Ben from Brooklyn means WKCR (89.9 FM), not KCRW, which is a Los Angeles station.

Laura Cantrell had a country show on WFMU (91.1 FM) here in the NYC area for many years, and still appears occasionally for fill-ins, playing classic country, alternative country, etc. Many of those shows are archived on their Web site and can be heard there for free. WFMU also had a country show called Toothpick Rhythm for a while, but the volunteer DJ moved on, sadly. Unfortunately WFMU does not currently have another such program but maybe they will again at some point.

The Moonshine Show is Sundays 10am - 12pm
The Tennessee Border Show is Sundays 12pm - 2pm

WKCR is 89.9FM

I have no affiliation with WKCR I just like those shows and the excellent Eastern Standard Time reggae show with Allstar Vaughn and Carter Van Pelt on Saturday mornings 8am-12pm.

On Nash FM, it's worth mentioning as John does that no commercial country music station has been on air in NYC in 17 years. In most other cities, even cities in the northeast (Boston, Philly), there are one or more commercial country stations. And most of them play the same, ahem, garbage -- mostly. Pop-country is like pop-punk, the bulk of it comforts in that cheap but expensive way that feels dirty afterwards. It is indeed 5 o'clock somewhere but there's a hangover at six. At least pop-punk celebrates the hangover, which puts it one tiny step ahead. Worst of all music from the Nashville Industrial Complex has become predictable and redundant to the point of satire. Bad unfunny satire. There actually are great songwriters in Nashville and they're starving! The music is predictable and the selections on commercial country radio - and this can be said about a lot of commercial radio of course - play much of the same, not very adventurous set lists, and the songs draw more scorn and humor than real pleasure from the listener (or this listener). With exception it goes without saying.

To the question of country music on the radio in NYC, every Sunday morning The Moonshine Show and the Tennessee Border Show on KCRW play a solid range of knowns and unknowns across styles: bluegrass, honky-tonk, americana, outlaw, studio classics and more -- but all of it old, <1970 with rare exception. KCRW isn't a commercial station but is it too expensive for Columbia Univ and its deejays to serve up the local bands mentioned? WNYC and John Schaefer-thank you John-do consistently play country or americana (which is the broader term?) music, but it does seem as though there might be room for another program devoted to featuring contemporary sounds from this neck o' the woods and elsewhere. On the airwaves!

Don't forget the Sweetback Sisters from Brooklyn!!! I am not a huge country music fan, but they were amazing when I heard them on Soundcheck.