Country icon Garth Brooks has big plans for country music.
Brooks is starting a new FM radio station, and he’s saving a beloved indie rock station in Nashville at the same time. Lightning 100 is described by Saving Country Music as “the city’s longest-running independent radio station. Lightning 100 has been locally owned and operated for 36 years.” The station focuses mostly on “indie rock,” local artists and artists considered “Americana,” that site says.
In other words, it’s a good fit for Brooks, who detailed the purchase and plan on his website.
Garth Brooks “is launching a new FM radio station serving Nashville and the surrounding metropolitan area. The deal is awaiting FCC approval,” the legend’s website says. But how did this come about? And how does Lightning 100 fit in? Brooks is buying its frequency for his new FM station but saving the station as part of the deal, which will move to another place on the dial.
“This deal moves the 100.1 FM frequency to Sevens Network, but keeps Lightning 100 on the air at a new place on the dial,” Lester Turner, President of Tuned in Broadcasting, Inc/Lightning 100, told Music Row. “We are disappointed to leave our home at 100.1 FM but thrilled to have Cromwell Media Nashville as our partner in this transition. Listeners will need to tune to new frequencies but will continue to find the familiar Lightning 100 programming that they know and love.” If approved, Lightning 100 “Lightning 100 “will move to Cromwell Media’s 106.3 FM and 102.5 FM HD3 frequencies,” according to Music Row.
Garth Brooks Saw an Old Post From Lightning 100 That Read, ‘Save Our Station’
According to Brooks’ website, he hatched the idea in 2025, when he saw a post by Lightning 100 that read, “Save Our Station.” That post was actually an old one, dating to the pandemic, but Brooks thought it was a recent message.
“I thought the post was current,” Brooks said on his website. “I was looking for a station for this idea I had about an information station for Nashville locals, visitors, and tourists.”
According to his website, Brooks likes the idea of performing a public service; Brooks “envisions FM-100 as another way to give back to the city by providing a valuable resource for residents and visitors,” his website says.
“For FM-100, that could mean keeping listeners up to date on what’s happening around Nashville, supporting events promoted by other local radio stations, welcoming and assisting tourists, or getting critical information to Middle Tennesseans during dangerous weather.”
“I owe this city,” Brooks said. “I owe country music.”
Garth Brooks Decided to Launch FM-100 & Save Lightning 100 at the Same Time
Brooks reached out and spoke with the owners, who were still struggling with the aftermath of the pandemic. His website says that Lightning 100 has boosted musicians “early in their careers” and has been an “underground voice of the local independent music scene. Lightning 100 even created the popular Live On The Green concert series, a live music opportunity for fans to hear new bands. Brooks wanted to see that legacy live on.”
“A country artist buying an indie-rock station made no sense,” Brooks said. So he decided to buy Lightning 100’s “spot on the FM dial for his new FM-100, while Lightning 100 could move nearby on the dial and keep doing what it’s always done — uplift indie rock,” his website explains.
“This way, the owner gets help in funding. The station lives on, while the new FM-100 finds a home in the middle of the FM dial,” he explained.
What will FM-100 offer?
“Musically, Brooks envisions FM-100 as a place where the entire history of country music comes together, from the legends who built the genre to today’s stars and the artists who will shape its future,” his website says.
“This is an opportunity to bring the entire family of country music together in one spot … the legends, the greats, and the future greats,” Brooks said.
He wants to feature female artists to give them a boost.
“We NEED both sides telling the story of country music,” Brooks said.
Brooks doesn’t envision his new radio station driving others out of business – rather, the opposite, his website statement says.
“We PROMOTE anything the other stations have posted that’s going on,” he said. “If it’s going on in Nashville, we want the people of Middle Tennessee to be aware of it.”
Brooks also wants to offer weather updates.
“Eventually, Brooks wants FM-100 to reach far beyond Middle Tennessee,” the statement says.
“The dream is to be a 24-hour GLOBAL station,” he said, “to bring Country Music to places on the planet it has yet to go.”
Garth Brooks Just Announced a Major Purchase That Could Help Save Country Music