The Most Strangely Awesome Radio Station Ever

“Sports radio” is a  format many of us are extremely passionate about.  But to have a passion for “sports radio” you first must have a passion for “radio” in general.  Most sportscasters either are or once were music jocks, salespeople, or programmers who developed a deep love of all different formats and the many ways the medium can entertain a variety of people.

As one of those people who love the medium, I have a habit of scanning the dial and just enjoying different hosts, DJ’s, and music during roadtrips.  On a recent drive to the Black Hills of South Dakota I stumbled upon maybe the single most unique station format I’ve ever heard.

The station was KOYA 88.1 out of Rosebud, S.D., and — after a bit of research — I discovered that it is a non-commercial station owned by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.  While Bob and Jack formats play a wide variety of music, this station seems to basically not have any format whatsoever, which to me was refreshing.  The station basically played music roulette and you truly had no idea what was coming next.  I kept track of the songs played for about 45 minutes and heard top 40, 90’s alternative, hip-hop, 90’s R&B, disco, and country.  Adding to the randomness, they also played PSA’s voiced by Sammy Hagar and Marc Anthony.  For a medium that is mostly dominated by corporate giants and the almighty dollar, it was nice to tune into a station that clearly is having a ton of fun and doing something different and pure.  This station streams at http://koyaradio.com/and I’d recommend checking it out to anyone who enjoys radio.

The playlist during the 45 minutes I was listening is below:

Trouble- Taylor Swift

Come On- Ke$ha

Father of Mine- Everclear

Feel This Moment- Pitbull & Christina Aguilera

Hold It Now Hit It- Beastie Boys

Demons- Imagine Dragons

Alive- Krewella

Love You Down- Inoj

I Love Your Smile- Shanice

All About That- Meghan Trainor

I Love The Nightlife- Alicia Bridges