Update 4/19: After a few minutes of technical issues, Fringe launched around 10:15am with JB & Sandy introducing themselves and the station. Many of the sweepers heard on the station took shots at Entercom and Mix 94.7 for letting the duo go and branding the station as home of commercial radio exiles. Despite the shots at KAMX, the station musically is positioned closer to Emmis AAA 93.3 KGSR and The University of Texas’ 98.9 KUTX.
While no website is live for the station yet, you can listen online here.
The first hour of Fringe consisted of:
The Clash – London Calling
Mowglis – San Francisco
Bob Marley – No Woman No Cry
Pixies – Here Comes Your Man
Black Keys – Fever
White Stripes – My Doorbell
Krayzie Bone f/ Pozition – Pop Life (Grandad Remix)
The Cars – Hello Again
The translator is being fed by 104.9 KTXX-HD4 Bee Cave. Listen to the debut of Fringe 105.3 on FormatChange.com.
Update 4/17: As expected, Fringe will be heard on 105.3 K287FG Austin. The 75 watt translator will cover Austin proper, but will not put much of a signal into the northern suburbs of Round Rock and Georgetown.
With the launch of Fringe, Genuine Austin Radio will shuffle some of its other signals. Christian Talk 1490 KLGO will move its programming to 1260 KWNX Elgin where it will replace the simulcast of Sports/Classic Hits “104.9 The Horn” KTXX-FM Bee Cave. 1490 will replace 105.3 as the downtown Austin booster signal for KOKE joining 99.3 KOKE-FM Thorndale, 98.5 K253AN Sunset Valley, and 107.1 KLZT-HD3.
Update 4/15: JB Hager & Sandy McIlree have officially been named as morning hosts for the new Fringe Radio Austin.
The Austin Statesman reports the new format will debut on Saturday, April 19 at 10:00am with JB and Sandy starting their morning show on Monday morning at 6am.
The Austin Business Journal describes the format as “a mix of new rock and indie bands” along with some classic alternative and an occasional hip-hop song. That will position Fringe into a competitive landscape that includes Emmis’ AAA 93.3 KGSR and Alternative “101X” 101.5 KROX, Clear Channel Alternative “103.1 IHeart Austin” K276EL, and University of Texas AAA 98.9 KUTX.
Update 4/14: Ray Seggern has dropped a huge hint about where Fringe Radio will be located when it launches.
Seggern registered 1053TheFringe.com, Fringe1053.com, and FringeRadioAustin.com on Friday for the station. 105.3 in this case would be K287FG Austin, which currently rebroadcasts KOKE-FM. The translator operates with 75 watts at 331.8 meters from the West Lake Hills tower farm west of Austin.
Original Report 4/10: Genuine Austin Radio has revealed they will launch a new Freeform station branded “Fringe” later this month.
Genuine Austin Radio, run by Bob Cole, Jason Nassour and Eric Raines launched their company to launch Country KOKE-FM in 2012. The company has since expanded to include Sports/Classic Hits “104.9 The Horn” KTXX/1260 KWNX, Christian Talk 1490 KLGO, and numerous translators in the Austin market.
The actual music style to be played on Fringe is still unknown. Ray Seggern, who will serve as Program Director of the station, told the Austin Chronicle “What does fringe mean? It means we’re off the beaten path. It says that, relative to the competition, we’re slightly off center.” Seegern is currently a partner in the Wizard of Ads agency and hosted “Chillville” on Alternative “101X” KROX Austin until last month.
The new station appears to be the likely home for former “Mix 94.7” KAMX morning hosts JB & Sandy. While not yet disclosing who will host the daypart on Fringe, Seggern stated “I know for a fact that Austinites love this morning show we’re about to unveil.”
The station’s future website appears to be FringeFMAustin.com, as that was registered by Jason Nassour on March 27.
What station would they use for the new signal? One of the KOKE translators?
Will they use 95.9 Giddings?
It’s 96.3 Giddings, and probably not as that’s a rimshot station. It will probably be on at least one translator.
Oops. My fault.
Has anybody identified what’s feeding the translator? I didn’t hear a top of the hour ID on the stream.
The FCC rules on station ID and translators originating their own programming are apparently too corporate for them.
Finally heard one, KTXX-HD4, they should probably start promoting that on their facebook page as there’s a lot of complaints about the weak signal on 105.3
While the translator ID (K287FG Austin) is legal, the originating station is half-assedly ID’d. “104.9’s HD4” should instead be “KTXX-FM HD4 Bee Cave.”
But then again, sister station KOKE fails to correctly ID KLZT HD4, too.
Its not an over sight since KOKE no longer run on (KLZT HD4).
KTXX 104.9 HD4.