On January 27, 1981, WNOE flipped to an adult contemporary-leaning Country music format, using crossover artists such as Kenny Rogers, Anne Murray, John Denver, Linda Rondstadt, Olivia Newton-John and Willie Nelson. WNOE-FM, its sister station, had gone to a pure country format, also leaving album rock the previous August. WNOE moved away from an AC lean by 1985 but remained country. The station began to play more classic country and also play some southern sounding pop hits mixed in by 1990. WNOE stayed with this Country oldies format until March 1, 1995, when it was sold to Communicom Co. of Louisiana, L.P., who flipped it to its current format. Communicom Company of Louisiana, L.P. is a subsidiary of Denver-based Communicom Company, which also owns KXEG and KXXT in Phoenix, Arizona, and WDRJ in Detroit, Michigan.