Peggy 99.1 Winnipeg to flip to Country

[ChrisWL1980]

For the second time in as many months, a Soft AC station in a major Canadian market is going Country. First, Toronto rimshot Lite 88.5 (formerly The Jewel) became Hot Country 88.5. Now Winnipeg's Peggy @ 99.1, currently in all-Christmas mode, is slated to flip to Country 99 after Boxing Day.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2617 ... but-12-27/

A gift of Morgan Wallen or Thomas Rhett is the musical equivalent of a lump of coal.

[Deleted User 16144]

Is Country the #1 format in both The U.S. and Canada? In Detroit/Windsor we had 4 Country stations until the recent switch of WDRQ. Now we just have three. Two from Windsor which I can’t understand how Windsor can support 2 Country stations. Detroit wasn’t able to support 2 stations, 93.1 always had poor ratings. I’m surprised of the 88.5 switch in Toronto. I used to stream that station a lot while in my office up in Frankenmuth.

[Mega Hertz]

I think country is the new CHR. That's why you see so many stations flipping to it in even the most crowded markets. It's popular in rural communities and then you have your "concrete cowboys" in the city. CHR is in a rut, contemporary rock blows donkey ass, the demo for "fossilized rock" is dying and tuning out in droves, what else is there? Country. Maybe MW could fill us in on what kind of billing country formats do these days.

[ZenithCKLW]

I think country is the new CHR. That's why you see so many stations flipping to it in even the most crowded markets. It's popular in rural communities and then you have your "concrete cowboys" in the city. CHR is in a rut, contemporary rock blows donkey ass, the demo for "fossilized rock" is dying and tuning out in droves, what else is there? Country. Maybe MW could fill us in on what kind of billing country formats do these days.

I laughed at “donkey ass” because it’s something from the department of redundancy department.

I feel like Country has really gained traction since 9/11 when a new brand of patriotism was born.

[Marcus]

Here are the most popular radio formats according to one link.

https://www.statista.com/forecasts/9972 ... -in-the-us

And here is what Forbes says

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradadgate ... f60c60a155

With Country Music it depends on the radio market. In New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco only a small percentage of people listen to it. In many markets there is a Country Music station in the top 5 of the ratings.

[Deleted User 16144]

Thanks for the info Marcus. It appears that with the exception of NYC, L.A. and Chicago, Country and Contemporary Christian Music stations are beginning to dominate the FM Dial. I have noticed an increase of Christian Radio in Canada as well. There is a group of stations in Northern Ontario called KFM that sound similar to K-Love. Many small markets in Canada are beginning to have at least one Christian station.

[ChrisWL1980]

CHR is in such a rut that it's drawing from Country - probably more than at any time since the early '80s (even the Faith Hill/Shania Twain crossover era in the late '09s/early '00s wasn't this big). Look at the crossover success of Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs this year. A year ago at this time, if anyone had told me one of 2023's biggest songs would be a country remake of a 1988 Tracy Chapman classic that actually SOUNDED somewhat country, I'd have thought they were nuts. Country has also reached heightened relevance this year by capitalizing on the divided political climate (i.e. "Try That in a Small Town" and "Rich Men North of Richmond"). Canada isn't exactly the land of bipartisan kumbaya either.

It wasn't so long ago that Christian radio (outside of weekend church services and the like) was forbidden in Canada except for one or two stations in Newfoundland that already had Christian formats before it joined Canada in 1949 (if the AM station call sign starts with a V, it was around before Confederation). Now there are religious stations in almost every province, and Ontario has the most - including the UCB Canada stations in Windsor and Chatham. UCB is a bit more like Family Life Radio than K-Love, using analogies to U.S. Christian broadcasters.

[radioandtventhusiast]

CHR is in such a rut that it's drawing from Country - probably more than at any time since the early '80s (even the Faith Hill/Shania Twain crossover era in the late '09s/early '00s wasn't this big). Look at the crossover success of Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs this year. A year ago at this time, if anyone had told me one of 2023's biggest songs would be a country remake of a 1988 Tracy Chapman classic that actually SOUNDED somewhat country, I'd have thought they were nuts. Country has also reached heightened relevance this year by capitalizing on the divided political climate (i.e. "Try That in a Small Town" and "Rich Men North of Richmond"). Canada isn't exactly the land of bipartisan kumbaya either.

It wasn't so long ago that Christian radio (outside of weekend church services and the like) was forbidden in Canada except for one or two stations in Newfoundland that already had Christian formats before it joined Canada in 1949 (if the AM station call sign starts with a V, it was around before Confederation). Now there are religious stations in almost every province, and Ontario has the most - including the UCB Canada stations in Windsor and Chatham. UCB is a bit more like Family Life Radio than K-Love, using analogies to U.S. Christian broadcasters.

Are you saying Tracy's version sounded somewhat country or Luke's version? I have to say, Luke Combs is probably one of the few country stars that actually sounds country in most of his songs. Hope he doesn't add trap beats or vocalizes like Drake like a lot of other male "country" singers are doing these days.

[ChrisWL1980]

CHR is in such a rut that it's drawing from Country - probably more than at any time since the early '80s (even the Faith Hill/Shania Twain crossover era in the late '09s/early '00s wasn't this big). Look at the crossover success of Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs this year. A year ago at this time, if anyone had told me one of 2023's biggest songs would be a country remake of a 1988 Tracy Chapman classic that actually SOUNDED somewhat country, I'd have thought they were nuts. Country has also reached heightened relevance this year by capitalizing on the divided political climate (i.e. "Try That in a Small Town" and "Rich Men North of Richmond"). Canada isn't exactly the land of bipartisan kumbaya either.

It wasn't so long ago that Christian radio (outside of weekend church services and the like) was forbidden in Canada except for one or two stations in Newfoundland that already had Christian formats before it joined Canada in 1949 (if the AM station call sign starts with a V, it was around before Confederation). Now there are religious stations in almost every province, and Ontario has the most - including the UCB Canada stations in Windsor and Chatham. UCB is a bit more like Family Life Radio than K-Love, using analogies to U.S. Christian broadcasters.

Are you saying Tracy's version sounded somewhat country or Luke's version? I have to say, Luke Combs is probably one of the few country stars that actually sounds country in most of his songs. Hope he doesn't add trap beats or vocalizes like Drake like a lot of other male "country" singers are doing these days.

I meant Luke Combs' version. Although Tracy's original sounds more country than a lot of new so-called "country."

[radioandtventhusiast]

Yeah, Tracy's version sounds more country than some of these so-called "country artists". I wish this current style would decline and we'd go back to a more traditional-sounding country.

[Mega Hertz]

I think country is the new CHR. That's why you see so many stations flipping to it in even the most crowded markets. It's popular in rural communities and then you have your "concrete cowboys" in the city. CHR is in a rut, contemporary rock blows donkey ass, the demo for "fossilized rock" is dying and tuning out in droves, what else is there? Country. Maybe MW could fill us in on what kind of billing country formats do these days.

I laughed at “donkey ass” because it’s something from the department of redundancy department.

I feel like Country has really gained traction since 9/11 when a new brand of patriotism was born.

Yeah, roll on down to PolPot and see what the end result of that "patriotism" is.

I was gonna type "donkey dick" but decided against it. I now regret my decision.

Like that time I ate a jalapeño nacho bean chili dip and washed it down with a bottle of gin.

[edj]

Winnipeg is overloaded with country. Granted, some are from the outlying areas.

[48125er]

Top 40 music right now reminds me of where it was in 1992/93 maybe even as far as 95 or 96 when you had a lot of overlapping back then too.

[ChrisWL1980]

Winnipeg is overloaded with country. Granted, some are from the outlying areas.

CKLQ 880 from Brandon sometimes makes it to the metro Detroit area in the early morning hours.
I believe what is now Power 97 (rock) was one of the first full-time FM country stations anywhere as CJOB-FM, back in the '60s.