The 80s live on at 103.1, Austin's 80s Station

[victorres43]

It looks like iHeartMedia in Austin has zoned out of sports, at least on 103.1 FM. Austin's 80s Station has made its way on K276EL and KVET-HD2. Austin's 80s Station will feature The Sandy Show hosted by longtime Austin personality Sandy McIlree.

Austin's 80s Station will take on 103.5 Bob FM, 105.3 The Bat, Majic 95.5, and Lucy 93.3.

 

[AnyHuman]

From RadioInsight:
"iHeartMedia has flipped 103.1 K276EL Austin TX from a simulcast of Sports “1300 The Zone” KVET to 1980s Hits “103.1 Austin’s 80s Station“.
Fed via 98.1 KVET-HD2, the new format targets Waterloo Media’s market leading Variety Hits “103.5 Bob-FM” KBPA and Austin Radio Network’s Classic Hits “105.3 The Bat” K287FG/KTXX-HD4."

iHeartMedia Launches Austin's 80s Station - RadioInsight

radioinsight.com

 

[Ryan Williams]

From RadioInsight:
"iHeartMedia has flipped 103.1 K276EL Austin TX from a simulcast of Sports “1300 The Zone” KVET to 1980s Hits “103.1 Austin’s 80s Station“.
Fed via 98.1 KVET-HD2, the new format targets Waterloo Media’s market leading Variety Hits “103.5 Bob-FM” KBPA and Austin Radio Network’s Classic Hits “105.3 The Bat” K287FG/KTXX-HD4."

iHeartMedia Launches Austin's 80s Station - RadioInsight

radioinsight.com

Good thing 1300 isn't turning in their license after all!

Jokes aside, what a sad station... they keep getting an FM simulcast and then it gets taken away.

 

[victorres43]

Good thing 1300 isn't turning in their license after all!

Jokes aside, what a sad station... they keep getting an FM simulcast and then it gets taken away.

It's not really a unique situation for KVET though, with its low ratings. iHeartMedia owns several Fox Sports AM stations that languish at the bottom of the ratings. Ditto with Cumulus owning several CBS Sports stations that have low ratings; Cumulus even had to shut down long-time radio station KVEN in Ventura County, with no other place for CBS Sports programming to go to in that market.

 

[MarkW]

I think this format choice is an excellent move for 103.1, a station that has been mismanaged for eons.

I'm happy to finally see a worthwhile format on this station. I still cannot believe the KGSR knock off once found there lasted as long as it did.

 

[Ryan Williams]

I'm happy to finally see a worthwhile format on this station. I still cannot believe the KGSR knock off once found there lasted as long as it did.

Was it iHeartAustin?

 

[Delete My Account]

Technically, iHeart Austin wasn't a KGSR knockoff - it was locally programmed around festival seasons, and predated "ACL Radio." Between local seasons it programmed iHeart's generic (and imo dull) "alt project" which is similar to what they now run on 97.5.

 

[victorres43]

I think this format choice is an excellent move for 103.1, a station that has been mismanaged for eons.

I'm happy to finally see a worthwhile format on this station. I still cannot believe the KGSR knock off once found there lasted as long as it did.

It really is a great thing that Austin finally has a true classic hits station (or one that is close to it) after all these years. The Bat leans a tad too heavily on classic rock. Bob FM may be a bit too heavy on hard rock at times, plus one may hear some strange songs.

 

[erwin33]

Very poorly spoken voice imaging in my point of view, don't fits that 80's style, sounds very corporate and 'last minute' done. No sung jingle package like that 80's station in SF with that old KIIS FM LA jingle package.

 

[RayDOhman]

Unfortunately, the signal is non-existent in the NW burbs, and very choppy driving North to Round Rock. And I agree the imaging doesn’t match the format… some 80s style jingles would be cool.

 

[Ryan Williams]

Unfortunately, the signal is non-existent in the NW burbs, and very choppy driving North to Round Rock. And I agree the imaging doesn’t match the format… some 80s style jingles would be cool.

103.1, in my real world experience, has always been one of the worse translators that is on the tower farm, despite looking pretty good on a coverage map. I suspect the reason has to do with only having vertical polarization, coupled with co-channel noise north of town from KSSM in Copperas Cove.