Midwest Communications launched Y’all 106.7, a Nashville ’90s-focused Country station, just over two years ago during CMA Fest.
Led by Brand Manager Ron Allen, the station has employed a mix of nostalgia, relentless street presence, artist buy-in, and an imaginative, fast-cycling imaging strategy to carve out a space in the crowded Country music scene in Music City.
“We launched about two years ago here at CMA Fest, and we felt like there was a lane of underserved great music that wasn’t getting played in the market,” Allen says. “We had this concept to do a ’90s-based Country brand, not what I consider a traditional Classic Country radio station.”
“Matter of fact, I don’t use those words. It’s a ’90s-based Country brand that dips into the ’80s, that plays some early 2000s. But it’s focused on big stars from the ’90s. We felt like George Strait, Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, the list goes on and on, just weren’t getting their due on the radio anymore.”
“They’ve got great brand recognition, and we knew that it was going to be a little bit of an uphill battle to establish ourselves amongst the giants that are here doing Country radio really well. But we did. We just jumped off the cliff and did it. And it’s been really successful to our mind, to our thinking.”
The station launched with the attitude that they weren’t out to beat anyone, just to find its own niche.
“When we launched, I think you and I had a conversation where at one point I said, we don’t have to beat people to be successful. It was true then, it’s true now. But fortunately, we have seen some pretty strong success in the numbers. I think we’re competitive with any of the other three big Country brands in the market.”
And there is more to Y’all 106.7’s story than the ratings that are published in the trades.
“Every time I see those six-plus numbers in the trades, I cringe a little bit. They don’t tell the story at all. But 25‑54, both male and female, we’ve seen some real success. We’re competing with every brand in town. And we do win periodically. We need a little bit more consistency, but we love the position we’re in right now.”
Recently, competitor 95.5 WSM-FM dropped the Nash Icon brand, moving to a current-based format and perhaps making the lane for Y’all 106.7 a bit wider.
“Lots of changes are going on in the market, which we’ll see how that dust settles, but we feel good about those changes, too. We feel like the lane is now a little bit wider for us, and we’re just really excited about the future.”
If you follow the station on socials, it can seem like Allen and Taylor are everywhere at once: Music Valley, The Ryman, fan festivals, artist pop-ups, charity tie-ins. That’s by design.
“I’m an old school radio guy. I believe in shaking hands and kissing babies and burning that shoe leather off the bottom of your feet, and we’re doing that. We have an opportunity here that is so unique because all the artists are here. They have been really gracious in their time and their commitment to us.”
“All these great events are going on in town, and we’ve been invited to participate in so many of them. I’m never going to say no when an artist is doing something cool in town and we can be out in front of our listeners. And have the opportunity to interact with the artists and the listeners. And with new listeners, a lot of young people that are just learning about the brand and just being visible and just doing it the old school ways.”
Part of the success of ‘90s Country is that it makes listeners feel like they are in a safe space.
“You’re comfortable in that world. The memories of what used to be. It’s a great space in your brain. Your mind goes to that. You remember those happy times, you remember great, great music, and it just stands the test of time. Good music is always going to be good music.”
One of the surprises has been the younger female demos that have embraced the station.
“I was a little shocked with the success that we have with younger demos, especially younger females, as quickly as we had it. I thought we were going to be a really solid 25-54 radio station, leaning 35-64. And that was really not the case when we launched. It was a lot of 18, 20, 24-year-old women who came to the radio station first and found us more early adopters.”
“There’s the desire to hear these songs, and they haven’t been getting that play. So they’re sort of fresh in everybody’s minds. Many people are discovering them for the first time and saying, ‘Why didn’t I know about this great George Strait?’ We’ve been in a unique position, and I’m thrilled with the outcome so far.”
Allen is also the Brand Manager for sister station 96.3 JACK-FM, and the two stations collaborate to create imaging that keeps both gold-based brands sounding fresh and local.
“There are about five or six of us who write every week. We invite everybody in the building to come in and spend some time with us when we’re writing. I think it’s a great way for salespeople to learn about the brand. But the core is about five or six people.”
“There’s always something going on that’s current and local. That’s one of the keys for both of these radio stations. We are a local radio station. We make every decision in this office. All the music decisions, all the imaging decisions, what promotions we’re going to do, everything comes out of here. And we want that reflected on the air.”
“We write a lot of stuff that has an expiration date. It’s going to be on for two weeks, and then it’s gone. But that also keeps us really engaged, because we’re always looking for something new to write about.”
With headlines swirling about large companies moving imaging reads to AI, I asked Allen for his view.
“AI is a tool like any other tool. Research is a tool. Everything’s a tool. And if used correctly, there’s probably a place for it. AI is scary for me. I probably shouldn’t say this, but I think it can be the lazy way out. The inexpensive way out.”
“Especially with Country, but I think radio in general, we have talked for years about the personal connection to the audience. The closeness of the brands to who we are as personalities. And it’s unfortunate that we’ve started down that path. I’m afraid that it’s going to get out of hand, and I would hate to see that.”
In closing, Allen hints at some surprises on the horizon.
“We have some exciting things that are coming up for Y’all. I think there are some great opportunities. There may be a few surprises in store. We’ve done a great job of holding up our end of the promise that we’re not going to play something unless it’s 20 years old.”
“We’re right on that line now. We’re not going to go in that direction. You’re never going to hear that on Y’all. There’s sort of a demarcation line that we’re coming up to. That’s not who we are.”
“We are going to be a solid ’80s, ’90s, early 2000s radio station. We’re going to be comfortable on that line. We enjoy being here and feel blessed that the audience and the city have given us an opportunity to be successful.”
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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.
