Live 105 returns to Bay Area airwaves, reviving alt-rock format
Live 105 is coming back on the air.
Less than two years after Audacy’s sudden switch to a retro Top 40 hits format under the name Dave FM, the station at 105.3 FM (KITS) will reclaim its familiar name and sound at 10:53 a.m. Monday, June 5.
The revival comes six years after the station was initially rebranded as Alt 105.3 and brings back the format that occupied the frequency for more than three decades with a playlist loaded with classic alt-rock acts such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Depeche Mode, Nirvana, Oasis and Green Day.
John Allers, regional vice president of alternative programming, told The Chronicle that Audacy is committed to restoring the essence of Live 105. That includes reintroducing some familiar on-air personalities such as Aaron Axelsen, Miles “Miles the DJ” Anzaldo and Ben “Party Ben” Gill, who will serve as the official voice of the station.
“We are very aware and respectful of what Live 105 meant to everybody who listened to it over the years,” Allers said. “Whatever we do will be authentic.”
Marielle Hayes
Jayn, the veteran music director at Audacy sister station Alice at 97.3 (KLLC-FM), will hold the same position at Live 105. The rest of the on-air talent will be announced in the coming weeks, Allers said. In the meantime, the station will operate without regular DJs.
“We recognize that one of the key values we offer is not only playing music that people love, but adding context to that music and becoming a companion to the audience,” Allers said. “We want to help curate the culture as much as the music.”
Since its inception in 1986, Live 105 was critical in breaking the monotony of mainstream radio by introducing local listeners to left-field pop acts from around the world, like the Cure, New Order, Radiohead, the Strokes and the White Stripes.
It was also the home to Bay Area radio personalities such as Steve Masters, Big Rick Stuart, Mark Hamilton, Roland West, and Alex Bennett and Lori Thompson.
Trisha Leeper/Live 105
In December 2017, following the merger between CBS Radio and Entercom, the station was rebranded as Alt 105.3, as part of the newly formed Audacy, a Philadelphia-based media company that currently owns 235 radio stations across the United States. Despite the name change, the format remained the same until Dave came along.
Bay Area listeners were taken aback when Audacy made the switch to its most recent format in October 2021. Sporting a Dodger blue logo and positioning itself as “Totally Random Radio,” Dave FM abandoned all on-air talent to function essentially as a shuffled Spotify playlist featuring ’80s hitmakers like Pat Benatar, Journey and Huey Lewis.
The switch reminded many of the transformation that occurred in 2019 when San Francisco’s free-form, album-oriented rock radio station KFOG, at 104.5-FM, was replaced by KNBR, an AM sports and talk station.
Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle 1993
Allers said while he was not involved in the talks to bring Live 105 back, it is something he hoped would happen when he joined Audacy.
“They looked back at the history of what we believe is an iconic brand and probably thought it was a mistake to let it go the first time,” he said.
For his part, Axelsen described resurrecting Live 105 as “a big victory for Bay Area radio.”
Live 105 was known for hosting weekly programs dedicated to local and electronic music, as well as organizing the popular BFD Festival during the summer and the Not So Silent Night concert series in December. The station also regularly hosted free concerts in San Francisco at Union Square and the Embarcadero.
Allers suggested that some of those elements may return, but in the first few weeks the priority will be winning back listeners — and their trust.
“I’m hoping that when they hear what comes out of the speakers, that will connect the dots,” he said. “I believe we need to make the music the star of the station.”
Liz Hafalia/The Chronicle 1997
The station’s playlist will not only focus on alternative radio staples but also new tracks, as well, he added: “Live 105 will represent the past, present and future of alternative music.”
Live 105 broadcasts on-air at 105.3 FM in San Francisco and is available to stream nationwide on the Audacy app and website.
“The people have spoken,” said Stacey Kauffman, regional vice president of Audacy San Francisco and Sacramento, in a statement, “and we are excited to answer the call.”
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
