If the final song played at KMFG-FM 102.9 in the Hibbing, Minn. market is the Doobie Brothers’ “Jesus Is Just Alright,” the Classic Rock track will serve as the perfect transition for what’s on tap for the station, which Midwest Communications has just sold to an operator of a regional Contemporary Christian network.
Kalil & Co. served as the broker representing Midwest in this transaction.
Class C3 KMFG-FM 102.9 in Nashwauk, Minn. is presently known as “Northern Minnesota’s Home for the Best Classic Rock.”
That is set to change, as Midwest Communications has agreed to sell the station, which serves the Hibbing, Minn., area, to Refuge Media Group.
Refuge is a nonprofit group that owns and operate the regional Contemporary Christian “Refuge Radio” network, and it’s paying $96,000 for KMFG.
The sale of KMFG is the result of Midwest’s August 24 announcement that it intends to purchase KGPZ-FM in Coleraine, Minn. as part of a five FM/three translator deal with Red Rock Radio Corp. As KGPZ’s Class C1 signal and associated translator W252AN serve Hibbing, Midwest had to sell one of its existing six stations serving the city.
Midwest elected to sell KMFG, while welcoming KGPZ into a six-station Hibbing radio market group that includes WMFG-AM & FM, WMNT-AM, WTBX-FM & WUSZ-FM.
Dan Hatfield, General Manager for Refuge Radio, tells RBR + TVBR that, based on FCC approval and timing, he hopes to have Refuge Radio on KMFG before Thanksgiving.
“This will give a great coverage across the ‘Range Cites’ where currently Refuge radio can be heard on our low-power translators located in Chisholm (W267AO) on 101.3, and Virginia (W264CX) on 100.7 FM.
Refuge also owns Class C3 KRGM-FM 89.9 in Marshall, Minn., and WJRF-FM 89.5 in Duluth, Minn., which holds a CP to upgrade to a Class C1 facility. Both stations air Refuge Radio.
Founded in 1981, Refuge Radio can also be heard on a series of FM translators in Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa.
Doug Diedrich, Brand Manager for Midwest’s Hibbing stations, tells RBR + TVBR that the idea of moving KMFG’s format to one of its other stations “is still being kicked around.”
