Spirit Fest brings top Christian artists to Central Texas

Some of the biggest names in Christian music are in town this weekend.

They've got the Spirit. How 'bout you?

Austin's Spirit 105.9 FM presents Spirit Fest Sunday at Dell Diamond, a daylong show featuring Amy Grant, Third Day, Michael W. Smith and others.

The event happens just after Veterans Day and doubles as a salute to our nation's military veterans.

"Who doesn't want to play Austin?" said Mac Powell, Third Day's lead singer. "It was an easy choice."

The band customizes each performance, Powell said, and has a sound comparable to classic rock — not what many folks would expect from a Christian act.

"Christian music has changed over the years but, at the same time, it hasn't changed that much," Powell said. "We're all still sharing our faith through our lyrics."

"People's perceptions a lot of the times keep them from enjoying things," Grant said. "We're living in a time where people are relaxing their perceptions about music."

Sample tunes from the various genres — country, hip-hop, pop — and you'll likely be surprised by the similarities, Grant said.

"They all have songs about heartache, loss, love, sadness, hope and faith," she said. "Music is powerful."

Spirit Fest

When: 1 p.m. Sunday

Where: Dell Diamond

Tickets: Starting at $25 for general admission; discounts for children and military personnel if purchased in advance

Online: spirit1059.com

KUT falls out of Austin radio's Top 10

KUT, Austin's NPR affiliate, continued its fall down the Arbitron ratings chart in October, tumbling out of the Top 10.

The station came in 12th, the lowest it has ranked in recent memory.

That dramatic drop opened the door for 104.3 La Que Buena, which snuck its way — just barely — into the Top 10.

The news was much better for Border Media's 98.9 FM Austin's Greatest Hits, which continues to see its ratings grow. In October, the oldies station topped Spirit 105.9 and KGSR.

KISS-FM remains in the top spot

Average quarter-hour ratings as of Oct. 12, courtesy of Radio-Info.com (numbers in parentheses indicate rank as of Sept. 14):

• 1. 96.7 KHFI-FM (1)
• 2. 590 KLBJ-AM (4)
• 3. 103.5 KBPA-FM (2)
• 4. 100.7 KASE-FM (3)
• 5. 102.3 KPEZ-FM (5)
• 6. 107.1 KLZT-FM (6)
• 7. 95.5 KKMJ-FM (9)
• 8. 98.1 KVET-FM (7)
• 9. 93.7 KLBJ-FM (8)
• 10. 104.3 KLQB-FM (12)

Broadcasters test national alert system

Radio stations here in Austin took part in a first-of-its-kind test of the national Emergency Alert System on Wednesday.

The system, which is similar to ones that have been used at the local and regional levels for five decades, would allow the president to reach Americans in the event of a national emergency.

Initial reports indicate about 10 percent of radio and TV stations nationwide experienced problems of some sort.

Broadcasters, along with the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, are reviewing results and planning tweaks.

"The test was partially successful," said Stewart Vanderwilt, KUT's director and general manager. "The problem was with the audio. This experience will give them the data points to address that issue and others experienced by other stations."

Adele is unstoppable

You go, girl!

Adele continues to top the most-played
list, popping up on Austin radio stations
more than any other artist, according to
AllAccess.com.

Her "Someone Like You" was heard 211
times Nov. 1-7, down a bit from 235 the
previous week.

Still, no one else even comes close.

Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" is still getting plenty of play, too.

Moving up the charts: J. Cole's "Workout" and Young the Giant's "Cough Syrup."

On the way down: "Moves Like Jagger" from Maroon 5 and Foster the People's "Pumped Up Kicks."

Here are the top five songs played on a random sampling of local stations: