News on the News

Austin's KUT News rounds up Central Texas media for new daily show

Jerry Quijano will host Austin Signal, with some other fill-in hosts.

Photo courtesy of KUT

On Wednesday, October 1, the first day National Public Radio (NPR) no longer has any federal funding, Austin's NPR station announced a new venture. Austin Signal, a daily weekday "magazine" in the form of a news show by KUT News, will launch Monday, October 6.

A press release says the show "blends trusted local reporting with Austin’s vibrant culture to keep Central Texans connected and informed." Each episode will be 30 minutes long, and will air weekdays at 1 pm on KUT 90.5. It will also be available as a podcast, released daily, at KUT.org.

This is, of course, not the first time listeners will hear reports from KUT. But this show includes stories by more than 40 reporters from KUT News, KUTX 98.9, and the station's podcasts; Texas Standard, which collaborates with KUT and other news organizations from North Texas, Houston, San Antonio, and beyond; and more reporting partners. The Texas Tribune is launching an Austin newsroom soon, which will also be a partner.

Aside from gathering all these reports in one place, the new alliance also aims to spend partners' efforts wisely, reducing the stories that need to be written multiple times for each outlet, and allowing deeper coverage elsewhere.

Austin Signal technical director Rayna Sevilla and managing producer Kristen Cabrera Technical director Rayna Sevilla and managing producer Kristen Cabrera, left to right.Photo courtesy of KUT

Topics will include local music, arts, culture, and sports, and the first week of broadcasting will wrap up with a report from one of Austin's most prominent cultural events: Austin City Limits Music Festival on Friday, October 10.

“At a time when news fatigue is real, Austin Signal offers a fresh, approachable way to stay informed,” said KUT News managing editor Ben Philpott in the release. “For more than 20 years, KUT News has been Austin’s trusted source for local journalism. Now we’re combining that reliable, award-winning reporting with the creativity of our music and culture teams to deliver a show that reflects the full scope of Central Texas life.”

Some important names on Austin Signal will be veteran Austin journalist Melissa Barragán Taboada leading the new Texas Tribune newsroom; All Things Considered local host Jerry Quijano hosting Austin Signal, with fill-in backup from Jennifer Stayton, Syeda Carrillo, and Miles Bloxson; and on the production side, managing producer Kristen Cabrera, managing editor Ben Philpott, showrunner Jimmy Maas, and technical director Rayna Sevilla. Finally, a musical theme has been composed by Rene Chavez.

“Our partnership with KUT News is part of a broader commitment to strengthening local journalism through collaboration,” said Taboada. “By working together with trusted local news organizations and community groups, we’re able to pool resources, broaden our reach, and deliver more comprehensive coverage — giving Central Texans deeper insight into the issues that matter most.”

KUT Public Media general manager Debbie Hiott added, “Central Texas deserves reliable, accessible news — and much more of it. We want to be able to put the region’s growth and challenges in better context, hold our local governments accountable to residents and highlight all the things that make Austin special.”

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let loose atx

Austin slips on new list of America's most fun cities for 2025

Rowing Dock downtown Austin Congress Avenue Bridge bats kayaking

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A new WalletHub study ranking the most fun American cities in 2025 has revealed Austin needs to learn how to let loose a little more next year.

Austin currently ranks as the 8th most fun city in the U.S., with Houston surpassing it as 6th most fun American city and the No. 1 most fun city in the Lone Star State.

WalletHub's "Most Fun Cities in America (2025)" study compared 182 U.S. cities across 65 metrics – spanning from the number of sports venues, music venues, and shopping centers per capita to the average cost for a restaurant meal – to determine how "fun" each city is. The metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

Las Vegas, Nevada, continued its multi-year streak as the No. 1 most fun American city.

Across the three key dimensions, Austin scored the highest for its nightlife and parties rank (No. 6), but its entertainment and recreation rank (No. 22) and costs rank (No. 82) still leave room for improvement. But overall, Austin's level of "fun" is far higher than most U.S. cities.

Austin's current "fun" status is two spots lower than its 2024 rank as the 6th most fun American city. In 2023, Austin ranked No. 7 on the list.

Other Texas cities that appeared in the top 100 include: San Antonio (No. 23), Dallas (No. 26), Fort Worth (No. 60), El Paso (No. 62), Arlington (No. 71), Plano (No. 78), and Corpus Christi (No. 94).

"The decision of where to live could save or cost you a lot of money and fun, so it’s fair to wonder what makes a fun city," the report's author wrote. "In a city with enough variety, you won’t have to compromise with your friends, family, or even yourself about the next fun activity to do alone or together."

WalletHub's top 10 most fun U.S. cities in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 6 – Houston, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Austin, Texas
No. 9 – Portland, Oregon
No. 10 – Cincinnati, Ohio

Surprisingly, both Chicago and New York City dropped out of the top 10 most fun American cities. Chicago now ranks as No. 11, and New York City ranks 14th on the list.

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