Update 10/24: CBS has announced that “New Country 106.1” will launch on Friday, October 25 at 12:00pm.
The on-air lineup will feature hosts already working in the CBS Baltimore cluster. 101.9 WLIF afternoon host Fast Jimi Roberts will host mornings, 106.5 WWMX afternoon co-host Jenn Marino in middays, Steve Mann in afternoons, and Scott Davies at night.
The press release follows:
CBS RADIO Baltimore announced today the launch of a new local radio station, New Country on 106.1. The station will sign on the air on Friday, Oct. 25 at 12:00PM and feature today’s biggest country artists, including Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert and many other current artists both new and established.
New Country on 106.1 will be heard on-air, streaming online at http://www.NewCountry1061.com and the Radio.com app for mobile devices. In addition to its presence at 106.1 FM, the station will be available on HD Radio devices at 101.9 HD2.
Robert Philips, Senior Vice President and Market Manager of CBS RADIO Baltimore said, “We’re excited to help put New Country on 106.1 on the air and round out our diverse range of programming in Charm City. Country radio today has a broad-based audience, including more listeners and younger listeners than ever before. Its cross-over popularity is at an all-time high, and country fans here in Baltimore are extremely passionate.”
New Country on 106.1 debuts as the result of an agreement between CBS RADIO Baltimore and Hope Christian, the owner of the 106.1 frequency.
New Country on 106.1 is programmed by CBS RADIO, one of the largest major-market radio operators in the United States. A division of CBS Corporation, CBS RADIO operates 126 radio stations, the majority of which are in the nation’s top 50 markets. CBS RADIO Baltimore owns and operates WWMX, WLIF, WJZ-FM and WJZ-AM. The market also programs 97.5 FM in Baltimore through a pre-existing relationship with Hope Christian.
Original Report 10/3: Clear Channel’s market leading Country 93.1 WPOC Baltimore is on the verge of gaining an in-market competitor for the first time since 1999.
Hope Christian Church of Marlton’s 106.1 W291BA Baltimore is on the verge of completing its upgrade from 4.5 to 250 watts where it will rebroadcast an HD subchannel of CBS’ 105.7 WJZ-FM. The CP will the translator on the same tower with the same wattage as Hope’s 97.5 W248AO which CBS programs as Alternative “97.5 HFS“.
CBS has registered NewCountry1061.com for the new translator, a frequency where the company does not own any other stations. WPOC registered a 9.4 share in the September Nielsen Audio PPM’s. The last time the station had a competitor in the market was in 1999 when then Country “Froggy 100.7” WGRX dropped the format for Rock “100.7 The Bay” WZBA.
In exchange for CBS programming 97.5 W248AO and 106.1 W291BA, Hope Christian Church leases 101.9 WLIF-HD4 to feed its 98.3 W252BR Edgemere and 104.9 W285EJ White Marsh.
Aaron 
BC
The station’s 60dBu contour is basically the Baltimore beltway. Country is an odd choice for a signal that overwhelmingly covers the city and its inner suburbs. I get that they’re just trying to shave a point off of WPOC so that WLIF and WWMX benefit, but this isn’t the right signal to achieve that goal.
let’s be honest, if Cbs wants to do country in Baltimore, or DC, that should be 99.1’s priority. for what its worth cbs has great news outlets, but they’ll simply never be wtop.
station launched, website went live around 11:30. There were 2 stream options, the top was a player that just forwarded to KROQ, the second was a beta player that is silent. now the beta player is the only “not so live” thing on the site. The facebook page promises the customary 10 thousand songs in a row, and positions itself as baltimore’s new cutting edge country.