The Bull raises American Red Cross money via ‘pay for play,’ and yes, that was the Dixie Chicks!

Was that Motley Crue and Drowning Pool on 94.9/the Bull, a country station, this morning?

Yes.

The station isn’t trying to compete with sister station Project 9-6-1. It’s raising funds for the American Red Cross and the recent flood victims via a “pay for play” concept. The more off base the song, the higher the price. Besides “Kickstart My Heart” and “Bodies,” other songs that are not normally on the playlist so far:

Pink Floyd  "Wish You Were Here."

Casting Crowns"Praise You In This Storm" (thematic at least)

The Beatles "Come Together"

Aerosmith "Sweet Emotion"

Billy Ray Cyrus  "Achy Breaky Heart" (Yes, that's country but not a song most country program directors want to be reminded of)

Toad the Wet Sprocket - "Walk On the Ocean"

Pat Benatar " Hit Me With Your Best Shot" (for Martina McBride)

Miley Cyrus "Party in the USA" (someone paid $300 for that one, though you could hear it every other hour on Star 94)

Shinedown "Second Chance" (taken straight from Project 9-6-1)

Steve Earle "Copperhead Road" ($100)

It’s $20 for a song on the playlist, $25 for a country song not on the playlist and $50 for a non-country song.

And at 10 a.m., the station did something it has never done in nearly three years since its inception: it played the Dixie Chicks! For many country stations, their politics have made them personas non grata since 2002. A woman who wanted to donate $50 got "Wide Open Spaces" on the air. Management had told the DJs a donation would have to be at least $100 for the Chicks, but the woman couldn't afford that. Morning host Jason Pullman ignored the bosses and played it for $50. The song wasn't even in the computer system so Pullman nabbed it off YouTube.

I spoke with Pullman right after he ended his shift. He said Kristen, who took a lot of guff over the Chicks when she was at Kicks, was steadfast against him playing “Wide Open Spaces.” He did it anyway and wanted to apologize to her. Since it was for a good cause, he said he hadn’t heard any negative feedback from playing the Chicks (not that the Bull will do so again anytime soon…)

The fundraiser will go on until 6 p.m. today. Pullman and co-host Kristen Gates will stay on the air until noon, followed by Lance Houston. If you just want to donate money directly, you can do so on the Bull Web Site.