Longtime central Minnesota radio station owner Herbert Hoppe, known for constructing the only directional AM quadplex radio tower field in the U.S., has died. An obituary says says Hoppe died Wednesday at the age of 83.
Hoppe founded Tri-County Broadcasting and signed on WVAL/800 (Sauk Rapids-St. Cloud), named for his wife Val, in 1963. WHMH/101.7 was added in 1979 and WVAL moved to 660 and upgraded in the 1980's. But Hoppe wasn't done with AM, adding a new WVAL/800 in 1999 (with 660 becoming WBHR), followed by WMIN/1010 in 2008 and WXYG/540 in 2010.
an article Mark Persons and Mark Mueller wrote for Radio World about the unique project
http://www.mwpersons.com/articles/2013/four-am-stations/four-stations.html
Hoppe founded Tri-County Broadcasting and signed on WVAL/800 (Sauk Rapids-St. Cloud), named for his wife Val, in 1963. WHMH/101.7 was added in 1979 and WVAL moved to 660 and upgraded in the 1980's. But Hoppe wasn't done with AM, adding a new WVAL/800 in 1999 (with 660 becoming WBHR), followed by WMIN/1010 in 2008 and WXYG/540 in 2010.
an article Mark Persons and Mark Mueller wrote for Radio World about the unique project
http://www.mwpersons.com/articles/2013/four-am-stations/four-stations.html