FOX 21 Local News, Townsquare Media Form New Partnership
Townsquare owns MIX 108, B105, KOOL 101.7, Sasquatch 92.1 and The Northland FAN
DULUTH, Minn. – October 1st was a first for FOX 21 Local News, as the television station officially became partners with Townsquare Media Duluth.
Townsquare operates multiple popular radio stations in the Northland, including MIX 108, B105, KOOL 101.7, Sasquatch 92.1 and The Northland FAN.
Dan Hanger and Maria Vollom will provide morning news updates on all radio stations during the week. Rusty Mehlberg will have the latest weather, and Neil Vierzba and Isaiah Wiita will provide local sports update.
Both media partners hope to do a lot more with this partnership down the road because our vibe to inform, entertain, keep it local, and keep it real is exactly the vibe at Townsquare Media.
“I think we’re most excited about reaching new audiences and getting new listeners from different sources, and just saying, hey, we’re here and we’re local. We’re right here in downtown Duluth. I mean, I’m looking at Superior street right now. So I think it’s really important that we keep media local, and I think that partnering with Fox 21 is going to be great for that, for both of us,” said Ken Hayes, director of content and B105 morning DJ at Townsquare Media.
The new media partnership also comes with some history.
“I go back with Dan Hanger, 20 years or so, and he’s a big personality, and we got some big personalities around here. And I thought, well, let’s see. We can get together and we can make … a little bit of a splash here,” Hayes said.
As for FOX 21, News Director Matt McConico said the mission of both media operations align perfectly together — with that strong focus on being a part of the community.
“From the very moment we talked to the team at Townsquare, we knew they were going to be the right fit for us, and it felt like they felt the same thing as well. So it’s an opportunity for us to talk to the entire public on TV, and now on the radio, about the local news that we’re doing, and also work with the Townsquare team to understand what they’re doing on their stations as well,” McConico. “It’s a great fit because both teams want to be local. Townsquare wants to be local. Fox 21 wants to be local. And this is what we’re doing.”
FOX 21 Local News will also air updates from MIX 108 and B105 every Sunday newscast at 9 p.m., which will also air on FOX 21’s newscasts Monday from 7 a.m. until 9 a.m.
