KMFA 89.5 FM

We love-​love-​love classical music and used to listen to KMFA almost exclusively but these days we’re spending our time with the new kids in town — international internet radio with better announcers, nicer music and NOT SO MUCH YAKETY-​YAK — so we’ve given KMFA the pink slip.

Wayyyy too much talking! I listen to this station a lot because it’s the classical station in town, not because it’s a great station. The music is fine. But the announcers seem to like to hear themselves talk. When I turn on a classical music station, I want to hear 95% music and 5% chitchat. With KMFA it’s probably 60% music and 40% talking and station promos. And the problem with these promos is that they are really LOUD compared to the music. I emailed them a while ago telling them to check their levels but nothing changed. So if you are listening late at night and about to fall asleep, suddenly, some loud, out of context promo will blare on and wake you up. Never mind the fact that the nightly DJ likes to talk more than play music. Seriously, sometimes he’ll play a song that is about 3 minutes long before talking again.
I don’t mind hearing more talk during the daytime, but when I am listening late at night, I don’t need to be «challenged» with all sorts of little factoids about the music. I just want to hear the music. I’ll also echo the other reviewer who mentioned the «coming up» talk. Seriously… I don’t need to hear you announce what you are going to play five minutes from now… just play it. This isn’t the local television news.
As someone else mentioned here, the station also likes to run smug self-​promos about how «smart» and upscale the listeners are. Sometimes this is used to try to sell sponsorship to the station. Can’t they find some fundraisers to do this off the air rather than annoy the listeners with these ads?
I’m getting so frustrated with the station I’m listening to more and more Internet radio. I would like to support the local classical station, but until they fix their format I won’t be donating any time soon.
I do like the one show where the guy plays soundtrack music. And the choral music on Sunday is nice. But please — less nighttime talking and advertising and more music!

KMFA, you make my weekends, particularly Sundays as I’m ever so gently awakened by either Sunday Baroque (6am-​9), Ancient Voices (9am-​10), Choral Classics (10am-​11), or Classical Guitar Alive (11am-​12pm) depending on how late I sleep in. (One can sort of gauge how Saturday night went by which of these ultimately got me out of bed, today it’s AV)
You have such an awesome range of music. I love also how informative the hosts are. The little trivia they will give at times before a song is fun and I often talk to the radio saying, «Get out!!», «I have never heard that before.», «Really?», or the occasional, «STFU!!!». Hey, sometimes the trivia is surprising.
You are a GREAT radio station, and as long as I live in Austin I will go to sleep and wake up with you. How’s that for loyalty?

I am biased to classical. I once played trumpet in the school orchestra, took piano lessons, and once upon a time wanted a career in music. i love the old composers. copeland with his fanfare for the common man is awesome to my ears. mozarts requiem, beethovens temptest. chopin fast finger speed. the great french composer who composed Prelude to the Afternoon Faun. if you want to hear these great pieces turn your dial to 89.5 fm.

KMFA is a gem. Having lived in several cities (when I was a classical musician), I can say that it is by far the best classical station I have encountered. The fact that it is listener supported means that they can pretty much program what they want. This means that sometimes they’re going to be playing some truly obscure stuff you’ve never heard of (and possibly wish you still hadn’t) but this is what makes it great. Actual classical experts exposing listeners to a wide variety of music beyond the standard top 20. They actually try not to repeat any programming over a fairly wide span of time. This is one station that is actively fighting the dumbing down of classical music.

Great classical station with no commercials! Even better are their programs that support the local music community, including one that focuses on younger musicians. And considering the wasteland that is Austin radio, KMFA is the one beacon of hope. To put it loftier and more subjectively, the Ezra Pound to an overly indulgent T.S. Eliot.
I do think that the station has a bit of a hard-​on for Copeland and Barber (not my faves) but other than that, pretty well-​rounded mix of modern and classical music.

I love KMFA. It’s one of two radio stations that I’ll actually listen to in Austin, and here’s why:
1. It’s not owned by Clear Channel. — Okay, maybe i’m a little biased here, but I have an opinion that Clear Channel is one of the most unholy institutions in the US. I’ll save that rant for another day, however this sums up a decent chunk of it:
2. It’s all classical all the time! — No advertisements aside from infrequent mentions of company names by the announcers and membership drives twice a year.
3. Intelligent People. — The announcers I mentioned earlier know way more about «classical» music than anyone else I’ve ever run into and they speak like an intelligent human. They play stuff you’ve heard before (Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, etc.) along with some really obscure composers. They also publish every track they play during the day on their website and what time it was played. This allows you to go back and find out what something was if you heard something new and liked it.
4. No NPR. — Now I like NPR just as much as the next guy, but here if I want to listen to classical music, I don’t have to roll the dice that I might hear NPR instead.
KMFA is all classical all the time and I love it. Austin is one of the few places that has a station like this, and I’ve come to really really appreciate it.

KMFA is a relatively unknown treasure in town, which is quite a shame. The 100% classical format, piloted by folks who love the music and love sharing it, is a powerful and wonderful thing.
The selection is varied, from old pieces by the well known (Bach, Mozart) to newer, contemporary selections.
Truth be told, I don’t know how much I even like classical music. But I do know that I like KMFA. I like that if there isn’t music on, there will be in less than a minute. I like that the people at the helm love what they’re doing and seem hellbent on making sure the format they’ve created remains alive and well. The most enthusiastic DJ’s in town are on a classical station. Go figure.

The antenna on my car is broken, so I only get one radio station, and it happens to be KMFA. A prodigious occurrence? Perhaps, KMFA and I were meant for each other.
KMFA states that it’s one of about a dozen strictly classical radio stations in the United States. In most cities, classical radio is only a program on the local public radio station. What’s unique about KMFA is that they stay away from canned classical music. Their deejays are truly knowledgeable, and they will play pieces you’ve never heard. I’ve discovered so many great works while I’m stuck in traffic!
One morning, I heard Alexander Borodin’s «In the Steppes of Central Asia» — it became the opening soundtrack to the stop action animation I’m currently working on.
Now, if only I had enough money to match the guilt I feel whenever they have their fund drive…