In the pre-digital age, radio entertained, informed and dictated what was cool through theater of the mind. Acclaimed musicians such as Lyle Lovett, ZZ Top’s Dusty Hill, Melissa Etheridge and Sammy Hagar along with top radio DJs from across the US reflect on how the medium changed their lives and the lives of devoted listeners.
Runaway Radio focuses on Houston’s 101 KLOL – starting in 1970 as a progressive radio station, where DJs played whatever they wanted, to how it evolved into one of several wild Album Oriented Rock (AOR) stations across the country, where on-air personalities were sometimes bigger than the music itself! But in the end, changes and pressures from Washington, the music industry and Silicon Valley led to the station’s, and much of the format’s, demise in the 2000s.
Dark Star Pictures released Runaway Radio on February 27th, 2024.
Watch The Trailer Here:
Mike McGuff’s RUNAWAY RADIO explores the real story behind Houston’s hugely influential “101 KLOL” station. Out now on VOD and Digital platforms, RUNAWAY RADIO features commentary and archival footage from rock legends such as Lyle Lovett, ZZ Top’s Dusty Hill, fifteen-time Grammy nominee Melissa Etheridge, Sammy Hagar, Carmine Appice, Dug Pinnick of King’s X, and more as these music legends uncover the monumental influence of radio and Houston’s iconic AOR station “101 KLOL” on the music industry.
A native Houstonian and media personality, Director Mike McGuff grew up with “101 KLOL” before moving into the world of Texas and Houston television news. McGuff was honored with two Lone Star Emmy Awards and five nominations during his journalism career. His debut feature focuses on Houston’s “101 KLOL” evolution from groundbreaking station in the 1970s to one of several wild Album Oriented Rock (AOR) stations across the country, where on-air personalities were sometimes bigger than the music itself.
For all lovers of music, DJs, and the history of how we came to hear our favorite tunes, Runaway Radio is a required watch. Get lost in the past and learn how it all went down before some random algorithm took control of your current listening habits.
