HOUSTON (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The success of the Dixie Chicks most recent tour in so-called blue states doesn't seem to count for much in Houston. The Dixie Chicks concert scheduled there was cancelled before tickets went on sale despite previous reports which had cited low ticket sales as the reason for the cancellation.
The Dixie Chicks are one of the best selling female groups in history, with 63 million in revenue on their 2003 tour, 30 million albums sold overall including 20,000 copies of their most recent #1 album "Taking the long way" being sold in Houston alone should make a date at the Toyota Center a good bet. So why the cancellation?
According to the Houston Chronicle, AEG's Louis Messina said that it was impossible for them to promote the concert on local radio. Ever since the 2003 controversy where the Natalie Maines made negative comments about President Bush's foreign policy initiatives, the Dixie Chicks have been persona non-gratia on country stations, despite their popularity. Messina told the Chronicle that not only would the stations not promote the show, but they wouldn't even take advertising money.
Houston country radio station KILT's manager John Brejot confirmed the refusal to the Chronicle, noting that they didn't promote groups that weren't on their playlists.
KILT is owned by CBS Radio, one of the largest major-market radio operators in the United States, operating 179 radio stations in 50 major markets around the US, including 4 in the Houston area. Another Houston radio station to eschew Dixie Chicks moulah was KKBQ, which is owned by Cox Radio which also operates 4 stations in the Houston area. Cox claims to be on track for 80 stations in major markets, primarily located in the Sun Belt. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers.
