My station has played him too. I simply can't afford every artist they play. Western and Western Swing (and TRUE country*) have a legacy spannng decades and this station has familiarized me with so many, both old and new.
Oh, I also like Alt Country, such as Hank III and Gas Money, Reverend Horton Heat, The Derailers, and Jimmy Dale Gilmore, all of which I thank (or curse) Pandora for introducing to me..
IMNSHO, it would behoove any new and struggling artist to get in bed with Pandora, even if they don't get paid, simply for theexposure it offers. A targeted market is invaluable.
* At one point, country AND western were two distinct styles until a marketing decision by Capital records combined them (for simplicity) and the label stuck.