A local radio station has kicked off the new year with a fresh coat of paint and a stronger focus on local music, artists, news, and entertainment.
On January 1, Dallas-based Deep Ellum Radio (DER) relaunched its free online radio station to include an assortment of new music, podcasts, local news updates, and more.
The 2023 revamp initiative was spearheaded by DER’s station manager and on-air host Veronica Young, who believes the much-needed overhaul will help recapture the district’s historical identity as well as reignite listener excitement.
DER was originally founded in 2010 by owners Kim Taylor and Chad Lovell, who saw an opportunity to capitalize on the then-growing market for online/internet radio — a medium with far fewer oversights and broadcasting restrictions than standard AM or FM radio.
The station had its official launch a year later, on January 1, 2011.
Over the past several years, DER has struggled to stay relevant, causing many listeners to abandon the platform. The station’s reliance on a dated music catalog and a lack of initiative in adopting new forms of content contributed to its audience decline.
“You’d tune in and not really get a good snapshot of Deep Ellum,” Young said. “So, I took on that task of bringing it all together.”
Young said her goal ahead of the station’s January 1 relaunch was to revamp, revise, and update DER’s music library with a brand new catalog as well as introduce a local podcast called The Sounds of Deep Ellum.
“What was missing were updated shows,” she said.
Now, “there’s new content,” Young continued. The station programming now includes talk shows, interviews, and highlighting of the local music scene.
While there are indeed other stations out there that support local music, none in Texas maintain a high focus on it, Young explained.
Located in Deep Ellum’s new community center, DER now features a 24-hour radio station and a full slate of scheduled programming as part of its 2023 relaunch.
The broadcasts can be found on deepellumradio.com or through Live365. Offered are music selections from a variety of eclectic genres as well as morning talk shows, including the following:
- Meia’s Mixtape in the Morning
- What’s Up with Byron
- The Veronica Young Show
- Music on My Mind
- Woman Crush Wednesdays
- Savant Garde
- The Smitten Kitten with Callie Dee
- Confession on Sundays
- Massive Intensive
- Church of Procrastanati
- Confession
- GOBL Radio
More Latin programming will be added soon, Young said, and the DER staff is preparing a special series that addresses mental health issues.
