Texas/Red Dirt Makes Moves on Mainstream Country Radio
When Jamey Johnson stood on the stage Friday, August 12th in Lincoln, Nebraska, and barked profanities at the local radio station KX 96.9, he wasn’t just angry they had used “his” stage to promote their station, he was venting the pent up frustration many independent, Red Dirt, and Texas music artists feel with the way the mainstream country radio format has virtually ignored their music for years—which is a frustration that is also shared by many country music fans themselves. That is why the local crowd in attendance cheered, and video of the incident went viral.
But there was a little bit of irony in the moment that was lost on many as they got swept up in the enthusiasm for what happened. KX 96.9 in Lincoln is one of now numerous mainstream country radio stations that are behind a new trend to add Texas, Red Dirt, and independent country artists into their playlist rotations, however incrementally.
Would it ever be enough to entice fans of Texas/Red Dirt music to tune into these stations? Likely not, because listeners would still run the risk of catching a whiff of a Sam Hunt or Walker Hayes song. Even on the mainstream stations who’ve made this commitment to independent music, they are often playing it at a rate of maybe one or two songs per hour. But it is enough to help expose huge audiences to alternatives to the regular rotation of mainstream country dude bros who are guaranteed #1s on country radio no matter what they release.
As Creative Director Rob Kelley of KX 96.9 told Saving Country Music, “Our station is kind of unique. Are we a mainstream station? Yes we are. But we also play a lot of Red Dirt music, not in a huge rotation, but we also play music that’s way out of the box compared to other stations.”
KX 96.9 plays artists such as Randall King, Aaron Watson, Mike and the Moonpies, American Aquarium, Wade Bowen, and others. “I bet I’ve got 400 spins on Zach Bryan,” Rob Kelley says.
And this is the reason Zach Bryan’s single “Something in the Orange” continues to see traction on mainstream country radio, despite the fact that Bryan’s label and management aren’t promoting the song to the country radio format at all. Just this week, “Something in the Orange” rose from #57 to #54. It’s still one of the most streamed songs in all of country music, with Bryan’s recent album American Heartbreak remaining at #2 in all of country. Country radio is the final frontier for independent artists to infiltrate, and Zach Bryan is finding traction.
Rob Kelley of KX 96.9 in Lincoln is also the guy that helps curate the country list for all of the country radio stations owned by the station’s parent company Alpha Media, and even though there are songs designated from on high for stations to play, local affiliates are also given leeway to play local or regional artists in their rotation. “Our stations down in Texas, they play Texas artists,” says Rob Kelley. And being based in Nebraska, KX 96.9 is in a region close to Oklahoma where Red Dirt music continues to encroach.
KX 96.9 is not alone either. In last week’s issue of Billboard‘s radio trade periodical Billboard Country Update, the front page story was about this very phenomenon. Titled “A Red-Dirt Injection Might Cure Sound-Alike Country Stations,” the article makes a compelling case why mainstream country radio stations should adopt more Texas/Red Dirt artists into their lineups, and highlighted numerous radio stations beyond 96.9 in Lincoln who are doing so.
“Country radio stations need to separate from the pack,” the article starts off. “That was the best takeaway from the ominously titled Country Radio Seminar (CRS) webinar, ‘How Country Radio Can Save Itself.’ Faced with sliding ratings, McVay Media president Mike McVay challenged programmers during the July 27 event to separate from their competitors: ‘Two stations in the same format, in the same market, playing the same songs, doesn’t do much anything for an audience. Don’t hesitate to take chances.'”
The article then runs through radio stations such as KKDT in Hays, Kansas, KUSQ in Worthington, Minnesota, KERP in Dodge City, Kansas, and KRVN in Lexington, Nebraska, all who are adopting Texas/Red Dirt music into their rotations, and doing so successfully, and in the Midwest region where Red Dirt continues to gain a foothold. But other stations well outside the region such as KRLY in Alpine, California near San Diego are doing the same things.
The greatest anecdote from the article is from Colby Ericson of KKDT in Hays, Kansas who says that Texas/Red Dirt music actually helps sell more advertising compared to the stock mainstream country playlist. The station plays roughly 50% Texas/Red Dirt, along with some classic country mixed in as well. This allows the station to separate itself from competition, and brand itself as more unique. “I’m not worried about numbers,” Colby Ericson says. “I’m worried about sales numbers.”
On the Charts Promotions founder Rick Hogan concludes the Billboard article by saying, “People are finding the music elsewhere, so why can’t country radio get behind it? There’s other stuff out there besides the mainstream.” And even though many Texas/Red Dirt/independent fans may never listen to a radio station with even a small percentage of mainstream artists mixed in, the vice versa is not the case, and this is creating an opening to expose mainstream audiences to independent voices. It may not be enough to allow these independent voices to appear on country airplay charts, but it just might be the difference in an independent band from Texas, Oklahoma, or elsewhere finding traction in the radio station’s market, allowing them to tour through, and draw larger crowds.
Anecdotes about radio stations successfully adding independent artists to their playlists aren’t just helpful guideposts. The mainstream country radio format may have no other choice but to adapt to the changing audio landscape and diversify playlists, or face irrelevance, or maybe even extinction. There is a reason the Country Radio Seminar presentation in July was called “How Country Radio Can Save Itself.” And it’s not just the sameness of the artists and styles of country that is dragging the format down. With the time it is taking now for radio singles to mature compared to previous eras, there are just less songs, and less artists being played in ever more constricting playlists. This is yet another dire symptom of it often taking 40 to 50 weeks for a single to reach its peak position on radio.
An example of this concern came across on a recent episode of the viral farming YouTube channel Laura Farms. The Nebraska-based farmer said as she was working her field in a tractor, “I’ve been listening to just regular radio, which I haven’t done in a long time … and I can’t believe how many times a radio station is allowed to repeat to same song over and over. I’ve been in the cab for several hours now, but I keep hearing the same songs over and over, like they just have them on loop. It’s ridiculous.”
It’s no longer just active listeners and audiophiles eschewing country radio’s direction, it’s everyday listeners as Top 40 country radio has now become Top 20 country radio, with the amount of singles being actively promoted to the format in heavy rotation dwindling more and more by the day. Adding Texas/Red Dirt/independent artists into the mix could be the panacea, and for some stations, it might be essential if they are to survive in a world where the choices for audio entertainment available to listeners on their smartphones seems almost endless.
In 2022, independent country artists—Red Dirt or otherwise—have plenty of other options for how to promote their music to the public and find an audience. They don’t necessarily need mainstream corporate radio, though they may take it if it’s offered. Zach Bryan is a great example. But mainstream corporate radio may need them, and the stations on the cutting edge of actually playing what listeners want to hear are finding success with it.
What a concept.
August 17, 2022 @ 8:49 am
This is a complicated issue.
In principle, I agree with Jamey Johnson regarding the frustration with mainstream radio. But, I do believe that the local radio station in question did spend a lot of time promoting the concert, since that is often what they do. Local radio stations, as terrible as they are, do help with local concerts and spreading the word. From the radio station’s perspective, Jamey Johnson just double-crossed the very organization that was promoting his concert.
Jamey Johnson will have trouble finding radio stations to promote their concerts after his performance. And you can bet that mainstream country radio will NOT get the message. (You see how much the George Strait duet helped).
Jamey Johnson will be the loser. Having country radio against you will not ruin his career – they’ve been against him for years and he’s doing fine. But if he loses an entire avenue of promoting his concerts, that’s not good either.
August 17, 2022 @ 9:13 am
I don’t think a lot of folks appreciate the importance of radio support when it comes to touring. For someone like Jamey Johnson, maybe it doesn’t matter at this point in his career. But for an up-and-coming artist, it can make all the difference. Even if a radio station isn’t playing your music, they may still be the best outlet for promoting the gig.
August 17, 2022 @ 10:14 am
Maybe if you want to be a pop country artist, but no one is listening to radio to see where Tyler Childers is playing next.
August 17, 2022 @ 10:52 am
A few weeks ago Kaitlin Butts made her debut headlining Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth. There were 2,000 people there to see her. Though Butts herself deserves the majority of the credit, the local radio station 95.9 The Ranch really stepped up to help promote the event, including by playing her music in a heavier rotation.
We have to understand that there is a great disconnect between the average music consumer who would never find themselves on a website like SavingCountryMusic.com because they’re passive listeners, and people who see music as a significant part of their lives, read up on their favorite artists, and spend time thinking about the industry in a greater context.
When it comes to these radio matters, the gulf is even more pronounced. Passive listeners almost exclusively listen to radio, while active listeners almost exclusively don’t, and are clueless why anyone ever would. But that doesn’t mean that radio still doesn’t serve millions of consumers, and if there was a seismic shift in radios’ approach—which very well may be happening—it couldn’t have a significant impact on the artists we traditionally don’t think of as radio stars.
August 17, 2022 @ 12:21 pm
I agree with what you’re saying about passive listeners listening to radio on the whole, but I find it hard to believe those same listeners are going to attend a concert, if they’re a passive listener.
August 17, 2022 @ 3:55 pm
2000 people saw her at Billy Bob’s because it’s Billy Bob’s, and she just released a phenomenal record that is gaining traction every day. Streaming did that. Not the radio.
August 17, 2022 @ 9:37 am
The radio station if they were advertising for the concert we’re no doing it on their own free will. The station was paid in advertising and quite possibly the Dj’s paid to be there.
August 31, 2022 @ 5:08 pm
From someone who has done innumerable stage announcements, I can assure you that the radio folk were not paid.
September 15, 2022 @ 1:09 pm
We were not paid…we were there to support him, the club who books a lot of the acts that are mentioned here and an event on the streets of our downtown.
August 18, 2022 @ 9:36 am
I have attended the Carolina Country Music Fest(4yrs running), and Mile0Fest(soon to be my 3rd), and Mile0Fest, musically is better. Red Dirt music, IMO, is far superior to the cookie cutter mainstream stuff. It is, to me, lifeless. I know, there is pushback, but, it is. Red Dirt Music has that great melding of folk, blues, blue grass, jam band and rock that just moves.
I saw Keith Urban the other night, he was good. I felt he was playing down to the audience. I do not get that impression from the Red Dirt musicians….
Thanks
August 17, 2022 @ 9:01 am
Listeners under 30, and a large percentage of listeners under 40, don’t give a shit about FM. It’s a dying medium that becomes more irrelevant with every passing of another baby boomer. Jamey Johnson is just a bitter old guy who is still stuck in the mindset of the 90’s and 00’s. Engaging with radio is a waste of time.
August 17, 2022 @ 10:26 am
I’m 43, and it’s been years since I listened to FM radio. When I’m at home, I listen to songs from my MP3 collection, and when I’m in my car, it’s Spotify I have playing.
August 17, 2022 @ 2:38 pm
KNBT 92.1 Radio New Braunfels is one of the reasons I list for moving in to New Braunfels. Their Wednesday night live has some of the greatest recorded music you can’t find anywhere else.
August 17, 2022 @ 8:04 pm
I’m a little confused by this. Does the Wednesday Night Live show play recorded music, or is it a live music show?
August 18, 2022 @ 5:05 am
Wednesday’s night live is a time they play recordings of music they have recorded over the years in the studio. Tuesday night is when they play music recorded the week before in a singer songwriter interview/song swap hosted by Ray Wylie Hubbard.
August 17, 2022 @ 8:14 pm
Also you didn’t have to move into New Braunfels to hear that station. There’s an app called TuneIn Radio that carries it. But New Braunfels is a great town for other reasons, and who wouldn’t want to live that close to Schlitterbahn? ????
August 18, 2022 @ 5:06 am
Many reasons indeed. Great music is just one of them.
August 17, 2022 @ 9:05 am
The mainstream stations would have to play Texas Country before it would hurt Jamey. We live it every day. I listen to all country, I’m not a Nashville hater, but for these musicians to not be played on mainstream makes it difficult to pick up that same audience that Nashville does. Wouldn’t be be wonderful of all the great Texas artist got heard on the same platform. These guys along with others, have numerous #1 hits that crossover from Texas radio to Nashville, yet it is so very hard to get their music heard on the mainstream station. If it sounded bad that would be different… but I guarantee you any person who listens to true country will LOVE all of these Texas Artists!
August 17, 2022 @ 9:11 am
Curious if this is part of the rationale for choosing to promote “Loud and Heavy” now, with the industry at least talking about diversifying. Also can’t wait to find out how that goes.
August 22, 2022 @ 1:48 pm
I heard “Loud and Heavy” on JR FM out of Vancouver 2 weeks ago and couldn’t believe it. I called them up and told them thanks, been listening to them most of my life, even though the last 15 years sucked. ( I have 10 presets in my work truck so why not). They said they were going to play more real music now, including Zach Bryan. Still waiting.
August 17, 2022 @ 9:25 am
So much of mainstream music today has gotten so sterile and plastic. It doesn’t matter the genre. Time for an enema for all of it. And TV And Film could both use one too. In fact the entire society needs flushed out.
August 17, 2022 @ 9:54 am
Nebraska gal loving the mentions!
August 17, 2022 @ 10:07 am
Slightly off topic, but why is it that all the newer artists that get played on mainstream country radio all kinda sound alike? It seems like almost none of them have distinctive voices anymore. Look at the country artists who had hits back in the 90s: Tracy Byrd, Tracy Lawrence, Mark Chesnutt, Alan Jackson, Alabama, Hal Ketchum, Martina McBride, Lorrie Morgan, Sammy Kershaw, Shenandoah, Travis Tritt, Clint Black, Little Texas, Neal McCoy, Joe Diffie, Brooks & Dunn, the Mavericks, Vince Gill, Randy Travis, Toby Keith, Trisha Yearwood, John Berry, BlackHawk, Dwight Yoakam, Doug Stone, Diamond Rio, Collin Raye, Wynonna, David Ball, Pam Tillis, Patty Loveless, Lee Roy Parnell, Marty Stuart, Kathy Mattea, Sawyer Brown, Tanya Tucker, Suzy Bogguss, and many others. They all had unique and distinctive voices. Even Clint Black and Sammy Kershaw, whose voices were often compared to Merle Haggard and George Jones respectively, Clint and Sammy still in my opinion had their own distinctive voices. Anyone have any thoughts on why all the new singers don’t have unique and distinctive voices?
August 17, 2022 @ 12:19 pm
The Social-Distance Dancers,
Not off topic. The blame can be laid primarily, though not exclusively, at Garth Brook’s feet.
August 17, 2022 @ 9:05 pm
The truth of the matter is that, while a lot of the folks you mentioned indeed have distinctive voices, pretty much every single one of them developed those voices from who came before them. It’s a case of these folks standing on the shoulders of their predecessors, and this goes for those predecessors’ predecessors. It doesn’t just come out of the ether. Everybody’s been influenced by someone before them, you cannot avoid it. In the case of Trisha Yearwood, her big vocal influence was Linda Ronstadt; and Linda’s big influence was the great Mexican ranchera singer Lola Beltran. There’s always a timeline there.
Where the problem arises is what has motivated the performers of recent years. Have they been making music for the purposes of art and personal expression, or are they only doing it for the awards? Because if it’s the latter, then, as Linda once said, they’re in big trouble.
August 17, 2022 @ 10:21 am
I think there’s a lot of factors at play that have them scrambling for a solution. Three main ones from my perspective.
1. Substation factor: Spotify, YouTube, Apple, and Pandora algos do a much better job of telling you what you want to hear than any DJ playing politics and taking orders from detached major market execs. I think this has been slowly eating into their base as the boomer generation is retiring, not on the road, and therefore, not listening to the radio as much.
2. Sentiment change: “Truth” has become a major theme in our discourse. No one feels truth being told to them from poor mid-00s era sounding pop songs that are little more than vapid lifestyle affirmations. I think the mailed in effort (literally and figuratively) from pop producers is about to catch up to the industry in a big way.
3. Stars: Mainstream Country has a “star” problem. There’s a reason why Justin Bieber is on stage at the CMAs. Who from this era is matching the star power of a Kenny Chesney nowadays? Eric Church is old and his sound is dated, drugs took the last juice from Zac Brown, Luke Combs isn’t good looking enough, and Morgan Wallen can’t stay marketable in today’s environment. Taylor Swift was the only one that held significance in the revolving door of pretty industry blondes, and she’s been firmly pop for a long time. On paper, Zach Bryan checks all of the boxes and kids think he’s cool. My cousin’s 16 year old kid just got his drivers permit. That would have caught my eye if I didn’t realize that he was wearing a Zach Bryan shirt in the picture. That’s not happenstance.
August 17, 2022 @ 12:09 pm
There is definitely a hunger for authenticity that is helping to fuel the flight from mainstream radio country stars to independent stars of all stripes.
I also agree there is a star problem, similar to what baseball is currently suffering from. Do music fans really think of Morgan Wallen in the same vein as we did Garth Brooks, or even Taylor Swift back in the day? Meanwhile, the reason Zach Bryan is so big is because he’s the perfect anti-star.
August 17, 2022 @ 1:12 pm
Exactly, no chance. That’s partly why I went a step down with the Chesney reference because recreating the days of that mainstream country superstar (Brooks, Jackson, Strait) who were larger than life, skilled musicians and hit makers with good albums sustaining decades of success, seems unattainable in the tik tok era.
I have some hope for Wallen and Combs, but I remain unconvinced.
August 17, 2022 @ 6:20 pm
Ahhh now I have to go off in search of a Zach Bryan tee shirt to go with my two Tyler Childers tee shirts. Maybe a Kaitlin Butts shirt, as well. It’s only money.
August 17, 2022 @ 12:17 pm
Hank,
Good comments and I agree with the possible exception of Wallen. His longevity will be interesting to watch. What he needs to do is come out with a stone-cold country album with some collaborations from others including non-country artistst. He has the needle threaded to do this, and it would be massive.
Just my simple prediction that will not come to fruition of course.
August 17, 2022 @ 1:25 pm
Totally agree. With Wallen, it’s much less about the music and more about the image. His “brand” is toxic from a mainstream perspective. It doesn’t mean he’s still not a cash cow, but it’s going to take years of “good behavior” (i.e. not being blackout drunk and doing dumb ish in public at 30 years old) for him to become a mainstream darling again. Though, he’ll make parole quicker if he keeps his numbers where they’re at today.
Music wise, I’m with ya. I love the “de-Moi’d” Dangerous sessions, and the “Flower Shops” feature. It would be great to see a similar album follow suit.
August 17, 2022 @ 10:48 am
I normally play Spotify because I like to be my own DJ but if I play the radio it’s on Kickin’ Country 103.1 (KKCN). A Texas/Red Dirt station from San Angelo.
August 17, 2022 @ 11:35 am
Good article. Interesting topic. Been curious about how FM radio really works so this was good info. These FM country stations still do matter, unfortunately. Like the article said, they service those passive listeners, and there are millions of them. Sounds like things are improving, but at a snail’s pace. But let’s give KX 96.9 some credit for what they’ve done.
August 17, 2022 @ 12:19 pm
The problem lies in the fact that people who listen to mainstream country radio, or any mainstream radio for that matter, don’t actually “listen” to music. Not actively anyways. They don’t go out of their way to seek it out, it’s just something that’s on in the background that fills the void like Muzak. Radio is music for people that aren’t big fans of music. It wasn’t always that way, but it is now.
August 17, 2022 @ 12:28 pm
Country radio needs to do something because it is dying. When I first found this site, I still continued to listen to Nashville country and the radio. I could dig some of the songs as guilty pleasures and enjoy some of the few good songs. But after a while, the independent scene and the Texas singers stole my listening time. I forget what article it was because I remember commenting on how after hearing “I’m not the Devil” by Cody Jinks and placing it on repeat for hours that I was converted. Trigger replied to my comment saying something about how everything changes once you hear good music.
Now outside of Alan, Josh Turner, Strait, and Eric Church’s old stuff, I don’t willingly listen to Nashville’s output anymore. It doesn’t feel real or authentic.
August 17, 2022 @ 1:00 pm
An example of this concern came across on a recent episode of the viral farming YouTube channel Laura Farms. The Nebraska-based farmer said as she was working her field in a tractor, “I’ve been listening to just regular radio, which I haven’t done in a long time … and I can’t believe how many times a radio station is allowed to repeat to same song over and over. I’ve been in the cab for several hours now, but I keep hearing the same songs over and over, like they just have them on loop. It’s ridiculous.”
…………..
I remember, in the mid to late 70’s, listening to KENR, 1070 AM, in Houston you could almost set your watch every morning by the song played at a particular time…
I don’t listen to radio anymore. My kids do tho- at 37 and 42 they spend a lot more time in vehicles than I do- I make my music now, or listen to you tube.
August 17, 2022 @ 1:18 pm
Until playing and promoting independents results in making the radio stations (or the companies that own the stations) money, its not going to get any better.
Their vested interest is with themselves and the companies they do business with.
Is it possible, that playing the independents will expand their listenership so much it increases market share and their ability to charge more for advertising? I hope it would, but doubt it.
Really need more independent stations, and that isn’t going to become a reality I don’t think
August 17, 2022 @ 3:25 pm
Isn’t radio pretty much owned by 2 companies. The country music problem isn’t just a country music problem. It’s a rock and roll problem also. The only rock you hear is classic rock. New rock is hard to find on the radio.
My belief is the 2 companies running radio are just churning the cheap pop music pop country that can be assembled in a studio, mixed to a certain sound and spread to the masses without a choice. Again there is only a couple companies that own radio. They control it. They believe in pop for new music and classics for rock.
August 17, 2022 @ 4:35 pm
As someone who doesn’t listen to the radio much, largely due to the fact I have a large CD collection, I am thankful to have to have a good radio station to still listen to. Happy to be living in Hays, Kansas!
August 17, 2022 @ 5:11 pm
Anybody listening to Alex Key’s new album Neon Sign and Stained Glass? Just stumbled across and liking so far.
August 17, 2022 @ 6:08 pm
Great article trigger, totally agree. I think introducing some of these lesser known acts to a radio audience can be great for both. I still listen to the radio when I’m in the car and always like hearing something different. Like tv, I always like the randomness of radio. Having a more varied lineup makes it much better.
August 17, 2022 @ 6:35 pm
Scattered around the country in rural areas are independent country stations. Tiny stations that maybe serve four or five towns and all their advertising is from local businesses (some of said advertising is unintentionally hilarious.) They play what they want to play. Where I used to live, about two hours from here, there was one that turned me on to Bad Livers, but they also played some contemporary country as well as traditional bluegrass and everything in between. If they are still going and in business I’d be willing to bet they’re playing Tyler Childers and Turnpike Troubadors as well.
Here where I live now, we also have one of those independent stations. All they play is classic country: If it came out later than about 1997, they aren’t going to play it. I’m grateful for that station because I like classic country, but I wish they’d also play some of the more daring stuff that the station near where I used to live did.
Maybe the answer for country radio in general though, is to have fewer of these mega-stations that play the same-old same-old and more small, independent stations that play what they bloody well please. It’s like the guy in the article said: Numbers don’t matter. Sales numbers do matter. Now someone just needs to convince the advertisers that people are more likely to actually listen to their ads if said people are actually listening to the music that’s playing, too, instead of letting it all flow over their heads like so much river water washing away a dying industry.
August 18, 2022 @ 5:34 am
Every time I read something like this, I always get the idea of starting a local radio station, playing the country music that I’d want to listen to, and just see how many people would tune in. Of course, the cost of all the licensing required kills that idea every time. Maybe once I win the lottery…
August 18, 2022 @ 7:27 am
Anyone know if Trigger has ever produced an article that list the best independent radio stations that play the artists we all love. Familiar with 95,9 the Ranch, Koke-FM (Austin) and KHYI, but would love to add a few others to my rotation. I tell my friends, listen to the Ranch for a few weeks and you will never go back to mainstream country.
August 18, 2022 @ 10:27 am
Red Dirt 96.7 out of Northwest Arkansas is very good. Can’t get it on Tune In but they do have an app to stream directly. The Ranch has another station – 106.9 which you can find on Tune In. Logo is the same as 95.9 but they do play different songs and have different DJs. I vaguely recall an article on SCM awhile back with a lot of good independent stations. Might be hard to search for but it’s in there. As someone else mentioned, I do listen to these stations to be surprised and often find myself Shazamming a song I haven’t heard to add to playlists since Trigger can’t get to everything himself!
August 18, 2022 @ 10:31 am
My fear of putting an article like that together is that I would miss many stations, and then the owner and listeners of those stations would get pissy about it, which happens with all lists these days, like you purposely leave people out as opposed to just not knowing about them. I’ve also reached out to folks who work in radio, and their eyes get wide at the task too. There are so many small watt radio stations out there doing it the right way. When I happen upon one, I try to highlight it when I can. Maybe some day I’ll put something like that together.
August 18, 2022 @ 10:02 am
Lincoln guy here. Profane rants just really aren’t our culture. Jamey comes out and trashes people he doesn’t know, and who have been promoting him and his show. Would he be happier if pop country radio just ignored him entirely? Its not like he’s providing them much material to play.
August 18, 2022 @ 10:50 am
I live in the Louisville market and haven’t listened to country radio in close to decade cause everything played here is shit. I can pick up small stations in rural markets on occasion that would play some classic country but you’d go from a Lorrie Morgan song straight to Walker Hayes and I’d turn it off forever. If I don’t have AM radio on for a sporting event or Clay and Buck, I don’t have the radio on. Red dirt only stations like KPUR could be like an oasis in a desert
August 19, 2022 @ 1:57 pm
By the way, there’s a long-standing FCC directive that states: “Thou Shalt Not Play Bluegrass.” Country music stations across the nation obey this directive religiously.
August 19, 2022 @ 5:42 pm
The best radio memories I have from being a young child in the 80s were listening to KNED out of Mcalester, Ok. Family farmed down in the Indianola Canadian river valley. Hearing “Leaving Louisianian=” sung by Rodney Crowell as a seven year old on an old 4040 haying cattle in the winter has stuck with me for 35 years or so. Hearing “When You Leave That Way” by Confederate Railroad on my grandad’s old radio at breakfast time also is ingrained in my mind.
Country music wasn’t bad in the 90s, but radio lost its soul. All of my high school friends were listening to 107.3 out of Fort Smith, which played OG gangster Marty Robbins.
NPR Americana shows seemed to be the only good radio I heard in my 20s and 30s. I’m in Denver now, in my 40s, and have given up on radio. XM60 is okay, but not worth the money. I get my new music now from Western AF and this blog.
August 20, 2022 @ 7:52 am
Sirius/XM now has a Y’alternative streaming channel. Plenty of red dirt and independent type artists on there. And no DJ.