These days KUT is about the only station I listen to. I love the national NPR programming like All Things Considered to keep up with news, and there are always fascinating things to hear on other programs like Marketplace and The Hidden Brain, and even brilliant entertainment on the weekends like Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. But KUT also produces local content of their own that's worth hearing. I appreciate the Texas Standard that is recorded locally in cooperation with other major markets and focuses on issues and events around Texas, and the ATX Explains series is always an interesting way of looking in-depth at different quirks of the Austin area that you may have always wondered about. It was a pleasure getting a tour of the station recently and getting to see behind the scenes of their facility that was built about a decade ago to accommodate the growth and provide all the work spaces needed. It's amazing to see all the recording rooms, all the equipment that goes into making every broadcast, and just the sheer size of the news room. And the studio that can hold a small audience for live music broadcasts is brilliant. I may not always agree with every program, and I can wish for some more polish from the announcers over their folksy delivery, but I always find the content interesting and relevant. Outside of those excruciating public radio fund drives, I expect to be listening throughout the future! read more

See all

Not factual news! KUT deliberately twists the news to fit a false narrative and straight out lies about many things. I will stop listening to them because I have heard too many lies. When I listen to the news, I want to hear what is actually happening in the world. I don't want to hear someone's opinion that they pretend is truth. News stations like this is what is wrong with our country! read more

I'm a big fan of KUT, and am excited about the things KUTX will bring to Austin airwaves. Love or hate John Aielli and his weird musical choices, but his eclectic range means he is open to having all kinds for in-studio performances. He's had the guitar ensemble my daughter plays in over to KUT twice now. It's a fabulous experience for these teenagers. And the new studio... wow! A beautiful, intimate space. I had the pleasure of being part of the live studio audience for Calexico's performance yesterday. It was like seeing them in my living room, very much an up close and personal experience. In between songs, Jay Trachtenberg asked questions about their current album, their approach to the creative process, etc. At the end, audience members mingled with band members, took photos, got autographs, that type of thing. What a great way to be introduced to a new band. What a treat if you're already fans. All for the price of.... free. Thank you, Austin public radio. read more

I've always been a big fan of my local NPR station and try to support it as much as possible. One of the things I noticed immediately about KUT, as opposed to my home NPR station KCRW, is that the music programming is very local musician-centric. I don't think that's a word, but I don't care. I dig that they give so much coverage to the local scene. I don't listen to "Ecklecticos" (spelling?) in the morning because I've gotten spoiled with Nik Harcourt back home. Seriously, the second time I listened to John Aielli's show was in late 2004 and he said he was at the gym and heard of a new band called "Weezer." I almost passed out. Oh, the ignorance. I really wish he would take the time to discover new acts here in Texas - we have such a wealth of talent in this state and it really needs someone to champion it, not someone to play an entire radio show based around the "Rainy Day" theme. Other than that, it's great. Heh, I feel like a total knob for knocking NPR. read more

I listen to KUT through TuneIn, and over the air when I'm local in Austin. As Austin's NPR affiliate, KUT has some quality, left-leaning, and interesting programming. Texas is a big state, and there's a lot of things that go on around here, especially the capitol. KUT does a great job of highlighting the happenings around the Lone Star State. My favorite programming on here is Texas Standard. There's also Texas Matters with David Martin Davies. He does a lot of Texas-centric stories, and gets interesting people on his show to discuss what's happening. He's not afraid to stick it to the interviewees, and ask hard questions. John Aielli has been my main complaint about this station- I couldn't stand his show, and always changed the station. But I haven't heard him in a while. The station gets super annoying during Pledge Week. They make you feel like if you listen to public radio without contributing, you're a dirty thief. For just one dollar a day, you can make a difference. The weekend programming is always the best- Wait, Wait - Don't Tell Me the NPR news show is my fav. I'm glad they finally moved on from Click N Clack, after one of them passed away, but they still played the replays for years. I never really got A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keiller, I always thought my radio was broken because he didn't sound as funny as his audience thought he was. A lot of the shows can get pretty nerdy, but it's so much fun! Fortunately, there's no advertisements on here, just PSAs and underwriting. read more

One star for allowing Grampa Aielli to hold the public airwaves hostage for three hours a day for over thirty years. Listening to him is like that time you went to borrow a cup of sugar from your creepy older neighbor and ended up being held hostage by him while he played you the same records over and over again and talked incessantly about the weather. Five stars for the fact that he is currently on vacation until after Labor Day. read more

Back in the cretaceous era, when I was living in Austin and trying to learn me some edumacation, KUT was my lifeline to sanity. Not for the NPR stuff, really--I got plenty of that back home in SF. I could manage. No, it was the music, the local shows, that grabbed me and shook me by my lapels and said "LISTEN TO THIS, YOU NAIVE HICKSTER!" And brought me smiles and rest and foot tapping and discovery for all my time in Texas. One regret at the time was that, as a po' broke grad student trying to get by on promissory sandwiches and the hope of a poorly paying future job, I wasn't in a position to be a member, and pay for some of all that good listening I was doing. Happily, I returned to the Left Coast, found myself using professional skills having nothing to do with my academic prowess, and now I can send a wee little check off each year to KUT with great good pleasure. And since the internet has made my life complete of late, I can now stream Twine Time, and Blue Monday, and Paul Ray, and Eclectikos, and all that, with a flip of a finger to my iTunes. If there is a radio station in the US worth shouting about, I'd say that station is KUT. Keep on doing what you do (dah-doo-doo-doo)! Online and on the air, 4.5 stellar stars. read more

The only reason I give KUT money sometimes is so that I can listen to some of their online programming at work. KUT2 !!! But I agree with some of the other reviewers here... if you don't tell your kids about John Aeilli, who will?!! That guy is straight awful. Jeez, do I need to go to a Lilith Fest every morning? No, I do not! Also, even the KUT2 programming isn't all that. Insert giant sigh. read more

I love NPR, PBS, and in general the more "informed" side of the dial. However.... John Aielli is the single reason why I absolutely refuse to donate money to KUT. If there was a pledge drive had an option if you donated XXXX dollars and you could get him taken off the air instead of a crap T-shirt or CD - I would literally fight to get to the front of the line. Please, for the sake of all of our sanity, fire that buffoon. Im still bamboozled how he made it through the budget issues that your station was going through months ago. Does he work for free? If so, he still isnt worth it. How can you have someone who is that patently dumb be a host on a station that prides itself on catering to the intellectuals here in ATX? And, seriously - at what point do you get so old that all that you talk about is the weather? Save us from him.... please! read more

I can't believe I haven't written a review for KUT. NPR I love listening to the news on the way to work. The news is all crap these days.... but that's far from NPR's fault. They do a good job of mixing up the "America is responsible for deaths around the world" pieces with the regular "fluff" pieces. If it wasn't for them I would show up to work completely pissed off about the news 5 days a week, instead of 3. Ecklecticos: I love this show. Sometimes it can get kind of strange (musically), but for the most part I'm happy with the music chosen. John Aielli is quite the character and gives "dead air" a completely new meaning. If he's suffering from allergies... he'll play a song about hay fever. If its the anniversary of Sputnik.... then he'll play songs that are about Sputnik. You can see his segways coming from a mile away..... I find him hilarious. Jay Trachtenberg he's awesome.... but I can't listen at work, so I miss most of his show. Best thing about KUT: The music selection, NPR, and commercial free radio. Worst thing about KUT: The fund drive (It gets a little long), John Aielli's weird music choices. read more

KUT 3 HD Channel. Please play some Jazz with some spine. Play some Monk, Miles, Jarret, Mingus, and Earl Harvin. It usually sounds like brunch jazz. Nice and soft. The sonic equivalent of watching golf. read more

KUT is really the only local radio station I listen to. A long time fan of NPR, I feel lucky that Austin has such a wonderful NPR station. Morning Edition and All Things Considered are two things I need to make my day start and end on the right note. Being the dork that I am, I also love Marketplace. Fresh Air should be required listening for everyone as well as This American Life. I love that I can find most of this archived online as well. And while I do wish that I could stick ice-picks in my ears when John Aielli's Eclecticos comes on in the morning, I still listen, if only to mock him. Why, oh why, oh why can't Morning Becomes Eclectic be syndicated to all NPR stations? read more

I was in radio for 19 years; on the air and management. First off, why do KUT and KGSR ( unlistenable, to me.) sound more and more alike all the time ? Jay Trachtenberg is the only listenable guy on there. Can Kevin Connor go sell insurance or something ? Isn't his "elbow rubbing with the stars" act a litle stale ? KUT's news is a smoke and mirrors act. Bland, uninteresting, only rarely inquisitive. Here's how they do it 75% of the time: Big issue gets international attention. Go interview a UT professor about it and run "raw" tape for three minutes. That's a news story ???? The opening of yet another film or festival creates "news". It usually sounds like free advertising. The reporters overstate, talk too much and seem trained to avoid asking difficult questions. The whole " folksy" attitude at KUT gets really stale after a while. I agree that running skits from Esther's or some local play are just headache-inducing. They sound as wooden as a WalMart greeter. The chick on Morning Edition is so annoying that I no longer listen. She speaks like her audience are kindergarten kids, and there's just no excuse for that kind of amateurism on a station with KUT's money and history. Start talking normal, honey, please. I want my "ME" fix back, but listening to her is about 104% as ear grating as Barney The friggin' Dinosaur. I used to love KUT when it was more humble, adventurous and didn't gaze so constantly into Austin's navel. Bleecchhhhhh. Not so much, now. I'm goin' back to my Grant Green, Crowded House, and Allman Brothers records. KUT just blows 75-85%of the time. Totally ! read more

There's so much good in KUT and I listen to it 90% of the time...I only have two beefs. One is Garrision Keiller....I hate that it comes on twice during the weekend and I don't like Prairie Home Companion and the second is John Aielli. He's just too random and says innate things. Shouldn't it be time for him to retire? I love when Jody Denver subs. read more

I came here from a city fortunate enough to have two NPR affiliates. It was awesome, one played all the syndicated stuff, and the other had all the local and the more idiosyncratic syndicated shows. I preferred the station that played more syndicated content, which is why I am not too thrilled with KUT. I know the syndicated content is expensive, but I love cartalk, I love dianne rehm and, all things considered and morning edition. KUT does play some of these things, but they play the shortest possible version and they play them at odder hours than most stations. I just cannot believe that one can head into work later (9am) and not catch their news, same with the lunch hour, and the drive home, the drivetime is excessively narrow. But the worst is John Ailey, I know he seems like he is a local legend or something, but he is a horrible DJ. I used to enjoy the luxury of not having to bring CDs in my car and never changing my radio station, but whenever he is on its a big giant click. Maybe he, like John Kelso, is just one of those things I will never understand, but to me, he is a horrible DJ. I sat at a red light for 2 minutes while he talked about some commercial he had seen the night before. I winced multiple times during in-studio performances with artists I very much respect where he has obviously never even bothered to read their bio sheet in the interview. To me it just comes off rude and insulting to the artist, and this is supposed to be the live music capital of the world. The worst was when Jose Gonzales did a Kylie Minogue cover on the air and John had no clue who Kylie was. I still listen to KUT, and someday when I have more money I will donate, but please, Austin is no longer a small town, it is a big city and deserves an NPR affiliate worthy of it. read more

Except when I don't feel like listening to Latin Rap, this is the only radio station I listen to. I feel like a fudd sometimes, especially when the P.Terry's drive-in attendant is trying to strike up a conversation about music because of the guitar amps I have in my back seat, and I'm trying to listen to Robert Siegel talk about foreign race relations - but I'm hooked on NPR. This American Life, Car Talk, Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me... Aside from their purchased programming, I must say, that I cannot believe all the animosity towards Mr. John Aielli. That man is the reason I began listening to KUT, and the reason I still do. And I feel like these are the Austinites that go to their very rare Glen Phillips shows and demand that he "just play a song" as opposed to his 23 minute political rants, but the music is a very small percentage of the John Aielli show. I listen to hear what crazy, random thing is on his mind. And while I don't agree with all of his musical tastes (he did, however, turn me on to Jens Lekman), his voice is like the Siren that guides me through my day. You would never find this style of DJ on any other radio station. That's why I love KUT. None of their DJs really sound like they belong on radio. That's also why I hate radio. Rick McNulty's staggered bursts of words, Jay Tratchenberg's never-cleared throat. Austin is all about character, and KUT is the voice of Austin. read more

I've lived in three different cities and have always tuned into the local NPR station for my radio entertainment. The three cities are New Orleans, Austin and San Francisco. Of all the stations, KUT has the most character. I feel like every time I listen I'm not just listening to some DJ play the the shows that are coming up. I feel like I'm connecting with them on a really personal level. I feel like they are friends who are sharing music that they were really excited about and events around town that they really were interested in. After living here in SF where all the local station does is play new shows, I very much miss the personalities of KUT. I feel like John, Jay, Jody, Susan, Kevin, and the rest of the crew were warm friends who accompanied me on all my car rides in Austin. And yes, I LIKE JOHN AEILLI. God bless the man, he's been on the air for over 30 years and he plays damned good music. He knows more about this town than anyone else and I like hearing about it. And I can't forget to mention Twine Time, one of my favorite shows on KUT. I mean what more can you want than a Saturday evening with Paul Ray, Otis redding, the Drifters and Bobby Blue Bland. I could go on and on. I will try and catch all my favorites over here on the West coast but the two hour difference makes it hard. I'm jealous of all you Austinites who get to listen everyday. With the station splitting into two, I can only imagine what great things KUT will bring to the Austin airwaves. read more

OK, I know this is going to sound totally elitist and snobby - and I apologize - but I'm from Europe and we have far, far better radio shows there AND we don't have to pay for them (as in KUT's annoying pledge drive!). I have been very disappointed with the radio stations in Austin, and I wish they were better, as there's nothing I like more than listening to good quality radio. KUT is just about passable, but you can guarantee that I will be listening more in the morning since they decided to fire that smug dullard, John Aielli. My God, that man was insufferable. It's just mind-boggling that he was allowed to pollute the airwaves for decades with his bland, predictable music collection. Praise the Lord! I have been waiting for this day for so long! read more

Twine Time with Paul Ray is the greatest radio show ever to exist in all of eternity. I can't say enough good things about it. My mind is consistently blown, every Saturday from 7-11pm. My only wish is that the Twine Time playlist was updated more regularly on the website. read more

There are a lot of changes going on at KUT-FM right now, and I'm not sure all of them represent the best decisions management might have made. But it remains the best overall FM radio option in town. KVRX and KOOP continue to be my best source for new music discoveries, but KUT remains an essential element of Austin's culture. Here's hoping the folks in charge keep listening to those of us who listen to KUT. read more

John Aielli's "Eclecticos" has been an Austin staple for many years, and although I grow tired of his recommendations and asides (just play the music, pls) as well as listening to him constantly moisten his lips, I do feel like he's an old friend, the one you tolerate because you love him despite his idiosyncrasies. Eclectic on any station can be hit or miss, but this one mostly hits. Do wish he followed more of a Morning Becomes Eclectic program than the purely random. Jackson is right about Twine Time...that shit is AWESOME, and sets the tone before a night on the town. read more

KUT has good programming. It would be better if they could adjust the speaker crushing bass during NPR. It's bad. The weekend programming is especially good. I love the waitwait, click/clack, and most of the shows. However, I find Prarie Home Companion annoying. Does anyone think it's funny? I hope they are not spending too much of the funding for that. read more

I just moved to Austin about a month ago, and I am not impressed with KUT. The morning DJ is terrible. I can't believe the amount of dead air I hear - just total silence. I sit there waiting, and often have enough time to say 'wtf' to myself before he finally says something or plays another uninteresting song. Speaking of which, I never turn on the station and hear music that's worth a durn, and some of the NPR programing that they choose to air is boring (I mean Garrison Keiller? He's clever and funny sometimes, but this is a young city. Give me a break!). I was excited to start listening to a local station and break the habit I have had of continuing to stream, KCRW, the NPR affiliate from when I lived in the LA area, but it's just not going to happen with options like this. Considering Austin's reputation for being the live music capital of the world, I expect better than this. Maybe, the station manager could learn a thing or two from stellar, world-class stations like, KCRW. Honestly, I'll probably keep turning it on in hopes of just getting used to it, but... well, there's room for improvement, and I remain hopeful. read more

I've been a listener all of my 25 years in Austin. I'm an avid news follower and that's all I listen to when my Ipod isn't in my car. BBC, Think, All Things Considered, the average person needs this in their lives. read more

Here's another one of my favorite radio stations. This is Austin's NPR station, and all of us pseudo-intellectual types have some sort of affection for NPR. Where would our community be without "All Things Considered", anyway? OK so the real reason for the five stars is that my all time favorite radio show, "Twine Time" is on from 7-9 every Saturday night. 50's and 60's R and B. Very boss. Catch you on the flip side. read more

I love KUT on the weekends! Prairie Home Companion is a pleasure to listen to on the weekends, but FREAKING TWINE TIME on Saturday nights is the greatest program in radio! I admit, I'm not one of those people that Pledges during Pledge Season- but if I were to ever do it, I'd totally do it during Twine Time, because it is the greatest show. I know Twine Time has a great following out there- even the guy who waters our plants at work loves it. I think there needs to be like a once a year Twine Time Hop to help benefit KUT. I'd trade paying a premium for a Saturday night of Twine Time Live and doin' the Bop and Mashed Potato for listening to one of the Pledge Drives each year. read more

true story. this morning as i was getting ready, eklektikos is on the radio. i begin to tell the mister how i can't stand john aielli. i rant on and on, doing my best impersonation of mr. aielli that gets a weak laugh. i then begin to complain that he plays the same bands all the time. every day i hear sigur ros and iron and wine. mind you, i was a huge sigur ros fan from way back in the days, but no longer. it's overplayed to my ears. in the middle of my declaration, i hear the faint sounds of a familiar song. sigur ros is playing. no way. i go on and on complaining about my work commute and how i have been resorted to switching over to dudley and bob for the last 30 minutes of drive time. blarg! as i end my rant, i turn off the bedroom lights and walk over to the radio to turn it off. guess what is playing? iron and wine. read more

While I enjoy NPR, I can't stand John Aielli's 3 second pauses between words. Is he trying to build suspense in an anecdote? The guy needs to retire. read more

Sometimes this station is entertaining, (pretty much only when NPR comes on.) But honestly I can not stand John Aielli. He is such a moron! Shut up man seriously!!!!! I have been naive about my radio listening, and have suffered through his morning show for a long time now. Today after talking on and on about how barton springs used to be more pleasant (and then interrupting a song to continue spouting off about it!) I had enough. This guy is the worst case of irony in media. He has been at it for 60 some odd years, but acts like the most ametuer of college DJ's. He really is like that god awful neighbor who holds you hostage for hours with his non-sensical ramblings. Please, refresh this station and get him off the air! read more

Reception sucks and so does the ap. i listen to the news on KUT, but a couple years ago i had to start streaming it because the signal was no longer strong enough at my house, which backs up to a cliff along lamar south of KMFA. i have been using the mobile ap, but now it is very unreliable. Usually have to close and reopen the ap, but some days it won't work at all. it's not my wifi, because is tarted using the KERA ap, and it works just fine. read more

I enjoy my dose of NPR in the morning as much as the next guy, but honestly, some of KUT's local talent is pretty atrocious. Joy Diaz and John Aielli spring to mind. I don't know, I could do with a little more news, a lot less Eklektikos. read more

Worst DJ's on the planet. The only good one is Art Levy that's on for like an hour or two on weekends. Laurie G is a total bor and the old men that play Leon Bridges again and again. Get some clues, foos. And if i hear another song by Nafaniel Raithawk and the stupid nighhawks!! read more

Concerning the recent changes to KUT and the demise of a GREAT RADIO station. To all those who like the change and who wrote nasty things about John Aielli, Congratulation on bringing the station to a standard of mediocrity found on every other station in town and most other towns. Why management chose to reduce John Aielli's program and kick off Ed Miller, Michael Crocket and the other world music Djs is beyond me. But obviously the rating #s highly enfluenced their decision. Silly me, I thought PUBLIC RADIO was all about quality and information, not just pandering to the popular governing taste. That's what all the other stations do....!!! Hello, we now have another KGSR clone..... But obviously, we must pander to the lowest denominator and follow the crowd of music lemmings. Popular rock and Popular junk - here is one more station for your followers. I hope the Lemmings at least put your money where your mouth is and DONATE to your new pubic radio station. As a long time donor, I will greatly reduce my sustainable donation to not much- in reflection of what KUT mass media radio station has now become. read more

I love NPR. I love All Things Considered. Hell, I love Click & Clack. But John Aielli makes me want to stab my brain with sharp objects. I tried. I really did. Some of the music was pretty cool, and I thought hey, this isn't so bad! And then it was. There's really nothing worse than a DJ with nothing to say, filling the air with asinine dialogue that is so random, you think you may pull over just to slam your fist into the radio. Tuesday (3/20) was a prime example. John played a good song, and then began to ramble nonsense so annoying I first turned the channel, and then called my husband, because it was the kind of pain you have to share to get through. I like the idea behind his show. It's the execution that's failing. read more

I love the NPR news programs in the morning and the evening, as well as Wait, Wait - Don't Tell Me, Prairie Home Companion and Selected Shorts. I could go the rest of my life without being subjected to John Aeilli's mouth noises, dead air time, vapid commentary and condescending comments and I wouldn't feel like I had been deprived. read more

I've been listening to KUT for about as long as I've been in Austin (and I got here in 1969). I've been a faithful listener all those years. With the advent of all talk all the time on 90.5 and having to move to another station for music, and, worse, the QUALITY of those talk shows (abysmal for the most part - who does these things?), I rarely turn it on even in the car any longer. The rhythm used to be quite good. Talk shows that made you think, then music for a period of time that allowed you to ponder what you'd heard on the talk portion. Now, there's no time to THINK about what you've heard before someone else is yammering at you about yet another Really Important Topic (hint: most of them aren't and even if they are the "coverage" is about the same quality as Rush Limbaugh - yeah, I said it). Are we no longer supposed to want to, or be able to, think about what we've been told? Are we just supposed to swallow everything we're told unexamined? Really? Anyway, for 40 years and more KUT would have gotten five stars from me. They threw all that away. KUT, I'll miss you. When's the memorial service? read more

John AielliI body snatched me or something and now I actually really like Eklektikos. What I don't generally like are the comedy bits from Esther's Follies that KUT has been playing a whole lot of recently and the live performances. I don't know why the live performances are generally terrible but I'm almost convinced that going into the KUT studio makes normally tolerable performers tone deaf. read more

Love NPR, Hate KUT. Maybe I got spoiled by DC's amazing affiliate, but Austin has the worst public radio station I've ever heard. Whatever comes on at 9am is an abomination to the airwaves. Music for those without musical taste. And WHY is an NPR station playing morning music. That's what every other station on the dial is for...My commute is right around then and I'm annoyed daily as soon as the national programming ends. I won't give to KUT on principle based on that show and I'm an avid supporter of public radio. Play NPR programming! read more

I love Kut! Npr is fantastic for news on my way to work in the morning, and if I'm lucky I get to hear a little bit of eklektikos too. Which reminds me, why is everyone hating on John Aielli? For me personally, he's a big part of the reason that this station has stayed successful. He's quirky and surprising sometimes in his comments, but he definitely sounds like what I would expect from an Austin dj. One slight downside is the fact that they do play a lot of repeat music, but at least it's usually good music or music you otherwise would never hear on the radio at all. -I love some of those random mixes.Keep it up guys! read more

things i've heard on KUT during daytime hours, when i would have much rather have been listening to any (ANY) of NPR's nationally syndicated programs: - a half hour block of generic cubano music - a half hour block of generic tejano music - countless "blues" songs by 35 year old white men - john aielli's voice is there a petition or movement out there to switch the programming of KUT2 and KUT? the KUT2 online stream is nearly useless, as it's broadcast at 24 KBPS. i mean, come on. read more