Country Gives Lite FM The Boot

Image via WikipediaSanta's leaving a late Christmas present for Twin Cities country music fans.  On December 26, WLTE  is replacing its annual holiday music marathon with Buzz'n @102.9, providing competition for K102 (102.1 FM), which is now the top-rated radio station in town.

A new staff for Buz'n will soon be hired, which means that those who worked for WLTE will soon be joining the multitudes at the unemployment line.  Just in time for Christmas.

WLTE, owned by CBS Radio, had been a light rock station for three decades, playing the hits of Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand and Phil Collins.  Then it went from music for the dentist's office to music that more resembled a Top 40 station--Neil and Barbra, meet Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.  Ratings suffered.

For months there was speculation on what direction WLTE would take.  Would it stay adult contemporary?  Would it start simulcasting with WCCO-AM (830)?  Or would it be something else?

Ultimately, the choice was country, which was no doubt influenced by the presence of Mick Anselmo.  He's a local CBS Radio executive who used to run K102 as one of the premiere country stations in America, before owner Clear Channel let him go.  Now Anselmo's competing against himself.

As further proof that this is not your grandparents' country music, both Buzz'n @102.9 and K102 are going for the same audience:   Young women who love Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert, and Rascal Flatts and Lady Antebellum.

CBS is not planning a call letter change for WLTE at this time.  But it should be noted that the handle for K102--KEEY--has been in use since the 1970s, when it was a beautiful-music station.

Frankly, K102 needs a little competition.  It's been at least a decade since another major station took them on (and no, Bob 106.1 doesn't count).  The question that must be asked is:  Can the Twin Cities support more than one country music station?   We should know the answer in a few ratings books.

UPDATE:  Seems the folks at CBS couldn't wait to unwrap their new present.  Buz'n @102.9 took to the airwaves on Christmas night.  And it's just been announced that the new call letters are KMNB, which means that if some other station wants to go Lite, WLTE is there for the taking.