Nashville's WSIX set to launch syndicated morning show with host Bobby Bones

The breaking news in the world of country radio -- at least in Music City -- is that Clear Channel will launch a new syndicated-morning show this month, with Nashville's WSIX serving as the flagship station.

According to a Feb. 4 report from industry trade Country Aircheck, Premiere Radio Network's nationally syndicated "The Bobby Bones Show" will make the jump from Clear Channnel's Top-40 stations to several of its country outlets starting Feb. 25.

Locally, the move will occur sooner; namely, Feb. 18, which is when "Mr. Bobby Bones" and his on-air crew members, Lunchbox and Amy, begin broadcasting weekdays from 5 to 10 a.m. via WSIX/Nashville's 16th Avenue studios. As listeners may recall, WSIX has been without a permanent morning show since Billy Greenwood left in summer 2012.

Earlier today, Bones broke the news that he and his crew were making the move to the country-radio format on the show's Facebook page, posting, "Well, we are going country. going to be the biggest country show in the U.S. Crazy."

Per Country Aircheck, Michael Bryan, WSIX program director, said, "The Big 98 has a long and storied history delivering incredible morning radio to Nashville. We’re proud to welcome Bobby and his team as we expand the mission of bringing Nashville’s New Country to the world – from the place where it all begins."

Bones will make the move to Guitar Town from Austin, Texas, where he's been based at the Top-40 KHFI station. Additionally, per the aforementioned CRA report, Premiere also will kick off a new syndicated countdown show, the "Country Top 30 With Bobby Bones," which will occupy a four-hour block starting on the weekend of March 2-3.

"When we created 'The Bobby Bones Show' back in 2002, we wanted to give listeners a fun, real and entertaining morning show," Bones said via the CA report. "More than 10 years later, that’s what continues to drive us every day.

"Moving to a country format is an amazing opportunity to expand our program to a new audience and we couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the connection between the artists, music and fans that makes the country music industry so unique," he added. "Nashville, here we come!"

Beyond flagship station The Big 98, Bones' morning s how will also occupy the airwaves of a number of sister stations, such as KTGX/Tulsa, KASE/Austin, KSD/St. Louis and WTXT/Tuscaloosa.