Utah's 103.1 the Wave Transformed Overnight Into a New Genre That Fans Don’t Understand

For commuters, there is nothing worse (besides a traffic accident, of course) than tuning in to their favorite radio station that gets them through their drive, only to find out it's gone. That's what happened for some longtime listeners of the rock station 103.1 The Wave in Utah, when they turned their dials to the station and found it was gone.

Instead, it was replaced by a Christmas music roundup … in October. This left many wondering what happened to 103.1 The Wave and if it would return to its former glory at any point. The official Facebook page for the station has limited comments on posts, so fans have been unable to ask questions or speculate there. However, there has been some clarity elsewhere about what is going on with 103.1.

According to RadioInsight, poor listener numbers may be to blame for the 103.1 switch-up, even if the station might lose the listeners it had with the drastic change to holiday music. The outlet reported that the station let its primary staff of on-air jockeys go in July 2025. At that time, fans also wondered what would happen to The Wave. Now, it seems, it has changed for good.

On a Reddit thread about 103.1 and the reason behind its change, someone commented that they were able to speak with Matt Webb, the general manager of the station in Utah. According to that user, "The Wave isn't generating enough revenue to stay on the air. Capital Broadcasting is the last independent radio company in Utah. They've got to walk a fine line to stay on the air. If they aren't selling ads, it's over."

The reported intel from Matt, paired with the poor Nielsen Audio ratings from RadioInsight, points to a revenue issue being the cause for 103.1 The Wave being changed. In August 2025, a month after the station fired on-air hosts, someone made a Reddit thread about how The Wave had lost its luster and wondered if the hosts would be back. It looks like that isn't going to happen.

The website for The Wave now has a simple Christmas-themed logo at the center of the homepage and a notice to let visitors know the station is "commercial-free from 9 to noon." There is also a button to click to listen to the station, but there is no other information about the former music or style that was once part of The Wave, or if it will go back to its original format.

The Facebook page for The Wave still features a banner photo with a cassette tape and a "classic alternative" tagline. However, judging by the move to fire the on-air talent and totally switch up the music, it doesn't seem like the station's managers have any intention of reverting back to the alternative music that was once a big part of 103.1 The Wave.