New owners to take over long-running Ely radio station

A radio station in Ely, Minnesota is set to continue running after it was bought by a Wisconsin media company.

The Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, which has owned WELY radio since 2005, has sold the rights to northwestern Wisconsin-based Zoe Communications, Inc. The company will officially take over in early 2023, according to a release.

The current owners initially announced in May that the radio station would shut down, citing financial losses of nearly $2 million in 17 years owning the signals.

It was kept running in the hope a new buyer would come forward, and it now appears to have been saved from closure.

The station will go silent on Thursday, pending the FCC's approval of the sale. Zoe Communications General Manager Mike Oberg said the FCC transfer typically "takes about 90 days."

A press release states that the Shell Lake, Wis. communications company purchased the radio station for $130,000. It includes all of WELY's equipment, the tower and licensing. Zoe Communications also owns 11 other FM and AM radio stations in northwestern Wisconsin.

The station will move out of its current location at 133 E. Chapman St., with the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa keeping the building, according to a release. The new location has not yet been determined as of Thursday.

“Although Bois Forte regrets not being able to continue ownership, we are grateful a buyer emerged to keep WELY—End of the Road radio on the air for years to come,” said business development CEO Mayan Beltran.

Oberg noted that WELY has a lot of history he is wanting to preserve.

"We believe radio is still very important to a local community, and we hope to continue the tradition of keeping the local feel of Ely radio alive,” said Oberg.

WELY-AM debuted in 1954, followed by WELY-FM in 1992.