Garth Brooks to Take Over Signal of Beloved Independent Radio Station

Leave it to Garth to be Garth, and do the most Garthian thing possible, which is something that isn’t outright illegal or unethical … but just kind of, well, smarmy and wrong-feeling, and full of self-interest. In this case, it’s the buying up of a beloved independent radio institution in Nashville to put himself and his message front and center.

When Garth Brooks ended a three year partnership with the internet-based radio station TuneIn in September that hosted his virtual radio stations “The BIG 615,” “Tailgate Radio,” and “The Garth Channel,” you had a sense that maybe Garth Brooks was finally figuring out that the radio format is not exactly the future of audio entertainment, online or otherwise.

So many of these older country artists got so used to radio being the conduit to fans, they just haven’t evolved. For Garth, that issue is even more pronounced since he signed an exclusive deal with Amazon Music for all his streaming and download distribution, which means large swaths of the public have no on-demand access to his songs. So while ’90s country artists like Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn enjoy massive resurgences in interest in their catalog, the best-selling American artist in history is sitting on the sidelines.

It doesn’t help Garth’s songs and performances also aren’t available on YouTube in any capacity, and can’t be used in social media reels on TikTok and Instagram—a major discovery mechanism for younger fans.

But Garth Brooks has discovered his soultion: buy up one of Nashville most beloved independent radio stations, shove them to smaller frequencies, and set up his “Sevens Network” radio right there in Music City.

On Wednesday, October 10th, it was announced that Garth Brooks had purchased Nashville’s beloved Lightning 100, which is the city’s longest-running independent radio station. Lightning 100 has been locally owned and operated for 36 years. It’s officially a AAA radio station focusing mostly on indie rock, but regularly plays artists that would be considered “Americana” as well. It also focuses heavily on local artists.

WRLT-FM 100.1 has a favorable location on the radio dial, and also does a ton to support local artists and businesses, including producing the Live On The Green festival/concert series in Music City.

Thankfully, Lightning 100 is not going away. It’s being moved to the 106.3 FM and 102.5 FM HD3 frequencies, and promises no change in programming either on or off the air. “We will be moving to a new spot on the dial, but our heart, our mission, and the music that brings us together remain the same,” the station says.

Garth is reported to have paid $3 million for the frequency, which might help keep Lightning 100 (or now, Lightning 106) going to some extent. But many long-time listeners are voicing their dissent that it feels like sleazy move for a big wealthy country superstar to buy up a fiercely independent radio station to gentrify its place on the radio dial.

Pending FCC approval, 100.1 will flip to “The New FM 100” that promises to be “The voice of Music City, Highlighting local/breaking news, and spin the entire family of Country music” from the ’60s up to today.

“This is an opportunity to bring the entire family of Country Music together in one spot…the legends, the greats, and the future greats,” says Garth Brooks. “Nashville is being called ‘The Newest City in America,’ and we want to bring a new kind of communication, combining terrestrial and digital radio, built to grow with this city. Our job is NOT to compete with the local channels in Nashville, but to PROMOTE what they have going on. We are NOT a reporter, we are a SERVICE to Music City and its businesses.”

The station will also supposedly partner with the Nashville Severe Weather Service, and also work closely with the tourism and convention community.

But again, all this feels very Garth-esque since despite his supposed altruistic aims, the new station will ultimately broadcast Garth’s own songs in heavy rotation, promote his business on Lower Broadway, along with other events and activations Garth might have planned. This “service” aspect feels very similar to Garth taking over the alley between his “Friends In Low Places” bar and the Ernest Tubb Record Shop on Broadway to expand his business footprint, eliminating the alley as a vital thru way for parking and deliveries in the area, and increasing the square feet and value of his property.

Garth smoothed over the alleyway acquisition of the previously publicly-owned space by putting a police substation in the spot in part, which of course, lowers his security needs and insurance in the process.

Garth Brooks goes on to say that he recently came upon a 2020 post from Lightning 100 looking for financial support. “I thought the post was current. I was looking for a station for this idea I had about an information station for Nashville locals, visitors, and tourists. A country artist buying an indie-rock station made no sense. This way, the owner gets help in funding. The station lives on, while the new FM-100 finds a home in the middle of the FM dial.”

But if Garth was really feeling altruistic, why didn’t he just donate money to Lightning 100 instead of like a slumlord, buying their home on the radio dial out from under them, and moving them out of his way? Again, Garth’s acquisition probably does help the bottom line of Lightning 100, and isn’t like an aggressive takeover. But it just doesn’t feel exactly right.

The future of radio—if it has any—is in local ownership, local programming, live DJs, and independent voices that can re-instill the human connection in an increasingly consolidated and digital world. There are worse things that Lightning 100 getting moved to a different station. But it illustrates how big money interests can come in, command the market, and make the moves they want to make, while the long-established local independent entities just have to hope they have a home somewhere.

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