DULUTH — Lovers of Ely's WELY radio station have at least the summer to enjoy its popular programming — its owner has given it a three-month extension while potential offers are explored.
The station, long a downtown fixture for Ely residents, Boundary Waters paddlers and tourists, was set to shut down June 1. Its owner, the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, has been losing money on the station for years, it said.
Bois Forte Chair Cathy Chavers said in a news release Friday that "numerous interested parties" were inquiring about a purchase.
"Let's just hope a buyer steps up to the plate and saves the station," Chavers said. "Bois Forte has done all it can to keep the station alive, but now it's time for someone else to keep WELY — The End of the Road Radio — on the airwaves."
Ely Mayor Roger Skraba, who said in early May he intended to save the station, said Friday he'd taken several calls from both private and nonprofit potential buyers, who he directed to Bois Forte.
"I'm pretty confident something is going to happen," he said. "What's happening now is the best-case scenario."
Skraba said he's happy Bois Forte "sees (the station's) value and is committed to operating it" while it looks for a buyer.
If one isn't found, the station will close Sept. 1.
