Update 6/2: The Garth Brooks stunting has come to an end as WRKA has relaunched as “103.9 The Hawk“.
Positioned as “True Country”, the station is focusing on Country artists from the 90s and 2000s such as Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride, Kenny Chesney, and Shania Twain.
Update 5/29: The stunt at WRKA has taken a turn.
While still playing all-Garth Brooks, the station is claiming that Brooks’ legal team is preventing the station from promoting it as “Garth-FM“. The station will debut its new permanent format on Monday, June 2 at 7:00am.
The station wrote on Facebook:
First….the response to XXXXX FM has been overwhelming. Thanks to those of you who have reached out to us via phone, email, and social media. Unfortunately a certain artist’s legal team has contacted us and told us in no uncertain terms that we can no longer use the name XXXXX FM. So from this point forward, we will no longer use the name XXXXX FM. Our Programming team is currently behind closed doors determining the evolution of our radio station. We don’t have a solution now, but we will soon. Tune in Monday morning at 7am to hear the debut of the new 103.9. In the meantime, enjoy more music from one of country music’s greatest artists.
Original Report 5/23: Summit Media Classic Country “Country Legends 103.9” WRKA Louisville has narrowed its format to just a single artist.
Now billing itself as “Garth-FM“, is heading into the Memorial Day weekend with non-stop Garth Brooks. WRKA held a 3.5 share in the Winter 2014 Nielsen Audio ratings.
“GARTH, THE WHOLE GARTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE GARTH.”
The 103.9 frequency – billed as “Country Legends” and playing hits from Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Randy Travis since 2008 – unveiled a new sound and name today. Claiming the moniker “103.9 Garth FM” the station is promising to play “All Garth – All the Time.”
Listen NOW: http://garthlouisville.com/
103.9 Garth FM can also be streamed on mobile and tablet devices via the IHeartRadio and TuneIn apps.
Joseph_Gallant 
only1moore 
Christian 
microbob 
sdskees 
Gene 
I’m not convinced that neither Garth Brooks nor his lawyers have forced WRKA to stop using the name “Garth FM”.
This may be just another step in the stunt to capture public interest in the upcoming format change.
looks like Louisville will be picking up a format that’s “Easy” to digest.
If this part is true, it sounds like Garth Brooks is greedy: “Unfortunately a certain artist’s legal team has contacted us and told us in no uncertain terms that we can no longer use the name XXXXX FM. So from this point forward, we will no longer use the name XXXXX FM.”
I doubt it’s true that Garth Brooks legal team stopped the station from stunting with his name and music since it is not the permanent format.. It’s a stunt in preparation for whatever the format will be. I dobt they will call it Easy since that name is being used on 105.1.
Are you saying it is going to be Easy based upon some knowledge that you have or is that just a guess? Because personally I don’t think any sort of “Easy” format is headed to 103.9 for a few reasons… first, Easy Rock 105.1 already exists here (from Mainline/soon-to-be-Alpha) and they’re dead last in ratings. And while some of it is their own fault, for not trying to make the format work, I think a bigger part is just that the audience isn’t in this market. Second, Summit already owns Lite 106.9 here, which previously had a format that was identical to their “Easy” stations but slowly evolved into something that is much more Adult Contemporary (but not soft AC) under Cox.
My guess is that it’ll be a more “modern” classic country (like 1990-today), but I hope that I’m wrong. They’re advertising a “new format” that’s never been seen or heard in this area, but of course, they could take any old format out there and throw in one or two random things that you normally don’t associate with that format and call it “new.”
103.9 has returned to the HAWK name that they started in 1994. Wonder if they will return the WHKW call letters?