New Nashville Country Station
With the launch of “Y’ALL 106.7,” MIDWEST COMMUNICATIONS WNFN (HOT 106.7)/NASHVILLE dropped Top 40 at 10a (CT) this morning (6/8) after 13 years in the format. Positioned as “The Best Country,” the new, ’80s and ‘90s-based Classic Country format launched with legend RANDY TRAVIS in the studio to start the first song, “Forever And Ever, Amen.”
RON ALLEN, who takes over from JOE BREEZY as Brand Mgr. of WNFN, told ALL ACCESS, “The CHR world is not what it used to be. We felt as a company Country was somewhere we wanted to be, and NASHVILLE was where we wanted to do it.” He added, “If it’s not 20 years old, we are not going to play it.”
There are no plans to add on-air talent to the mix at the present time, but ALLEN did not rule it out in the future, saying, “We are going to keep it real clutter-free. No news or traffic, just the best Country.” HOT 106.7 night jock ERYN COOPER is moving to the new brand in an imaging role, and will represent the station in public. ALLEN tells ALL ACCESS she will be “the face of the brand.”
BREEZY will also stay with the company in an as yet unspecified new role. He will also continue his duties as SUNDAY host/MD for the syndicated OPEN HOUSE PARTY and host of the “Local On 2” daily lifestyle show on NASHVILLE ABC-TV affiliate WKRN.
An early listen to Y’ALL 106.7 included songs from SHANIA TWAIN, DWIGHT YOAKAM, NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND, TRAVIS TRITT, ALAN JACKSON and LORRIE MORGAN.
WNFN joins a NASHVILLE Country radio field that includes two current-based stations, iHEARTMEDIA’s WSIX (THE BIG 98) and CUMULUS MEDIA’s WKDF, as well as CUMULUS’s gold-based WSM-F (95.5 NASH ICON) and RYMAN HOSPITALITY’s WSM-A.
ALLEN will continue to serve as Brand Mgr. for sister Classic Hits station WCJK (96.3 JACK-FM)/NASHVILLE. His background includes Format Captain duties for MIDWEST’s Classic Country DUKE FM, and he has launched and programmed several other Country stations over the course of his career.
Listen here.
(l-r) Ron Allen, Randy Travis and Eryn Cooper
