Educational Media Foundation will pay $2.45 million for KZGO and KQGO.
All of the stations on-air staffers have exited head of the sale closing. Both will run jockless until the deal closes early next year.
Original Report 12/1: Go Media have sold their two stations in Minneapolis to Educational Media Foundation. Hip Hop “Go 95.3” KZGO St. Paul and Alternative “Go 96.3” KQGO Edina will drop their current formats in early 2021 for EMF’s “K-Love” and “Air 1” networks.
Both stations will immediately move to a jockless music presentation until the sale closes next year.
EMF currently operates the “K-Love” brand on 99.9 K260BA Minneapolis fed via iHeartMedia’s 100.3 KFXN-HD3 and “Air 1” on 92.1 K221ES Albertville, 92.9 K225ES St. Paul, and 97.7 K249ED Albertville fed via 97.1 KTCZ-HD2.
Then known as Northern Lights Broadcasting, owned by the Pohlad family that also owns MLB’s Minnesota Twins, the company was formed with the $28 million 2007 purchase of “B96” 96.3 KTTB from Radio One. The station would go through multiple formats: Hip Hop, CHR, and Modern AC before settling on Alternative as “Go 96.3” in January 2015. A failed attempt at combining the Twins broadcasts with a music format led to the Twins moving back to News/Talk 830 WCCO after the 2017 season.
The company then acquired Christian 95.3 KNOF in September 2016 for $7.95 million and flipped it to Hip Hop “Go 95.3” in January 2016.
In the just released November 2020 Nielsen Audio ratings, Hip Hop “Go 95.3” KZGO had a 1.2 share, while Alternative “Go 96.3” KQGO was at a 1.0 share.
— Go Fam (@Go953mn) December 1, 2020
— Go Fam (@Go963MN) December 1, 2020
The Pohlad Companies, a privately held, diverse portfolio of organizations spanning multiple industries and sectors, today announced that it plans to sell its two radio stations, KZGO and KQGO. Effective today, they will transition to an all-music format.
“We have decided to exit the radio business,” said Ben Hawn, Pohlad Companies chief of staff. “We are deeply grateful to the talented team at Go Radio and proud of their engagement within our community. We also sincerely appreciate the loyal support of our audiences over the years.”
Closing of the anticipated sale is expected in the spring of 2021. A small number of Go Radio employees will be retained to assist with the business closure. All employees will be provided with transition support consistent with the Pohlad Companies philosophy.
Eric Jon Magnuson 
AnyHuman 
StogieGuy 
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There’s definitely enough of an audience for CCM in the Twin Cities; KTIS-FM had a 5.9 during the same period. Ironically, EMF apparently still owns Golden Valley-licensed K214DF–which might be used to, indirectly, relay KTIS 900 (alongside Minneapolis-licensed W248CU).
I’ll be laughing in a few years when EMF bought all those stations and towers for nothing. Radio’s on it’s way out, soon to be replaced with Spotify, Apple Music, Google Music, and other streaming services. Heck, all my family doesn’t even listen to AM/FM anymore and the only radio that’s in the house is used for an alarm clock.
@AnyHuman: it’s EMF that’s laughing because they use *other people’s money* to buy and basically destroy all those stations. They don’t care. But their buying spree is yet another reason that the clock is ticking for the radio business as we know it. With all of the other options for compelling audio programming (on other platforms) out there, lessening variety on the radio dial doesn’t help the business at large.
I used to like that those two stations they were really good. Go 96.3 was probably one of the first alternative rock stations I really got into. Go 95.3 used to be my workout routine when I was at Conklin Center in Daytona. in fact the real station that got me into the alternative rock format was X102.9 in Jacksonville when they were a mix of alt and active rock. But the two go stations were very unique in that they played Minnesota only artists. That will be very missed.