Looks like AAR is getting a better Twin Cities signal

[LTR]

Infinity is selling off 950 AM.

http://twincities.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2004/08/09/daily51.html?jst=b_ln_hl

WCCO radio sister station KSNB sold for $3 million

JR Broadcasting, a local company owned by Janet Robert, purchased KSNB-AM 950 in Minneapolis from Infinity Broadcasting for $3 million.

(snip)

JR Broadcasting produces Straight Talk Radio currently heard on AM 740 and AM 1530. Straight Talk produces a local talk program hosted by long-time Twin Cities broadcaster Wendy Wilde. In addition, the station serves as a local outlet for Air America Radio, a new syndicated, left-leaning series of talk programs, best known for the show by Al Franken and former MPR host Katherine Lanpher.

(snip)

The addition of the former KSNB will improve coverage and reception in and around the metro area as well as allow for 24-hour programming, Robert said.

"It provides a stronger signal and also a nighttime signal," Robert said. "A lot of people thought when we lost AM1330 that we went off the air because we only had a couple of days to promote the move. We hope to make a seamless transition to AM 950. ... Our goal is that it's complete no later than Oct. 1."

Here's another link:

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/9397327.htm?1c

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. Great to hear!

[mzmolly]

2. YEA!

:hi:

[myrna minx]

3. This is great news.

My straight talk signal is so poor at the moment. I am so happy about this news!

[keep_left]

4. Are they planning to sell off one of the existing stations?

I know that they own one, but the other station they are renting from possibly the worst landlord they could have, Starboard Network. The Starboard people are really bad news, and the only good thing about them is that there has been a pretty big shakeup lately (their morning drive show saw the host go on vacation and never return; the others on the show are an even bigger joke than he was). They're just far right as hell, "Catholic" radio that is an Opus Dei front if I ever saw one.

Check out "Irrelevant Radio" for yourself (sucky website, too):

http://www.relevantradio.com/docs/index.asp

[LTR]

5. They lease 740

And it's not Starboard. It's a guy named Greg Borgen, who leases some foreign language AMs around the area. 740 will be dropped from their plans.

1530 will stay put, and simulcast with 950. 1530 was purchased from Starboard, I believe.

I agree with your assessment of Starboard. They are scum.

[Sorwen]

6. According to the strib article

they don't own either. They have a lease with 740 and they announced their intention to buy 1530 a few months ago but have not yet purchased it.

From the Star Tribune:
"The lease with WMIN (740) ends in September. When asked Tuesday if her group still planned to buy KSMM (1530), Robert was silent. Was the deal off? 'I'm not going to say that,' she said finally. 'We're working on it.'"
http://www.startribune.com/stories/459/4933663.html

[keep_left]

8. Sorry I had some of the ownership facts wrong.

I remember it being kind of complicated about who owned what. I also think there was some misreporting about what Starboard still owned. This source has been given before:

http://www.northpine.com

They cover broadcasting-wonk-type stuff; that's all I know about them. It appears that Straight Talk is still leasing from Starboard on 1530-AM. Maybe that's the reason that they're having problems buying it, as the Star-Trib article implies. It does appear that Starboard/"Irrelevant Radio" is having problems (see my previous post). Far-right "Catholic" radio hasn't gone over well here, or around the country. They tried it a couple years ago on what is now 1280-AM "The Fascist", with the oxymoronically-named "CatholicFamilyRadio". The network couldn't even generate an Arbitron number. They also were so offensive that someone actually burned down their transmitter!

[Supormom]

7. 24 hours- that means we'll be able to hear Mike Malloy!

:bounce:

[Sorwen]

9. not necessarily

It says 24 hours of programming, but not 24 hours of Air America.

[c0lin]

10. Do you know..

if this will reach Mankato?

[dodger501]

11. Right now, 1530 barely reaches Roseville

and not without painful static.

[kikiek]

15. We get it loud and clear in Buffalo

[Sorwen]

12. Does it reach Mankato right now?

If you're in Mankato you can try tuning in 950 and see if you get anything. I guess KSNB 950 currently airs business and sports shows. I live up north a ways so I don't know that much about Minneapolis radio other than what I read in the paper. But if you go to http://www.radio-locator.com/ you can find the coverage area of any radio station, and according to that site, Mankato in is the fringe area for KSNB 950. So you might be able to just barely pick it up, but it probably would not come in very well if at all.

[LTR]

13. Doubtful

I went to MSU a while back, and remember trying to pull in 950 (when it was Z-Rock - had to get my headbanging fix). It is very staticy. As for nighttime reception - forget it. AM signals are pretty goofy.

1530? Dunno. Never really tried, since it was a religious station for so long, I never bothered tuning in.

[LTR]

14. What else are they gonna run 24/7?

I know they've already got Wendy Wilde and Ed Schultz. Also have sports contracts to fulfill. And I did see something about them being interested in KSNB's current hosts, including the infamously boring former 'CCO dinosaur Ruthie K. :-( Please! Don't do it!!!

I think they'll go with the money and run AAR now as much as possible. Ol' Ruthie ain't gonna bring in the ratings.

[a kennedy]

16. Hello.......newbie here.....

I'm sure it won't "come in" in Dakota Minnesota will it??? We're about 2.5 hours away from the Twin Cities. I listen to AAR on the net and always are the "best of", would love to have it locally. We're closer to La Crosse Wisconsin, but, the stations around here would NEVER carry a liberal station. *sigh* :(

[LTR]

17. Try and dial in the stations

740 is out of Hudson, so it's the farthest east (though it will no longer carry the format once the 950 sale goes through).

1530 is the farthest west.

And 950's tower is in Eden Prarie, I believe. Might be the best shot. They are currently running a news/business/sports format.

Try dialing them in. The signals you hear now are likely the one you'll hear once the sale goes through.

[MnFats]

18. maybe time to look into one of those hot-s*** AM antennas...

...i hear advertised on the radio now & again!


In Little Canada i can usually pick up 740 just fine.
Shakopee comes in (on my way to work) about the time i cross the I-494 speedway bridge over the Mn. River. (Ever drive that stretch at rush hour? it's insane!)