Twin Cities Radio: Barb Abney Joins Go 96.3 FM

Barb Abney

Former 89.3 The Current midday DJ Barb Abney has joined the newly announced on-air lineup for KTWN 96.3 FM Go 96-3 the recently relaunched, Pohlad family-owned station that also airs Minnesota Twins games.

According to TwinCities.com, Abney will start Monday in the 8 a.m. to noon position. Local radio veteran Brian "BT" Turner will host a specialty show from noon to 1 p.m., followed by Jason Nagel from 1 to 4 p.m. Local musician Linnea Mohn and the Current's original music director Thorn Skroch take the 4 to 8 p.m. shift.

"I'm super excited to be at something from the beginning," Abney said Thursday. "It's brand new, the vision is amazing. I've never seen radio done this way before."

KTWN 96.3 FM (19 Kw) Red=60dBu Coverage Area

Abney was fired by the Current two weeks ago, with the station citing a "programming decision" as the reason for her termination. Listeners and fans took to social media, with many wondering why the Current let her go just days after the Minnesota Public Radio station wrapped a splashy 10-day celebration of its 10th anniversary, with Abney a high-profile participant. Dozens of fans canceled their MPR memberships in protest and Abney received thousands of calls, messages and texts from fans and supporters.

Go was one of the first. "They literally reached out to me right away," Abney said. "Even though it took me a while to find that email." Stations in the Twin Cities and around the country contacted Abney, and she considered several options, but chose Go in part because she wanted to stay in the Twin Cities.

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