Rad Radio DFW launches with focus on local personalities, 1990s alternative music

A new independent radio station has launched in Dallas-Fort Worth, promising a locally focused lineup of personalities and a soundtrack centered on alternative music from the 1990s.

Rad Radio DFW, owned by Treehouse Media, is now streaming with a full weekday lineup of local personalities. Listeners can access the station through the Rad Radio DFW app, which is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

The station primarily features alternative music that defined the 1990s, along with selected songs from the 1980s and 2000s. Its slogan is "1990s. Forever."

Co-founders Dan O'Malley and Rebekah Black say the station was created to bring a more local and personality-driven approach to radio.

"There's an entire generation in DFW that grew up with radio personalities who felt like part of their day and stations that genuinely felt connected to this area," said O'Malley, owner of Treehouse Media and a 27-year radio veteran. "We're not trying to recreate 1996. We're taking what made radio fun then and building something for the way people listen now."

According to the station, Rad Radio DFW was developed as a locally focused alternative to an industry increasingly shaped by national programming, consolidation and automation. Its format combines elements of traditional personality-driven radio with a digital platform designed to allow listeners to interact directly with hosts.

"We want this to feel like DFW's station, not just a station you can hear in DFW," Black said. "The personalities are real, the interaction is real, and the people listening are part of what we're building. That connection is what made great radio special in the first place."

The weekday schedule begins with "Rad Mornings with Rebekah and Dan" from 7 to 9 a.m. Angela Chase follows from 9 a.m. to noon, with Greg Jake from noon to 3 p.m. and Cruz from 3 to 6 p.m.

Torrez and "The DudeBro Show" air from 6 to 9 p.m., followed by Jessie from 9 p.m. to midnight.

Through the station's app, listeners can submit song requests and send messages and voice notes to the station and its personalities using a feature called Rad Chat.