While Austin could certainly lay claim to being the Americana/alt-country
music capital of the world, the Hill Country has us whipped on radio stations.
KFAN has become well-established in Fredericksburg, and now there’s an
Americana upstart in New Braunfels, as well.
KNBT was your typical “Hot Hit Country” station until about seven months ago,
when its new music director, Mattson Rainer, decided to try a new direction.
“When I came down here from Boulder, Colorado about nine or 10 months ago, I
knew Hot Hit Country was going downhill,” says Rainer. “I did an Americana show
on Saturday nights for about three months, and the response was so solid that I
decided to mix that stuff into the regular rotation.”
KNBT is not going whole-hog into the Americana format like KFAN, but it mixes
contemporary Nashville country with edgier artists. The tracks currently in
heavy rotation at KNBT include cuts from Iris Dement, Trisha Yearwood, BR5-49,
and Travis Tritt, among others.
“My focus is to get the best of both,” Rainer says. “Vince Gill is not
Americana, but he’s a great artist, so we’ll continue to play him alongside
Jerry Jeff Walker and Junior Brown. I’m working towards weeding out the bad Hot
Hit Country artists, the people who are overrated. So far, it seems to be
working out great.” Well enough, in fact, that the station has been nominated
for Americana station of the year at this year’s Gavin Awards, being held this
week in New Orleans.
Rainer says that among his most requested artists are Robert Earl Keen and Don
Walser, as well as the more typical Reba McEntire and George Strait. Question
is, can the Hill Country support two Americana-oriented stations?
“We don’t reach Fredericksburg,” Rainer says, “So we’re really not competing
with them. Our frequency fades out around Hwy 281, right about where theirs
kicks in.” — L.N.
This article appears in February 14 • 1997 and February 14 • 1997 (Cover).