Country Aircheck

In This Issue (2/23)

“I’ve always been that kid in a record store and I’ve never lost focus on that.”

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Radio Vision

Sane Character Energy: Santa Anna/Akando's Tyler Nance (c) with Akando's Greg Raneiri and KYGO's Brian Michel, Shawn Patrick and Big Mic (l-r) in Denver.

Day Late & A Bull Short: Broke/Lyric Ridge Records' Julia Cole plays KBUL/Reno's Up N Country. Pictured (l-r) are the station's Jen Fisk and Bob Richards, Cole, the station's JJ Christy and Kristen Marie and Lyric Ridge’s Louie Newman.

Highs & Low Dough: Quartz Hill's Matt Cooper (r) with WUSN/Chicago's Marci Braun and Country Countdown USA With Lon Helton at WUSN's Low Dough Show.

Nine And Dine: Megan Moroney’s 9 Cities. 9 Days. stops in Newport, KY. Pictured (l-r) are iHeart/Kentucky's Rachel Elliot, Columbia's Anna Widmer, Moroney and WUBE/Cincinnati's Grover Collins.

Jock, Stock, And Barrel: River House/Warner/WAR’s Hudson Westbrook with KAJA's Alyssa Carrillo (l) and KCYY's Christi Brooks at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.

Arch Madness: EMI Nashville's Eric Church (sunglasses) with KSD's Dusty Panhorst, WIL's Marty Brooks and the label's John Trapane (l-r) in St. Louis.

Top Stories

ACM Radio Nominees

Radio nominees for the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards are:

National Daily Personality

Bryan "B-Dub" Washington, B-Dub Radio
Cody Alan, Highway Mornings With Cody Alan
Katie Neal, Katie & Company
Rob Stone & Holly Hutton, The Rob + Holly Show
Steve Harmon, Steve Harmon Show

National Weekly Personality

Bryan "B-Dub" Washington, B-Dub Saturday Night
Derek "Big D" Haskins, Sean "Bubba" Powell, Jonathan Shaffer, Honky Tonkin' With Big D & Bubba
Heather Froglear, 90s Country With Heather
Kelleigh Bannen, Today's Country Radio
Ryan Fox, American Country Countdown With Ryan Fox

Major Market Personality (tie)

Angie Ward, WUBL/Atlanta
Chris Carr & Company, Chris Carr, Sam Sansevere, "Dubs" Michael Wilczynski, KEEY/Minneapolis
The Coop Show, Sean "Coop" Tabler, WKIS/Miami
Erik & Jenny, Erik Scott Smith & Jenny Lee, KCYY/San Antonio
Frito & Katy, Tucker "Frito" Young and Katy Dempsey, KILT/Houston
Niko + Cheyenne, Niko Petrou and Cheyenne Davis, KMLE/Phoenix
Rachel Ryan, KSCS Dallas

Large Market Personality

Heather Froglear, KFRG/Riverside
Jesse & Anna, Jesse Tack, Anna Marie, Jake Thomson, WUBE/Cincinnati
Kelli and Anthony, Kelli Green and Anthony Donatelli, KFRG/Riverside
Mad Dawg in the Afternoon, Mike "Mad Dawg" Biddle, WQDR/Raleigh
Maria D'Antonio, WDSY/Pittsburgh

Medium Market Personality (tie)

The Bee Morning Coffee Club, Billy Kidd, TJ Sharp, Hope Breen, WBEE/Rochester
The Doc Show with Chewy, Doc Medek, Chewy Medek, WGGY/Wilkes-Barre
Julie and DJ in the Morning, Julie Kansy and Dale "DJ Thee Trucker" Sellers, WPCV/Lakeland
Mo & StyckMan, Greg "StyckMan" Owens and Melissa "Mo" Wagner, WUSY/Chattanooga
Steve & Gina in the Morning, Steve Lundy and Gina Melton, KXKT/Omaha
Tug Cowart Show, Tug Cowart, WCKN/Charleston, SC

Small Market Personality

Ben & Arnie, Ben Butler, Arnie Andrews, WCOW/La Crosse, WI
B-Mo in the Mo'rning, Brian "B-Mo" Montgomery, WCKK/Choctaw, MS
Dan Austin, WQHK/Fort Wayne, IN
The Dr. Shane and Tess Show, "Dr Shane" Collins and Tess Connell, WPAP/Panama City, FL
The Eddie Foxx Show, Eddie Foxx and Amanda Foxx, WKSF/Asheville, NC

Major Market Station

KILT/Houston
KSCS/Dallas
KSON/San Diego
WPOC/Baltimore
WXTU/Philadelphia

Large Market Station

KFRG/Riverside, CA
WLHK/Indianapolis
WMIL/Milwaukee
WSIX/Nashville
WUBE/Cincinnati

Medium Market Station

KUZZ/Bakersfield
WBEE/Rochester
WHKO/Dayton
WLFP/Memphis
WQMX/Akron

Small Market Station (tie)

KCLR/Columbia, MO
KFGE/Lincoln, NE
WCKK/Choctaw, MS
WXFL/Florence, AL
WYCT/Pensacola, FL
WYOT/Rochelle, IL

Winners will be announced at CRS 2026 (March 18-20) and honored around the May 17 awards show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Mar 2, 2026 Share

Hagerty To Atlantic Outpost

Former WEA National Dir. Stephanie Hagerty has been named SVP/Country Airplay for Atlantic Outpost, the new Nashville-based label led by Co-Presidents Jeff Levin and Ian Cripps. Hagerty left WEA last January after more than a decade to spend more time with her children (CAT 1/15/2025). Levin and Cripps – Atlantic Music Group Co-Head/Pop & Rock A&R and EVP/A&R, respectively – launched Atlantic Outpost last summer and recently announced the Sturgill Simpson-fronted Johnny Blue Skies & the Dark Clouds as their first signing. Reach Hagerty here.

Mar 2, 2026 Share

Fall Diary Ratings

Sioux Per Duper: Here are select Nielsen Audio Fall 2025 (9/18-12/10) two-book per year diary ratings for subscribing stations compared with their last books (Fall 2024 and Spring 2025). Ranks (in parentheses) are also among subscribers. Unless otherwise noted, all figures are Persons 12+, Monday-Sunday, 6am-midnight.

Bismarck, ND (Market 229)	KQDY iHeartMedia 5.3 (7t) - 7.0 (3t) - 7.7 (3t) Largest share since Spring 2023. KUSB Townsquare 5.3 (7t) - 4.0 (8t) - 3.8 (8t) KBMR-AM iHeartMedia Cl. Country 6.3 (5t) - 4.0 (8t) - 2.9 (10t)
Jackson, TN (241)	WOGY Forever 7.5 (3) - 9.6 (2t) - 9.3 (3) WWYN Thomas 3.8 (6t) - 2.7 (7t) - 2.7 (7t)
San Angelo, TX (235)	KKCN Townsquare 2.3 (7t) - 2.4 (8t) - 3.9 (4t) KGKL Townsquare 5.7 (3) - 4.8 (4) - 2.6 (6t) KDCD Four R 2.3 (7t) - 2.4 (8t) - N/A Did not subscribe this survey.
Sioux City, IA (233)	KSUX Powell 8.6 (2t) - 8.7 (2t) - 10.8 (1t) Largest share since Fall 2021. KKYY Powell Classic Country 4.8 (9) - 3.3 (10) - 3.6 (10)
Sioux Falls, SD (168)	KTWB Midwest 11.9 (1) - 13.0 (1) - 13.5 (1) Largest share since Fall 2021. KIKN Townsquare 3.5 (10) - 3.2 (9) - 4.3 (8) Largest share since Spring 2001. KXRB Townsquare Cl. Country 4.4 (9) - 4.2 (7t) - 2.9 (10)

Feb 9, 2026 Share

Fall Diary Ratings

Panama Jacked: Here are select Nielsen Audio Fall 2025 (9/18-12/10) two-book per year diary ratings for subscribing stations compared with their last books (Fall 2024 and Spring 2025). Ranks (in parentheses) are also among subscribers. Unless otherwise noted, all figures are Persons 12+, Monday-Sunday, 6am-midnight.

Columbia, MO (212)	KCLR Zimmer 11.2 (1) - 9.9 (1) - 8.2 (2) KFAL-AM Zimmer 1.7 (11) - 1.7 (12t) - 1.8 (8t)
Eau Claire, WI (217)	WAXX Mid-West Family 12.6 (1t) - 12.7 (1) - 11.9 (1) 11th consecutive No. 1. WQRB iHeartMedia 4.2 (7) - 4.8 (5t) - 5.6 (5t) WATQ iHeartMedia Classic Country 5.9 (3t) - 4.8 (5t) - 4.8 (8)
Joplin, MO (215)	KIXQ Zimmer 11.8 (1) - 11.3 (1t) - 11.8 (1)
La Crosse, WI (210)	WCOW Sparta-Tomah 10.3 (1) - 12.8 (1) - 12.6 (1) WQCC Magnum 4.8 (3) - 4.0 (3) - 3.5 (7t)
Panama City, FL (204)	WPAP iHeartMedia 8.1 (3) - 8.9 (2) - 10.7 (1) Largest share since Fall 2020.
Parkersburg, WV (226)	WNUS iHeartMedia 8.8 (1) - 10.4 (1) - 10.6 (1) Largest share since Spring 2023.
Rochester, MN (207)	KWWK Townsquare 7.0 (2) - 7.1 (2) - 6.8 (2) KMFX iHeartMedia 5.4 (3t) - 4.3 (4t) - 6.0 (3)
Wheeling, WV (230)	WOVK iHeartMedia 14.2 (1) - 13.7 (1) - 11.8 (1)

Feb 6, 2026 Share

Fall Diary Ratings

What The Forks? Here are select Nielsen Audio Fall 2025 (9/18-12/10) two-book per year diary ratings for subscribing stations compared with their last books (Fall 2024 and Spring 2025). Ranks (in parentheses) are also among subscribers. Unless otherwise noted, all figures are Persons 12+, Monday-Sunday, 6am-midnight.

Cedar Rapids, IA (199)	KHAK Townsquare 10.0 (1t) - 13.0 (1) - 10.9 (1) KKSY iHeartMedia 4.0 (8t) - 3.9 (7t) - 3.6 (9)
Duluth, MN (202)	KDKE Midwest Classic Country 4.8 (5t) - 7.7 (2) - 4.8 (4t) KKCB Townsquare 5.4 (4) - 4.7 (6t) - 4.8 (4t) KTCO Midwest 4.2 (7t) - 4.1 (8t) - 3.6 (10)
Fargo, ND (183)	KBVB Radio Fargo-Moorhead 6.2 (4t) - 7.1 (2t) - 8.1 (3) Largest share since Fall 2013. KVOX Midwest 5.7 (6t) - 6.6 (4) - 5.6 (6)
Grand Forks, ND-MN (242)	KYCK Leighton 7.1 (3t) - 6.2 (5t) - 9.2 (1t) First No. 1 since Fall 2015. KSNR iHeartMedia 7.1 (3t) - 6.2 (5t) - 7.7 (5t) Largest share since Fall 2012.
Harrisonburg, VA (228)	WSIG Saga Classic Country 9.9 (1t) - 9.2 (1t) - 9.8 (1t) WKCY iHeartMedia 8.8 (3) - 9.2 (1t) - 8.5 (3)
Laredo, TX (190)	KRRG Guerra 8.1 (3t) - 9.9 (3) - 10.5 (3) Largest share since Spring 2020.
St. Cloud, MN (181)	KZPK Leighton 5.3 (2t) - 6.7 (2) - 7.9 (1) Largest share since Spring 2014. WWJO Townsquare 8.7 (1) - 8.0 (1) - 6.6 (2) KDDG Starcom Classic Country 2.9 (7t) - 4.0 (5) - 4.8 (4) Largest share to date. WVAL-AM Tri-County Cl. Country 1.4 (13t) - 1.8 (11t) - 2.2 (12)
Waterloo, IA (221)	KOEL Townsquare 7.3 (2) - 7.5 (2) - 10.5 (1) KPTY-AM NRG Classic Country 2.8 (8t) - 3.7 (7t) - 2.9 (8)
Winchester, VA (196)	WUSQ iHeartMedia 15.6 (1) - 13.3 (1) - 10.6 (1) 51st consecutive No. 1, dating to 2000.

Feb 5, 2026 Share

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The Year End Print Special

featuring:
The Year In Music:
Morgan, Ella & More

CMA Radio Winners
Recap The Week

Label Of The Year
Big Loud Turns 10

BMG's Jon Loba:
The Interview

The 2026 Grammy
Voter's Guide
A quick reference guide to the 2026 Grammy Nominees

Inside This Issue:

Exstream: What Is Mainstream Country?

You Never Forget Your First … Cousin

Survey Says: NuVoodoo Research