It’s the No. 4 radio station in Cincinnati. It’s the No. 3 music station.

It is not owned by a major group, but by Grant County Broadcasters.

It doesn’t stream its signal online.

It doesn’t even get credit for all its shares, because its format is shadow-cast, not simulcast, on two signals at opposite ends of the market.

WNKN (Classic Country 105.9) Cincinnati has gone 4.8 – 6.1 – 6.1 6-plus over the last three months on a signal situated between that market and Dayton. WNKR (Classic Country 106.7), targeting Northern Kentucky, is up 0.6 – 0.9 – 1.2.

The disruption of normal listening patterns over the past three months has often favored stations in male, upper-demo, TSL-friendly formats, as opposed to formats built to live on big cumes and multiple occasions of shorter listening. But WNKN was successful before the COVID-19 pandemic began. In December, it was up 1.9 – 4.1 on its way to a 5.4 in January. It hasn’t been below a 4.8 share this year. And that’s in a market with a successful Mainstream Country (WUBE) and Classic Hits (WGRR).

I took a “Fresh Listen” to the WNKR half of the Classic Country 105.9/106.7 combo. Then to KTHT (Country Legends 97.1). That station has seen a more modest gain (2.5-2.8-3.0), but it suddenly finds itself in the same 6-plus neighborhood with Houston’s KILT (100.3 The Bull) (3.4) and KTHT’s own sister, KKBQ (93Q) (3.6). I also listened to the syndicated Hank-FM/Duke-FM format, created by Bob-FM pioneer Howard Kroeger, as heard on WGEE (Duke FM) Appleton/Green Bay, Wis.

When KTHT launched in 2003, the ‘90s were very much present on the Mainstream Country format, which relied heavily on them because of a new-product doldrums. Over the last 5-6 years, however, the reinvention of Country as an all-ages format resulted in some stations cutting their libraries to the previous 3-5 years. Even as “New Country” became a two-station war of attrition in most markets, there was reluctance to adapt a yesterday-and-today model, even by heritage stations. That has allowed Classic Country stations, where they exist, to have the music of Country’s ‘90s boom to themselves. (Here’s something I wrote more than a decade ago anticipating the changes.)

Hank/Duke has always mixed the imaging irony of the Bob-FM stations with a little “mother church of Country” reverence more typical of Classic Country stations. WNKR has a mix of imaging too. A sweeper for morning host Larry B. promises that he’s “right along with you in the shower; wait, that came out wrong.” Another declares that “we believe in Hudepohl Beer, Sunlite Pool at Coney Island, and playing Classic Country.”

WNKR also had one of the best local spots I’ve heard recently. I heard a sponsored local news report at 9 a.m., so it took me a second to realize that the “financial report” later that hour was actually an ad for a local liquor store. “Liquor futures are up,” it declared. “Liquidity is high!” Normally, I might have been shocked by “one quick socially distanced trip to AA Liquors and you might not even notice there’s a lockdown, and at the very least you won’t mind it as much.” But I’ve been reading that tweet for months.

Here’s WNKR on June 16, just before 9 a.m.:

• Conway Twitty, “Hello Darlin’”
• BlackHawk, “Every Once In A While”
• Ricky Van Shelton, “Somebody Lied”
• Shenandoah, “The Church on Cumberland Road”
• Martina McBride, “Wrong Again”
• Josh Turner, “Your Man”
• David Ball, “Thinkin’ Problem”
• Judds, “Why Not Me”
• Brooks & Dunn, “Little Miss Honky Tonk”
• Tanya Tucker, “It’s A Little Too Late”
• T.G. Sheppard, “I Loved ‘Em Every One”
• Clay Walker, “This Woman And This Man”
• Montgomery Gentry, “Hell Yeah”
• Kentucky Headhunters, “Dumas Walker”
• Alabama, “I’m In A Hurry (And Don’t Know Why)”
• Ty England, “Should’ve Asked Her Faster”
• Dan Seals, “Addicted”
• Merle Haggard, “If We Can Make It Through December”

Country Legends 97.1 runs promos for sister 93Q. The one I heard featured Josh Turner, Brett Eldredge, and Little Big Town — in case you’re wondering what recent acts might be appealing to a Country Gold listener. Here’s the station just before 11 a.m., June 15:

• Johnny Lee, “Sounds Like Love”
• Mel McDaniel, “Stand Up”
• John Michael Montgomery, “Life’s A Dance”
• Alabama, “Tennessee River”
• Lee Roy Parnell, “What Kind Of Fool Do You Think I Am”
• Juice Newton, “Angel of the Morning”
• Travis Tritt, “Tell Me I Was Dreaming”
• Clint Black, “Killin’ Time”
• Tanya Tucker, “Down To My Last Teardrop”
• Ronnie Milsap, “Let’s Take The Long Way Around The World”
• Willie Nelson, “Blue Skies”
• Oak Ridge Boys, “Trying To Love Two Women”
• George Strait, “The Man In Love With You”
• Charlie Rich, “Behind Closed Doors”
• K.T. Oslin, “Do Ya’”
• Kenny Rogers, “Love Will Turn You Around”
• Vince Gill, “Liza Jane”
• Merle Haggard, “Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Star”
• Dolly Parton & Ricky Van Shelton, “Rockin’ Years”
• Restless Heart, “Bluest Eyes In Texas”

Finally, here’s Duke FM Green Bay, Wis., at 3 p.m., the same day:

• McBride & the Ride, “Love On The Loose, Heart On The Run”
• Trisha Yearwood, “She’s In Love With The Boy”
• Clint Black, “State Of Mind”
• Rodney Atkins, “These Are My People”
• Hank Williams, Jr., “Born To Boogie”
• Alan Jackson, “Chattahoochee”
• Dierks Bentley, “What Was I Thinkin’?”
• Neal McCoy, “Wink”
• Terri Clark, “Better Things To Do”
• Cole Swindell, “Ain’t Worth The Whiskey”
• Toby Keith, “You Ain’t Much Fun”
• Kenny Chesney, “Out Last Night”
• Lori Morgan, “Watch Me”
• Paul Overstreet, “Love Helps Those”
• Brooks & Dunn, “Play Something Country”
• Kenny Rogers, “Coward of the County”