if you owned a popular radio station would you try and put unknown songs on there to help gain them popularity even though it could possibly hurt your reputation? if so what songs would you try and push mainstream?

For me this is a no brainer.  OF course i would.  There is so many unkown artists out there that deserves to be recognized but instead we have artists that doesnt write their own music and is heavily auto tuned

If I was super rich and it didn't matter to me if the radio station made money I'd play the songs I want. But if it was my livelihood than I'd play what's popular to get more ad money.

I wonder why there isn't a radio station exclusively for playing Videogame OSTs.

I mean I'd listen to it.

There are a number of online stations like that.

In answer to OP: I'd make a VGMusic station. :D

They're on Shoutcast, so yup, they're free. Here's a whole list of them.

http://www.shoutcast.com/radio/Video%20Game%20Music

Not a particularly high bitrate, but oh well.

I'd make a radio station with a driving purpose of pushing new artists or giving airplay to established artists that are almost completely unknown outside the mainstream.

I'd also have several feature programming blocs on my station, not just music, where our hosts talk up the music scene and allow people to call in and discuss pretty much anything music related. Also would have a weekly spot for artists to come in or call in to be interviewed, and maybe even perform some of their material live on air with our own in-house studio.

Once this starts catching on, advertisers and the big music labels would start throwing a ton of $$$ my way to get me to promote their artists of choice, which I'd gladly do, but only during certain programming blocs, and for a nominal fee of course.