Trending News|January 23, 2013 08:35 EST
Cumulus Media, "Nash FM" Bring Country Music to New York Radio After 17 Years.
Atlanta-based and second largest radio broadcasting company in the U.S., Cumulus Media, has launched a campaign to fill the nearly two-decade long country music void in New York, one of the world's premier media markets.
It's been 17 years but chief executive of Cumulus, Lee Dickey told the New York Times Tuesday, "The time is right to put together a multi-platform entertainment brand."
Next week WRXP 94.7 FM will become WNSH, a variation on the "Nash" brand. Cumulus' other 83 country stations will undergo the same "Nash" transformation.
Dickey also told the Times he hopes by the second half of 2013 to begin publication on Nash Magazine (published by Modern luxury), with dreams of expanding to TV/Video in the future.
"This will be the flagship of a national country brand," Dickey told the New York Times.
From inception, country music has been a staple of American culture; a trend that is not likely to burn out anytime soon. Shows like ABC's "Nashville" show how captivated the nation is with the "country lifestyle."
"The X Factor" season 2 winner, 37-year old Tate Stevens, was the country representative and what appeared to be, compared to prettier, trendier, younger contestants, a clear underdog. Instead he now has a $5 million contract with Epic records and Syco Music.
"American Idol" produced pop/country crossover superstar Carrie Underwood who's won 5 Grammys and sold over 15 million records.
Regardless of how you feel about the sound, country music is alive and strong. It's a consistent market obvious value and rewards to gain.