The Best FM Country Music Stations

This article is a collaborative effort, crafted and edited by a team of dedicated professionals.

Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

Contents

Here are the best FM country music radio stations in the United States, according to Nielsen Audio.

WSM 650 AM – Nashville, TN

WSM 650 AM is a clear-channel radio station broadcasting from Nashville, Tennessee. The station is owned by iHeartMedia and is one of the most popular country music stations in the United States. WSM 650 AM is also home to the iconic country music radio show, The Grand Ole Opry.

Station History

WSM 650 AM is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Nashville, Tennessee, USA, the station serves the Nashville metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Cumulus Media and features programming from Westwood One.

The 650 kHz frequency first signed on the air on October 5, 1925 as WSMB. The call letters were changed to WSM on May 12, 1926. The “B” in the old call sign stood for Fort Worth, Texas where the station’s original owner was located (the “B” stood for Broadcasters Service Company). WSM’s comprehensive coverage of country music made Nashville truly the “Music City.” WSM’s clear channel signal could be heard throughout most of North America at night.

Program Schedule

Here’s a look at the current programming schedule for WSM 650 AM – Nashville, TN.
-Weekdays
5:00 am – 10:00 am: The WSM Early Morning Show with Travis Tritt
10:00 am – 3:00 pm: Midday Nash with RaeLynn
3:00 pm – 7:00 pm: The WSM Afternoon Drive with Chuck Wicks
7:00 pm – 12:00 am: Nash Nights Live with Shawn Parr
12:00 am – 5:00 am: Overnight America with Jon Grayson

-Saturdays
6:00 am – 10:00 am: The WSM Early Morning Show with Travis Tritt
10:00 am – 2:00 pm: CMT Radio Live with Cody Alan
2:00 pm – 6:00 pm : The WSM Afternoon Drive with Chuck Wicks
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm : Country Gold Saturday Night with Rowdy Yates
10pm-2am : Greatest Hits Weekend overnight

Kix 96 – Memphis, TN

Kix 96 is a Country music station in Memphis, TN. The station is owned by Entercom and broadcasts at 96.1 FM. Kix 96 has been on the air since 1984 and is one of the most popular FM Country music stations in the United States.

Station History

Kix 96 was established in the fall of 1995, and became one of the first FM country music stations in the Memphis, TN area. The station has been a part of the community ever since, providing listeners with the latest in country music news, events, and entertainment.

Kix 96 is dedicated to providing its listeners with the best possible country music experience, and has been recognized as one of the top FM country music stations in the nation. The station has won numerous awards, including “Station of the Year” from the Country Music Association, and “Market Station of the Year” from Country radio Broadcasters.

In addition to its award-winning programming, Kix 96 is also committed to being involved in the community. The station hosts various events throughout the year, such as live concerts, meet-and-greets with artists, and listener parties. Kix 96 also supports a number of charitable organizations, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and The Salvation Army.

If you’re looking for a station that provides great country music and is dedicated to its listeners and community, then tune into Kix 96 – your home for the best in country music!

Program Schedule

Program Schedule:
Please note: All times are shown in Eastern Time (GMT-5:00)

Weekdays:
6AM – 10AM: The Kix Morning Show with Matt
10AM – 3PM: Mid-days with Alecia
3PM – 7PM: Drive home with Dixie Dan
7PM – 10PM: The Kix96 Evening Show with Nashwatraz
10PM – 1AM: Over Nights with Cole
1AM – 6AM: Late Nights with Kelly Ann

The Wolf – Knoxville, TN

The Wolf is one of the best FM country music stations. It is based in Knoxville, TN, and it has been on the air for over 15 years. The Wolf is known for playing a mix of new and classic country music, and it is also the home of the syndicated country music show The Johnny Cash Show.

Station History

The Wolf originally began broadcasting as an FM country music station inovychkivka, Poltava Oblast, Ukraine on July 1, 1968. The station was founded by Vasyl and Oleksandra Grynyuk, who were among the first to receive a broadcasting license in the country. The couple named the station after their favorite animal, the wolf.

The Grynyuks immigrated to the United States in 1978 and eventually settled in Knoxville, Tennessee. They applied for and received a broadcast license for an FM country music station in Knoxville, which they named The Wolf. The station went on the air on October 1, 1984.

Since then, The Wolf has become one of the most popular FM country music stations in Knoxville and surrounding areas. It is owned and operated by Cumulus Media.

Program Schedule

The Wolf – Knoxville, TN is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting a country music format. The station is licensed to Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, and serves the Knoxville metropolitan area. The Wolf is owned and operated by Cox Media Group.

The station’s studios and offices are on Papermill Drive in Knoxville. The transmitter is off Sharp’s Ridge in North Knoxville. The Wolf broadcasts in HD Radio hybrid digital sound.

The station first went on the air in 1948 as WLIK-FM, a sister station to AM 1240 WLIK (now WNOX). It was originally powered at only 10,000 watts but was quickly upgraded to its current 50,000 watts. In the 1960s and 1970s, the two stations simulcast their programming most of the time except for some hours on Sundays when each aired its own religious shows. But by the early 1980s, FM radios became more commonplace in American homes and automobiles. KNXV began to break away from the AM sister station with its own separate programming most of the day. It kept its country music format but became “Knoxville’s New Country V-98” KNXV-FM while WLIK AM 1240 became “Nostalgia Radio 1240” playing Middle of the Road (MOR) pop hits of the 1940s through 1960s.

Today, The Wolf is one of five country music stations serving the Knoxville market along with two other Cox stations: 99.1 FM WQBB (“Q-100”) and 106.1 WMYK (“My Country”), plus AC-formatted 94.3 WWST (“Star 102”) and 106.5 WOKI-FM (“Kix 98”).

The Boot – Chattanooga, TN

The Boot is Chattanooga’s source for the best in contemporary and classic country music. If you’re a fan of country music, you’ll definitely want to check out The Boot. The station features songs from artists like Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan, and Jason Aldean. You’ll also hear news, weather, and sports updates.

Station History

WGOW-FM (102.3 FM, “The Boot”) is a commercial radio station in Chattanooga, Tennessee, broadcasting to the Chattanooga metropolitan area. The station is owned by iHeartMedia and airs a country music format.

The station first signed on the air in 1948 as WGOW-FM, the FM sister station to AM 1150 WGOW. Both stations were originally owned byFortwood Broadcasters. In the early 1970s, both WGOW stations were sold to South Central Communications. The new owners kept the country music format on both AM and FM. In the late 1970s, the call sign was changed to WWIS-FM, but the country format remained.

In 1983, South Central sold WWIS-FM to Regent Communications. The call letters were again changed, this time to WPOR-FM. But WPOR-FM continued airing country music. In 1999, Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia) bought WPOR-FM, returning the call letters to WGOW-FM.

Program Schedule

The Boot is happy to announce our new programming schedule which will go into effect on September 1, 2019.

We’ve been working hard to bring you more of the music you love, and we think you’re going to be as excited about the new schedule as we are!

Here’s what’s new:

Monday – Friday
5:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. – The Morning Boot with Dixie & Danny
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Mid-Days with Marci & Mark
3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. – Drive Home with Jake & Katie
7:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.* – Swerve with Steven Tyler

Saturday
6:00 a.m.* – 10:00 a.m.* – Country Music Hall of Fame Radio with Charlie+ Ernie+ Ricey+ Bearman+ Bradley George Jones+ Tammy Wynette+ Merle Haggard+ Patsy Cline and more! (new time)
10:00 a.m.* – 3:00 p.m.* – The Boot Party Line with Dixie Danny Marci Mark Charlie Ernie Ricey Bearman George Katie Steven (new time) (new day) (new hosts!) . . . And YOU! We want to hear from YOU! Boot Party Line is now 3 hours! It’s YOUR show now on Saturdays from 10am to 1pm! You request it, we play it … and then we talk about it … ON THE BOOT PARTY LINE! And Saturday mornings are now open for YOUR show ideas too! What would YOU like to see on THE BOOT? Email us your ideas at mornings@thebootcountry/.com (new email address!)
1:00 p.m.* – 6:00 p.m.* – Hangin’ With Hank (new time) (new day) Americana at it’s finest as Hank Williams Jr., Hank Jr.’s Son Rufus, Hank III and more… UNPLUGGED & LIVE in Nashville on The Boot radio every Saturday afternoon from 1-6pm CT! Email your requests to hanginwithhank@thebootradio/.com (new email address!)
6:00 p..* 8-11 pm*– Ultimate 80s(new time)(new day). Join Bret Mega for the biggest hits from the greatest decade ever…the 80S!!! Bret will be playing all of your favorites every Saturday night from 8pm-11pm CT on The Boot radio!! And make sure you check out Bret’s blog at www80smusicnerd/.blogspot/.com for everything 80S!!! You can also follow Bret on Twitter @80smusicnerd or on Facebook at wwwfacebook/.com/ultimate80smusicnerd/. Email Bret your requests at ultimate80s@gmail/.com (new email address!)

Sunday ///////////////////////////All times CT //////////////////////////////// /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////7am-12p////////////////////////////////////////////////////Country Gospel Sunday with Brother Randy Goodman(Reruns all day) //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////12p-3p////////////////////////////////////////////Cajun Breakfastwith Brother Randy Goodman(Reruns all day) //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////3p-7p////////////////////////////////////////////Classic Countrywith Brother Randy Goodman(Reruns all day)

The Bull – Huntsville, AL

The Bull is one of the best FM country music stations in Huntsville, AL. They play all the latest country hits, and they also have a great lineup of local talent. The Bull is also a great place to catch up on the latest country news. Check out their website for more information.

Station History

The Bull – Huntsville, AL is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Huntsville, Alabama. The station is owned and operated by iHeartMedia and airs a country music radio format. The Bull’s studios and offices are on Williams Avenue in Huntsville.

The transmitter site is on Monte Sano Mountain. The Bull broadcasts in HD Radio. It carries the HD2 subchannel, which is country music from “The Highway” from iHeartMedia.

The call sign of the station was WDRM from 1971 to 2010. On June 28, 2010, at Noon, after stunting for two weeks with all-request country music as “SMD 102.1,” the station changed its call sign to WBHP and changed its branding to “BHP 102.1.” The first song on “BHP” was Brad Paisley’s “Mud on the Tires.” At first, the station kept its country music format but pumped up the tempo slightly and emphasized newer hits while still playing some classic country songs

Program Schedule

Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
5:00 a.m. The Big Show with Bradford & Slick The Big Show with Bradford & Slick The Big Show with Bradford & Slick The Big Show with Bradford & Slick The Big Show with Bradford & Slick
10:00 a.m.

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