NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE — Veteran country radio programmer and personality Zack Bennett has been named permanent host of the nationally syndicated weekly program Pure American Country and its daily 60-second companion feature, Pure American Country Radio Minute.
Bennett had been serving as interim host following the death of longtime host Bill Cody in June. He has produced Pure American Country since 2024 and previously filled in behind the microphone when Cody was unavailable.
Bennett’s radio career began in 1999 at WANT-FM in Lebanon, Tennessee. His résumé includes six years at Nashville’s 95.5 Nash Icon, and he currently works at 650 AM WSM as assistant program director and an on-air host. He has also been part of the production team behind the Grand Ole Opry for the past four years.
Pure American Country traces its roots to the Country Music Greats Radio Show, which launched in 2003. According to MusicRow, the program now airs on 174 rural radio stations across 194 transmission towers and frequencies, reaching a potential audience of more than 40 million people in rural America.
Bennett said his goal is to honor the foundation Cody built while moving the program into its next chapter rather than trying to imitate his predecessor.
Source: MusicRow, September 28, 2026.