Brent Lane is the Program Director and morning host at Dave and Mary Hoxeng’s Cat Country 98.7 (WYCT/Pensacola, FL). The station is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Lane has been in mornings for nearly 19 of those years.
With local ownership, Cat Country 98.7 is able to provide local personalities who are active in the community with listeners and charitable organizations. Community service is the foundation upon which the station is built. And that dedication was tested from the very first day.
“I came from San Diego and had a wonderful experience at KSON before coming here. I think that one of the things that made the Hoxengs, who owned the radio station, attractive to me was that we were young and hungry. I got here about 16 months into it, and we were approaching this community very much with how to be good stewards,” said Lane.
“We were the second Country radio station in the market. The first had been a heritage station forever, and they commanded a lot of respect. Our methodology for coming in here and going, hey, we’re new, and we’re the new kid on the block, was how do we take care of the community at the level of supporting charity?
Sometimes, the best-conceived plans run into unexpected roadblocks. That was the case at Cat Country’s launch.
“Kevin King (OM) flipped the switch on this and was here the night that Hurricane Ivan rolled through Pensacola, and then watching people need help and get help from their neighbors, and then we became one of the neighbors that could help, really dictated how this station would be successful over the course of 20 years. This is our 20th anniversary, and when you look back over what we’ve done over the years, it has really tried to consistently be there for people in this community, day in and day out. We have a lot of fun.” said Lane.
Hurricane Helene did not hit Pensacola, but hurricanes are something that the station prepares and plans for.
“Hurricane Ivan 20 years ago taught us a lot. So, we are very much about being hurricane-ready and letting people know that we’re going to be there with them. The goal is always to be on the air.”
“We make decisions based on how we’re going to get through storm season with the best possible way to provide information throughout. That seems to be one of the most important promises that we are making is that we’re here on the air, online, on social, live and local. And it is at a level of how many generators do we have?”
Lane added,” We have practice templates for how to go into storm mode. When do we stop playing music and go to all talk? For us, it was four years ago with Hurricane Sally that we were in full-on storm mode. And quite frankly, we stay in storm mode until 90% of the power has been restored.
Of course, music makes up an important part of the stationality, and Lane says that the station leans into its surroundings.
“We would tell you that we were the salt life country. We love the Gulf Coast. We’re very Kenny Chesney heavy because of the alliteration of the ocean, and I think right now, the music itself is starting to really shine, and we certainly see a lot of the positive vibes from that.
Gold-based 90s music round out the mix, “We just played Mark Chesnutt’s ‘Goin Through The Big D’ and had some Joe Diffie,” Lane said. “It all sounds great. Sonically speaking, it sounds like what the radio should be, and people are having fun with it and the response is great and the ever-swinging pendulum of Country music today tends to be leaning a little more toward Country 90s fun, and I think that is a hugely positive thing both for our industry and certainly for our area.”
The station stays focused on Pensacola and does not alter programming during the high tourism season.
“I feel like tourism-wise, we really don’t pay attention to that, but there is always something going on here no matter what time of year it is. So, for nonprofit work, for instance, I would tell you, “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer,” we are in that season of promotion from October 1st through the 26th. For the Blue Angels or the fair, we’re in that season of promotion through October 26th. That’s just how we look at seasonal events. But I wouldn’t say we program differently.”
Lane’s social media strategy reflects the station’s overall philosophy of being at one with Pensacola. “We’ve spent years being a part of our community, so I think my philosophy regarding social media is that you should be part of the conversation. I like to see every shift post twice a shift, and I’d love for our jocks to be passionate about stuff, particularly as it pertains to the radio station. We happen to be in a contest-heavy time right this second, and that contest is one of the best contesting opportunities we’ve ever had in the history of the radio station.”
“That is taking up a ton of our social media. We’re trying to let that breathe a little bit. I’m looking for something relevant to our community day in and day out, including the weekends. Try to be cognizant of when people are on the most.”
Lane credits his team with making everything work.
“We like to say we have the best team in radio. The reality is that it’s definitely a team sport. There’s a lot of sweat equity that goes into the stuff that we do,” said Lane. “I think these guys make what is symbiotic with our community something that they each get to buy into, and I think that works for us.”
“That commitment to success through service matters and continues to help the station succeed.
Listen to Cat Country 98.7 here. Connect with Brent Lane by email here.
Jeff Lynn serves as Editor of Barrett Media’s Music Radio coverage. Prior to joining Barrett Media, Jeff spent time programming in Milwaukee, Omaha, Cleveland, Des Moines, and Madison for multiple radio groups, including iHeartMedia, Townsquare Media, NRG Media, and Entercom (now Audacy). He also worked as a Country Format Editor for All Access until the outlet shut down in August 2023.
To get in touch with Jeff by email, reach him at Jeff@BarrettMedia.com.
