Indie 103.1 off the air, goes online

Yesterday, January 15, 2009, a date which will live in infamy: Los Angeles' beloved Indie 103.1FM left the airwaves permanently. A message on the station's website explains that changes in the radio rating system would have forced Indie 103 to continue to "play the corporate game" and give more airtime to "Britney, Puffy, and alternative music that is neither new nor cutting edge." And so, with obvious disdain for the '90s heavy in their hearts, the proprietors pulled the plug.

Yet, like so many ill-conceived metaphors about mythical birds and ashes, Indie 103.1 was immediately reborn and rebranded as "Indie Online," and the station's online music stream continued unabated:

"Rather than changing the sound, spirit, and soul of what has made Indie 103.1 great Indie 103.1 will bid farewell to the terrestrial airwaves and take an alternative course. This could only be done on the Internet, a place where rules do not apply and where new music thrives; be it grunge, punk, or alternative - simply put, only the best music. For those of you with a computer at home or at work, log on to www.indie1031.com and listen to the new Indie 103.1 - which is really the old Indie 103.1, not the version of Indie 103.1 we are removing from the broadcast airwaves."

Put simply, it's the recession and everybody's broke. With the rapid decline of radio advertising revenue and subsequent mass flight to the internet, Indie 103 might only be the first of many to fall.

Related links:
Indie1031.com
LA Times: Ex-Indie 103.1 host Chris Morris on the end of the station
YouTube: The Submarines on Indie 103.1 FM

Got a news tip for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.