Not Your Grandfather’s Country Music Station -the Continuing Evolution Of Country Music Radio
Having worked in music radio, most of that at Country music radio stations, for the past 35 years, I recently stopped to reflect on the evolution of Country music that I’ve seen and way Country music radio has reacted.
As with everything, Country music and radio aren’t as straightforward or simple as they once were. When I first started playing Country in Eugene, Oregon in 1971 the raging discussion was the emergence in some markets of a Country-politan format distinctly different from the traditional Country format that everybody else was playing. Essentially the discussion revolved around programming crossover artists and music styles, and whether the harder heritage Country acts were acceptable as Country music radio evolved.
To put this into perspective, in 1971 the debate was whether John Denver and Ann Murray were Country acts and should be played, and whether a contemporary Country music station should play Hank Williams in regular oldies rotation! By today’s standards this is laughable, but it does serve to make the point that as the Country radio format sought to broaden its appeal and attract a larger audience some felt that compromises would be necessary. More importantly it signaled the recognition that Country music fans were a more diverse group than they had been given credit for. This discussion of segmentation of the Country music format was the start of what we now have come to accept as the diversity of the tastes of Country music fans.
Tags: country music fans, country music radio, country music station, crossover artists, music radio stations