Starting this past Friday, they are now including mainstream artists in their playlists. Dirks Bentley, Eric Church, Easton Corbin, Zac Brown, The Lumineers etc. are all being played, along with classic rock artists like the Stones, Eagles, etc.

Not that this is all bad music (except for the Nashville crap) but they're no longer exclusively non-mainstream. While about 75% of their music is their traditional stuff, it still turns me completely off that they've changed their format and gone away from what made them unique in the first place.

Has there been a change in ownership pushing this? Didn't sound like it.

What I found weird is Shane Hollinger is the program director implementing the change according to the article. I never really liked him as a DJ as he was always playing some really alternate stuff further away from what I consider Red Dirt much less Nashville. Seems weird he'd be leading any change to anything Nashville.

Might sound weird to say but having 95.9 The Ranch is part of what made Fort Worth so unique for me. That was the only station I needed in this world and it fit right in with the music scene in Fort Worth.

Sheesh, if I wanna hear Sam Hunt I'll turn on the Wolf or KSCS. #MaketheRanchGreatAgain

True Anomaly said:

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Has no one here heard of 95.3 KHYI?

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Oh I've heard of it, I just can't hear it in my car because the signal is such garbage.

ol_army12 said:

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Chewy said:

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That's odd Frazell is defending it as well since he was as Red Dirt as anyone.

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He put this out the other day, obviously showing sarcasm...

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See you down the road.

That article sounds like Frazell and Hollinger are trying to turn The Ranch into their own Pandora station. I never really liked Holinger because he stayed away from what I consider true TX/RD music. Sounds like their going further away from it.

I love Merle but I don't want him on The Ranch. I like ZBB but I don't want them on The Ranch. Same with Gary Allan. Eric Church? Really? Springsteen? Skynrd? This reeks of a music snob thinking they know what's best for everyone but they actually have no idea. They've turned it into their personal playground thinking they know best for everyone when they don't know at all.

I listen to The Ranch SOLELY to hear TX/RDR artists I can't hear anywhere else. I don't want to waste time with people I can hear anywhere else. I loved The Ranch exposing me to people like Turnpike and William Clark Green. Now they're nothing but my customized Randy Rogers Band Pandora station that's I've adapted over the years bringing in some George and Hank with my likes and rejects. I don't need Frazell or Hollinger doing that for me. I have Pandora for that. I want them to expose me to TX/RDR artist I'd never get exposure to on Pandora or anywhere else.

If they want to be their own Pandora station I'll just listen to my own Pandora station which I pay for each month so I don't have to listen to ads.

Good luck The Ranch but I think you're headed down the wrong path for what you should be.