One Texas radio legend exits as another returns to mornings

Country 99.9 KLUR in Wichita Falls has moved veteran personality “Big Jim” Russell back into mornings following the retirement of longtime host Brad Austin, who wrapped up his final show May 15 after decades on the air.

KLUR, which brands itself as “Texoma’s Country Leader,” has long been one of the dominant country stations in North Texas and southern Oklahoma.

Now, one familiar voice is replacing another.

Russell officially debuted in mornings Monday. Though he previously hosted KLUR’s morning show for 25 years, he admitted the early wake-up call feels different this time around.

Russell joked that after 50 years in radio, “right now, I feel like a rookie,” saying he plans to lean heavily on the station’s music while getting re-acclimated to the schedule. He said listeners can still expect humor, weather updates, birthdays and anniversaries, and some returning features, though others are gone for good.

“No nasal bugle,” he wrote. “WHAT??? NO GRAAAVY?!! Nope. Music.”

Russell emphasized that the music, not the host, should remain the focus of the show.

“They aren’t there to hear ME,” he wrote, comparing his radio philosophy to emceeing concerts over the years.

Russell returned to KLUR in 2022 after hosting afternoons on sister station 94.9 The Outlaw KOLI. Before that, he spent much of his career at KLUR, including his earlier 25-year morning run.

By Wednesday, Russell told listeners he was already settling into the role.

“It’s been fun so far! Still a LOT more to come… tune in!” he wrote.

The shift follows Austin’s retirement after nearly three decades anchoring KLUR mornings during his latest run at the station. His history with KLUR stretches back to the mid-1970s, and he also worked at KNTO and KNIN during his broadcasting career.

“I have a lot of people who I speak with almost every single morning, and it’s like a family,” Austin said, adding that he spent much of his final show talking with longtime callers he has come to know personally.

In a farewell post on his last day, Austin said he had decided “to call it a career,” reflecting on a broadcasting run that began in 1976.

“People often note that there have been ‘ups and downs’ in a long career,” Austin wrote. “There have been thousands of ups, but I can’t think of a single down.”