Country Classic Rock

[trusty]

Scanning the dial, I came across country station 104.3 in Dahlonega - except they were not playing country; they were playing classic rock. A few minutes later, I hit them again, and they were playing country. A few minutes later - classic rock. Then country.

I looked up radio locater. They had changed calls, so I listened again and caught a voicetrack: "This is 'Thunder' 104.3 with real Classic Rock." (or something like that) So I listened and heard a mix of country and classic rock, which would seem to be weird at first, but, now that I know what to expect, it sounds purty good.

Anyone else heard this format (probably on satellite radio), and anyone know any more info about this Dahlonega station? (was WKHC - now WZTR)

 

[Mr_Winston-Salem]

I scanned the dial a week or two ago and heard classic rock on 104.3. I thought the format changed and I heard Thunder 104.3, but the next song was country and the song after it was country. I checked back a few other times and it was country. I've only heard one classic rock song, so I'm guessing the classic rock is one out of every three or four songs?

 

[trusty]

I just heard them identify as "Country Rock". I guess that solves that.

Most Top 40 stations in the south played a lot of country flavored songs before The Beatles. The Rumore stations (WVOK/WBAM/WAPE) played a LOT of country-ish songs, taking their cue from Elvis.

 

[bnaivar]

OK, I'll ask.........

Is this "Crock"?

 

[gravelgertie]

Pop-Corn

 

[jabba17]

In their "Young Country" days, Y-106 was known to play some southern rock (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker, Allmans, et al.) with their "rockin' country" (Joe Diffie, Confederate RR, et al.).

What kind of classic rock are you hearing? Southernish rock?

Also, WPLO (590) was top 40 and flipped to country in the 60s to keep up with their audience.

 

[TheRealOtherNeil]

OK, I'll ask.........

Is this "Crock"?

No, he's in Macon.

 

[bdcsi]

Just from a music perspective.. a lot of new country has its roots in southern rock and even some "northern" rock.. thinking Bob Segar. His Night Moves album was cut at Muscle Shoals and played by the Swampers so, the feel is there for sure. I'm not sure that the rock library would be REAL deep, but a good selection of tunes that would mix well with new country would work pretty well to my ear.. I'm a classic rock fan that listens more to country for new music than rock these days.. its where the players are.

BD

 

[ClarkKent]

Having heard this "new" station a couple of times...naah. Doesn't really work for me. There hasn't seemed to be a rhyme or reason. It just felt like they play some newer country and then oh yeah, let's throw on a rock song.

But I guess they had to do something...they'd spent far too long as just another Real Country clearing house.

 

[trusty]

...What kind of classic rock are you hearing? Southernish rock?

Also, WPLO (590) was top 40 and flipped to country in the 60s to keep up with their audience.

Southernish? Yes and No. It's playing a mix of each. Some of the rock tunes are southernish, but none of the country tunes are rockish. So, it seems to be pulling from both to have a deeper playlist. The voicetrack is definitely rockish, which is the weirdest part of the mix.


How would you like to have a format that's sweeping the country on a station located in the region where it would be most well-received? Also, how would you like to have a format that has no competition, especially after you have become tired of always coming in second with your present format? WPLO, after too many long years of a losing war with WQXI with the Top 40 format, switched to the new "Town and Country" format, which gave country some "class". (Remember, back then practically all country stations were too "hickish" for the expanding cosmopolitan Atlanta audience, so I guess you could say WPLO was "keeping up with their audience".)

Maybe WZTR has the same thing in mind...

 

[jabba17]

...What kind of classic rock are you hearing? Southernish rock?

Also, WPLO (590) was top 40 and flipped to country in the 60s to keep up with their audience.

Southernish? Yes and No. It's playing a mix of each. Some of the rock tunes are southernish, but none of the country tunes are rockish. So, it seems to be pulling from both to have a deeper playlist. The voicetrack is definitely rockish, which is the weirdest part of the mix.


How would you like to have a format that's sweeping the country on a station located in the region where it would be most well-received? Also, how would you like to have a format that has no competition, especially after you have become tired of always coming in second with your present format? WPLO, after too many long years of a losing war with WQXI with the Top 40 format, switched to the new "Town and Country" format, which gave country some "class". (Remember, back then practically all country stations were too "hickish" for the expanding cosmopolitan Atlanta audience, so I guess you could say WPLO was "keeping up with their audience".)

Maybe WZTR has the same thing in mind...

That's exactly what I meant by "keeping up with their audience". Lewis Grizzard one time had a good column about WPLO's flip, particularly how WPLO avoided the "cornpone" (to use Grizzard's word) and was inviting to those whom Top 40 had left behind.

Maybe this is what they are doing, 40 years later.

 

[radiodawg56]

Thunder 104.3 FM has changed drastically since October 2008 ... When the new format came on the air, it was a mix of classic rock and country, basically every other song would be a rock or country song. Currently, the station's base is classic rock with a heavy emphasis on southern rock. Thunder mixes in outlaw country and new rocking country in the format. The station also carries NASCAR, with both Nationwide and Sprint Cup series ... They also have a Web site where they stream live ... www.thunder1043fm.com. Try them again and see what you think. No top 40 BS from Thunder ...