Twin Cities Radio: KLBB 1220 AM Plans Final Sign-Off

From its home above a storefront on North Main Street in downtown Stillwater, KLBB 1220 AM has been the voice of Stillwater and the St. Croix Valley in Minnesota for almost 70 years.

According to twincities.com, the owner of the local radio station, known for broadcasting local church services and Stillwater Area High School Pony football games, announced Wednesday that the station will cease broadcasting March 31.

“It’s so difficult to do,” said Dan Smith, owner and general manager. “I don’t want to do it, but it’s so difficult running an AM radio station on the fringe of a large metro. It’s been a real challenge.”

Smith announced last year that KLBB planned to sell 3.6 acres of land in Stillwater that houses the station’s 203-foot tower. The tower, built in 1949, had exceeded its lifespan and needed to be replaced, he said.

KLBB 1220 AM (5 Kw-D, 254-watts-N)

A Twin Cities nonprofit, plans to build senior housing on the site, which is just north of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. Ecumen will close on the property on March 30; the station will cease broadcasting at midnight March 31. Smith would not disclose the sale price.