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Like Your Texas Music with No Rules and Plenty of Attitude? Meet Lone Star.
One-of-a-kind FM station wraps Outlaw Country, Southern Rock and Alternative Country in the voice of Willie Nelson
Utterly local sensibility does away with traditional commercials; Charter sponsors include Southwest Airlines, AT&T, Coors and Guitar center
This time, it’s all about the music – Web site delves deep into artists’ passions and inspiration
 DALLAS – April 23, 2007 – Listen up, Dallas. There’s a different sound in town and it’s a completely new way to experience radio. Take Dallas’ special blend of Outlaw Country, Southern Rock and Alternative Country; indulge our obsession for the music whether on-air or online; invite over a few legendary radio hosts; and ‘86 the traditional commercials – this one’s all about the music.
From Willie Nelson to ZZ Top , Stevie Ray Vaughan to the The Old 97’s to Pat Green, Lone Star’s on-air and online media will celebrate a unique Texas sensibility. The brainchild of home-grown radio programmer Duane Doherty, Lone Star was road-tested on one of Clear Channel Radio’s HD-2 digital side channels over the past 12 months.
“All we had on the HD-2 channel was the music and the response was incredible,” said Doherty. “In a sense, we’re recapturing the early days of FM – when your jock was a trusted guide through what was new and important. Lone Star is the music we love in Dallas without the hype.”
Indeed, Lone Star welcomes legendary Dallas radio personalities Bo and Jim, Jon Dillon and Red Beard. And Willie Nelson will serve as the “voice of Lone Star”.
And in a second major move, Lone Star will not air traditional commercials. Instead, “sponsors” will get one to two minutes of integration in an hour and will be treated as part of the fabric of the experience, not as an interruption.
“There’s a credibility and an authenticity of partnering with sponsors who share our passion for this music,” said Kelly Kibler, director of sales for Clear Channel Radio Dallas. “We’ll only have one airline, one telecommunications carrier, one beer, one musical instrument store.. This is about sharing an experience and a commitment to the incredible creativity of these artists. To do that honestly and well, you have to step up. Traditional commercials are fine for many radio formats, they just didn’t work here.”
“We got extraordinary support from corporate,” echoes J.D. Freeman, Dallas market manager for Clear Channel Radio. “They completely insulated us and t |