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what happened to 103.1 the wave

103.1 The Wave (the classic alternative station on 103.1 FM in northern Utah) has been shut down and replaced with a new Adult Contemporary station called Coast 103.1.

What actually changed

  • In October 2025, 103.1 shifted from its classic alternative/new wave format to all‑Christmas music, which was an early sign that the existing format was being phased out.
  • By late December 2025, Capital Broadcasting officially ended “103.1 The Wave” and relaunched the frequency as “Coast 103.1,” a soft/relaxed Adult Contemporary format.
  • The new Coast 103.1 brand focuses on smoother pop hits from the 1970s through today, marketed as music to “relax and unwind,” rather than the 80s/new wave/alternative focus The Wave had.

What happened behind the scenes

  • Listeners on local forums noted that the station had already let go of its on‑air staff and moved to automated playlists before the final format flip, suggesting financial and ratings pressure.
  • Comments from people familiar with the station’s management indicated The Wave was not bringing in enough advertising revenue for Capital Broadcasting to keep the niche classic‑alternative format alive in a competitive market.

What it is now

  • The 103.1 frequency in the Salt Lake City/northern Utah area now identifies as Coast 103.1 (KLO‑FM), positioned as a soft/relaxed AC station among several other Adult Contemporary competitors in the market.
  • If you tune to 103.1 or use the stream where you once heard The Wave, you should now hear Coast 103.1’s softer pop mix instead of classic alternative or new wave.

For former Wave listeners

  • There is currently no direct replacement on 103.1 FM for the old classic alternative/new wave format; fans in forum threads mostly express frustration and are looking to streaming, apps, or out‑of‑market stations to fill the gap.
  • Some posts suggest that, unless a new niche station launches, the unique 80s/new wave identity The Wave had in northern Utah is effectively gone from local terrestrial radio for now.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.