You know, that station you’ve probably heard blasting from some pickup in a Whataburger parking lot. It’s Dallas-Fort Worth’s rock lifeline, or at least it thinks it is. Been around forever, and I’ve got thoughts—some snarky, some random, all mine. Let’s dive in.
What’s This Eagle Thing Anyway?
So, 97.1 The Eagle is this FM station outta Fort Worth, pumping loud tunes across DFW like it’s still the ‘90s. It’s got 100,000 watts of power, which sounds impressive until you realize it’s just noise if you don’t like Nirvana. Been kicking since 1959, though it didn’t start as “The Eagle”—nah, it was KFJZ-FM back then, then KWXI, then some other nonsense before landing on KEGL in ‘81. That’s when it grew feathers and started screeching rock anthems.
It’s owned by iHeartMedia now, which is basically the evil empire of radio, but whatever. They’ve flipped formats more times than I’ve flipped my opinion on pineapple pizza—Top 40, rock, some snooze-fest adult contemporary phase, even a bizarre talk stint as “The Freak” a couple years back. Now it’s back to rock, and they’re acting like it’s a big deal.
The Highs (Kinda)
Fine, I’ll give ‘em some props. 97.1 knows how to crank it up. You want Metallica? Done. Foo Fighters? Sure. That one AC/DC song everyone knows? Yup, it’s there. When they flipped back to rock last year—April 2024—they kicked off with Megadeth’s “Kill the King,” which is honestly pretty metal. If you’re stuck on 635 and need something to scream along to, it’s not a bad pick.
Oh, and they had the Russ Martin Show once upon a time—total chaos, total Dallas, totally missed now that he’s gone. The current lineup? Eh, it’s loud, I guess. That’s something.
The Lows and the “Why Tho”
But let’s not kid ourselves—97.1 can be a hot mess. The playlist feels like it’s stuck in a time warp. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” again? Groundhog Day much? And the commercials—good lord, it’s like they’re trying to sell me a truck, a mattress, and a lawyer all at once. I get it, radio’s gotta eat, but chill.
That “Freak” phase they tried? Disaster. Swapped rock for talk, dragged in Mike Rhyner—who’s cool, don’t get me wrong—but it crashed and burned faster than my last diet. They scurried back to rock so quick you’d think they were embarrassed. Maybe they shoulda been.
Why Does It Even Matter?
Look, 97.1 The Eagle is like that friend who’s always around—kinda annoying, kinda reliable. In a world of playlists and podcasts, it’s still here, yelling about guitar riffs and pretending Dallas is still the rock capital of somewhere. If you’re in DFW and you like your music loud and your vibes unpolished, it’s there for you. Not fancy, not perfect, just… there.
My Rant, My Rules
Honestly? It’s fine. Not blowing my mind, not changing my life, but it’s better than silence or—shudder—pop country. 97.1 The Eagle’s got grit, I’ll give it that. Keeps flapping its wings even after all the format flops and fumbles. Is it the best station ever? Nope. Do I switch it off every time? Also nope. So, yeah, it’s a thing. Tune in if you want, or don’t—I’m not gonna cry about it.