Earlier this week I brought up yet another reason why regular radio sucks, the demise of Los Angeles' only country music station, KZLA-FM. Well now XM Satellite Radio is stepping up to the plate as the presenting sponsor of Country Bash 2006 - LA's largest country music festival.

KZLA abruptly dumped its country music format less than a week ago, leaving LA with absolutely no local country radio station of its own. Los Angeles often ranks in the top two cities for country music sales.

For the past eight years, KZLA has hosted Country Bash, which is an annual country festival spotlighting the top country music artists of the day. But with KZLA’s surprise shift from country to pop, this year’s event was put in jeopardy. So it's good news to hear that XM is taking hold of the reigns as a sponsor of Country Bash '06.

Tickets for Country Bash ’06 will be available beginning Saturday, August 26th at 10am. “Country Bash ’06,” is scheduled to feature such country music stars like Gretchen Wilson, Phil Vassar and SHeDAISY. The event will be held October 14 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, Calif.

Last week, Los Angeles lost its last Country music station - KZLA-FM - which was replaced with a Pop music format... the wacky "Movin' 93.9."

I could go on and on about this, but there's no need when this video says it all (via Hear 2.0):

Robert Neil, Cox Radio's CEO had a bit of a holier-than-thou moment during yesterday's conference call with investors. When Mark Wienkes of Goldman Sachs posed the question about satellite radio's slowing momentum, Mr. Neil had some very bold things to say.

Things like, "I said those guys were going to get theirs in due course, and they have..." and "I don't think enough people are willing to pay for it, to make it a large generator of cash."

Keep gloating Robert, you won't be singing the same song in a few years.

Read the full transcript (via Seeking Alpha) after the jump...