‘Wave 103.1’ is no more as Utah station switches to Christmas music — in October

The change marked the end of northern Utah’s alternative “The Wave 103.1,” with something “exciting” planned in its place.

(Apple TV+) Songs like “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey (seen here in her Apple TV+ special) started playing Oct. 7, 2025, on one Utah radio station.

Here’s news that will displease Utahns who wait until after Thanksgiving to put up their Christmas decorations:

A Salt Lake City-area radio station has already started playing Christmas music.

KLO FM 103.1, licensed out of Coalville and broadcasting across the northern half of Utah, launched its seasonal “Christmas 103” format on Tuesday.

The station is playing holiday songs — including standards like Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” — around the clock, including a commercial-free music block daily from 9 a.m. to noon.

“We realize it’s a little bit early to do Christmas music,” said Rob Riesen, program director and operations director for Capital Broadcasting, which owns KLO and KBZN — a “Hot AC” station known to listeners as “Now 97.9.”

But, Riesen added, there are plenty of listeners who will enjoy the seasonal music whenever they can hear it.

As recently as Monday night, KLO had been playing classic alternative music under the name “The Wave 103.1.” That format had been in place for seven years, Riesen said, but it didn’t make a dent in ratings. “We gave it a shot,” he said.

Riesen said the company will be switching to a new format after Christmas, but he wouldn’t announce what it is yet. “It’s going to be exciting,” he said.

The industry website Radio Insight reported that KLO had let go of its on-air staff in July. The Wave had recorded a lowly 0.9 market share in August’s Nielsen ratings. (For comparison, KSFI-FM, known as FM100.3, the most popular station in the Salt Lake City/Ogden/Provo market, had a market share of 7.4 in August.)

FM100.3 — which is owned by Bonneville International, which is itself owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — traditionally switches over to nonstop Christmas music sometime in November.