KKGO Goes Country

Country music will return to the FM dial in Los Angeles after an extended absence, Mt. Wilson FM Broadcasters president Saul Levine announced.

The maverick broadcaster had flipped one of his AM stations to country after KZLA-FM dropped the format in August, but now says overwhelming listener demand prompted him to move it to KKGO, the company’s flagship FM station in the second-largest U.S. market.

The loss of country radio in Los Angeles, as well as in New York City and San Francisco, concerned industry officials, but its return is music to the ears of the Country Music Association.

"Any time a country radio station opens, it’s a good thing for our industry. When a country radio station opens in a major market like Los Angeles, it’s a wonderful thing for our industry," said Tammy Genovese, the CMA’s chief operating officer.