The genesis of Highway Radio dates back to the late 1970s, when founder Howard Anderson realized 50% of visitors to Nevada tourism markets came from Southern California.

He went to his boss, the late Howard Hughes, and convinced him that reaching visitors on the highway would boost walk-in traffic to Hughes' casinos — The Sands, Desert Inn, Castaways, Silver Slipper, Frontier, and Landmark.

Howard B. Anderson
President KHWY Inc.
Founder of Highway Radio

"It's the Coca-Cola theory," Anderson said. "Put your advertising as close to the point of purchase as you can. Hughes said to go for it, but on April 6, 1975, he went to the great casino in the sky."

The Hughes operating businesses were liquidated following his death, but engineering data for the radio concept passed on to Anderson, who put the stations on the air in 1980. Anderson used an existing microwave relay site on Calico Peak and located another at Mountain Pass to cover Interstate 15.

The station increased its power at the Mountain Pass transmitter in 1984 from 2,200 watts to 10,000 watts and added other transmitters covering Interstate 40 in 1991.

A subsequent three-year study at Primm showed a 300 percent increase in off-ramp traffic.

Originally called The Highway Stations, the broadcast group recently changed their name to Highway Radio to better reflect the brand they have developed over the past 20+ years.

Today's Highway Radio reaches a broad demographic audience with Hot A.C., Mainstream Country and Highway Rock. Highway Radio's brands include: The Highway, Highway Country, and The Drive.