After months off-air following its purchase from Zoe Communications in January, Civic Media’s WELY-FM in Ely, MN, can be heard again, albeit on a temporary 103.9 FM frequency and only in the immediate area of Ely, Tower and Babbitt, MN.

Since acquiring the FM along with WELY-AM (1450) from Zoe, Civic has been dealing with transmitter, antenna, and tower issues, none of which Zoe was able to resolve due to financial challenges.

While the AM has been back on air for the past month, WELY-FM’s actual 94.5 frequency continues to have problems with the transmitter, which dates back to 1991 and were noticed when the station ran test programming on the frequency in March. According to Civic Media VP of Broadcast Operations Kory Hartman, the purchase from Zoe did not include any studio equipment but just “a dark license” for both stations.

“[The temporary frequency] is hopefully just a stopgap between where we are now and the work that still is yet to be done for 94.5,” Hartman tells a reporter for Cook County Community Radio’s WTIP Grand Marais, MN (90.7), noting that Civic had to purchase a new transmitter. “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.

On the studio side, WELY has moved to a new building in downtown Ely where it has been installing studio equipment and getting the new space operational, as Hartman looks forward to the station being completely operational and serving the local area with news, sports and other community-based programming.

“The outpouring of support already has been great,” he says. “A strong radio station is a reflection of the community. It’s very, very important.”

WELY-FM signed on in 1992 and was owned by CBS-TV host and reporter Charles Kuralt from 1995 until his death in 1997.

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