Alt 105.3 FM (Formerly Live 105) Is Now Off The Air, Ending An Era of Bay Area Alternative Radio

At 1 PM, Alt 105.3 FM, the station formerly home to legendary Bay Area radio station Live 105, went off the airwaves, bringing an end to the era of alternative rock radio here in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The station entered the modern rock and alternative rock world in 1985 when on-air personality Steve Masters began incorporating modern rock music into the evening programs. The station became a fully modern rock station in 1986, and has been home to the latest in alternative rock ever since.

Aaron Axelsen became the music director for the station in 1994, and helped incorporate shows into the station’s weekly lineup like “Sound Check” (which focused on highlighting local artists in the Bay Area) and “Subsonic”, an all-electronic and dance music show that ran later in the evenings.

The station was also known for hosting iconic festivals and holiday shows, like the annual BFD (which ran until 2018) and Not So Silent Night, which took place every December and featured the biggest names in rock and alternative.

There is a lot more than can be said, and we’ll be sure to update if more information comes.

(Editors Note: As someone who worked for this station for a number of years, grew up attending and photographing countless BFDs and Not So Silent Night events, and really getting my foot in the door in the music industry through this station, this is a sad day. I may write a larger op-ed post in the coming week, but I wanted to make sure we reported on this. This is a rather large moment in the Bay Area rock scene. Rest in Peace, Live 105 and Alt 105.3. Thanks for all the memories.)