United Stations

Two-Hour Weekend Show with Lou Brutus to Celebrate On Air and At Events

New York, NY – June 24, 2021 – When the two-hour weekend Rock program known as hardDrive airs on the July 4th holiday weekend, it will mark the 25th anniversary of that time-honored and award-winning show. From its debut in the summer of 1996 through the program that is broadcast this weekend, hardDrive will have delivered 2600 hours of some of the most compelling, entertaining and influential radio in a generation. Host Lou Brutus, who anchored that first show 25 years ago, is still behind the microphone, and even though the show’s originating creative force, Producer Roxy Myzal, has retired, hardDrive continues today with an unrivaled team of writers, producers and programmers who, alongside the unique talents of the show’s host, keep the program as fresh and relevant as the day it started in the midst of Rock’s resurgence in the 90’s.

hardDrive with Lou Brutus is a two-hour weekly long-form program that features  new Rock music, artist interviews, news, tour updates, giveaways and information on all things in the world of  Rock .  It was developed 25 years ago by the award-winning producer Roxy Myzal, and her tradition is carried on today by a solid team who never miss a beat covering the Rock world. The show is designed for all Rock radio formats, and the music on the program has evolved along with the ever-changing playlists of the show’s 100+ affiliates. United Stations has been producing, distributing and handling all sales and affiliate marketing efforts for the program since January 2001.  The weekend program is written, and assembled by Zak Tranese with the support of Mark Abramson and Bill Powell who primarily work on the extended, daily edition of the show called hardDrive XL.  The show’s host, Lou Brutus is a well-known Rock personality who has been an air talent at legendary stations including WMMR/Philadelphia, WHJY/Providence, WHFS/Washington, DC and WRCX/Chicago. Over the years, the program has proved to be instrumental in the careers of countless artists from Korn and Rage Against The Machine to Linkin Park and Foo Fighters.

The hardDrive 25th anniversary has been marked all year in small doses on the weekly show, but will be celebrated with a special edition of the program which will be broadcast on the weekend of July 3-4, 2021.   The special featured guest lineup for the anniversary includes Foo Fighters, Disturbed, Slipknot, Five Finger Death Punch, Shinedown and Godsmack. Additionally, Lou Brutus is appearing at two music festivals this summer… in mid-July he’s hosting Rock Fest in Cadott, WI and he will also be quite visible at September’s Blue Ridge Rock Fest in Danville, VA. 

Due to the success and influence of the weekend hardDrive program, several brand extensions have been introduced by United Stations over the years.  In February 2007, USRN introduced a Monday through Friday 5-hour program called hardDrive XL which still airs nightly on approximately sixty (60) stations. In 2009, hardDrive also launched the very first branded tour by a syndicated radio program, the HARDDRIVE LIVE TOUR, which visited over 40 cities that year.  There have been a total of seven HardDrive Live Tours thus far.   And in July of 2014, a hardDrive APP was introduced.  The app has thousands of downloads and features exclusive video, music news and information and interactivity with both artists and members of the show’s staff.

More recently, other brand extensions of hardDrive have come into being. One is known as hardDrive DL (short for download) which is  a series of podcasts based on exclusive content gathered for the program. The other was the launch of a hardDrive Radio YouTube channel.

“At United Stations, we are extremely proud of the hardDrive team,” commented the network’s EVP/Programming, Andy Denemark. “It’s incredibly gratifying when a hot new Rock band is  interviewed for the show and they can barely contain their excitement because they grew up listening to the show and were deeply inspired by the music and the program.  Our entire executive team, affiliate marketing department, sales, traffic, production and research staff all congratulate Lou Brutus and everyone behind the scenes at hardDrive.  We say ‘HAPPY ANNIVERSARY’ and here’s to many more!”   

United Stations Radio Networks, Inc. is the nation’s leading independently owned and operated radio network. The company services an array of format specific programs and services that account for nearly 6000 affiliations with rated radio stations across the country.  USRN maintains sales, marketing and production offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Washington and Nashville.  The New York-based company was founded in 1994 by radio pioneers Dick Clark and Nick Verbitsky.

                                    Press Contact USRN:  Andy Denemark          andyd@unitestations.com or 212.536.3603

                            Affiliate Contact:          Maria Musaitef            mmusaitef@unitedstations.com or 818-257-3161