One of Charlotte’s most recognizable Country brands is making another major move as iHeartMedia’s “96.9 The Kat” WKKT refreshes its weekday lineup with a renewed focus on familiar personalities, local connection, and audience engagement across multiple dayparts.
The biggest change puts Graham Bunn back in mornings alongside Sarah Lee Owensby after his brief move to middays earlier this year. Bunn originally joined WKKT’s morning show in April 2025, bringing national television visibility and Country radio experience to the Charlotte market. Before arriving in the Carolinas, Bunn was known nationally through appearances on “The Bachelorette,” “Bachelor Pad,” and “Bachelor in Paradise,” before eventually transitioning into radio and television hosting.
His broadcasting résumé includes a successful run at Country “Go Country 105” KKGO Los Angeles from 2014 through 2018, along with hosting duties on USA Network’s Country music competition series “Real Country.”
Meanwhile, Sarah Lee Owensby shifts into middays after spending years helping anchor mornings at The Kat. Owensby has become one of the station’s most recognizable local voices since joining WKKT in 2018. Earlier this year, the station temporarily restructured mornings around “Mornings with Sarah Lee,” but the newest lineup adjustment signals another strategic reset for the heritage Country outlet.
Owensby’s radio background stretches well beyond Charlotte, including previous work in New York, Tampa, and Charlotte Top 40 radio, along with syndicated experience on “Dawson McAllister Live.” She also began her radio journey as an intern on the nationally syndicated Ace & TJ Show before eventually building a strong on-air identity of her own.
Afternoons will continue to belong to Asheville-based personality Eddie Foxx, whose show remains in place on WKKT, while Premiere Networks’ “The Bobby Bones Show” continues airing at night instead of the morning slot carried by many other iHeart Country stations nationwide.
The station is also adding a new locally programmed music-intensive hour from 11 p.m. to midnight hosted by Program Director Ashley Wilson before the overnight transition into “After Midnight.”
In comments released by the company, iHeartMedia Charlotte and Raleigh Senior Vice President of Programming Trevor Morini said the revamped lineup allows the station to better utilize its established local talent across multiple dayparts while strengthening listener engagement throughout the market.
The changes underscore a growing trend happening across Country radio as operators continue trying to balance personality-driven local content with nationally syndicated programming. In Charlotte, WKKT appears to be leaning heavily into familiarity, recognizable voices, and market heritage as competition for listener loyalty continues intensifying across both terrestrial and digital platforms.
For longtime Kat listeners, the return of Bunn to mornings may feel less like a lineup tweak and more like a strategic attempt to restore chemistry and momentum to one of the market’s most visible Country morning shows.
On The Dial covers breaking radio industry news, including layoffs, programming changes, talent moves, and broadcast trends across the United States.