October 5, 2026 News@CountryAircheck.com

Big Ten: Here are August Eastlan Ratings for Country stations in the 10 largest markets it measures, compared with June and July. Eastlan uses online and phone-based recall surveys. Shares are Persons 12+, Monday-Sunday, 6am-midnight.

Chicago	WUSN Audacy 4.2 (8) - 4.2 (8) - 4.3 (7) WXLC Connoisseur 0.2 (39t) - 0.3 (34t) - 0.5 (30t)
Dallas	KPLX Cumulus 6.0 (2) - 6.1 (2) - 6.1 (2) KSCS Cumulus 5.0 (3) - 5.5 (3) - 5.5 (3)
Houston	KKBQ Radio One 5.7 (3t) - 5.5 (6) - 5.6 (6) KILT Audacy 3.7 (13) - 3.6 (13) - 3.7 (12)
Atlanta	WKHX Cumulus 4.6 (7) - 4.6 (7) - 4.6 (7) WUBL iHeartMedia 3.7 (11t) - 3.6 (12) - 3.6 (12t)
Seattle	KKWF Audacy 6.1 (3) - 6.1 (3) - 5.9 (4) KPLZ Lotus Classic Country 2.9 (16t) - 2.8 (16t) - 2.7 (17) KPNW Hubbard 1.5 (22) - 2.1 (19t) - 2.0 (22)
Cincinnati	WUBE Hubbard 9.0 (2) - 9.2 (3) - 9.7 (1) WYGY Hubbard 2.4 (14t) - 2.4 (16) - 2.5 (14t) WNNF Cumulus 1.0 (21) - 1.1 (21) - 1.3 (20) WHKO/Dayton Cox 1.3 (20) - 1.2 (20) - 1.2 (21)
Raleigh	WQDR Curtis 6.7 (3) - 7.1 (3) - 7.1 (3) WNCB iHeartMedia 2.3 (14t) - 2.4 (14) - 2.4 (14)
Greensboro	WTQR iHeartMedia 5.3 (7) - 5.0 (9) - 4.8 (9) WPAW Audacy 3.6 (10) - 4.1 (10) - 3.9 (10) WQDR/Raleigh Curtis 1.5 (17) - 1.6 (17) - 1.5 (17)
Oklahoma City	KTST iHeartMedia 6.6 (5) - 6.8 (4) - 6.5 (4t) KJKE Tyler 4.4 (11) - 4.4 (9t) - 4.4 (9t) KXXY iHeartMedia Classic Country 3.3 (12) - 3.3 (12) - 3.2 (12) KWFF Chisolm Trail Classic Country 1.1 (21t) - 1.1 (22t) - 1.3 (19t)
Memphis	WGKX Cumulus 4.9 (9) - 5.1 (8) - 5.0 (8) WLFP Audacy 4.4 (10) - 4.6 (10) - 4.8 (9) WEBL North Mississippi Media 1.4 (16t) - 1.3 (18) - 1.0 (20t)

Blue Rate Special: Here are select August Eastlan Ratings showing Country stations that are leading in the 27 markets measured monthly by the company, compared with June and July. Shares are Persons 12+, Monday-Sunday, 6am-midnight.

KSJJ/Bend, OR Gross: 13.4 - 14.0 - 13.8
KCTR/Billings, MT Townsquare: 10.6 - 11.6 - 11.5
WOKO/Burlington, VT Hall: 13.1 - 12.9 - 13.1
WQBE/Charleston, WV Bristol: 13.7 - 14.0 - 14.0
WXBQ/Johnson City, TN Bristol: 16.8 - 17.9 - 17.0
KDBR/Kalispell, MT Bee: 15.6 - 15.3 - 15.0
WALS/LaSalle, IN Shaw Local: 13.9 - 14.2 - 14.6
KXLY/Spokane Queen B: 8.8 - 8.7 - 8.8
WBBS/Syracuse iHeartMedia: 7.8 - 8.8 - 9.2
Largest share since May 2025.
KEZJ/Twin Falls, ID Townsquare: 15.3 - 15.3 - 17.0
Largest share since Oct. 2023.
WACO/Waco, TX iHeartMedia: 15.6 - 16.8 - 16.4

Meredith Day: Meredith Andrade has joined Beasley WQYK/Tampa for afternoons, effective today (10/5). She continues to do mornings at Rhythmic Top 40 sister WLLD as part of Orlando & The Freakshow, and middays at Classic Hits WRBQ. Morning co-host J.R. Jaus had been filling in afternoons at WQYK temporarily since the departure of Kevin "KC" Cummings, who had been in afternoons since being promoted from weekends in 2024 (CAT 3/11/24).

West Side Story: Radio vet Billy Brown has returned to West Virginia Radio Classic Country WKWS/Charleston, WV for mornings. Brown previously spent five years there (2017-2022), where he was PD/air personality before joining crosstown WQBE for afternoons (2/28/22). He succeeds Robb Reel, who recently left to join Midlands Media as Dir./Creative Services & Brand Mgr./morning host for WUDE/Columbia, SC (CAT 7/21).

Sound Investment: Miller Wealth Sports & Entertainment Founder/Pres. Dusty Miller has joined Big Loud as Pres./Catalog Acquisitions, where he will lead the label's strategy to source, evaluate and acquire music catalogs and other music-related assets. "As partners, we have long talked about developing a catalog acquisition component to our business," says Partner/CEO Seth England. Prior to launching his own firm, Miller spent 13 years with Truist Bank.

Wherefore Art Thou: Former Romeo Entertainment Group co-owner and VP/Organizational Development & Strategy Michelle Romeo has joined Reliant Talent Agency in Nashville as Corporate Agent. She spent more than 16 years at Romeo Entertainment Group. Reach her here.

Branch Out: Floating Leaf Entertainment and its roster — including Koe Wetzel, Kolby Cooper and Fox & Vead —are now under the Red Light umbrella. "We’ve always been incredibly focused on the artist — who they are, what makes them different and how we can help build a career around that," says Floating Leaf Founder Jeb Hurt. "Red Light has an incredible history of doing the same thing at a global level." Adds Red Light's Ben Kline, "We’re excited to bring the full breadth of Red Light to the table — our people, our relationships, our global reach and all of the opportunities that come with being part of this organization."

Dollywood Squares: Ashley McBryde, Béla Fleck, Brad Paisley, Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Ella Langley, Kelsea Ballerini, Kristen Bell, Kristin Chenoweth, Lady A, Lainey Wilson, Little Big Town, Lukas Nelson, Molly Tuttle, Reba McEntire, Ricky Skaggs, Sierra Hull, Vince Gill and Zac Brown will perform during the CMA's I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton, airing live from Nashville Oct. 21 on ABC and Disney+ and next day on Hulu (CAT 9/25). Proceeds will benefit Parton's Imagination Library.

Tour Support: Koe Wetzel and Parker McCollum are reuniting for the five-date Naughty or Nice Tour in Texas, playing Helotes (12/2), Houston (12/3), Corpus Christi (12/4), Round Rock (12/5) and Fort Worth (12/10). Joining as support are Jackson Wendell and Logan Jahnke; tickets here Friday (10/9).

Warren Zeiders will play 16 cities as part of his The No Brakes Tour, beginning March 25 in Orlando with support act Lakeview. Tickets go on sale Friday (10/9) here.

Going, Going, Gone Country: Tickets for the 62nd Academy of Country Music Awards, returning to MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas May 16, go on sale to ACM A-List subscribers (sign up here) Wednesday (10/7) and to the public Friday (10/9) here.

Contact Update: New Mid-West Family WRTB/Rockford, IL Brand Mgr./afternoon host Mike Kellar (CAT 9/25) is on the job effective today (10/5) and can be reached here.

ICYMI: Priscilla Block made Nashville Lifestyles magazine's 2026 "Most Beautiful People" list. Read the interview here.

Country Aircheck Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for the week ending Oct. 3, according to Mediabase.

KENNY CHESNEY/Carry On (Hey Now)
MORGAN WALLEN/Been By Now (Big Loud)
JOHN MORGAN/Kid Myself (Night Train/Broken Bow)
ELLA LANGLEY/Loving Life Again (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers)
LAUREN ALAINA f/CHASE MATTHEW/All My Exes (Big Loud)

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for Oct. 4, compared with the same day last week, according to Mediabase.

JOHN MORGAN/Kid Myself (Night Train/Broken Bow) +780 points
DAN + SHAY/Say So (Warner/WRN) +483 points
ZACH JOHN KING/Get To Drinkin' (SMN) +378 points
LAINEY WILSON & JOHN MAYER/Phone, Keys, Waller (Broken Bow) +361 points
KOE WETZEL f/ELLA LANGLEY/Jaded (Col. NY/Records Nashville) +305 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (10/6): Tim Rushlow, Dixie Carter, Sheila Brooks, Jim Dandy, Jim O'Hara, Barry Mardit, Jody Jo Mize, Morgan Huelsman.

Rhett Carpet: Blue Highway's Thomas Rhett in Los Angeles. Pictured (back, l-r) are KSON/San Diego's Monica Rivera, KPLM/Palm Springs' Kory James, KSON's Jessica Chenoweth, Rhett, KUZZ/Bakersfield's Brent Michaels, KPLM's Jess Denyer, guest Matthew Greco and KKGO's Michael Levine; (front, l-r) the label's Ashley Sidoti, KKGO's Adam Bookbinder, KFRG/Riverside's Heather Froglear and the label's Amy Staley.

A Night To "Forget:" Sony Music Nashville/Cervidae's McCoy Moore with iHeart's Rod Phillips and WUSN/Chicago's Marci Braun at Joe's Live.

Like It When You're No. 1: Atlantic Outpost's Stella Lefty with Country Aircheck's Chuck Aly (l) and Lon Helton at the No. 1 party for "Boston."

Signage: Triplet brother trip Trippp signs with Hardy's newly formed Mockingbird Records in partnership with Big Loud. Pictured at Hardy's show in Starkville, MS are (l-r) the trio's Treyson Stafford and JD Stafford, Hardy and the trio's Chaz Stafford.

Signage: Big Loud's Ashley Cooke signs with The Familie for management. Pictured with the company's Royce Risser (l) and Steve Astephen.

Signage: Songwriter Lee Thomas Miller signs with Warner Chappell Music and Perfect Game Creative. Pictured (back, l-r) are attorney Scott Safford and WCM's Bethany Mako and Phil May; (front, l-r) PGC's Jessi Vaughn Stevenson, Miller and WCM's Austen Adams.