Update 1/17/09 3:00pm: As expected, KDLD/KDLE flipped to Regional Mexican as “El Gato” at midnight.
Update 2:30pm: At 10:00am PST, Indie 103.1 signed-off with Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”. The station is now stunting with a 5 song loop interspersed with announcements that the station is moving to an internet-only operation.
This is an important message for the Indie 103.1 Radio Audience –
Indie 103.1 will cease broadcasting over this frequency effective immediately. Because of changes in the radio industry and the way radio audiences are measured, stations in this market are being forced to play too much Britney, Puffy and alternative music that is neither new nor cutting edge. Due to these challenges, Indie 103.1 was recently faced with only one option — to play the corporate radio game.
We have decided not to play that game any longer. Rather than changing the sound, spirit, and soul of what has made Indie 103.1 great Indie 103.1 will bid farewell to the terrestrial airwaves and take an alternative course.
This could only be done on the Internet, a place where rules do not apply and where new music thrives; be it grunge, punk, or alternative – simply put, only the best music.
For those of you with a computer at home or at work, log on to http://www.indie1031.com and listen to the new Indie 103.1 – which is really the old Indie 103.1, not the version of Indie 103.1 we are removing from the broadcast airwaves.
We thank our listeners and advertisers for their support of the greatest radio station ever conceived, and look forward to continuing to deliver the famed Indie 103.1 music and spirit over the Internet to passionate music listeners around the world.
Original Entry 1/15/09 11:00am EST: The RadioInsight.com Net Gnomes have discovered that Entravision Communications is planning on changing formats at Los Angeles’ Modern Rocker “Indie 103.1” KDLD/KDLE.
A pair of domains: elgato1031.com and 1031elgato.com were registered to Entravision in late December. The former points to an Under Construction page for the new station, while the latter redirects to a sister station in Sacramento.
Last week Entravision shuffled formats at a bunch of their stations nationwide. Many switched from its Spanish CHR “Super Estrella” format to Adult Hits “Jose”. In El Paso, TX one of the stations, 94.7 KSYE debuted the new “El Gato” format. Billboard described the format as such:
Featuring contemporary regional Mexican music, “El Gato” debuted on KYSE El Paso (94.7 FM) on Jan. 6 and plays music by acts such as Horóscopos de Durango, Intocable and K-Paz de la Sierra.
It also includes Entravision show “Erazno y Chokolata” in the afternoons.
Indie 103.1 is one of the most critically acclaimed radio stations in America and it will be interesting to see if any of its elements are able to transition elsewhere.
MylesMatisse
Entravision had NO business ever starting up a station like Indie 103.1 They didn’t work hard enough and lacked the true INTEGRITY and PASSION for Indie music, Indie 103.1 and all the immense talent that worked there: Steve Jones, Dave Navarro, Paul V, Henry Rollins, Full Metal Jacki, Suicide Girls Radio, TK, etc. If Entravision had really cared and had Indie’s back, this day would never have come. With the right ethics in place, Entravision could have found the ad revenue to make Indie 103.1 even stronger. THEY FAILED. ONE of their reasons for closing Indie was: “changes in the radio industry’s methods of measuring listener audiences that make it difficult to continue broadcasting innovative formats like Indie 103.1 in the current marketplace”. This is a complete cop out and excuse. We’re talking the Entertainment capital of the world. Trust me, the “current marketplace” of Hollywood is like no other and there WAS room for an Indie 103.1 The industry’s methods of measuring listening audiences like ARBITRON and PPM, they are faulty because they don’t monitor each and every radio in the listening audience and should NOT be relied upon as a TRUE and COMPLETE ratings of listenership. I think it’s a lame way for totals of listeners to be tallied to convince the suits and advertisers for their $$ and support. Entravision’s heart was and is in the wrong place and if they think focusing on the Latin market is gonna save them in this economy, Karma is a **** and will come round to bite them hard! Someone with the $$ like PRINCE should step up and BUY Indie 103.1 from Entravision. Prince loves Indie 103.1 Indie 103.1 and even world premiered his music there last month. Take Indie away from Entravision, who obviously don’t care for anything other than hispanic. Shame, shame, shame. We have enough Latin based radio stations in the Los Angeles area. Bring Indie back to the airwaves!