Minot-Minot’s radio landscape is about to get a lot more diverse. After going silent last summer, 106.9 FM will return to the airwaves on April 1 at 8:00 a.m.(no, not an April Fool's Day joke), under new ownership and a completely reimagined format. The station, formerly known as KHRT-FM, has been acquired by RadioDifferently LLC, which is transforming the station into a community-driven, variety music-based station aimed at offering something unlike anything currently on the local radio.
Leading the station’s relaunch are Tom Schrader and Joe Goldade, both longtime broadcast meteorologists from the Minot area who bring decades of experience and a shared vision for what local radio can (and maybe should) be. “We’re not trying to be another copy of what’s already on the dial,” Schrader said during a recent interview on Minot Talk. “This isn’t a country station. It’s not a Christian station. It’s something new and we’re listening to what people want.”
Debuting April 1, the format is built around musical variety, community input, and flexibility, according to Schrader, who has played a key role in shaping the station’s music library. Programming will blend live and lightly pre-recorded segments, allowing DJs to stay responsive to local happenings like traffic updates, breaking news, and especially severe weather. “If someone calls in during a Friday night show and wants something off the playlist, we can play it,” Schrader said. “That’s the kind of freedom you just don’t get on corporate radio.”
Weather coverage will be a defining feature. Schrader and Goldade, along with former colleagues and other meteorologists, plan to create a collaborative setup for covering severe weather events. They aim to give listeners access to real-time updates from multiple experts simultaneously. Schrader, who has continued his passion with weather online with his Hey Tom Is On Facebook Live weather broadcasts (which have drawn tens of thousands of views online), they will also be simulcast on the station, ensuring coverage can be as up to date as possible.
One of the most interesting aspects of the station’s relaunch is a plan to dedicate one of its HD Radio sub channels to local use. Schools, nonprofits, and community groups will likely be able to broadcast events, such as high school sports or city council meetings, and keep all associated advertising revenue. “We’re not going to have commercial breaks in the traditional sense,” Schrader noted. “Instead, we’ll be using that time to highlight what’s happening in and around Minot... pancake breakfasts, fundraisers, you name it.”
The station’s signal is expected to reach a wide radius, stretching north to Bowbells, east into McHenry County, and as far south as Plaza. For those outside the coverage area, an online streaming platform will ensure live access from anywhere at anytime. “We’re not taking ourselves too seriously,” Schrader said. “You’ll know that within the first hour. We’re here to serve Minot and to have a good time doing it.”
106.9 FM officially goes live on Tuesday, April 1, at 8:00 a.m. Goldade is expected to take the early shift with Schrader DJing in the afternoon to start. Schrader's Facebook page has been full of updates, so be sure to check it out and follow along for plenty more surprises they have coming our way this year.
View Schrader's interview in full here
