Satellite official joins Chesney radio venture

Current Sirius/XM vice president for country programming Jon Anthony will be the general manager and program director for the Chesney venture. Anthony leaves the satellite radio company Aug. 15. The Internet station goes lives tomorrow at noon from Chesney's Orange Beach, Ala. tour stop, followed by webcasts from the rest of the weekend's destinations.

"Jon was such a force in the creation of our XM channel last summer and really got me thinking about how I can be a musical presence in the fans' lives whenever they want," Chesney said. "So when we decided to do 'No Shoes Radio,' he was the perfect person - he's been there from the beginning of this, he understands what I want to be, and he's not afraid to think outside the box."

Anthony said, "I am absolutely thrilled to be reviving 'No Shoes Radio' with Kenny, this time to the worldwide audience. He's constantly creating new and innovative ways to provide the best fan experience, and I'm excited about all of the creative adventures we're going to take with this radio station. Broadcasting via internet gives us unlimited freedom, so we'll be trying things that haven't been done before and truly expanding the traditional roles of radio. Just think of it as a permanent backstage pass to 'The Vibe Room.'"