Reno Media Group is relaunching Classic Country “The Rodeo” 96.9 K245BV Reno/97.7 K249ES Carson City/KLCA-HD3 Tahoe City as “Willie” at 3pm today.

The station will continue to focus on Country hits of the 1980s and 90s, but will add some further gold from artists such as Johnny Cash, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, and Glen Campbell.

Willie – a new kind of country radio station — rides into Reno at 3 p.m. today (Monday, Sept. 27) with songs not heard on other radio stations.

“We play songs mostly from the 80s and 90s by great stars like Alan Jackson, Brooks and Dunn, Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Shania Twain, George Strait and Randy Travis,” said Dan Fritz, program director of Willie, which broadcasts at 96.9 in Reno and 97.7 in Carson City. “And we also pay respect to beloved country icons like Johnny Cash, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, Glen Campbell, and so many more.”

Fritz said Willie is a “different kind of country radio station” because it plays songs “you just don’t hear on the other country stations” in Northern Nevada.

“We don’t play bubblegum pop country that you hear over and over and over again almost everywhere else,” he added. “We play only the really good stuff.”

“If you want to hear ‘Boot Scootin’ Boogie’, ‘Friends in Low Places’, ‘Gone Country’, ‘Fancy’, ‘Always on My Mind,’ and ‘I Like It, I Love it’, there’s only one place – here at Willie. We honor the great real country music, the music that made most of us fall in love with country music.”

Fritz said Willie will play only limited commercials.

“We obviously need to keep the lights on, but our purpose is to honor the great legends of country music,” he explained. “And we honor these fabulous artists by playing lots and lots of great music without lots of interruptions.”