Local radio station expands footprint with rebrand

‘Bigfoot Country’ steps into the shoes of the ‘The Bear”

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
April 8, 2025

A hyper-local radio station is expanding its footprint, with 96.1 FM and 1350 AM The Bear relaunching as Bigfoot Country.

The change, which aligns with the Marion-based station of the same name, increases the network’s reach from Buncombe into McDowell County and parts of six additional counties.

Signal Hill Media, which operates stations in Marion, Rutherfordton and Statesville, launched the Black Mountain station in March of 2023. The lineup, which consists of classic country music and a range of live local programs, remains similar as 96.1 & 103.5 Bigfoot Country, according to station spokesperson and representative Sal Campo.

Shows previously heard on The Bear, including Andee in the Mornings, have broadcasted under the new name since mid-March.

“Under the Bigfoot Country brand, we have the ability to broadcast to listeners from Valdese to Candler, so bringing the Black Mountain station into that really connects everything” Campo said. “We still have that same local feel and focus, which reflects in our programming.”

Few shows are as local as the Mountain Magnolia’s Podcast, which is hosted by Black Mountain realtor Mary Noble Braden and available on podcasting platforms. Episodes of the interview show, which features guests from the Swannanoa Valley, are broadcast on Bigfoot Country at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and at 10 a.m. on Saturdays.

The show has produced 45 episodes since its debut last summer.

“It’s a great show with a lot of local guests and Mary Noble does a fantastic job,” Campo said. “She talks to all kinds of people doing interesting and important things in the community.”

A favorite show among bargain hunters is Bigfoot Country’s Carolina Swap Shop, which allows listeners in central and western N.C. to call in and offer items to buy, sell or trade, daily from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.

“That’s a fun show for a lot of people,” Campo said. “It’s hosted by Andee and it connects people from all over the area, whether they’re selling a goat or looking for a 1955 Ford Fairlane.”

All of the station’s programming is available through the Big Foot Country 103.9 WBRM application, which can be downloaded in the Apple or Google app stores.