High Country Radio - Boone, Nc

What High Country Radio - Boone, Nc does

High Country Radio is a privately-held local radio station group headquartered in Boone, North Carolina, operating under the corporate umbrella of Curtis Media Group. The company delivers live and local programming across a cluster of five FCC-licensed radio stations — WATA (news, talk, and sports), The Highway (country), Classic Hits WZJS (1970s/1980s nostalgia), Pulse Boone (Top 40 and throwbacks), and a community coverage station — plus three additional FCC-licensed call signs (WMMY, WWMY, WECR, WXIT) and the Highway simulcast on 106.5/102.3 FM. Core technology is conventional FM/AM broadcasting infrastructure augmented by the GoBlueRidge.net digital platform, which aggregates local news, sports, obituaries, closings/cancellations, event listings, and live station streaming under a Joomla CMS.

The company serves two primary customer segments in the High Country region of western North Carolina: listeners (local residents and visitors in Boone and surrounding Watauga County seeking hyperlocal news, weather, sports, music, and emergency information), and local advertisers (small and medium businesses seeking targeted geographic reach via over-the-air spots, event sponsorships, and sponsored content). The GoBlueRidge.net site functions simultaneously as a community information utility and an ad-supported publishing surface.

Revenue is generated exclusively through advertising sales — both local and national — across the station portfolio. Pricing is quote-based and negotiated, with no public rate card; deal economics depend on station reach, daypart, and contract length. The go-to-market motion is sales-led, leveraging direct advertiser relationships and event sponsorships, with on-air cross-promotion and the website serving as marketing channels. Distribution is regionally bounded (the High Country region of North Carolina), and the franchise has been formally recognized with the 2025 Watauga County Small Business of the Year award.

Name

High Country Radio - Boone, Nc

Legal name

High Country Radio

Website

https://goblueridge.net

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

High Country Radio is a privately-held, Curtis Media Group-owned local radio station group operating five FCC-licensed stations (WATA, Highway, WZJS, Pulse Boone, plus community programming) plus the GoBlueRidge.net digital platform, serving listeners and SMB advertisers in Boone, NC and the broader High Country region of western North Carolina via advertising sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPABACAC

Local Radio Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Broadcasting (TV & Radio)/Local Broadcast Stations & Affiliates (TV & Radio)

SECONDARYMPABACAF

Network-Affiliated Local Radio Stations (News/Talk/Sports Syndication Affiliates)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Broadcasting (TV & Radio)/Local Broadcast Stations & Affiliates (TV & Radio)

SECONDARYMPAIAEAG

Talk/News/Sports Radio Networks & Syndication

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Radio & Audio Broadcasting (Terrestrial, Satellite, Digital Radio)

Keywords

• Local radio broadcasting
• FM AM radio stations
• Radio advertising sales
• Community news programming
• Music format radio

Headquarters

HQ city

Boone

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising Sales: Local and national businesses purchase airtime advertisements and promotional segments across multiple radio stations. Revenue generated through commercial spots, sponsored content, and event coverage.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

High Country Radio operates five FM and AM radio stations in Boone, North Carolina, delivering live and local news, sports, weather, community events, music programming, and emergency information to the High Country region. Revenue is generated by selling local and national advertising airtime, sponsored content, and event coverage to small and medium-sized businesses seeking local audience reach. The stations and the GoBlueRidge.net website together form an advertising-supported local broadcasting platform owned and operated by Curtis Media Group.

Product overview

High Country Radio operates as a multi-station radio broadcasting network serving Boone, North Carolina, and the surrounding High Country region. The company offers four distinct radio stations under the GoBlueRidge.net platform: WATA (news, talk, and sports), Highway 106 (country music), Classic Hits WZJS (70s & 80s music), and Pulse Boone (Top 40 contemporary hits). All stations are live and local, providing news, sports, and community event information. The stations are owned and operated under Curtis Media Group, with content created specifically for the High Country community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WATA WATA is the High Country's flagship station for local news, talk, and sports programming, serving as the primary information source for the Boone community.
• Highway 106 (The Highway) The Highway is a country music powerhouse station serving the High Country region with country music programming.
• Classic Hits (WZJS) Classic Hits of the 70s and 80s, bringing nostalgic music programming to listeners in the Boone area.
• Pulse Boone Pulse Boone plays all of the newest Top 40 hits and throwbacks, targeting younger listeners with contemporary music.
• GoBlueRidge.net Advertising Airtime Local and national advertising airtime sold across the five radio stations and the GoBlueRidge.net website, including commercial spots, sponsored content, and event coverage sold to local and regional businesses seeking audience reach in the High Country.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Curtis Media GroupcoreOthersCurtis Media Group is the parent company operating High Country Radio and GoBlueRidge.net. Provides corporate oversight, advertising sales infrastructure, and operational support for the five radio stations serving the High Country region.
• Boone Area Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Chamber recognized High Country Radio as 2025 Watauga County Small Business of the Year, validating the company's community engagement and local business impact.
• FCC Public File StationsminorOthersLicensed broadcast stations including WZJS, WMMY, WWMY, WECR, WATA, and WXIT operating under FCC regulations with public inspection files available.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• Westwood One: Largest U.S. radio network/syndicator providing news, talk, and sports programming to affiliated local stations like WATA; an ecosystem partner/adjacent rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Audacy: Large multi-market radio operator (formerly Entercom/CBS Radio) operating major-market stations but increasingly pivoting to digital audio — useful comparable on how a traditional radio group is attempting digital transformation.
• iHeartMedia: Largest U.S. commercial radio operator with hundreds of owned stations plus digital (iHeartRadio); serves as the dominant broad incumbent against which small clusters like High Country Radio must compete for advertiser share.
• Emmis Communications: Diversified radio operator with local stations in multiple U.S. markets; comparable in running station clusters reliant on local ad sales and operating multiple formats within the same DMA.
• Cumulus Media: Major U.S. radio broadcast company with hundreds of stations across small and large markets; competes with local clusters for national advertising budgets and syndication relationships.

Direct peers

• Townsquare Media: Operates a portfolio of local radio stations focused on small and mid-sized U.S. markets — the closest direct analog to High Country Radio's owned-and-operated station group model in non-metro geographies.
• Salem Media Group: Owns and operates AM/FM stations with a strong news/talk format mix, including in smaller markets. Directly comparable to High Country Radio's news/talk sports brand (WATA) and local-monetization strategy.
• Beasley Broadcast Group: Mid-market U.S. radio operator running clusters of local stations in mid-sized cities and regional markets — similar station-group economics, advertising-sales model, and small-market operational profile.

Regional players

• WFAE (Charlotte): NPR member station serving the Charlotte region and statewide NC; competes with local news/talk stations and represents another North Carolina broadcasting peer overlapping with High Country Radio's news programming.
• Blue Ridge Public Radio (WCQS): Public radio network serving Western North Carolina including the Asheville area — competes for the same High Country listenership and local-underwriter dollars as High Country Radio and is the closest geographic broadcasting peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/high-country-radio---boone-nc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 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 High Country Radio - Boone, Nc