Came across this article in the 12/31/01 Chicago Tribune:Bucking the System:
Radio Margaritaville debuted with a live Buffett concert in March 1999. Its one full-time employee, program director Steve Huntington, said Buffett started the station because of his annoyance with commercial radio.
“Artists like Jimmy can sell out concerts all over the country, but when they put out a new CD they can’t get a fair shake on the commercial stations,” Huntington said from the station’s studio in Bradenton, Fla., near Sarasota. Other performers heard on the service include Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor and Harry Belafonte.
Buffett subsidizes Radio Margaritaville, which does not play regular ads but, in the style of public radio, announces that some segments are made possible by the sponsorship of companies. “We have not yet caught the attention of media buyers,” Huntington said. “If only a company like Outback Steakhouse or Krispy Kreme would throw us a bone, we could lead the way in Internet radio to becoming solvent.”