format’s video hours. But thanks to Holly G., a flight attendant from Virginia, a writer, and a producer, she has created a powerful movement that has led to a successful Black Opry. She has since launched the website, Black Opry.com, which features many emerging and mainstream country artists as well as bringing together musicians and fans.
