KBPA - 103.5 FM - Bob FM Austin

"We Play Anything"

Official Bob FM Austin Website

Stream It

Bob FM in Austin is a lot like "Jack" from Jack in the Box - a fictional character created to anthropomorphize a corporate entity. Except in this case, instead of a lovable, rascally, hip, giant fake headed personality obsessed with making the best fast food, "Bob" is a lovable, rascally, hip, fake personality obsessed with playing a wide variety of music from the last four decades.

"Bob" never speaks himself, but there are a rotating series of designed-to-be-humorous sound bite statements from a couple of different announcers, one male and one female, quick little anecdotes related to Bob's idiosyncrasies and occasional references to specific Austin landmarks.

In reality, Bob FM radio is not a phenomenon exclusive to the world of Austin Radio Stations. Like one of those traveling bigamists with secret, separate lives in multiple locations, Bob has eerily similar parallel homes in twenty or so different markets around the country.

Programming and Station Highlights

• The music programming is essentially a shotgun approach. Rather than trying to appeal to just one tightly identified demographic, the station plays a wide variety of music from the 1970s to contemporary.

  The slogan for Bob FM Austin ("We Play Anything") isn't exactly true, however. They don't play country, jazz, the blues, rap, hip-hop . . . They essentially play Adult Top 40 (or the equivalent) from the 1970s to the present.

  It's still an interesting concept. Especially if you really like hearing Gloria Gaynor and 4 Non Blondes back to back.

• There's very limited DJ presence, and I suspect even that's piped in from elsewhere.
• The station plays absolutely zero local music, sponsors no local Austin events, and does absolutely nothing to promote the Austin live music scene. So in that regard, Bob is like one of those annoying and drunk jackasses you sometimes run into at parties - more intent on trying to be clever and entertaining than actually contributing anything useful.

• The only other unique programming of note is the "9@9" set each weekday morning. They'll play 9 songs from one specific year in the nine o'clock hour.