Hot Country Hits Y96

What Hot Country Hits Y96 does

Hot Country Hits Y96 (WQZY-FM 95.9) is a single terrestrial FM radio station licensed to Dublin, Georgia and operating under the State Broadcasting cluster (which also manages WQIL, WMCG, WDBN, and WMLT). The station broadcasts a country music format branded "Hot Country Hits" at 100,000 watts of power, providing regional coverage across Middle Georgia, with online streaming distribution provided by Securenetsystems. Programming includes the Saturday morning "Country Top 40" countdown (6a-10a) and the Sunday morning inspirational "Rise Up Country" block (8a-10a), alongside on-air talent such as Stephanie Miller (Morning Ride, 6a-10a), Darci Quinn, Derick Lamar, and Whitney Allen.

The underlying technology is conventional over-the-air FM broadcasting at 95.9 WQZY-FM, supplemented by a third-party streaming infrastructure (Securenetsystems) that extends reach to global online audiences. The station's FCC license is a regulated, scarce-spectrum asset, with documented EEO compliance filings for 2019-2022. Core distribution is dual-channel: regional over-the-air broadcast (Middle Georgia) plus global online streaming. Community integration — through charity events, school and pet shelter fundraisers, emergency information, and local sports coverage — functions as a complementary audience-engagement layer.

The business model is advertising-based. Per the station's disclosed privacy policy, third-party advertising companies serve ads to website visitors and broadcast listeners, generating revenue through both on-air spot sales (managed by an in-house Sales Manager) and programmatic digital ad inventory. No public pricing or rate card is disclosed. The customer base consists of Middle Georgia listeners (consumer audience) and local/regional advertisers (B2B revenue side), with General Manager Chris Cook overseeing the five-station State Broadcasting cluster from Dublin, GA.

Name

Hot Country Hits Y96

Legal name

WQZY-FM (State Broadcasting)

Website

https://wqzy.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hot Country Hits Y96 (WQZY-FM 95.9) is a Dublin, Georgia-based country music radio station operating at 100,000 watts across Middle Georgia, part of the five-station State Broadcasting cluster, and monetizing through broadcast and online advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Radio Networks (Format-Based) (MPABABAF)

Keywords

• Country music radio
• FM broadcasting
• Radio station
• Country hits
• Music streaming

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: Radio station generates revenue through third-party advertising companies serving ads to website visitors and broadcast listeners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Hot Country Hits Y96 is a country music FM radio station that broadcasts a hot country hits format to listeners in the Valley market. Its core offering is continuous over-the-air programming featuring current and popular country music, hosted by a roster of on-air personalities and complemented by specialty weekend shows such as Country Top 40 and Rise Up Country. The station extends its reach through online streaming and digital platforms.

Product overview

Hot Country Hits Y96 (WQZY-FM 95.9) is a single radio station product serving Middle Georgia with 100,000 watts of Hot Country Hits. The station offers live radio broadcasting with streaming capabilities, featuring programming including the Saturday morning Country Top 40 show and Sunday morning inspirational programming Rise Up Country. Listeners can engage via studio line (478-272-HITS) and text line (512-655-WQZY).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hot Country Hits Y96 Main Broadcast
• Country Top 40 (Saturday Show)
• Rise Up Country (Sunday Show) Sunday specialty program under the Rise Up Country banner, offering additional curated country music content for listeners on weekends.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• State BroadcastingcoreOthersState Broadcasting is the parent company operating the station group including WQZY-WQIL-WMCG-WDBN-WMLT headquartered in Dublin, GA.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Cox Media Group: Diversified media company with a sizable radio division operating FM stations across multiple U.S. markets. Comparable on broadcasting operations and local advertising revenue model.
• iHeartMedia: Largest U.S. radio broadcaster with hundreds of FM stations including country-formatted outlets. Directly comparable on business model (over-the-air FM + streaming, advertising-driven revenue) and on format/market diversification at the group level.
• Beasley Media Group: Regional radio broadcaster operating clusters of FM stations in mid-sized U.S. markets, including country formats. Comparable on multi-station operating model and advertising-driven revenue.
• Cumulus Media: Major U.S. radio operator with a portfolio that includes country-formatted stations in mid-sized regional markets. Comparable on advertising-revenue model, multi-station cluster operations, and digital streaming (Westwood One) extensions.
• Townsquare Media: Operator of regional radio clusters focused on small and mid-sized U.S. markets, including country formats. Closely analogous to Y96 in targeting secondary markets with localized content and ad sales.
• Audacy: Large U.S. radio operator (formerly Entercom/CBS Radio) running major-market stations across multiple formats. Comparable on the FM broadcast + digital streaming hybrid model and country-format presence.
• Alpha Media: Private U.S. radio group with a portfolio of FM stations including country formats across secondary markets. Comparable on cluster operations, local ad-sales focus, and digital streaming extensions.

Regional players

• Bonneville International: Family-owned U.S. radio broadcaster concentrated in Western markets with format-driven stations. Comparable on format-led FM broadcasting and family/regional ownership structure.
• Lotus Communications: Privately held U.S. radio operator with clusters in Western and Southwestern markets. Comparable as a privately held regional radio group with format-driven stations and local ad-sales focus.

Broad incumbents

• Salem Communications: U.S. radio broadcaster with a broader portfolio orientation (including talk and Christian formats) operating multi-station clusters. Comparable as a multi-station radio operator, though format mix differs from Y96's country focus.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DjY96
• Facebookfacebook.com/y96hotcountryhits
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/state-broadcasting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hot Country Hits Y96