Longhorn Sports leave KVET for Austin Radio Network

[bentheredonethat]

For the first time in a couple of decades, UT Athletics will not be on the KVET signals:

http://www.texassports.com/news/2015/6/16/GEN_0616155335.aspx

 

[bentheredonethat]

Looks like Sandy, former member of ARN, disapproves.

"Real radio stations players must have passed. Wonder why? Another disaster"

(attached)

 

[flyingdj]

This change is not a shock or even a surprise to me and many other listeners.

For anyone that has been around Austin a long time, KVET/KASE would probably be considered the “new kid” for Longhorn sports because KLBJ-AM had it for such a long time before them. I don't remember anyone else having it before KLBJ-AM but it is possible that some else did have it before them.

When Bob Cole and his group bought the stations and promised to turn some of them into local sports, I think that was a “done deal” that they were going to outbid everyone for the rights to broadcast Longhorn sports.

That was my first thought when they turned to sports, and, from many of the callers to the station that I heard, everyone was predicting that this was the next step. The sports radio hosts were saying that “this was not in the plans at this time”.

As to it being a “disaster”. I don't know about that. With them having so many stations in the area, the coverage might be as much or more than the KVET/KASE coverage. I guess it depends on where you live and how close you are to one of their stations as to whether this is a disaster.

They are keeping the on-air talent the same for this coming season so I don't expect much change or “disaster” except that I will have to change frequencies on the radio dial to listen to the games.

 

[flyingdj]

I didn't want to put this in my previous post because it would make it too long or detailed and most of the readers would know what I meant.

But, for the sake of being precise, KLBJ-AM used to be KTBC-AM from 1939 to 1973 so that when we listened to many of the Longhorn games, the station was KTBC, not KLBJ. The owners and frequency (590 KHz) remained the same when the call sign changed. President Johnson (the Johnson family) owned the station back then but now it is owned by Emmis.

 

[longhorn2004]

How long before 1300AM flips or worse. Isn't Craig Way one of the announcers for Texas Longhorn Sports? So he is going to broadcast on the competition's radio waves? Will he be making the jump to FM 104.9?

Hey 104.9, since you are now the flagship, can we get enough juice to pick up the signal in Georgetown?

 

[flyingdj]

To: longhorn2004

Yes, Craig Way has been the play-by-play voice of the Longhorns for 14 years.

Yes, Craig Way has an afternoon radio program, “The Sports Buffet”, on KVET-AM “1300 The Zone”, the station that had been broadcasting Texas Longhorn sports.

Yes, if Craig Way remains on that program, he will be broadcasting the Longhorn games on the “competition”. Austin Radio Network said the “on-air staff” for broadcasting the games would remain the same for the upcoming season. We don't know what will happen after the season ends.

You seem concerned about the low power (3,200 watts) of 104.9 “The Horn”.

I have four comments about that:

1. I receive 104.9 MHz better on a cheap old clock radio than I do on my stereo receiver with an outdoor antenna. You might try different radios to see if one picks it up better than the others.

2. The “Austin Radio Network”, the network that will be broadcasting the Longhorn games, is made up of several stations in the Austin area. 104.9 “The Horn” will be the flagship station but they will be simulcasting Longhorn sports on all of these stations:

Texas Athletics sports broadcast stations:

KOKE-FM 99.3 FM
Texas Football
Texas Basketball-Men

KOKE-FM 98.5 FM
Texas Football
Texas Basketball-Men

KTAE-AM 1490
Texas Football
Texas Basketball-Men

KTXX-FM 104.9 FM
Texas Football
Texas Basketball-Men
Texas Basketball-Women
Texas Baseball
Texas Softball
"Featured Game" coverage for any or all of the other UT sports.

KTXX-HD4 - 105.3 FM
Texas Football

KLGO-AM 1260
Texas Football

FIESTA 97.1 FM (KTXX-HD2)
Spanish language Longhorn Football

KZNX-AM 1530
Spanish language Longhorn Football

You might want to try all of those stations to see which one comes in the best in your area. It might change for the winter or at night.

3. As a “last resort” it looks like you will be able to listen to the Texas Longhorn games on the Internet because of this:

Longhorn IMG Radio Network broadcasts for football, men's basketball and coaches shows are available statewide on more than 30 radio stations. Texas games also will be streamed live world-wide (without cost) to Longhorns fans on TexasSports.com and on a separate digital streaming platform that is being developed in collaboration with ARN. The platform will feature live and archived content.

4. As a “final last resort”, I have listened to stations outside of our area (examples: San Antonio or Dallas) when I could not pick up the Austin station because of weather or low power night fading (if they were only broadcasting the game on AM in Austin, which was very rare not to also be on FM).

If you do experiment with the different stations, it would be interesting to know which one came in the best in your area.

 

[longhorn2004]

Hmm, so I should not be surprised if Craig Way leaves and moves to 104.9. Slowly but surely Bucky and the gang are getting back together again, weird how that works. Very interesting.

I am using a Bose Wave radio at the office, its reception even with external antenna stinks. May need to move to a simple boombox radio.