Circle Country Explained

Circle Country
Country:United States
Area:Nationwide coverage: 100%
Headquarters:Nashville, Tennessee
Language:English
Owner:Gray Television
Parent:PowerNation
Launch Date:As a OTA channel:

As a FAST streaming channel:
Closed Date:As a OTA channel:
[1]
Picture Format:1080i (HDTV)
Former Names:Circle (2020 - 2023)
Online Serv 1:Service(s)
Online Chan 1:Circle Now App, FuboTV, Peacock, Roku Channel Live TV, Samsung TV Plus, Sling Freestream, Tubi, Vizio WatchFree
Website:

Circle Country, previously known as Circle, is a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service owned by Gray Television as part of its PowerNation Studios division. The network's programming consists of country music oriented shows, western films and rural/blue collar themed material, featuring a mix of original and off-network shows sourced from Opry Entertainment Group (the owner of the Grand Ole Opry, and Gray Television's former joint venture partner in the channel's previous incarnation as an over-the-air digital subchannel).

Previously before 2024, the network was available primarily through the digital subchannels of broadcast television stations, as well as an ad-supported video-on-demand channel on Peacock and Stirr, along with national carriage on Dish Network and Sling TV. Cable television and IPTV providers were offered either the network's local affiliate, or the network's national feed on their systems.

Circle ended the OTA portion of the channel on December 31, 2023. Streaming of the channel remained available under the Circle Country name. Many of the OTA stations replaced Circle with one of several networks under the new Gray/Lionsgate/Warner Bros. Discovery joint venture Free TV Networks, which is led by broadcasting veteran Jonathan Katz. Opry's programming rights will be utilized on several new AVOD ventures by Opry and NBCUniversal, which took a 30% minority stake in Opry Entertainment in 2022.[2] Programs from the Circle Network continue to be available through various streaming providers on the Circle Country network after the OTA service ended.[3]

Background

Circle Country was Opry Entertainment Group's fourth entry into television network ownership. From its founding in 1983 until 1997, OEG's parent company (Ryman Hospitality Properties), known then as the Gaylord Entertainment Company, was owner of The Nashville Network (TNN). Gaylord later bought a second country music-oriented cable network, Country Music Television (CMT), in 1991. Gaylord Entertainment sold both networks to the CBS Cable unit of CBS Corporation in 1997 for $1.55 billion feeling that the two then-country networks could grow faster as part of a larger media company.[4] Gaylord, however, retained CMT International.[5] Gaylord Cable Networks took its stakes in TV Argentina and CMT International to launch the MusicCountry channel[6] in Mexico and Argentine in 2000. Then on September 1, 2000, the company launched the MusicCountry service in Europe. Gaylord would subsequently rebrand CMT channels in Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Asia-Pacific region's areas to the MusicCountry brand.[7]

History

Towards the end of the 2010s, Ryman Hospitality Properties was looking to venture back into television, with its Opry Entertainment unit already having co-produced the dramatic series Nashville, along with the end of its partnerships to carry the Opry with CMT, then Great American Country, as their managements both shifted away from music programming and towards a more generic and broad-based focus on Southern culture. In 2018, Ryman had settled on a broadcast television network and began pursuing starting one as they felt country music fans are underserved. Ryman tested nine potential shows via a sizzle reel with excellent responses from focus group sessions.[8]

Ryman and Gray Television announced a joint venture between Gray and Ryman's subsidiary, Opry Entertainment Group on April 24, 2019 to launch a broadcast television network in early 2020 and an online streaming service later. The planned network would feature the Grand Ole Opry archives and performances from the Grand Ole Opry House and other Ryman-owned music venues. On October 17, 2019, the joint venture partners would confirm that Gray-owned stations would be among the network's charter affiliates; they would also reveal on that date the network's name — Circle, which is a nod to the iconic 6-foot wooden section of stage at the Opry House (and that section's original home, Ryman Auditorium) on which various country stars have performed.[9]

On December 16, 2019, Circle's formal launch date of January 1, 2020 was announced for Circle, along with a roster of 16 new programs for the network. Additionally, CBS Television Stations was also announced as joining in Circle's list of charter affiliates, bringing major markets to the network's initial list of stations to 56 affiliates covering 50% of the country.[10] As of October 2020, Circle has 99 affiliates reaching 62.61% of U.S. TV households.[11]

On November 10, 2023, it was announced that Circle as an over-the-air network would cease its broadcast operations on December 31, 2023, as Gray transitions to a new partnership for its digital subchannel networks, Free TV Networks, with Lionsgate and Warner Bros. Discovery. The final regular program to air on Circle as a OTA network was the movie Rio Lobo. The channel continues streaming via the Circle Country network, with select programming such as Coffee, Country & Cody as well as Opry Live. In addition, Opry Live and The Song will continue to be offered over-the-air via the syndication market.

Programming

Previously, Circle (as OTA sub-channel) provided up to 20 hours of programming to its owned-and-operated and affiliated stations on weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. Eastern Time and on weekends from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The remaining vacated hours were occupied by paid programming.

Circle featured programming geared toward both fans of the country music genre and rural audiences, a similar demographic targeted by competing country music-oriented multicast networks Heartland (which, incidentally from 2012 until 2013, used The Nashville Network moniker once used by Ryman's original cable network venture) and The Country Network. Circle Country's programming primarily features a mix of original and acquired series with a country music or Southern lifestyle-centric format.

Circle previously broadcast two simultaneous feeds: one for digital distribution, and the other for terrestrial distribution. The terrestrial feed (which typically appeared as a digital subchannel of a major network affiliate station in numerous markets around the United States) aired classic movies and off-network syndicated programming, while the digital feed (distributed over streaming services such as Peacock and Roku) features more company-owned music-based programming. Those feeds converged for live programming, such as the daily simulcast of WSM Radio morning show "Coffee, Country & Cody" and Grand Ole Opry broadcasts, as well as during regular timeslots of Circle-produced original programming. As of 2024, the terrestrial feed is no longer available, but the digital (aka streaming) feed remains available as Circle Country, with classic movies being added with the original programming.

As the network was under development, Circle Media developed several original productions for the network's inaugural programming slate—aiming to make it one of a handful of digital multicast services that carry original programming, and one of the few (alongside the Live Well Network, which reduced its national distribution outside of sister networks ABC's owned-and-operated stations in January 2015, and its rebrand Localish) to offer a large original content slate. On December 11, 2019, Circle Media announced that it had greenlit 16 original programs slated to debut on the network in Circle's first five months of operation, including a simulcast of WSM Radio's Coffee, Country & Cody (which had previously aired on competing country music-oriented multicast network Heartland),[12] [13] and the music and interview series The Dailey and Vincent Show which moved from the show's prior four-year home, RFD-TV.[14] and several docu-series (including Craig's World, a reality program centering on country artist Craig Morgan; Fandom, focusing on the artist-fan relationship in country music; Upstream, a fishing/interview program hosted by Elizabeth Cook; and several Grand Ole Opry-focused series such as Opry Debut).

Among the initial offerings were all surviving episodes of Hee Haw.[15]

Current programming

Original programming

Music/interview programming
Lifestyle/entertainment programming

Affiliates

Previously, Circle had current or pending affiliation agreements with 96 television stations in 96 media markets encompassing 39 states, covering 62.60% (or a total population of 195,620,130 residents) of all households in the United States that own at least one television set. It is also carried as a live channel on NBC's streaming service Peacock, and on Vizio's Free Streaming Channels platform on their current generation of smart TVs.

Before its launch, Circle Media actively sought affiliation agreements with various television station owners to make the Circle network widely available throughout the United States. The network launched with clearance rate of, at minimum, 50% of overall American television households, in part due to affiliation agreements with stations owned by network co-parent Gray Television (initially encompassing 56 of the group's stations, with no clearance in approximately 15 other small-sized markets with a Gray-owned station)[9] and CBS Television Stations, which provided Circle broad clearance in the 25 largest U.S. markets (including New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, MiamiFort Lauderdale and Dallas–Fort Worth) through the group's independent stations.[10]

Ironically at the network's launch, Circle was not available over-the-air in the network's headquarters of Nashville, despite its status as the hub of the country music industry. Gray Television did not own any television stations in the Nashville television market (the company was only in two of the six Tennessee-based television markets) until 2021, and did not secure a local affiliate prior the network's debut. The network gained an affiliate in that market on January 31, 2020, via the DT5 subchannel of (at the time) Meredith Local Media-owned NBC affiliate WSMV-TV, which was formerly owned alongside Ryman's Opry properties from 1950 until 1981 and had a short-lived launch affiliation with Heartland, which launched utilizing the trademark of The Nashville Network, but lost it a year later due to business disputes.[18] [19] On May 3, 2021, Gray announced it was purchasing Meredith's broadcasting properties (and the sale was completed on December 1[20]), which made WSMV-TV both an O&O station for the network as well as its flagship station.[21]

List of last OTA affiliates

Stations listed in BOLD were Circle owned-and-operated.

City of license/marketStation[22] Virtual
channel
Primary affiliation
OwnerLaunch dateNotes

Alabama

WBRC 6.3 Gray Television January 1, 2020[23] Displaced Grit
WAFF 48.3 Gray Television January 1, 2020[24] Displaced Grit
MobileWALA10.5FoxGray TelevisionFebruary 7, 2020New subchannel
WSFA 12.3 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2020 Displaced Grit

Alaska

KAUU 5.3 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020

Arizona

KTVK 3.3 Gray Television February 1, 2020 New subchannel
KOLD-TV 13.3 Gray Television January 1, 2020[25]

Arkansas

11.5 CBS

California

23.7 ABC
9.3 CBS News and Stations January 1, 2020
44.5 Independent CBS News and Stations January 1, 2020

Colorado

KKTV 11.3 CBS Gray Television January 6, 2020[26]
9.6 NBC Tegna February 28, 2020[27]

Delaware

Dover
36.4 January 1, 2020

Florida

WCJB-TV 20.4 Gray Television January 1, 2020
33.5 Independent CBS News and Stations January 1, 2020
WECP-LD 18.3 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020[28] Displaced Heroes & Icons
WWSB 40.2 ABC Gray Television January 1, 2020
44.5 Independent CBS News and Stations January 1, 2020
WFLX 29.3 Fox Gray Television
January 1, 2020

Georgia

WALB 10.5 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2020
WGCW-LD 36.2 CW
WPCH-TV 17.4 The CW Gray Television January 1, 2020
WRDW-TV 12.4 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020[29]
WTVM 9.3 ABC Gray Television January 1, 2020
WTOC-TV 11.3 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020
Thomasville
WCTV 6.3 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020

Hawaii

KGMB 5.2 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020

Idaho

9.4 Fox January 1, 2020

Illinois

2.5 CBS CBS News and Stations February 2023
WIFR-LD 23.3 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020

Indiana

WFIE 14.3 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2020[30] Displaced Grit
13.6 NBC Tegna February 2020 New subchannel
WNDU-TV 16.3 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2020[31]

Iowa

KWQC-TV 6.6 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2021 New Subchannel
KYOU-TV 15.3 Fox Gray Television January 1, 2020 Displaced Grit
KTIV 4.6 NBC Gray Television February 2023 New Subchannel

Kansas

WIBW-TV 13.3 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020 New subchannel
KWCH-DT 12.4 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020 New subchannel

Kentucky

WBKO-TV 13.4 ABC Gray Television December 27, 2022
WYMT-TV 57.3 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020[32]
WKYT-TV 27.3 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020
WAVE 3.3 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2020

Louisiana

WAFB 9.3 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020 (replaced by The365 on Jan. 1 2024)
29.3 Fox American Spirit Media
January 13, 2020 Displaced Ion Television
KNOE-TV 8.4 CBS January 1, 2021
WVUE-DT 8.3 Fox Gray Television January 1, 2020[33] Displaced Grit
KSLA 12.2 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020 Displaced Grit

Maine

WABI-TV 5.4 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020[34]

Massachusetts

38.5 Independent CBS News and Stations January 1, 2020

Michigan

50.5 Independent CBS News and Stations January 1, 2020
12.3 ABC Allen Media Broadcasting January 1, 2020
WILX-TV 10.3 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2020[35]
WLUC-TV 6.4 NBC Gray Television

Minnesota

K23MQ-D 23.1 Circle Gray Television February 2023 New subchannel
KMNF-LD 7.3 NBC Gray Television October 6, 2022 New subchannel
11.5 NBC Tegna February 13, 2020
RochesterKTTC 10.6 NBC Gray Television February 2023

Mississippi

WLBT 3.3 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2020[36]
WLOX 13.6 ABC Gray Television
WDAM 7.5NBCGray Television
WTOK 11.5ABCGray Television

Missouri

Cape Girardeau
KFVS-TV 12.3 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020[37]
46.1 HC2 Holdings January 7, 2023
KSMO 62.5 MyNetworkTV Gray Television January 1, 2020
KMOV 4.5 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020
KYTV 3.5 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2020

Nebraska

KGIN 11.5 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020 Satellite of KOLN
KOLN 10.5 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020
KNOP-TV 2.4 NBC Gray Television January 2, 2023
WOWT 6.6 NBC Gray Television

Nevada

KOLO-TV 8.4 ABC Gray Television January 1, 2020
21.3 Howard Stirk Holdings May 2021 Displaced QVC

New York

BinghamtonWBNG-TV 12.6 CBS Gray Television February 2023
New York
2.5 CBS WRNN-TV Associates January 1, 2020 New Subchannel, Circle formerly on WRNN-TV (48.2, later on 48.4)
Riverhead
55.5 Independent CBS News and Stations January 1, 2020

North Carolina

WBTV 3.3 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020
2.5 CBS Tegna February 2020
WITN-TV 7.6 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2020[38]
17.4 CBS September 1, 2021
WECT 6.3 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2020

North Dakota

KFYR-TV 5.4 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2020
KQCD-TV 7.4 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2020 Satellite of KFYR-TV
KMOT 10.4 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2020 Satellite of KFYR-TV
KUMV-TV 8.4 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2020 Satellite of KFYR-TV

Ohio

WXIX-TV 19.3 Fox Gray Television January 1, 2020[39] Displaced Grit
WUAB 43.2 The CW Gray Television January 1, 2020
10.6 CBS January 1, 2020
WTVG 13.4 ABC Gray Television January 1, 2020

Oklahoma

2.6 NBC E. W. Scripps Company May 17, 2022

Oregon

KPDX 49.3 MyNetworkTV Gray Television June 17, 2022

Pennsylvania

57.5 Independent CBS News and Stations January 1, 2020
19.4 Independent CBS News and Stations January 1, 2020

Puerto Rico

17.3 TV Red Puerto Rico February 1, 2020

South Carolina

WCSC-TV 5.3 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020[40] Displaced Grit
WIS 10.3 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2020
WMBF-TV 32.3 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2020[41] Displaced Grit

South Dakota

KHSD-TV 11.2 ABC Gray Television January 1, 2020 Satellite of KOTA-TV
KOTA-TV 3.2 ABC Gray Television January 1, 2020

Tennessee

WVLT-TV 8.4 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020[42]
WMC-TV 5.3 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2020[43] Displaced Grit

Broadcasts CW Sports programming on weekends.
WSMV-TV 4.5 NBC Gray Television January 31, 2020 Flagship station

Texas

24.5 ABC Spring 2020
Belton
KNCT 46.2 Gray Television January 13, 2020 Replaced MeTV simulcast
Borger
KEYU 31.3 Gray Television January 1, 2020
21.4 Independent CBS News and Stations January 1, 2020
11.5 CBS Tegna January 1, 2020
KCBD 11.2 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2020[44]
5.5 CBS Tegna January 1, 2020
KXII 12.6 CBS Gray Television January 2023
KLTV 7.2 ABC Gray Television January 1, 2020
6.3 CBS American Spirit Media
January 13, 2020

Vermont

WCAX-TV 3.3 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020[45] Displaced Ion Television

Virginia

CharlottesvilleWVIR-TV 29.6 NBC Gray Television February 2023
WHSV-TV 3.6 ABC Gray Television
3.5 CBS E.W. Scripps Company
WWBT 12.3 NBC Gray Television January 1, 2020[46] Displaced Ion Mystery
WDBJ 7.2 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020[47] Displaced Heroes & Icons

Washington

11.5 Independent CBS News and Stations January 1, 2020

West Virginia

Bluefield/Beckley/Oak HillWVVA-TV6.6NBCGray Television
WSAZ-TV 3.3 NBCGray Television January 1, 2020[48]
WDTV 5.4 CBS Gray Television January 1, 2020

Wisconsin

WEAU-TV 13.3 NBC Gray Television February 2020 Displaced Heroes & Icons
WBAY-TV 2.3 ABC Gray Television January 1, 2020[49] [50] Displaced Catchy Comedy

Broadcasts MyNetworkTV programming on weekdays.
WSAW-TV 7.6 CBS Gray Television

Wyoming

KCWY-DT 13.5 NBC Gray Television

Former affiliates

City of license/marketStationVirtual
channel
Primary affiliation
OwnerYear(s)Notes

California

31.5 Independent CBS News and Stations 2020–2022 Became affiliate of Dabl ; later became affiliate of Movies!

Iowa

9.6 2020–2021 Displaced after station assumed CW affiliation for third subchannel, requiring removal of subchannels to provide HD signal

Nevada

8.4 2020–2021 Became affiliate of Rewind TV

Notes and References

  1. News: Bouma . Luke. The OTA TV Network Circle Is Shutting Down & Will Be Replaced By Warner Bros. Discovery's New Network . November 11, 2023 . Cord Cutter News . November 10, 2023.
  2. Web site: Hayes . Dade . 2023-11-07 . Warner Bros. Discovery, Lionsgate And Gray Television Team With Free TV Networks, A New Programmer With A Presence On Broadcast TV And Streaming . 2023-11-12 . Deadline . en-US.
  3. Web site: Outlaw to replace Circle Country on Jan 1, 2024. 2023-12-27.
  4. News: Gaylord Sells Country Music Channels. Tulsa World. en. 2020-01-13.
  5. News: Westinghouse To Buy Units From Gaylord For $1.5 Billion. Geraldine. Fabrikant. The New York Times . February 11, 1997. NYTimes.com.
  6. News: Gaylord increases share in Argentine pay TV channels . Mary. Sutter. May 24, 2000.
  7. Stark . Phyllis . Gaylord Plans Global Country Cable Channel . Billboard . May 20, 2000 . 8,122 . December 31, 2019.
  8. News: Rau . Nate . Ryman Hospitality expanding Nashville's country music brand with TV channel . December 26, 2019 . The Nashville Tennessean . USA Today Network . April 24, 2019 . en.
  9. News: Miller . Mark K. . New Country Multiplatform Network From Gray, Opry Entertainment Group To be Named Circle . December 26, 2019 . TV News Check . October 17, 2019 . en.
  10. Opry Entertainment to Launch New Network Circle in 2020. Annie Reuter. Billboard. Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group. December 16, 2019. December 26, 2019.
  11. https://www.rabbitears.info/search.php?request=network_search&network=Circle Circle affiliate list
  12. News: Chattanooga-based television hub adds programming, national streaming access. Barry Courter. Chattanooga Times Free Press. December 12, 2019. December 19, 2019.
  13. News: Coffee, Country & Cody Launches on CIRCLE - WSM News. WSM (AM). Opry Entertainment Group. January 8, 2020. January 11, 2020.
  14. Web site: THE DAILEY & VINCENT SHOW Announces New Network Home With Circle. Broadway World. December 12, 2019. January 12, 2020.
  15. News: New Country Music Network Circle to Launch January 1. Bethany Bowman. Tennessee Star. December 14, 2019. December 26, 2019.
  16. News: GRAY TELEVISION, Atlanta. July 10, 2018. TVNewsCheck.
  17. News: Bellamy Brothers launch 'Honky Tonk Ranch' on the Circle Network. Markos Papadatos. Digital Journal. January 10, 2020. January 23, 2020.
  18. News: Circling back: Ryman's TV network launches in Nashville. Marq Burnett. Nashville Business Journal. American City Business Journal. February 6, 2020. February 7, 2020.
  19. Web site: The Circle Network Is Now on WSMV 4.5. Nashville DTV News & More. January 31, 2020.
  20. Gray Television Closes on Acquisition of Meredith Corporation's Local Media Group . . . December 1, 2021.
  21. Web site: Gray to acquire Meredith Corporation's Local Media Group in a $2.7 billion transaction. Gray Television. May 3, 2021. May 3, 2021.
  22. Web site: Stations for Network - Circle. RabbitEars.info. March 26, 2020.
  23. News: WBRC multicast lineup changes effective Jan 1. Jenna Wood. WBRC. Gray Television. December 31, 2019. January 12, 2020.
  24. News: Country music channel 'Circle' on 48.3. WAFF. Gray Television. January 7, 2020. January 12, 2020.
  25. News: Country music network Circle to launch with 16 shows, including 'Opry Live'. KOLD-TV. Gray Television. December 23, 2019. January 12, 2020.
  26. News: 'Circle,' a new country music and lifestyle network launches on KKTV: Here's how to watch. Tony Keith. KKTV. Gray Television. January 6, 2020. January 12, 2020.
  27. News: 9NEWS' new channel 9.6 is your country music destination. Alexander Kirk. KUSA-TV. Tegna. February 28, 2020. February 28, 2020.
  28. News: Country music channel 'Circle' to debut Jan. 1 on WECP 18.3. WJHG-TV. Gray Television. December 31, 2019. January 12, 2020.
  29. News: Country music channel 'Circle' to debut Jan. 1 on WRDW. WRDW-TV. Gray Television. December 23, 2019. January 12, 2020.
  30. News: Circle - A Country Lifestyle Network. WFIE. Gray Television. December 9, 2019. January 12, 2020.
  31. News: Country music channel 'Circle' to debut Jan. 1 on WNDU 16.3. WNDU-TV. Gray Television. December 28, 2019. January 12, 2020.
  32. News: Here's where you can find WYMT's brand-new country music channel 'Circle'. WYMT-TV. Gray Television. December 31, 2019. January 12, 2020.
  33. News: Here's where you can find the brand-new country music channel 'Circle'. WVUE-DT. Gray Television. December 31, 2019. January 23, 2020.
  34. News: How to get access to our new country music network Circle beginning January 1st. WABI-TV. Gray Television. December 31, 2019. January 12, 2020.
  35. News: Country music network 'Circle' to launch with 16 shows. WILX-TV. Gray Television. December 11, 2019. January 12, 2020. January 12, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200112232925/https://www.wilx.com/content/news/Country-music-network-Circle-to-launch-with-16-shows-including-Opry-Live-103-566090611.html. dead.
  36. Web site: What y'all need to know about the new Circle network. Mississippi Weekend. Gray Television. January 1, 2020. January 23, 2020. January 25, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200125223803/http://www.mississippiweekend.com/what-yall-need-to-know-about-the-new-circle-network/. dead.
  37. News: More channels free from KFVS12. KFVS-TV. Gray Television. December 20, 2019. January 12, 2020. January 12, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200112232922/https://www.kfvs12.com/2019/12/20/free-programming/. dead.
  38. News: Country music channel 'Circle' debuts Jan. 1 on WITN 7.6. WITN. Gray Television. December 30, 2019. January 12, 2020.
  39. News: Grand Ole Opry, New Channels Coming To Cincinnati TV. John Kiesewetter. WVXU. Cincinnati Public Media, Inc.. December 27, 2019. January 12, 2020.
  40. News: Country music channel 'Circle' to debut Jan. 1 on WCSC 5.3. Patrick Phillips. WCSC-TV. Gray Television. December 28, 2019. January 12, 2020.
  41. News: Country music channel 'Circle' to debut Jan. 1 on WMBF News. WMBF-TV. Gray Television. December 27, 2019. January 12, 2020.
  42. News: How to get access to Circle Network. WVLT-TV. Gray Television. December 26, 2019. January 12, 2020.
  43. News: How to get access to our new country music network Circle. WMC-TV. Gray Television. December 26, 2019. January 12, 2020.
  44. News: Coming to KCBD 11.2: Country music network Circle to launch with 16 shows. KCBD. Gray Television. December 27, 2019. January 12, 2020.
  45. News: How to watch our new, free country music network, Circle. Darren Perron. WCAX-TV. Gray Television. December 30, 2019. January 12, 2020.
  46. News: Here's where you can find the brand-new country music channel 'Circle'. WWBT. Gray Television. January 1, 2020. January 23, 2020.
  47. News: WDBJ channels get New Year update. WDBJ. Gray Television. December 12, 2019. January 12, 2020.
  48. News: Comcast Adds Three New Digital OTA Channels. Tony Rutherford. The Huntington News. January 11, 2020. January 12, 2020.
  49. News: Circle launches Jan. 1 on WBAY 2-3: Here's how to watch. WBAY-TV. Gray Television. December 31, 2019. January 12, 2020.
  50. News: WBAY-TV adds channel 2-6. WBAY-TV. Gray Television. December 2, 2019. January 12, 2020.