WELY radio station moves to downtown Ely, operating under temporary frequency
WELY is officially back on the air.
As of Friday, the WELY radio station in Ely, Minn., is operating under a temporary 103.9 FM frequency.
“That is hopefully just a stopgap between where we are now and the work that still is yet to be done for 94.5,” said Kory Hartman, VP of Broadcast Operations for Civic Media.
Civic Media, a Wisconsin-based company, purchased WELY in January 2025 from Zoe Communications. Hartman said the acquisition did not include any studio equipment, but rather, the company “bought a dark license.”
Due to financial challenges throughout their ownership of the Ely radio station, Zoe Communications was unable to get WELY on the air due to various issues, including the transmitter.
Hartman said Civic Media is actively working on the tower, and after unsuccessfully attempting to repair the 1991 transmitter, the company had to purchase a brand new one.
“The biggest problem, though, is actually the antenna itself for 94.5 FM that has been damaged by previous work on the tower,” Hartman said.
In the coming months, work will continue to repair the antenna and tower issues. In the meantime, the listeners in the immediate area of Ely, Tower, and Babbitt can listen to WELY on 103.9. WELY’s AM 1450 frequency has been operational and back to full power for nearly a month.
WELY is also located in a new building in downtown Ely.
“We’ve got a great location in downtown where we wanted to be,” Hartman said. This past week, Civic Media has been installing studio equipment and getting the new space operational. With all the ongoing work, Hartman said he has received an outpouring of support from Ely residents and WELY supporters. “The outpouring of support already has been great.”
New location of WELY radio station in downtown Ely | Photo by Kory Hartman
Hartman said he envisions WELY radio serving the community by providing emergency messages, local and community news, weather updates, high school sports news, and other relevant information.
“A strong radio station is a reflection of the community,” Hartman said. “It’s very, very important.”
WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Civic Media’s VP of Broadcast Operations, Kory Hartman, about the WELY radio station acquisition, ongoing repair and maintenance projects to bring the radio station back on the air, the new location in downtown Ely, and what the future looks like for the small radio station. The audio from the interview is below.
Kalli Hawkins June 9, 2025
