KGSR

The station signed on in August 1961 as KLEN-FM, owned by Highlite Broadcasting.[2] Its original city of license was Killeen, Texas, and it served the Fort Hood area. It broadcast at only 760 watts, a small fraction of its current power. KLEN-FM was co-owned with KLEN (now KRMY). Because KLEN was a daytimer, KLEN-FM simulcast its programming by day and allowed listeners to hear the station at night after the AM transmitter had signed off.

In the early 1980s, the two stations switched to a Top 40 format, switching call signs to KIXS and KIXS-FM. In 1986, the two stations were acquired by Duffy Broadcasting, which asked the FCC for a major power increase for the FM station.

In 1986, KIXS-FM upgraded its signal to 100,000 watts, allowing it to move in to the more lucrative Austin radio market while still covering Killeen.[3] It would then relaunch its Top 40 format with the new call sign KBTS "B93", and was an immediate success. However, a merger four years later brought B93 into common ownership with competing top 40 station KHFI, with KBTS flipping to hot adult contemporary as KMMX.

In 1993, the station was bought by LBJ, Inc. for $2.5 million.[4] The company was owned by the family of former President Lyndon Baines Johnson and also owned KLBJ (AM) and KLBJ-FM. Shortly after the sale, the station flipped to an All-1970s hits format as KHHT. That was followed in 1996 by KAJZ, playing smooth jazz. Two years later, the station flipped to country as KLNC.

By 2001, the station tried to appeal to Austin's growing Hispanic community with a dance format as KXMG, known as Mega 93.3. It was also at this time that the city of license changed to Cedar Park.[5]

The stations were part of a larger cluster co-owned by Sinclair Telecable Inc. (d/b/a Sinclair Communications, unrelated to Sinclair Broadcast Group), and Luci Baines Johnson's LBJ Holdings Co.; in 2003, the Indianapolis-based Emmis Communications acquired the LBJ Holdings controlling stake in the stations.[6] KXMG would shift to a hip hop-leaning rhythmic contemporary format, changed call letters to KDHT, and rebrand as Hot 93.3.

Logo as KGSR, 2009-18

On November 17, 2009, KDHT began stunting, leading to speculation that it would flip to a talk radio format. However, on November 20th, Emmis revealed that the adult album alternative format heard on KGSR in Bastrop would move to the more powerful signal on 93.3. The two stations simulcast for a 10-day period until December 1, when KGSR's former 107.1 FM signal switched to a Regional Mexican music format as KLZT.

On December 13, 2010, KGSR began simulcasting on FM translator K274AX (102.7 FM). This lasted until October 20, 2011, when K274AX switched to a comedy radio format, relaying KGSR-HD3. The comedy format proved to be quite successful in the Austin Arbitron ratings, peaking with a 3.8 share. For a time, it was believed to be the highest-rated HD Radio-fed FM translator station in the United States.

On May 30, 2013, K274AX began relaying KLZT-HD2's Spanish-language hits format as Latino 102.7.[7] KGSR-HD3 now airs a heavy metal music format based on sister station 101X's weekly specialty show No Control Radio.

Austin City Limits Radio logo.

On September 5, 2018, KGSR began promoting a major announcement to come at 5:00 p.m. the following day. At the same time, Sinclair closed on its purchase of translator 97.1 K246BD and began simulcasting KGSR on that frequency.[8]

On September 6th, the two stations re-launched as Austin City Limits Radio, co-branded with the Austin City Limits television series and music festival under a multi-year licensing agreement. The station shifted to an "aesthetic" focus on musicians associated with the television series and festival rather than falling within a strictly-defined format, with a broad mix of music that can range from Americana and country music, to alternative and classic rock, as well as contemporary hip-hop music and world music.[9] The first song played under the new branding was Willie Nelson's recording of "Whiskey River"—the first song to be performed on Austin City Limits.[10][11]

Tom Gimbel, general manager of the Austin City Limits program, stated that the new format reflected the listening habits associated with online music streaming platforms, explaining that "people are not tying themselves to Triple A or hip-hop or rock or country. They're all over the map. I think we're going to see a lot of people in Austin listening the same way."[10][11][9]

On March 7, 2019, KGSR began running promos directing Austin City Limits Radio listeners to the 97.1 signal. The next day, KGSR flipped to soft adult contemporary as Star 93.3, launching with 9,300 songs in a row. The station targets women 35-54, and carried the syndicated Delilah on evenings. The previous Austin City Limits Radio format continues to air on KGSR-HD2 and the 97.1 translator.[12][13]

In June 2019, Emmis announced that it would sell its stake in the Austin joint venture to Sinclair for $39.3 million. Sinclair will operate the stations under the licensee Waterloo Media.[6]

In February 2020, the station dropped its soft AC format and shifted in a hot adult contemporary direction, focusing on current AC hits and recurrents. It maintains the Star 93.3 branding, but with the new slogan "Nothing But the Hits".[14]