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
- Backstage at the Opry (January 1, 2020–present) – Docu-series following artists preparing for performances at the Grand Ole Opry.[10]
- Bluebird Café Sessions (February 2020–present) – Music series featuring performances from popular and up-and-coming country artists, recorded at the iconic Bluebird Café in Nashville.[10]
- Coffee, Country & Cody (January 1, 2020–present) – Television simulcast of the WSM Radio morning program; hosted by Bill Cody with co-host Charlie Mattos and entertainment correspondent Kelly Sutton.[13]
