MADISON, WI – In the company’s first expansion outside Wisconsin, Civic Media, is acquiring WELY-FM 94.5 FM and WELY 1450 AM in Ely, Minnesota from Zoe Communications. The stations have been silent since late 2022 but Civic Media plans to return these historic stations to the air as quickly as possible, pending FCC approval.
Civic Media CEO Sage Weil is excited at the prospect of giving Ely back their connection to the local community: “From personal and emergency messages for the Boundary Waters, to high school sports, WELY was a key part of people’s lives in this region for nearly 70 years. We intend to build on that unique history while adding new shows and features and modernizing operations and distribution channels to reach residents and visitors in the 21st century.”
Listeners should expect stronger signals and popular music formats featuring local news, weather, sports, and information, Trading Post with Trader Craig, the Polka Show, Twins Baseball, a new website, a station newsletter, podcasts, social media interaction, and the ability to listen everywhere on the Civic Media App and on smart speakers like Alexa.
Civic Media is inviting anyone who would like to share stories of what WELY means to them, or who are interested in helping refresh and support the stations, to email [email protected].
Civic Media will soon operate 23 radio stations, including 21 in Wisconsin, featuring news/talk, country, oldies, and adult hits formats.
About Civic Media
Civic Media is dedicated to providing quality broadcast and digital hometown radio focusing on local, regional, and state issues, covering the stories that are most relevant to the markets we serve. We believe radio plays a crucial role in the practice of democracy in our local communities, so we aim to provide programming that advances the understanding and engagement of its principles within our audience.
