The Wolf Goes Open Range Country

You'll hear a new sound on the Country Wolf 97.3 (WYGY-FM), as the format shifts from young country/mainstream country to country music hits to avoid repitition with its heritage country station WUBE-FM (B105.1). Starting today, Bonneville's Wolf will be rebranded as "Open Range Country, 97.3, the Wolf."

Here'’s how operations manager Patti Marshall explains the changes:

"From Ronnie Milsap to Brad Paisley, Conway Twitty to Alan Jackson, Waylon to Wynonna, Randy Travis to Rascall Flatts, Johnny Cash to Keith Urban, Alabama to Big and Rich, Shenandoah to Shania, Cincinnati will be hearing country hits that have only been available on B-105.1 in specialty programming… on Duke Hamilton’s "Classic Country"” show 7-8 a.m. Sundays... Lots of variety and "the 9 to 5 No Repeat Work Week" make Open Range Country, 97.3 the Wolf, a one of a kind country radio station."

No repeats 9-5 Mon-Fri means requires 500 different songs. To make that happen, Kathy O’Connor is giving up her midday DJ shift to program the music. Part-time DJs will take her 10-2 shift. The Big D and Bubba morning team (6-10 a.m.) and afternoon drive DJ Jessie Tack (2-7 p.m.) remain on the air.

"This gives the Wolf a unique position, so we don’t have two stations in the market playing the exact same song. This gives country music listeners an alternative," she says.

Give it a listen, and tell me what you think.