Another well-known traditional/alternative rock station is back.
Following Cumulus Media revival of “99X”, Atlanta’s longtime home base for the genre, last December, and Audacy’s Conversion of the alternative flagship KROQ Audacy launched a year ago in Los Angeles and today relaunched “Live 105” KITS San Francisco.
From 1986 to 2017, Live 105 was the premier alternative rock destination in the City by the Bay. After Audacy (then Entercom) merged with CBS Radio in 2017, the station kept the format but eventually changed its nickname to “Alt 105.3”. Switch to adult hits “Dave FM” in October 2021.
“People have spoken, and we’re excited to answer the call,” said Stacey Kauffman, regional vice president and market manager for Audacy San Francisco and Sacramento. “After a six-year hiatus, Live 105 – the Bay Area alternative – is back on the air. We’re proud to bring back this local favorite that offers our loyal listeners and favorite alternative artists from the ’90s to today a place to call home again.”
Led by Audacy Regional VP of Programming John Allers as Brand Manager and KLLC Music Director Jayn, San Francisco’s hot AC sister Alice @ 97.3, the reboot of Live 105 will feature music from every era of the station’s history , featuring core artists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Linkin Park, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Blink-182, Foo Fighters and Depeche Mode. On-air talent will be announced in the coming weeks.
“Our entire team has great respect and admiration for what Live 105 means to the Bay Area alternative community,” says Allers. “We will continue to honor Live 105’s rich history and legacy by bringing back brand focuses like ‘Soundcheck’ starring Aaron Axelsen and other well-known voices, while also collaborating with Live 105 alumnus ‘Miles The DJ’ to advance the development of Live 105 into the future.” .”
In Nielsen’s April 2023 PPM rating book for San Francisco, “Dave FM” ranked 15th with a score of 2.0 among people ages 6 and older.
