Two years ago, Norsan Media expanded beyond its historical footprint of the Southeastern U.S. in a significant way in Austin. It saw the company add an east-of-Austin FM; an AM northeast of the city; and two FM translators to a Class A FM serving Austin from the south and its FM translator, which were acquired in 2023 from Genuine Austin Radio.
Now, Norsan is getting a big, heritage full-market FM signal to add to its holdings serving Texas’ state capital.
Waterloo Media has agreed to sell KGSR-FM 93.3 in Cedar Park, Tex., a 100kw Class C facility with a city-grade signal stretching south to New Braunfels and north to Waco that covers not only Austin but also the Killeen-Temple, Tex., market.
With Mark Lipp at Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth serving as the seller’s legal counsel, paperwork has been filed for regulatory approval at the FCC that includes an asset purchase agreement detailing the transaction.
Among the details: Norsan is paying $3.5 million for KGSR, with Norberto Sanchez signing off on the deal. Terms call for a $3 million cash payment at closing, with a $175,000 deposit included in that amount. The remaining $500,000 will be honored via a Promissory Note with a 12-month payment schedule to commence following FCC approval of the transaction.
Michael J. Bergner of Bergner & Co. served as Waterloo Media’s broker of record.
John C. Trent of Putbrese Hunsaker & Trent served as Norsan’s legal counsel.
Upon closing, KGSR will be added to a collection of stations comprised of KOKE-FM 99.3 in Thorndale, KTAE-AM 1260 in Elgin, and two associated FM translators – K253AN 98.5 in Sunset Valley and K270CO 101.9 in Round Rock; Austin-focused KTXX-FM 104.9 and translator K287FG 105.3. The latter two stations were the first of the two Genuine Austin Radio transactions completed by Norsan.
At present, KGSR is Vibe 93.3, branded as “Austin’s Throwback Station.” It has been in place since the end of August 2024. For one year prior to that move, KGSR served Austin as “Latino 93.3,” airing a broad mix of music of appeal to Hispanics of Caribbean heritage.
The change to “Latino” came after several years of programming shifts that began when Emmis Communications in June 2019 announced that it was ending its joint venture with Sinclair Telecable, which became Waterloo Media.
For Adult Alternative music fans, KGSR’s life on 93.3 MHz began in mid-November 2009 through early September 2018, when it was retooled as “Austin City Limits Radio” under a licensing agreement with the heritage music brand. The KGSR call letters had relocated from what is today Class C2 KLZT-FM in Bastrop, Tex., which serves the Austin market from the southeast.
Before the KGSR move, the 93.3 MHz facility was home to a variety of formats including hip-hop, dance pop, Country, Smooth Jazz, and 1970s hits under the ownership of LBJ Inc.
Serving Austin came in fall 1986, with an upgraded signal of what was then KIXS-FM. This yielded KBTS-FM “B93,” a Top 40 station that ended in May 1992 when it became a sibling to format rival KHFI.