iHeartMedia Austin is giving its morning show more airtime. The Morning Kickoff grows by an effective immediately on 1300 The Zone.
What We Know: 1300 The Zone’s The Morning Kickoff with Mike Hardge and Mark Henry now runs 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. weekdays, an hour earlier than before. Hardge and Henry continue as co-hosts, with no change to that pairing. No other lineup local lineup changes were announced; Craig Way and “Bucky & BK” remain in their current afternoon slots. With the shift, the station will only carry two hours of The Dan Patrick Show.
What They Said: Bryan Erickson, Region Program Director for iHeartMedia Austin: “The 2026 college football season just around the corner. This move gives Longhorn fans another hour of the in-depth analysis, big-name interviews and passionate discussion they’ve come to expect from Hardge and Henry.”
What Remains Unclear: With the added hour of local and one less hour of syndication, how listener behavior could shift is unknown.
What It Means: Ultimately, the expansion signals confidence in Hardge and Henry ahead of a marquee Longhorns season. Meanwhile, it reinforces 1300 The Zone’s positioning as Austin’s dedicated home for Texas athletics coverage. As competition for sports-talk listeners intensifies, the extra hour gives the station more inventory for interviews and in-depth analysis during college football’s biggest ramp-up period.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.