Radio Ink‘s annual CRS issue is out now at a moment when Country radio is at the top of music conversation. With the release of Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em,” Country Program Directors are navigating demand and expectations from fans inside and outside the genre to play what will likely be 2024’s largest crossover hit.
Country is used to sending out crossover hits – look at artists like Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood, Florida Georgia Line, and Luke Combs – but now is looking at accepting songs from a wide range of artists previously outside the genre including Post Malone, Lana Del Rey, and Diplo.
We asked this year’s Best Program Directors in Country Radio on how they navigate the balancing act: how do you feel about programming music that pushes the boundaries between country and other genres?
Here’s what we heard:
“The best songs are still the songs with great storylines, the kind our listeners can relate to or just enjoy hearing. Country radio today is pretty fluid, but it’s great to see today’s storytellers like Chris Stapleton, Hardy, Eric Church, and Morgan Wallen staying strong in the genre and capturing listeners with relatable and believable stories.”
“What I’ve found is that the audience will tell me what songs they can’t get enough of, as well as the ones they could do without ever hearing again. In my market, the songs that lean more Country (with less genre-bending) have been the ones that make the phones ring & emails/texts flow in. So, I tend to err on the side of my audience, which has been less receptive to boundary-pushing songs.”
See what all our top Country PDs said, plus read our cover interview with overnight superstar and lifelong radio fan Jelly Roll! The CRS 2024 issue of Radio Ink is out now. If you are not a subscriber, what are you waiting for? Order your digital or print subscription today!
