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Before Minnesota Public Radio on 99.5, there was CHR on WLOL

Interesting read, but when I got to the bottom of the link you'd posted, I actually became more interested in the December 27, 1990 Radio Shack ad that was adjacent to the news story about the station. Electronics were EXPENSIVE back then compared to similar items we can still by today! And some of these items for sale are laughable considering today's technology: $1,200 for a laptop with a 20 MB hard drive!
 
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joebtsflk1 said:
From NorthPine.com, Jon Ellis' remembers the end of WLOL 30 years ago this weekend
Still Listening to 99.5 WLOL 30 Years Later – Upper Midwest Broadcasting

The House that Garrison Built was flush with money in the 90s. It was definitely a rare event at that time for non-comms to buy a commercial outlet. (it was usually the other way around) How times have changed...
Click to expand...
It wasn't so much that MPR was flush with cash (IIRC they borrowed the money to buy 99.5, much to the dismay of many longtime members) so much that Emmis became increasingly more willing (aka desperate) to sell. They tried to keep it a commercial operation, but in the end no commercial entity wanted the station, and I believe Emmis sold for less than they wanted to. I believe there was an offer that was larger than the $12 million a year earlier that Emmis turned down (rumor is that Go 96.3/95.3 also turned down a larger offer before settling on the EMF one as well).

I was 10 at the time of the change, and it was devastating. Of course, I had no idea what I was missing, because WLOL was the "stale" station in early 1990. In May of 1990, in what I now know as an attempt to make the station a more attractive buy, they revamped the station to the "Minneapolis Sound" and I didn't "rediscover" it until shortly after the sale announcement. What I discovered in 1990/1991 was an amazing station. Fun, upbeat, unique (or as they said "Custom Mixed") from the TOP TOP TOP TOP of the IDS Center. Of course, years later, I discovered that this format, complete with the presentation, was "stolen/borrowed" from their New York station (Hot 103/97) complete with the TOP TOP TOP TOP of the Empire state building!

Still, a legend. I often wonder what the radio dial would have looked like if Jimmy Jam had succeeded in buying the station instead of MPR. Would KDWB still be around? CHR's barely held on in the early-mid 90's, I doubt there would have been room for 2 Top 40 stations in Minneapolis during that time, who would have won?

Also, I'd like to point out that many think MPR is "evil" but they actually "saved" a frequency from being sold to EMF back in the 2000's, as 89.3 was pretty close to being sold to EMF.
 
mnradiofan said:
Still, a legend. I often wonder what the radio dial would have looked like if Jimmy Jam had succeeded in buying the station instead of MPR. Would KDWB still be around? CHR's barely held on in the early-mid 90's, I doubt there would have been room for 2 Top 40 stations in Minneapolis during that time, who would have won?
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WLOL could possibly have followed a similar rhythmic trajectory as B96/Chicago prior to it becoming Mainstream CHR. While KDWB played artists such as Blackstreet, TLC and Monica, in the time between WLOL's departure and the entrance of B96/Mpls from February 1991 to May 2000, there was a general lack of consistent R&B Pop music on the Twin Cities' commercial airwaves. Much like how the commercial terrestrial "dial" would sound there today if it were not for translator station Hot 102.5.

mnradiofan said:
(rumor is that Go 96.3/95.3 also turned down a larger offer before settling on the EMF one as well).
Click to expand...

Would definitely have been nice if 95.3, 96.3 and 99.5 could have all remained as commercial entities.
 
Another alternate history take: WLOL starts thrashing 101.3 in the ratings to such an extent that 101.3 starts playing more and more alternative cuts as many CHRs were doing at the time. By 1993 or so, they lean all the way over and become 101.3 The Edge. 93X therefore maintains its active rock format and never becomes "93.7 The Edge" as it did from '94 to '97.
 
I went through the WLOL sale.

Emmis purchased the Seattle Mariners, which put a bit of a strain on their cash flow and WLOL was one of the stations they planned to sell.

The economy tanked, the feds tighten the credit for the banks, offers to purchase LOL dried up, except for MPR.

Emmis did not want to sell at that price, but the banks pushed and said, "You have an offer, you will take it."
So after turning down Tribune's offer of $24, 000,000 they were forced to take the $12,000,000.

After MPR took possession, they went to the city of St.Paul and asked for a loan to pay for the station.
Bill Kling, CEO of MPR, didn't have the money to buy it, but finagled his way through.
 
As a lifelong suffering Mariner's fan, I am here to tell you they put a strain on EVERYTHING they touch! Not just broadcasting company budgets LOL.
 
MPR killed WLOL by starting a bidding war until they won the purchase. Not a surprising move by such a fecterated organization.
 
aspric said:
MPR killed WLOL by starting a bidding war until they won the purchase. Not a surprising move by such a fecterated organization.
Click to expand...
Not even close.
Tribune was at $24 M.
The Feds tightened the credit, which caused the banks to remove the other higher bids.
MPR kept theirs on the table, even though they didn't have the money guaranteed.

Emmis did not want to sell at that price, plus they knew, except for two employees, everyone would be let go.
Don't know where you're getting your 'facts' but they're all made up.
 
I didn't realize they even had 2 employees that stayed on. Engineering?

But yes, Emmis was looking to unload it (banks forced the issue because they took on too much debt), was asking way too much, and ended up selling for less than what they originally wanted. Since Emmis is a business, they take the highest bid they can get, and nobody else was at the table, even after the relaunch (which was also done to sell the station).
 
Engineering and the traffic. Traffic went to MN News Network.

The story I was told, they turned down the Tribune offer, ($24M), because they thought Tribune would fire all the jocks and make a run against WLTE.
Emmis did admit they never sold stations before and didn't know the best method.
 
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