KGSR

For the Bastrop, Texas radio station that held the call sign KGSR at 107.1 FM from 1989 to 2009, seeKLZT.

KGSR

Cedar Park, Texas
Broadcast area	Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area
Frequency	93.3MHz(HD Radio)
Branding	Vibe 93.3
Programming
Format	Rhythmic adult contemporary
Subchannels	HD2: 93.3 KGSR HD2 (Free-form radio) HD3: The Party (Dance radio) HD4: Latino 97.1 (Bilingual AC)
Affiliations	Premiere Networks
Ownership
Owner	Sinclair Telecable Inc. (Waterloo Media Group, L.P.)
Sister stations	KBPA,KLBJ,KLBJ-FM,KLZT,KROX-FM
History
First air date	August 1961(1961-08)
Former call signs	KLEN-FM (1961–1973) KIXS-FM (1973–1986) KBTS-FM (1986–1992) KMXX (1992–1994) KHHT (1994–1996) KAJZ (1996–1998) KLNC (1998–2001) KXMG (2001–2003) KDHT (2003–2009)
Call signmeaning	"Star" (carried over from the107.1frequency; resurrected on 93.3 from 2019-2020)
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	23604
Class	C
ERP	100,000watts
HAAT	587 meters (1,926 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	30°43′34.0″N97°59′24.3″W
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Webcast	Listen Live Listen live (HD2) Listen live (HD3)
Website	vibe933.com kgsr.com(HD2)

KGSR(93.3FM,"Vibe 93.3" ) is aradio stationlicensedtoCedar Park, Texas,and serving theAustin-Round Rock metropolitan area.Owned by Sinclair Telecable Inc.d/b/aWaterloo Media Group, it broadcasts arhythmic adult contemporaryformat. KGSR has studios and offices offInterstate 35in North Austin, and itstransmittersite is located off Route 206 inBertram.

KGSR'seffective radiated poweris 100,000watts,with a signal extending fromKilleenandTempleto the northern suburbs ofSan Antonio.

KGSR broadcasts in theHD Radioformat - its HD2 subchannel broadcasts afreeformformat inspired by theAustin City Limitstelevision series andmusic festival.KGSR-HD3 broadcastsThe Party,adanceformat launched in September 2021 before rebranding on January 18, 2022. KGSR-HD4 broadcastsLatino 97.1,a Bilingual AC format launched in October 2024.

History

KLEN-FM and KIXS-FM

KGSR signed on in August 1961 as KLEN-FM, owned by Clear Channel Campuses and Highlite Broadcasting.Its originalcity of licensewas Killeen, Texas, serving the Killeen-Fort Hood area. KLEN-FM was co-owned with KLEN-AM (wasKRMYuntil 2023). Since KLEN-AM was a daytime-only station, KLEN-FM allowed listeners to hear the station at night after the AM transmitter hadsigned off.

In 1973, the stations were acquired by Accent Radio, which switched them to aTop 40format, and changed thecall signsto KIXS and KIXS-FM in June 1973. In 1986, the two stations were acquired by Duffy Broadcasting, which asked the FCC for a major power increase for the FM station.

Top 40 and Smooth Jazz

On October 2, 1986, KIXS-FM upgraded its signal to 100,000 watts, allowing it to move in to the more lucrative Austinradio marketwhile still covering Killeen.It would then relaunch its Top 40 format with the newcall signKBTS, "B93", in December, and was an immediate success. However, four years later, B93 came into common ownership with competing top 40 stationKHFI,with KBTS flipping tohot adult contemporaryas KMMX ( "Mix 93.3" ). Right before the switch in December 1991, an Urban/Rhythmic format was tried until "B93" ceased to exist in February 1992. Stunting went on for a few months after, until KMMX went on the air in May 1992.

In 1993, the station was bought by LBJ, Inc. for $2.5 million.The company was owned by the family of formerPresidentLyndon Baines Johnsonand also ownedKLBJ (AM)andKLBJ-FM.Shortly after the sale, the station flipped to an All-1970shits format as KHHT. That was followed in 1996 by KAJZ, playingsmooth jazz.Two years later, the station flipped tocountry musicas KLNC.

Rhythmic KXMG and KDHT

By 2001, the station tried to appeal to Austin's growing Hispanic community with adanceformat as KXMG, known asMega 93.3.It was also at this time that thecity of licensechanged toCedar Park.

The stations were part of a larger cluster co-owned by Sinclair Telecable Inc. (d/b/a Sinclair Communications; unrelated to television broadcasterSinclair Broadcast Group,who owns CBS stationKEYE), and LBJ Holdings Co. (owned byLuci Baines Johnson,the daughter of former PresidentLyndon B. JohnsonandLady Bird Johnson). In 2003, theIndianapolis-basedEmmis Communicationsacquired the LBJ Holdings controlling stake in the stations.KXMG would shift to a hip hop-leaningrhythmic contemporaryformat, changed call letters to KDHT, and rebranded asHot 93.3.

Adult Alternative KGSR

On November 17, 2009, KDHT beganstunting,leading to speculation that it would flip to atalk radioformat. However, on November 20, Emmis revealed that theadult album alternativeformat heard on KGSR inBastropwould move to the more powerful signal on 93.3. The two stations simulcast for a 10-day period until December 1, when KGSR's former 107.1 FM signal switched to aRegional Mexican musicformat asKLZT.

On December 13, 2010, KGSR began simulcasting on FM translator K274AX (102.7 FM). This lasted until October 20, 2011, when K274AX switched to acomedy radioformat, relaying KGSR-HD3. The comedy format proved to be quite successful in the AustinArbitron ratings,peaking with a 3.8 share. For a time, it was believed to be the highest-rated HD Radio-fed FM translator station in the United States.

On May 30, 2013, K274AX began relaying KLZT-HD2'sSpanish-languagehits format asLatino 102.7.

Austin City Limits Radio

Austin City Limits Radiologo.

On September 5, 2018, KGSR began promoting a major announcement to come at 5:00 p.m. the following day. At the same time, Sinclair closed on its purchase of translator 97.1 K246BD and began simulcasting KGSR on that frequency.

At the promised time, after playing "Changes"byDavid Bowie,the two stations re-launched asAustin City Limits Radio,co-branded with theAustin City Limitstelevision series andmusic festivalunder a multi-year licensing agreement. The station shifted to an "aesthetic" focus on musicians associated with the television series and festival rather than falling within a strictly-definedformat,with a broad mix of music that can range fromAmericanaand country music, toalternativeandclassic rock,as well as contemporaryhip-hop musicandworld music.The first song played under the new branding wasWillie Nelson's recording of "Whiskey River"—the first song to be performed onAustin City Limits.

Tom Gimbel, general manager of theAustin City Limitsprogram, stated that the new format reflected the listening habits associated with online music streaming platforms, explaining that "people are not tying themselves to Triple A or hip-hop or rock or country. They're all over the map. I think we're going to see a lot of people in Austin listening the same way."

As an adult contemporary station

On March 7, 2019, KGSR began running promos directingAustin City Limits Radiolisteners to the 97.1 signal. The next day, KGSR flipped tosoft adult contemporaryasStar 93.3,launching with 9,300 songs in a row. The station primarily targeted women in the 35-54 age demographic, and carried the syndicatedDelilahin evenings. The previousAustin City Limits Radioformat continues to air on KGSR-HD2 and the 97.1 translator.

In June 2019, Emmis announced that it would sell its stake in the Austin joint venture to Sinclair for $39.3 million. Sinclair will operate the stations under the licensee Waterloo Media.

On February 14, 2020, the station segued back tohot adult contemporarywhile maintaining theStar 93.3branding, but with the new slogan "Nothing But the Hits".On September 18, 2020, KGSR flipped back toTop 40/CHRas93.3 Austin,with the first song being "WAP"byCardi BfeaturingMegan Thee Stallion.After recording only a 1.0 share inNielsen Audioratings during its first month on-air, the station segued back to hot AC again on November 18, maintaining the existing93.3 Austinbranding and airstaff.

Logo as "Lucy", 2021-23

On January 4, 2021, KGSR rebranded once more toLucy 93.3,maintaining the existing hot AC format. The new brand is a nod to Luci Baines Johnson, daughter of former President Lyndon B. Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson, whose family owned the group of stations that would later include KGSR.Lucyis being positioned as a female counterpart to sister adult hits stationKBPA(Bob FM). The move marked KGSR's fourth change in branding or format in just shy of a year.The first song onLucywas "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"byThe Beatlesbefore returning to its hot AC playlist starting with "Kings & Queens"byAva Max.A similar format was launched the following year onNorfolk, Virginiasister stationWTARand its translator stations.

On August 21, 2021, KGSR addedElvis Duran and the Morning Show.Duran was part of the station in the early 1990s (as Top 40/CHR KBTS) as both the station's morning show host and program director.

By April 2023, KGSR had switched to a rhythmic hot AC format while retaining the “Lucy” branding.

Spanish CHR

On July 12, 2023, at 9:33 a.m., KGSR shifted to a Spanish languagecontemporary hit radioformat focused onbachata,reggaeton,andtropical musicas "Latino 93.3", reviving a format heard on K274AX/KLZT-HD2 from 2013 to 2021, then briefly again from January to June 2022.

See also

• Music of Austin

External links

• Official website
• Austin City Limits Radio (HD2)
• Facility details for Facility ID 23604 (KGSR)in theFCCLicensing and Management System
• KGSRinNielsen Audio's FM station database