103.1 The Wave streams 80s hits and new wave straight into the Salt Lake City area, broadcasting under the call sign KLO-FM after more than three decades of format changes on the Utah dial. It is free to listen right now, anywhere in the world, no account required.
From Modern Rock to Talk to the 80s
The frequency behind The Wave has lived several different lives. It launched in 1983 on 95.5 FM out of Ogden with a modern rock format, moved onto 103.1 MHz in 2004, and briefly ran as adult contemporary station Sunny 103 after switching its call letters to KSQN in 2014, according to a history of the station compiled on Wikipedia. None of those identities stuck the way the next one did.
The Next Wave of New Wave
Capitol Broadcasting flipped the station to 80s hits and new wave on September 30, 2016, rebranding it 103.1 The Wave under the tagline "The Next Wave of New Wave." The call sign eventually reverted to KLO-FM on November 3, 2020, but the format that had already found its audience stayed exactly as it was.
A Decade Built for Synthesizers and Drum Machines
New wave itself grew out of late 1970s punk and art rock, trading guitar-driven aggression for synthesizers, drum machines and a sharper, more stylish pop sensibility, the sound that filled MTV's earliest years and still defines how most listeners picture the 1980s. 103.1 The Wave plays that era specifically, giving Salt Lake City a dedicated home for the decade rather than folding it into a broader classic hits mix.
Listen to 103.1 The Wave Free on Radio Shuffle
103.1 The Wave streams around the clock, and Radio Shuffle carries the feed live with nothing to install and no subscription required. Press play above for the 80s and new wave sound Salt Lake City settled on after three decades of trying on other formats first.