Religion Stays Well Ahead Of Country In April’s Format Counts.

The religion format — which includes stations featuring religious teaching, hymns and other related content — might be new to the top rank of Inside Radio/PrecisionTrak’s monthly station counts, having led all other formats for the first time in February 2026, but it’s showing no sign of giving that lead back to country, which for 11 years had the most stations in the U.S., from one month to the next.

Religion was ahead of country by 31 stations in March, with that difference now at 30 in April, having shed just one station while country’s total stayed the same. 

Religion’s year-over-year gain stays at 3.4%, remaining significantly higher than the other three formats in the top 10 that are up in total stations vs. April 2025. That’s also true for religion’s year-to-date gain, which remains at +1.4%.

Religion aside, just two other top 10-ranked formats show higher station totals both year-over-year and year-to-date. Contemporary Christian, placing its usual fourth, is up 2.3% from last April while up just 0.1% from March, while classic rock, ranked eighth, sees a 1.1% year-over-year lift while up 0.6% since January.

*Data provided by M Street Corp. U.S. station counts. No Canadian or Mexican stations are included. Format counts are reported at the end of each month.

News/talk remains in third and, like country, is still losing stations by both measures. Three other formats in the top 10 are also in that situation: seventh-ranked variety (including stations having three or more distinct formats, either block-programmed or simultaneously), and both sports and top 40, placing ninth and tenth respectively.

With the exception of religion and contemporary Christian, no other format in the top 10 is showing notable gains, with only two others growing at all: fifth-ranked Spanish-language formats adding 12 outlets year-over-year — although its total has declined steadily since last October — and sixth-place classic hits, with just four more stations added since January.