We regret any kind of inconvenience the switch has caused our long-loyal listeners. We really do. The move was made in order to better serve the greatest number of KGSR listeners. We moved from a 49,000 watt 500 ft tower to a 100,000 watt 2,000 ft tower. By the numbers, we can tell you this: the population of KGSR's city-grade coverage area at 93.3 is over 1.1 million; its coverage area at 107.1 included less than 800,000. However, the signal now comes into Austin from the northwest (before it came into town from the southeast) which means there are some areas that may not enjoy the signal strength they had with the 107.1 frequency. Generally speaking, the signal is much better throughout Central Texas, but there are some spots that are not as good. Given Austin's topography, there are very few radio stations that don't suffer in some areas.
Obviously, we’d love for everyone interested in KGSR to be able to hear KGSR – especially long-time loyal listeners. The reception issues are something we're diligently working on. As one option, we just added a second HD radio choice for KGSR. We already broadcast in HD at 93.3 – but also now broadcast KGSR on 107.1 HD2 also. This means that people who get better reception on 107.1 than on 93.3 can listen to KGSR more easily – but you must have an HD Radio – here’s a link to learn about them (
www.hdradio.com). An external antenna on your analog radio can help too (if your radio provides a connection for one); here’s a link to a site that offers excellent radios and accessories:
www.ccrane.com. But we don’t want to ask you to spend more money on equipment (unless you’ve been looking for an excuse to upgrade to HD radio). We are actively exploring other no-cost solutions too. Look for news here at KGSR.com, via our Twitter account (@kgsr) and on Facebook (friend us by simply searching KGSR). Your patience is appreciated. And again, we apologize for this inconvenience, but hope that you’ll find the station on its new frequency where and when it’s possible. Plus, we’re always available streaming free of charge at kgsr.com, or from your iPhone or Blackberry. Find links to those free services at the top of this page.
It’s not just you. We’ve added a bunch of new songs to our regular rotation. At the core of KGSR’s DNA is eclecticism and we believe a recent infusion of over 300 songs to our playlist expands upon that eclecticism. We’ve added different tunes from core KGSR artists like Fleetwood Mac, Van Morrison, The Beatles and David Bowie, while still offering a wide-ranging selection of new music – from Austin’s own Spoon to the Monsters of Folk, Charlie Mars, Vampire Weekend and My Morning Jacket. In addition, you'll find more music from artists past and present that we think fit the vibe of the station. To us, KGSR has always been a delicate mix of new music and proven time-tested hits. In an average 20 minute period, we might play Bob Schneider, Radiohead, The Police, Coldplay, The Mavericks and R.E.M. – a genre-jumping combination we’re proud to say you’ll find nowhere else on your dial. KGSR has always thrived by evolving – but also continuing to be uniquely Austin. We hope to keep those elements that are local and unique – but we’ll always be tinkering and evolving to keep up with the changing demographics of the town – and also to keep things interesting! There may well be songs and artists that we try out and then decide don’t fit, so we look forward to and wholly appreciate your feedback on what you like and what you don’t like.
Absolutely. In December, our Star-A-Thon – just one day of live broadcasting – saw our listeners step up to donate over $22,000 for the Christmas Bureau of Austin. We’re also on our way to selling out of Broadcasts Vol. 17 – the latest in our series of exclusive live music collections. Each year, the Broadcasts CDs benefit The SIMS Foundation. Thanks to your interest in the CDs (and the generosity of the musicians who donate the rights to their recordings) we’ve been able to raise over 2 million dollars to help SIMS provided mental health and addiction recovery services to Austin musicians and their immediate families.
Yes. In April, we’ll kick off another season of free shows at Shady Grove. But first we’ll host five mornings of live music at the Four Seasons during SXSW. As always, The Four Seasons morning shows will raise money for The Shivers Cancer Foundation. Look for more information on both events on kgsr.com in early March.
All of the email addresses for the station’s key personnel
are here You can always begin with KGSR Program Director Chris Edge. He’s available to you at
cedge@emmisaustin.com