Radio Stations Posts

High School Hockey on Local Radio

Jan 29, 2015 1 Comment

Yes, I’m a sports fan, I enjoy ice hockey, and I go to the state high school tournament often. Now time for the whining.  Why are two local sports stations broadcasting the same high school hockey game live (e.g., Jan. 29)? This is not the first time. Both 560 and 1490 have it and 1490 is the “home of the Minnesota Wild” in these parts. The Wild have a game this evening, which would be on 1490, that I assume will be preempted or joined in progress. One station for the high school game tonight is enough. My suggestion: Trade off or put Wild game on another station owned by whatever radio group. Looking forward to reading comments and other views on this situation.


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Why doesn’t Duluth have a repeater of the Current?

Aug 29, 2013 36 Comments

Why doesn’t Duluth have a repeater of the Current? What would it take to get one?


Music , , ,

The Duluth Local Show on Local Current

Mar 26, 2013 4 Comments

I’m happy to say that I’ve been given the chance to share some Duluth music with a much wider audience than can hear my current radio program on KUWS. (And by “Duluth music” I mean everything from the Iron Range to the South Shore.)

The show will air on the Local Current stream on Wednesdays (starting tomorrow, March 27) at noon and will be rebroadcast on Thursdays at 11 p.m. and Saturdays at 6 p.m.

In order to put on the best local show I can – I’m gonna need your music if you’re in a band. We’ve got some 180+ acts playing Homegrown this year alone and I can tell you that I don’t have recordings from more than half of them. This is a call to bands from the region to send me your CDs/vinyls and/or high-quality digital downloads for me to potentially play on the Duluth Local Show.

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KUMD’s the Basement on mtvU

Mar 25, 2013 No Comments

KUMD’s student-run programming, the Basement, will be featured on mtvU’s College Radio Countdown beginning tomorrow. We’ll celebrate our national television debut with a premiere party on Tuesday, March 26 at 7:30-9:00 pm in the UMD Lake Superior Hall Lobby.

KUMD students produced a fun one-minute video to introduce the mtvU audience to KUMD and Duluth; it starts with a broadcast from a local ice fishing house. The video will introduce our ten video picks of songs that represent the sound of the Basement, including two Minnesota artists, Trampled by Turtles and Polica.

In addition, KUMD’s Music Directors picked five local videos to be featured on mtvU’s tumblr; our first pick, Brian Barber’s brilliant video for the Black-eyed Snakes’ “Rise Up,” has already been posted and more will follow each day this week.

In the Duluth area mtvU is available on digital cable channel 327 and the show will also be available online at www.mtvu.com.

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Music ,

Dibiki Giizis – The Moon – Seeking local music

Jun 03, 2012 No Comments

Usually I work in early childhood family education but for the summer I am returning to one of my first great loves, radio. I actually wrote about WGZS-FM Dibiki Giizis in this post from several months ago. For the summer anyway I will be hosting and producing some music and public affairs programming on the station mainly during the weekends. Right now the station is still in ramp-up mode, broadcasting at about 70% power and in FM Mono. The schedule is 9-4 pm on weekdays and 9-2 on weekends. Eventually it will be in 100,000 watt FM Stereo and 24 hours a day.

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History ,

“The Moon” 89.1 FM WGZS

Nov 08, 2011 7 Comments

Fond du Lac Band’s 89.1 FM WGZS “The Moon” was one of several Native American Radio stations mentioned in a report on MPR News this morning.

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Radio WAKX 1320: The Twin Ports’ pace-setting leader

Oct 30, 2011 No Comments

Via Bob Halverson, here’s another old Duluth radio jingle.

WAKX 1320

Hey, someone had to lead at setting the pace.

Related link: Bob’s initial post about local jingles.


History ,

Looking for WIGL Jingles

Oct 04, 2011 8 Comments

WIGL radio was a daytime Top-40 music station covering the Duluth-Superior market from 1961 to 1964. I am a collector of radio jingles, and have many from WEBC and a couple of early WAKX ones. However, WIGL has been elusive. I e-mailed Lew Latto about it (who owned the station for a while), and he regretfully replied that he was unable to help me. I know some people taped the radio back then (I did) — maybe there’s an aircheck out there with a WIGL jingle or two.  I remember they had purple promo signs on the backs of the city buses during that era, and their jingles always ended with “Wiggle!!!” Posting this in case somebody is unknowingly sitting on a piece of Duluth-Superior broadcasting history.


History, Music , ,

Another Station Change

Sep 14, 2010 27 Comments

After yet another radio format switch I find myself wondering the reason for it all, and when it will end.  I must admit, the Bridge was one of the few stations left that I could stand to listen to.

Upper Midwest Broadcasting Station News reports:

Midwest Communications’ KDAL-FM/95.7 (Duluth) has dropped its “Bridge” Adult Alternative format and is now carrying Rock of the 1970s, `80s, and `90s as “Rock 96.”

What are everyone’s thoughts?


Music, News and Current Affairs ,

92.1 Lite FM now “Nu 92”?

Sep 03, 2010 15 Comments

It looks like local radio stations aren’t done changing formats yet. I turned my car radio on this morning and saw that 92.1 Lite FM is now “Nu 92” and appears to be another top 40 station. Can anyone else confirm? Did this happen a while ago and I just never noticed? More importantly, why on earth do we need three top 40 stations?!


Random ,

102.5 has changed formats … again?

Aug 31, 2010 35 Comments

I like to listen to Bob and Tom on the way into work. Today on my way home I thought the song they were playing was a bit odd for a classic rock station. They then announced the call letters as KDWZ or something like that. I cannot find any info on the Midwest Communications site. Does anyone know anything about this transition, and if they will keep Bob and Tom in the morning? From the two songs I heard it seemed to be another top 40 station. I think it’s a bit humorous that 102.5 has come full circle from KZIO in the mid ’90s. Somehow I doubt “Album Side Thursday” will survive this transition which is a bit of a shame.


Random ,

What about the Current in Duluth??!!

Aug 03, 2009 30 Comments

The MPR website recently announced a new expansion of the Current station to St. Peter. Not that I don’t love some of the stations we have around here, but it really makes me feel even further from the cultural scene to not have access to all three MPR stations. As a yearly supporter of MPR it doesn’t seem fair. If there’s anyone out there who agrees, please join me in writing to MPR to let them know how we feel.


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