First Listen: Philadelphia’s Country Battle

When WXTU Philadelphia launched in 1984. Philadelphia had gone two years without an FM Country station. The previous Country FM, WUSL, had gone Urban 18 months earlier, becoming the long-running Power 99, and WXTU’s first instinct had been to go directly after them, inspired by the success of sister WKTU New York, thus the call letters.

Until now, Philadelphia was a rare example of a major market that never had a Country FM battle. In New York or Los Angeles, Country fought to prove itself on one FM. In Boston, the surprise dominance of Beasley sister WKLB eventually spurred iHeart’s WBUL (The Bull). In Philly, the Allentown, Pa., Atlantic City, N.J., and Wilmington, Del., stations got to be the second Country outlet for the market, depending on where you live.

Even with Country’s current heat, the format’s ratings have been uneven in PPM, and even in some diary markets. Often, the only obvious differentiation is the number of stations in the format. Many once-supportive markets with two stations have become wars of attrition. In Boston, WKLB has a 3.4 and WBUL has a 1.8 share. With the exception of KOPW (Country One) Omaha, Neb., this Country boom hasn’t spurred many new stations as previous format hot streaks.

By comparison, WXTU has been in the mid-4 to mid-5 share range. (In September, it went 5.4-4.7.) Over the decades, ‘XTU has become one of the textbook examples of teaching a Northeastern market to love Country music and radio. On Monday, Audacy’s Hot AC WTDY (New 96.5) became US96.5, ahead of new calls WCUS, giving it a little historical resonance with the old WUSL for radio history buffs with very long memories. 

On its first day, “Philadelphia’s new home for Country” was unhosted, but had promos from both Audacy national middayer Katie Neal and p.m. driver Coop plugging the station’s first commercial free week with sponsor mentions. The :00 ID begins with a bell chiming; many of the Scott Matthews sweepers have a similar historical feel, including “commercial freedom lives here.” 

On Monday, US96.5 was running promos directing former WTDY listeners to AC sister WBEB “for Bruno and Taylor.” CHR WPST Trenton, N.J., which has always had a Philadelphia audience as well, was also running social media posts geared to WTDY’s audience.

Here’s US96.5 at 2 p.m., on its first day, October 19 under PD Tim “Romeo” Herbster:

• Morgan Wallen, “Thinkin’ Bout Me”
• Thomas Rhett, “After All the Bars Are Closed”
• Tyler Hubbard, “Park”
• Toby Keith, “As Good As I Once Was”
• Koe Wetzel f/Ella Langley, “Jaded”
• Tim McGraw, “Something Like That”
• Zach John King, “Get To Drinkin’”
• Eli Young Band, “Even If It Breaks Your Heart”
• Jelly Roll, “Liar”
• Lee Brice, “Hard to Love”
• Jason Aldean, “Don’t Tell on Me”
• Lainey Wilson, “Wildflowers and Wild Horses”
• Morgan Wallen f/Post Malone, “I Ain’t Comin’ Back”
• David Lee Murphy, “Dust on the Bottle”
• Riley Green, “Think as You Drunk”
• Dan + Shay, “Tequila”
• Nate Smith, “World on Fire”
• Ella Langley, “Weren’t for the Wind”

WXTU’s :00 ID celebrates owner Beasley’s 65^th anniversary, but it could have as easily been the station’s 42-plus-years in the format, during which it has been owned both by Beasley and, briefly, Audacy predecessor Entercom. Beasley’s current $1,000 cash giveaway is branded on ‘XTU around morning host Andie Summers, “Andie’s Grand,” and played five times a day.

The four person Andie Summers Show is this year’s CMA Major-Market Broadcast Personality of the Year winner, as well as a Marconi nominee this week. Earlier this year, Summers announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and continues to share her story with listeners.  In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Summers is hosting a Survivors Celebration Luncheon in early November.

PD Chuck Damico notes that Summers heads a lineup that has female-led shows in all four rated dayparts. She’s followed by middayer Jennifer Scordo, p.m. driver Nicole Michalik in afternoons, and the Beasley-based Backstage Country at Night with Elaina Smith. 

I saw Michalik last week on a panel at the College Broadcasters Inc., convention in Philadelphia, also featuring consultant Joel Raab, BMG’s Krista Hayes, and WXCY Wilmington PD Charlie Maxx. Both the well-attended session and the quality of the panelists spoke to the strength of the format both among all ages and in the Delaware Valley.

There was other medical news on Tuesday, following the announcement that Eagles QB Jalen Hurts would be out for the season as the result of blood clots. Afternoon host Nicole Michalik shared her concern, saying “I don’t think I’ve ever loved an athlete this much.” 

WXTU’s sweepers, voiced by Dan Kelly, cover a wide swath including attitude liners like “everyone hates their ex, unless it’s X-T-U.” 

Here’s the station just before 2 p.m., October 19:

• Dylan Marlowe & Dylan Scott, “Boys Back Home”
• Hardy, “Favorite Country Song”
• Dan + Shay, “Say So”
• Sam Hunt, “Kinfolks”
• Zach John King, “Get to Drinkin’”—frontsold by Michalik after a sweeper about XTU loving “the old songs and the new ones.”
• Russell Dickerson, “Happen to Me”
• Chicks, “Wide Open Spaces”
• George Birge, “It Won’t Be Long”
• Ella Langley, “Loving Life Again”
• Josh Ross, “Hate How You Look”
• Zac Brown Band, “Toes”
• Luke Combs, “Be by You”
• Jordan Davis, “Turn This Truck Around”
• Dustin Lynch f/Jelly Roll, “Chevrolet”

And, for fun, here’s WUSL on January 11, 1982, with the three-in-a-row Country format common among new FMs of the time. WUSL was calling itself FM99, not US99 on this aircheck. Despite the prevailing belief about doing Country in the Northeast at the time, there was also no noticeable pop lean (except in the AC presentation).

• Don Williams, “Lord, I Hope This Day is Good”
• Jerry Reed, “East Bound and Down”
• Sylvia, “The Matador”—early ‘80s disco-flavored Country of the sort that Miranda Lambert’s new “Crisco” album harkens back to
• Statler Brothers, “I’ll Go to My Grave Loving You”
• Mac Davis, “You’re My Bestest Friend”
• Gene Watson, “Pick the Wildwood Flower”
• Jim Ed Brown & Helen Cornelius, “Don’t Bother to Knock”
• Merle Haggard, “It’s All in the Movies”
• Ed Bruce, “You’re the Best Break (This Old Heart Ever Had)”