If you’ve spent any time stuck in I-5 traffic between Everett and Tacoma, you know the sound. It’s that familiar mix of urgent traffic updates, the occasional rain-slicked road warning, and voices that feel like they’ve been in your passenger seat for decades. KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM Seattle isn't just a frequency on a dial; it’s basically the auditory nervous system of the Pacific Northwest. While terrestrial radio is supposedly "dying" according to every tech blog written since 2010, KIRO just keeps hummimg along. It’s weird, honestly. In an era of infinite podcasts, thousands of Seattleites still prefer a live human telling them exactly why the Ship Canal Bridge is backed up right now.
Radio is personal here.
Seattle has a specific vibe—a mix of high-tech ambition and "get off my lawn" grumpiness—and 97.3 FM captures it better than most. Owned by Bonneville International, the station has undergone massive shifts over the years. It wasn't always on the FM band, and it certainly wasn't always the news powerhouse it is today. But right now, in 2026, it stands as one of the few remaining "town squares" where you can hear a breakdown of the latest City Council drama followed immediately by a debate over whether the Seahawks should have run the ball.
The Evolution of 97.3 FM Seattle
Most people don't realize that KIRO's dominance on the FM dial is a relatively recent chapter in a very long book. For years, the "Big North" was AM 710. That’s where the legends lived. When the flip happened in 2008—moving the news/talk format to 97.3 FM and leaving the AM side to sports—it was a massive gamble. People thought FM was for music. They thought talk belonged on the crackly, low-fidelity AM waves.
They were wrong.
The move to FM gave the news a crispness that mattered. You could suddenly hear the nuance in Dave Ross’s voice. You could hear the rain hitting the mobile news units. It changed the texture of Seattle news. Today, the station operates out of Eastlake, overlooking Lake Union, and that physical location matters. They are literally looking at the city they cover.
Why the "Newsradio" Brand Sticks
It’s about the "all-news" blocks. During the morning and afternoon drives, the station functions like a well-oiled machine. You get the "Big Three" at the top of the hour: news, weather, and traffic. It’s a relentless rhythm.
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Dave Ross is, quite frankly, a local institution. He’s been with KIRO since the late 70s. Think about that. He has covered everything from the eruption of Mt. St. Helens to the rise of Amazon. His "Ross Files" segments aren't just news; they're a daily exercise in trying to make sense of a world that feels increasingly nonsensical. He has this way of being skeptical without being cynical. It’s a tough tightrope to walk.
The Personalities That Define the Dial
Let’s talk about the lineup because that’s what actually keeps the lights on. It’s the "parasocial relationship" before that was a buzzword. You feel like you know these people.
- The Morning News: It’s fast. It’s punchy. It’s designed for people who have 15 minutes before they have to jump on a Zoom call.
- The Gee and Ursula Show: This is where the station gets its heart. Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin offer a perspective that is often missing from "traditional" news. Gee brings this infectious energy and a background in sports and car detailing (seriously, his "hustle" story is legendary), while Ursula is the seasoned journalist who knows where all the bodies are buried in local politics. Their chemistry works because they actually seem to like each other, even when they’re arguing about housing policy or social justice.
- Jack Stine and Spike O’Neill: The afternoon/evening slot has seen some shakeups lately, but the goal remains the same: keep people entertained while they’re losing their minds in Northgate traffic.
Honestly, the station has faced criticism for being too "middle of the road" or, conversely, for being "too Seattle" (whatever that means). But that’s the job. If everyone is a little bit annoyed with you, you’re probably doing local talk radio correctly.
Handling the "Seattle Squeeze" and Traffic Obsession
If you live here, you know that traffic isn't just a commute; it’s a hobby. We talk about it at parties. We check the mountain passes before we go to bed. 97.3 FM Seattle leans into this harder than anyone else.
The "Triple Team Traffic" reports are legendary. They aren't just reading Google Maps. They have eyes on the ground. They have listeners calling in from the "S-curves" in Renton to report a ladder in the middle of the HOV lane. It’s crowdsourced intelligence before Waze was even a glimmer in an engineer's eye.
There’s a specific anxiety to driving in Seattle. The bridges. The narrow lanes. The constant threat of a "Viaduct-style" closure. KIRO acts as a sedative for that anxiety. Knowing why you’re stopped is somehow better than just being stopped.
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The Digital Shift
Even though we’re talking about FM radio, the station has had to pivot. Hard.
The KIRO Newsradio app and their podcast feeds are arguably more important now than the actual transmitter on Tiger Mountain. If you miss a segment of "Ross and Burbank" (back when that was the duo) or a modern-day deep dive into the homelessness crisis, you can find it in seconds. They’ve successfully turned a "linear" medium into an "on-demand" one. That’s how they survived the 2020s.
Is Local Radio Dying? Not in the PNW.
There’s this weird thing about Seattle. We’re a tech city. We have Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. We should be the first people to abandon "old" tech like FM radio.
But we don't.
Maybe it’s because we’re isolated in the corner of the country. Maybe it’s the weather. When a windstorm knocks out power to 200,000 people in King County, you don't go to a TikTok influencer for updates. You grab a battery-powered radio and tune to 97.3. You want to hear a voice that knows how to pronounce "Puyallup" and "Sequim."
There is a deep, abiding trust in localism. National news is a screaming match. Local news—at least on KIRO—feels more like a neighborhood meeting. A loud, sometimes chaotic meeting, but a meeting nonetheless.
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The Competition
Sure, there’s KNKX for jazz and NPR fans. There’s KUOW for the hardcore public radio crowd. There’s KJR for the sports addicts. But 97.3 FM occupies this weird, vital middle ground. It’s for the person who wants the news but doesn't want it delivered with a "public radio whisper." They want it with a bit of grit.
What Most People Get Wrong About KIRO
A lot of people think KIRO is just a "conservative" or "liberal" outlet depending on which host is talking. That’s a massive oversimplification. Because it’s owned by Bonneville (which is owned by the LDS Church), there are certain "family-friendly" guardrails, but the editorial independence is surprisingly high.
You’ll hear fierce debates about the "Seattle Bellevue" divide. You’ll hear people calling in from Enumclaw who have wildly different lives than the people calling in from Capitol Hill. The station’s real value isn't a political slant; it’s the fact that it forces these different Seattles to listen to each other for a few minutes between commercials for windows and gutter guards.
Real Talk: The Commercials
Look, we have to mention the ads. If you listen to 97.3, you are going to hear about Northwest Remodeling, various law firms, and plenty of "as seen on TV" gadgets. It’s the price of free airwaves. But even the ads have a local flavor. You start to recognize the voices. They become part of the soundscape.
Practical Ways to Get the Most Out of 97.3 FM
If you're new to the area or just trying to stay informed without doom-scrolling, here is how you actually use this resource:
- The 15-Minute Rule: Tune in at :00, :15, :30, or :45. That’s when the "big" updates happen. If you just need a quick temperature check on the city, those are your windows.
- The App is Better than the Site: Seriously, the KIRO Newsradio app has a "Listen Live" feature that is way more stable than trying to stream through a mobile browser.
- Text the Station: They actually read the texts. Unlike national shows where your message goes into a void, the producers at 97.3 are constantly monitoring the feedback line. If you see something weird on the I-90 bridge, text them. You might literally become the news.
- Podcast the Specialties: Some of their long-form reporting on things like the "Seattle Monster" or local cold cases is actually high-quality stuff that gets lost in the daily shuffle. Search their podcast "Collections" rather than just the main feed.
The station has managed to stay relevant by refusing to be "just" a radio station. It’s an emergency broadcast system, a political forum, and a traffic cop all rolled into one. As long as the West Seattle Bridge exists and the rain keeps falling, there will be a need for someone to talk us through it.
Next Steps for Staying Connected:
To truly stay ahead of the curve in the Puget Sound area, download the KIRO Newsradio app and toggle notifications specifically for "Breaking News" and "Traffic Alerts." This bypasses the clutter of social media algorithms. Additionally, if you're a commuter, program 97.3 FM as your primary preset but keep a backup for the AM 710 sports feed, as the two stations often cross-promote major local events and emergency updates. Stay informed, stay skeptical, and keep your eyes on the road.