Lonestar 92.5 went from cool to camaro with a mullet.....

[DogFishHead]

when Lonestar first showed up it was awesome...bands like Slobberbone, Old 97's, Wilco, Kris Kristopherson, Luather Wright and the Wrongs, The Goards, Drive-By Truckers, Asylum Street Spankers, The Drams, The Flying Burito Brothers ECT....it was very refreshing....now it's just the same ol' rehashed whale SH*T classic rock and has all but shead its americana texas roots image.... :-\

 

[little1]

They probably dropped all those artists because none of them are 'that' popular. None of them are mass-appeal artists, and radio is, for the most part, a mass appeal medium.

I know everybody rips on the 'same old same old' classic rock, but consider that according to the DMN, Journey/Heart/Cheap trick sold out (20K?)(or close to it) Starplex/Smirnoff/Superpages.

Contrast that with Old 97's who sell out Gypsy Tea Room (maybe 1000?). The Drive By Truckers are playing HOB next month- it holds maybe 2000?

Maybe a lot of people are sick of Lovin touchin Squeezing, barracuda, and dream police. But ask your average person on the street and they probably can't even NAME a song by Luther Wright and the Wrongs.

 

[deadacated1]

I agree with you 110% Dogfish. I really liked the fresh format that they debuted. I could get my Grateful Dead fix, along with Willy Nelson and an eclectic mix of others like you mentioned. Now it's very run-of-the-mill.

 

[johnqdoe]

I agree with you 110% Dogfish. I really liked the fresh format that they debuted. I could get my Grateful Dead fix, along with Willy Nelson and an eclectic mix of others like you mentioned. Now it's very run-of-the-mill.

And the ratings and revenue are both WAY up

 

[progrocker]

I agree with you 110% Dogfish. I really liked the fresh format that they debuted. I could get my Grateful Dead fix, along with Willy Nelson and an eclectic mix of others like you mentioned. Now it's very run-of-the-mill.

And the ratings and revenue are both WAY up

Glittering prizes and endless compromises shatter the illusion of integrity.

 

[little1]

And the ratings and revenue are both WAY up

Glittering prizes and endless compromises shatter the illusion of integrity.

It's an age-old question.

Would you rather have your integrity, but know the station is doomed to failure,(which means you may be out of a job) or make compromises and keep a job.

Lonestar's music was widely viewed as 'cool' and 'hip'. And it was KILLING their ratings, which generally correlates to killing revenue. Stations that don't have revenue get formats changed.

So would you rather play 'cool' music, knowing that you have a year, maybe 2 before teh station gets blown up, or compromise, play more mass appeal music, and possibly have a station that's around longer-term?

 

[Orphanedcowboy]

Here is a partial list of just one of my playlists on my Zune:

Aaron Watson; Adam Hood; Allison Moorer; Asleep at The Wheel; The Avett Brothers; Beaver Nelson; Billy Joe Shaver; Blake Shelton; Bleu Edmondson; Blue County; Bonnie Bishop; BR5-49; Brad Randall; Brandon Jenkins; Brandon Rhyder; Brian McComas; Bruce Robinson; Carolyn Dawn Johnson; Carter's Chord; Charlie Robinson; Chris LeDoux; Cooder Graw; Corb Lund Band; Cory Morrow; Country Joe McDonald; Crossfade; Cross Canadian Ragweed; Crystal Shawanda; Cyndi Thomson; Danielle Peck; Darryl Lee Rush; David Ball; Delbert McClinton; Del McCoury Band & Friends; The Derailers; Django Walker; Doug Moreland; Drew Kennedy; Drive-By Truckers; Ed Burleson; Eleven Hundred Springs; Elizabeth Cook; Eric Church; Freddy Fender; Gary P. Nunn; Gary Stewart; George Jones; George Strait; Gillian Welch; Gob Iron; The Gourds; The Great Divide; Guy Clark; Halfway to Hazard; Hank Williams III/AssJack; Hayes Carll; The Highwaymen; Honeybrowne; Houston Marchman; Jackson Taylor Band; Jack Ingram; James McMurtry; Jamey Johnson; Jamie O'Neal; Jamie Richards; Jason Aldean; Jason Boland & The Stragglers; Jeffrey Foucault; Jeff Bates; Jeremy McComb; Jewel; Johnny Cash; Johnny Cooper; Johnny Paycheck; Josh Turner; Julie Roberts; Junior Brown; Kasey Chambers; Keith Anderson; Keith Whitley; Kellie Coffey; Kelly Willis; Kevin Fowler; Kid Rock; Kim Richey; Lefty Frizzell; Lost Immigrants; Lucinda Williams; Lyle Lovett; Maren Morris; The Marshall Tucker Band; Marty Robbins; Max Stalling; Merle Haggard; Miles from Nowhere; Miranda Lambert; Nickel Creek; Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; No Justice; Old 97's; Pat Green; Pauline Reese; Playradioplay!; Randy Rogers Band; Rascal Flatts; Ray Wylie Hubbard; Reckless Kelly; Rhett Akins; Ricochet; Robert Earl Keen, Jr.; Rodney Atkins; Roger Creager; Roger Miller; Ronnie McDowell; Roy Orbison; Ryan Bingham; Sarah Borges; Sarah Buxton; Sarah Johns; Scotty Emerick; Shannon Brown; Shawn Mullins; Shooter Jennings; Slaid Cleaves; Son Volt; Sons Of The Desert; Stoney LaRue; Sunny Sweeney; Terri Hendrix; Texas Renegade; Tift Merritt; Tommy Alverson; Townes Van Zandt; Trent Tomlinson; Trent Willmon; Trish Murphy; Wade Bowen; Walt Wilkins; Whiskey Falls; Wicked Brew Band; Wilco; Willie Nelson; The Wreckers

I can listen for close to 4 days and never hear the same song twice, I just wish there was an broadcast station that reached all corners if the Metroplex that had a playlist even close, I would listen all the time.

 

[evening times]

I loved Lonestar when they first made the switch. Now it is no longer on my presets. But I can also see how that format wouldn't only survive on Satilite. Too bad...

 

[5515]

Lonestar was a fantastic station musically. Clear Channel (and Duane Doherty) went out on a limb and decided to try something new. But of course, the all mighty dollar called their name before they ever even gave it a chance to work... and what did they do? they brought in the King of Radio Homogenization, Mr Vince Richards. You see, Vince is a guy who they can trust. He has no originality, no sense of humor, he actually sports a mullet sometimes, and he really knows how to 'bland things up'. So good ole Vince came in, fired Duane, and began to turn Lonestar into The Arrow (one of CC's generic Classic Rock stations... one in Houston) or into what the old KZPS used to sound like.

Good job CC. :-\

 

[evening times]

I guess I was hoping music like Charlie Robinson, Reckless Kelly, Old 97's etc, etc, would catch on. I agree, they didn't give it much of a chance. The Ranch is really good too if you like that type of music, but it is so hard to pick up. But you won't hear the Old 97's and they are my faves. I loved that they came up regular in the rotation.

 

[pbf1]

Don't look now, but they went up in the book!

 

[little1]

Don't look now, but they went up in the book!

Gee, they stopped playing music that is unfamiliar to large segments of the population, and started playing more familiar, more well-known songs and artists and they went UP in the ratings. WHO would of thunk it?

Who ever would have thunk it?

 

[johnqdoe]

Don't look now, but they went up in the book!

Gee, they stopped playing music that is unfamiliar to large segments of the population, and started playing more familiar, more well-known songs and artists and they went UP in the ratings. WHO would of thunk it?

Who ever would have thunk it?

I think Lonestar may have jumped in a lil TOO deep at 1st. But they had to make a big splash. I give CC as much credit for trying it as I give them blame for doing the 180 and pretending it never happened. What sucks is that some corporate yahoos were all taking mucho credit for this "groundbreaking, innovative format"....then it goes south and the Duane took the fall. I dunno if they went TOO far left of center....or if the Metroplex really is just a strip mall loving, cookie cutter house living, chain restaurant eating market.

 

[ButtnPushr]

Popular mainstream music = better ratings?? Holy crap, somebody get Corporate on the phone ASAP!!

 

[scottythecynic]

That hillbilly crap they were playing drove people away. If you want country, go to The Ranch. The neo-mix of country and classic rock has abysmal results and financially was a bust. With all the competition in the rock format, it will be interesting to see if CC and Lonestar can recapture their audience.