Austin’s airwaves will never be the same.

Is that a good thing? Depends who you ask.

Local radio underwent tremendous changes in 2012 and, as we ease into 2013, even more are on the way.

Let’s take a quick look at the year’s biggest events on the city’s AM and FM dials.

KUT gets a sibling: The University of Texas spent $6 million to buy 98.9 KXBT-FM from Dallas-based Border Media. On Jan. 2 at 5:30 a.m., the station will become KUTX-FM, airing commercial-free music 24 hours a day. A number of well-known 90.5 KUT-FM hosts will make the move to 98.9 FM, including Susan Castle, who will helm the early morning shift. The rest of the weekday lineup includes, in order, John Aielli, Jay Trachtenberg, Matt Reilly, Jody Denberg and Laurie Gallardo. The station will brand itself as “the Austin Music Experience.”

The newly acquired frequency clears the way for KUT-FM to air round-the-clock local, national and world news. Jennifer Stayton will host “Morning Edition” from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. Bob Branson will handle local news middays, with Nathan Bernier delivering KUT-FM updates during “All Things Considered,” from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

You can find the complete lineups for both stations on my blog, austin360.com/tvblog.

UT’s purchase of KXBT-FM left most Austinites without an oldies station. But, if you’ve got an HD radio, Majic 95.5 has a subchannel you should check out. Head to 95.5 KKMJ-FM HD2.

KOKE is it: Former 98.1 KVET-FM morning host Bob Cole was among the veteran broadcasters who helped launch locally owned 98.5/99.3 KOKE-FM, which airs primarily Austin- and Texas-centric country music.

Cole hosts mornings, of course. The rest of the schedule features several other familiar Austin radio personalities, including weather updates from meteorologist Troy Kimmel throughout the day. Eric Raines has the 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. shift weekdays.

Weekends, Tom Allen’s popular “Country Gold” show, once a KVET-FM mainstay, runs from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. Saturdays. Another former KVET-FM staple, the gospel brunch, can be heard from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sundays.

This isn’t the first time Austin’s had a radio station with the KOKE-FM call letters. The original KOKE-FM made a splash in the early 1970s when it helped launch a format known as “progressive country” featuring a mix of tunes from country acts as well as other, noncountry performers.

Station sales: KXBT-FM wasn’t the only Austin frequency financially troubled Border Media sold in 2012. The company liquidated all of its stations here, including 92.5 KXXS-FM, 104.9 KTXX-FM, 1260 KWNX-AM and 1530 KZNX-AM.

Ratings race: 96.7 KHFI-FM, known on air as KISS FM, was the station to beat all year long, according to ratings from Arbitron. The pop-friendly home of Justin Bieber, Ke$ha and Pink has a dominating lead over the competition. Top 10 regulars in 2012 included 90.5 KUT-FM, 100.7 KASE-FM, 102.3 KPEZ-FM, 103.5 KBPA-FM and 590 KLBJ-AM.

Jam on: Jammin’ 103.1 made its debut on Austin’s airwaves, offering rhythmic hits from today and yesterday — everyone from the Isley Brothers to Flo Rida. It replaced a simulcast of sister station 1300 KVET-AM.

Comings and goings: We saw lots of DJs come and go this year. Bryan Beck, 93.3 KGSR-FM’s longtime morning DJ, departed in March, and was replaced by Kelly Brandt, who once worked at now-defunct Austin hip-hop station Hot 93.3.

Popular hosts Geoff Ketchum and Chip Brown disappeared from 104.9 KTXX-FM after it was acquired by Total Austin Sports Radio. The sports station also dumped its local morning show in favor of ESPN’s “Mike and Mike in the Morning.”

You’ll be hearing a lot more of 94.7 KAMX-FM morning sidekicks Sara Osburn and Alex Franco in 2013. In addition to their early-bird shifts, listen for Osburn from 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays, followed by Franco from 7 p.m. to midnight.

And it wasn’t a very merry Christmas for dozens of folks across the nation who were laid off this month by San Antonio-based Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, including 102.3 KPEZ-FM afternoon host JoJo and Joel Burke, program director and on-air personality for 98.1 KVET-FM and 100.7 KASE-FM.

What’s in store in 2013? Stay tuned.

Read my blog at austin360.com/tvblog or follow @gdinges on Twitter to get the latest updates on local radio and TV stations.