Cat Country 98.1
Cat Country 98.1 (WCTK-FM) is a privately held country-format FM radio station in New Bedford, MA, broadcasting at 50,000 watts to 600,000+ weekly listeners across Southeastern New England under FCC license held by Hall Communications, Inc. Revenue is generated primarily through local/regional advertising sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1964
- HeadquartersProvidence, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cat Country 98.1 does
Cat Country 98.1 (WCTK-FM) is a privately held country-format FM radio station broadcasting at 98.1 MHz under FCC license held by Hall Communications, Inc., the corporate licensee and parent company. Founded in 1964 and based in New Bedford, Massachusetts, the station operates a 50,000-watt Class B signal covering Southeastern New England, including Cape Cod and the Islands, Plymouth and Bristol County Massachusetts, and all of Rhode Island, reaching 600,000+ weekly listeners. Programming is live and local seven days a week, anchored by on-air personalities including Program Director Kevin Lawrence (afternoons), morning co-host Courtney Kelley, midday host Greg Bedard, and additional staff. Beyond the over-the-air broadcast, the station operates digital extensions including ListenLive streaming with recently-played song history, a SoCast-powered website hosting contests, event calendars, and the 'The Cat Country Dirt' email club, plus social channels on Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, and YouTube. Concert promotion and ticketing partnerships span regional venues (Moonshine Alley in Providence, RI; Indian Ranch in Webster, MA) and major New England venues (Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, Xfinity Center, MGM Music Hall at Fenway).
The business model is advertising-led: the station sells on-air and digital advertising to local and regional businesses targeting its Southeastern New England audience, with quote-based, multi-year packages rather than publicly posted rate cards. Supplemental revenue streams include concert ticket giveaways functioning as audience engagement and promotional inventory, and a Shopify-powered merchandise store selling branded apparel. Advertising sales run through Hall Communications' direct sales infrastructure, with a contact form on the station's advertise page. Distribution spans free over-the-air FM (regional), ListenLive streaming (global), and on-air/in-person event activations.
Strategically, the station is mid-sized (11–50 employees) and operationally stable, with no disclosed funding rounds, M&A activity, or leadership changes. The most material forward-looking structural event is Hall Communications' March 11, 2026 FCC filing for assignment of the WCTK license, which introduces ownership-transition uncertainty. No AI/ML capabilities, proprietary technology development, or technology investment beyond conventional broadcast and off-the-shelf digital platforms is referenced in the available data.
Cat Country 98.1 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cat Country 98.1
- Legal name
- Hall Communications, Inc.
- Website
- https://catcountry.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1964
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cat Country 98.1 (WCTK-FM) is a privately held country-format FM radio station in New Bedford, MA, broadcasting at 50,000 watts to 600,000+ weekly listeners across Southeastern New England under FCC license held by Hall Communications, Inc. Revenue is generated primarily through local/regional advertising sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cat Country 98.1 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Radio Broadcasting
- NAICS
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)
- SIC
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM) (MPAIAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Local Radio Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains) (MPABACAC)
Keywords
Where Cat Country 98.1 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Providence
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cat Country 98.1 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Radio Advertising: The station generates revenue through selling advertising airtime to local and regional businesses targeting the 600,000+ weekly listeners in Southeastern New England.
- Contest and Event Partnerships: Revenue and audience engagement through ticket giveaways, concert promotions, and event sponsorships with local and regional partners.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom advertising packages based on listener demographics and reach |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Cat Country 98.1 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cat Country 98.1 (WCTK-FM) is a 50,000-watt country music radio station broadcasting at 98.1 FM to Southeastern New England, offering live local programming 7 days a week, digital streaming, contest giveaways, concert event promotion, and branded merchandise. Its primary commercial product is radio advertising airtime sold to local and regional businesses seeking access to 600,000+ weekly listeners.
Product overview
Cat Country 98.1 (WCTK-FM) is a 50,000-watt country music radio station serving Southeastern New England. The station offers a unified platform of broadcast and digital products: core radio broadcasting at 98.1 FM with live local programming 7 days a week, featuring on-air personalities across various time slots; contests and giveaways powered by the SoCast platform; concert event promotion and ticketing integration via Eventbrite; a branded merchandise store on Shopify; and music news content coverage. The station reaches 600,000+ weekly listeners across Cape Cod, Plymouth/Bristol County Massachusetts, and all of Rhode Island.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- WCTK-FM Radio Broadcasting Country music radio broadcast at 98.1 FM, providing 50,000 watts of signal coverage to Southeastern New England listeners including Cape Cod, Plymouth and Bristol County Massachusetts, and all of Rhode Island.
- Radio Advertising Services Quote-based advertising airtime and sponsorship packages sold to local and regional businesses seeking to reach the station's 600,000+ weekly listeners across Southeastern New England, offered through direct sales with multi-year contract options.
- Concert Events and Ticketing Concert and event promotion featuring country artists at regional venues such as Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, Indian Ranch, and Moonshine Alley, including ticket giveaways and ticketing integration via Eventbrite.
- Cat Country Merchandise Store Branded merchandise storefront selling station-related apparel and items, powered by Shopify at cat-country-98-1.myshopify.com.
Companies that use Cat Country 98.1
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cat Country 98.1 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
Cat Country 98.1 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Hall Communications, Inc.coreHall Communications is the licensee and parent company of WCTK (Cat Country 98.1), holding the station's broadcast license from the FCC. The company operates multiple radio stations and provides corporate support for the station including advertising sales infrastructure.
- SoCastcoreSoCast provides the platform technology powering the station's website, including contest management, event calendar, email marketing (The Cat Country Dirt), and social media integration. The SoCast Platform enables sweepstakes, promotions, and data gathering from listeners.
- Moonshine AlleyminorMoonshine Alley venue in Providence, RI partners with Cat Country 98.1 for joint concert events, including Alexandra Kay performances. The station promotes events and handles ticket giveaways for venue shows.
- Indian RanchminorIndian Ranch venue in Webster, MA hosts concerts promoted by Cat Country 98.1 including The Mavericks & Friends and Aaron Lewis events, with station involvement in ticket promotions and on-air giveaways.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cat Country 98.1 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- WOKQ-FM (97.5): Country-format FM station serving New Hampshire/Maine from Portsmouth. Comparable as a country-formatted regional broadcaster in Northern New England with a similar scale and audience profile.
- WGNA-FM (107.7): Country-format FM station in Albany, NY, also owned by Hall Communications. Directly comparable as a sister country station of similar scale and regional footprint under the same parent operator.
- KSON-FM (103.7): Country-format FM station in San Diego, operated by iHeartMedia. Comparable as a regional country station with strong brand and concert-driven audience engagement, though in a larger market.
- KFKF-FM (94.1): Country-format FM station in Kansas City, operated by iHeartMedia. Comparable as a long-running country brand with multi-revenue monetization including events and digital extensions.
- WPOR-FM (101.9): Country-format FM station in Portland, Maine, also operated by Hall Communications. Highly comparable as a sister regional country station with similar market profile and operational setup.
Broad incumbents
- Townsquare Media: Mid-market-focused US radio operator with regional clusters including country formats. Comparable as a broad incumbent with similar mid-market station scale, event monetization, and digital extensions.
- iHeartMedia: Largest US radio operator with hundreds of FM/AM stations across all formats including country. Comparable as a broad incumbent that owns and operates competing country stations and provides the alternative M&A buyer set for Cat Country.
- Beasley Media Group: US radio operator with multiple station clusters including regional formats. Comparable as a broad incumbent of similar mid-to-large market radio stations with event and digital monetization.
- Audacy: Major US radio operator (formerly Entercom/CBS Radio) with multi-market stations including country formats. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the advertising-supported terrestrial radio business.
- Cumulus Media: Major US radio operator with extensive country-format holdings (e.g., Nash FM network). Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same advertising-driven terrestrial radio business with multi-market reach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cat Country 98.1 social profiles
Digital presenceCat Country 98.1 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cat Country 98.1 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Cat Country 98.1 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cat Country 98.1 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cat Country 98.1
What does Cat Country 98.1 do?
Cat Country 98.1 (WCTK-FM) is a 50,000-watt country music radio station broadcasting at 98.1 FM to Southeastern New England, offering live local programming 7 days a week, digital streaming, contest giveaways, concert event promotion, and branded merchandise. Its primary commercial product is radio advertising airtime sold to local and regional businesses seeking access to 600,000+ weekly listeners.
Is Cat Country 98.1 a public or private company?
Cat Country 98.1 is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Cat Country 98.1 founded?
Cat Country 98.1 was founded in 1964. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cat Country 98.1 based?
Cat Country 98.1 is headquartered in Providence, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cat Country 98.1 make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Radio Advertising is the primary driver. The others are contest and Event Partnerships.
Who are Cat Country 98.1's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are WOKQ-FM (97.5), WGNA-FM (107.7), KSON-FM (103.7), KFKF-FM (94.1) and WPOR-FM (101.9). Broad incumbents are Townsquare Media, iHeartMedia, Beasley Media Group, Audacy and Cumulus Media.
Does Cat Country 98.1 have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cat Country 98.1.
What industry is Cat Country 98.1 in?
Cat Country 98.1's product category is Radio Broadcasting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAEAA, Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM), with a secondary code of MPABACAC, Local Radio Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains). Its NAICS code is 51611 and its SIC code is 4832.