Wow! Gone are the days of "stunting" or transition programming. But it happens to the best of them. I remember when WKQX in Chicago departed from the Q101 brand and their automation failed during the transition to another format. I think the station played Rain Dance Maggie from the Red Hot Chili Peppers for like 4 days.Yup, I do have a recording of them killing the station. Looks like time of death was ~9:09:30 AM. I was listening on the drive in just half an hour before then, hah.
Here's the video of the last 60 seconds of the station. They just totally killed the pilot in the middle of a song. Apologies for the YouTube link, looks like I can't upload videos here.
I also got a recording of the new station coming back online, at ~10:56 AM, so here's that video. Somewhat ironically it comes back on in the middle of them asking for donations. There wasn't any HD at this point, but it came on within the hour.
A song called "Trouble's Coming" is not a song you want to be the last one played on your station, haha.
I remember that Q101 incident and I'm still not 100% sure that wasn't intentional...Wow! Gone are the days of "stunting" or transition programming. But it happens to the best of them. I remember when WKQX in Chicago departed from the Q101 brand and their automation failed during the transition to another format. I think the station played Rain Dance Maggie from the Red Hot Chili Peppers for like 4 days.
So now the twin cities have 5 christian rock stations on the FM dial? I have nothing against the format. It just seems a little excessive. I imagine someone is typing a "Radio is Dead" think-piece right now.
Did any other stations in the market pick up the KZGO/KQGO formats?
You're pretty much spot on. 93X is probably the best "alternative" to GO 96.3, and 93X actually took (and still has) GO's spot as my favorite station a couple years back. 93X also hired at least two of the hosts/DJs from GO 96.3 in the last few months as well.93X has always played some of the harder-edged alternative music, and the pop songs have always been played on Cities 97 & KS 95, and possibly 101.3. The Current 89.3 has a mixed bag of Alternative & AAA, but I really don't see any other station picking up the formats as a successor to Go Media unless interest picks up whenever live music returns. Even with the interest the Go Shows generated, neither station ever rose much above a 2 share. Maybe someone who actually lives in Minnesota can add more to this, snice I am simply reporting what I have heard as a distant observer and streamer.
I think you might've mixed up the two stations. KQGO on 96.3 is airing Air1 right now at least. I wouldn't put it past them to switch them around and then back though, haha.KZGO is now airing Air1, and KQGO changed their call letters back to KNOF with the "Praise Live" simulcast of KCGN. K-Love remains on translators 99.9 and 105.5, along with KMKL/90.3 (North Branch).
You're correct, and 96.3 is KWMA (was KQGO), and 95.3 is KNOF (was KZGO). I can predict K-Love moving to 95.3 after the agreement expires, and the translators switching their relay to Praise Live (KCGN/KBHL).I think you might've mixed up the two stations. KQGO on 96.3 is airing Air1 right now at least. I wouldn't put it past them to switch them around and then back though, haha.
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That's interesting. From what I've read on Wikipedia, 105.7 has kind of always been an orphan station. It's likely they leave 105.7 alone, and modify programming on 93.7 to be a little more light.With 105.7 having similar coverage to 95.3 (both on IDS), could Cumulus split the trimulcast of 105.7 off 105.1/105.3, and air a different format on a 105.1 and 105.3 that simulcast each other?
Yup. I've actually been archiving the GO Radio website all day today. All the audio on it was uploaded as uncompressed WAV files, so they take up an ungodly amount of space...I was looking at Radio Station World and I noticed the Minneapolis locations didn't update yet with the changes. Also, i just saw the Go Radio site is still up.
92.9 is dead air right now. No programming has aired since around noon today. Its parent station 97.1 HD2 is still airing Air 1.
I suspect EMF will lease this to another broadcaster. Wonder what will pop up? I know KSTP-AM has been looking for a spot on the FM dial. Perhaps that will arrive next. I will keep checking in and see what happens.
Yeah, they haven't took down the website yet. Compare to WPLJ, when EMF completed the sale of that station, they took down the website immediately.Yup. I've actually been archiving the GO Radio website all day today. All the audio on it was uploaded as uncompressed WAV files, so they take up an ungodly amount of space...
Also just found out that GO Radio did weekly "frozen pizza reviews" on their YouTube page, LOL
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half?I just read and watched that about KNOF being sold back to praise live for half the amount EMF paid for 96.3 and 95.3.
half?
92.9, as of last night, was relaying 96.3 HD2, which is now looping a message redirecting people to 96.3 for Air 1. It'll be interesting to see if they continue to relay 96.3 HD2 after the "switch" and what format EMF would choose for the translator (or if they will lease it out to another broadcaster. Could they do what they did in Chicago and lease it out to "Boost"?I was going to say Air1 took 92.9 off their station list and I was going to ask what was on it now but pattywells already noticed it is silent so thank you. I did not think Air1 would stay on 92.9. I wonder if 92.9 aired a loop directing listeners to 96.3 before it went off. I am surprised it went silent instead of immediately flipping to something else but maybe 92.9 being off will only be temporary while a new program source is prepared. Please let us know when it comes back on. I am just curious. thank you
Yes, making 96.3 even a BETTER deal for EMF. $1.3 million for a major market FM? Yes, it doesn't have the coverage that some stations have, but it likely covers 80% of the "population" of the Twin Cities with a listenable signal.I just read and watched that about KNOF being sold back to praise live for half the amount EMF paid for 96.3 and 95.3.