Classic Rock 96.1 – Texas' Best Rock

Classic Rock 96.1 – Texas' Best Rock Classic Rock 96-1, Texas' Best Rock is a Townsquare Media station. We're your spot for news and entertainment in East Texas. Let's treat everyone with respect.

Welcome to the official page* for Classic Rock 96.1, a Townsquare Media station. We are Texas' best rock and home to the John Boy & Billy Morning Show.

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* Please Be Kind and Courteous: By participating in discussions on our station’s page, we ask that you foster a welcoming environment. Healthy debates are natural, but kindness is required.
* No Hate Speech or Bullying: Everyone who visits here should feel safe. Bullying of any kind isn't allowed, and degrading comments about things like race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender or identity will not be tolerated. Classic Rock 96.1 covers everything from local news stories to weather updates to business openings and closings to entertainment features to unique and interesting things you never even knew existed in and around East Texas. Our content is available for free on our websites and our free mobile app. These are just some of the communities that we are proud to inform and entertain every day: Tyler, Longview, Kilgore, Henderson, Big Sandy, Palestine, Lindale, Whitehouse, Gladewater, Marshall, and Athens.

Well, Texas has just made a pretty significant move involving those cameras.The state has hit pause on new Flock camera ...
09/26/2026

Well, Texas has just made a pretty significant move involving those cameras.

The state has hit pause on new Flock camera installations along state roads.

But here's the part drivers need to know: this does NOT mean every Flock camera in Texas is suddenly going away.

Cameras that are already installed along state rights-of-way can remain in place, including more than 900 operated by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

So what does this actually mean when you're driving around Texas?

Here's what's changing, what's staying in place and why the Flock camera fight is far from over. 👇

Ever wondered what it would cost to buy back all your favorite childhood toys? I did. A Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine was a st...
09/26/2026

Ever wondered what it would cost to buy back all your favorite childhood toys? I did. A Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine was a steal at $28, but another one would have set me back $400! 😬

What childhood toy have you tried to track down again? Find out which one cost $400 (and the rest of my list) in the comments. 👇

They're called prediction markets.Instead of placing a traditional sports bet with a sportsbook, users buy and sell cont...
09/26/2026

They're called prediction markets.

Instead of placing a traditional sports bet with a sportsbook, users buy and sell contracts based on what they think will happen.

Sounds pretty similar, right? 👀

That's exactly why there's a growing debate over whether prediction markets are essentially becoming sports betting under a different name.

The platforms operate under federal regulation, while traditional sports betting is governed under state gambling laws.

And Texas lawmakers are taking notice as these markets become more popular.

So here's the question: Do you consider this sports betting, or something completely different? 🏈🤔

Here's how prediction markets work in Texas and why they're suddenly getting so much attention. 👇

If you've spent even five minutes outside in a Texas summer, you already know how brutal the heat can be. 🥵Now imagine d...
09/26/2026

If you've spent even five minutes outside in a Texas summer, you already know how brutal the heat can be. 🥵

Now imagine dealing with that kind of heat inside a building where you can't simply walk outside, turn on your car's A/C or head home.

For years, air conditioning inside Texas prisons has been a major issue.

And now there's a firm deadline attached to the situation.

A federal judge has ordered Texas to air condition all of its prisons by the end of 2029.

The ruling comes after arguments over extreme heat, inmate health and conditions inside facilities that don't have full air conditioning.

Texas prison officials have estimated the work could cost around $1.5 billion.

And there's another important detail: as of September 1, just over a third of the state's 104 prison facilities were fully air conditioned.

So what happens next?

Here's what the federal judge ordered, how much it could cost and why Texas plans to appeal. 👇

Sometimes the best restaurant in town isn't the one with the biggest sign.It may not have the fanciest dining room.It mi...
09/25/2026

Sometimes the best restaurant in town isn't the one with the biggest sign.

It may not have the fanciest dining room.

It might not even be a place you've heard of.

But somebody in East Texas knows about it.

We recently asked locals for their favorite “hole-in-the-wall” restaurants around Tyler, and the suggestions started coming in.

Some are probably familiar.

Others?

You may have driven past them dozens of times without ever stopping.

Fall might actually be a better time to plant a tree in East Texas than spring.After the hot, dry stretch we've had, tha...
09/25/2026

Fall might actually be a better time to plant a tree in East Texas than spring.

After the hot, dry stretch we've had, that probably sounds a little backwards. But according to Texas A&M AgriLife, cooler fall temperatures can give a new tree a chance to get its roots established before another brutal Texas summer rolls around.

There is one pretty important catch, though: You've still got to water it.

Here's why fall may be a surprisingly good time to add a tree to your East Texas yard:

Scammers are always wanting to your money. Scammers are always wanting your personal information. They'll send an email,...
09/25/2026

Scammers are always wanting to your money. Scammers are always wanting your personal information. They'll send an email, make a threatening phone call or whatever other sneaky method they come up with to panic you into complying with their scheme.

We have to be vigilant when contacted by a scammer. The scam can look very official and/or legitimate. You can easily reach out to make sure whatever it is you got is the real thing. The newest way scammers are stealing is by issuing fake parking tickets Houstonians and its visitors.

Friday night football is a BIG deal in Texas.Especially around East Texas.The lights come on.The bands play.The stands f...
09/25/2026

Friday night football is a BIG deal in Texas.

Especially around East Texas.

The lights come on.

The bands play.

The stands fill up.

And families spend their week looking forward to those few hours under the stadium lights. 🏈

That's why this story is especially tough for one Texas high school football program.

The team has been dealing with a string of injuries, and the number of available players became a serious concern.

Eventually, school officials made the difficult decision to end the team's season.

It's a reminder that while football is a huge part of Texas culture, player safety has to come first.

Nobody wants to see a Friday night end with another player getting hurt.

Would you support a school ending a season early if injuries left the roster too thin to safely continue? 🏈

Here's what happened and why the Texas team won't finish its football season. 👇

We've all been late to work at least once. 😂Maybe you hit snooze one too many times.Maybe traffic suddenly decided to be...
09/25/2026

We've all been late to work at least once. 😂

Maybe you hit snooze one too many times.

Maybe traffic suddenly decided to become a problem.

Or maybe... you had an excuse that sounded completely reasonable when you said it out loud. 😂

And let's be honest, East Texas gives us PLENTY of possibilities.

A train can stop you.

A tractor can slow you down.

A wreck can turn a normal drive into a guessing game.

And sometimes you just look outside, see something happening that absolutely requires your attention, and think, "Well... I'm gonna be late." 😂

So we decided to have a little fun with it.

**What's the most East Texas excuse you've ever used for being late to work?** 👀

Here are some of the excuses that only make perfect sense around here. 😂👇

Something has changed at Texas high school events this week, and if you have a kid in school, you may want to know about...
09/25/2026

Something has changed at Texas high school events this week, and if you have a kid in school, you may want to know about it.

New state safety requirements are now in effect for larger extracurricular events, including football games, prom and graduation.

Some of the new rules involve security plans, emergency equipment and when law enforcement must be present.

Here's what Texas schools now have to plan for:

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3810 Brookside Drive
Tyler, TX
75701

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