Old Brand, New Format: An iHeart ‘Mix’ Up in Alamo City

From September 1998 through June 2017, it was a Top 40 station branded as “Mix 96.1.” For the last 7 1/2 years, the FM has taken the “96.1 NOW” branding. Now, iHeartMedia has brought the “Mix” name back, but has adopted a presentation championed by its WLVE-FM in Miami.

KXXM-FM in San Antonio has dropped its longtime Contemporary Hit Radio format and is now offering English-language classic Adult Contemporary music with Spanish-language hosts and commercials, as “Tus Favoritas de Siempre” heads to a market that has traditionally had the largest English-dominant Hispanic population in the nation.

Recent immigration trends and migratory patterns within the U.S. have altered that dynamic over the last decade.

“We’re thrilled to introduce Mix 96.1 to San Antonio, a station that celebrates the vibrant
Latino community with the best music from the ’80s and ’90s, in both English and
Spanish,” said iHeartMedia SVP PJ Gonzalez. “Mix 96.1 will bring together the timeless hits our listeners love, creating a unique listening experience that resonates with our bilingual audience and reflects the rich culture of San Antonio.”

Rosie Perez, who serves as Market President for iHeartMedia in San Antonio, added, “This new format will unite and celebrate the vibrant energy of San Antonio’s Hispanic community.

Pedro Escalera, Director of Programming and Brand Strategy for iHeartLatino, is overseeing the relaunch of KXXM, which is airing 5,000 songs in a row commercial free as part of a launch promotion and listener reset.

Clear Channel, the San Antonio-based predecessor of iHeartMedia, acquired KXXM in 1998 from Inner City Media for $10 million. It was formerly KSJL-FM, and prior to that had a Rock format. From 1986 through early 1991, it was the home of a Top 40 format under the KSAQ call letters.

KXXM will be paired with KZEP “Latino Hits 104.5” as an iHeartLatino property in San Antonio. The other iHeartMedia stations serving the market include Adult Contemporary KQXT; Country KAJA; News/Talk WOAI-AM; Sports KTKR-AM; Classic Country KRPT-FM “92.5 The Bull;” and K289BN “La Preciosa 95.7.”