KRFO silences Golden oldies

When KRFO announced it was closing its broadcast studio last October in Owatonna, Todd Hale loaded up a trunk load of big band albums—many of which were donated to him by listeners over the years. He’s unclear what he’s going to do with them. Staff photo by Rick Bussler
-Todd Hale, Former Big Band Show Host
The closing of the KRFO broadcasting studio in Owatonna appears to have brought the end of an era for Big Band music.
Veteran broadcaster Todd Hale hosted his final Big Band Show on KRFO last October. It had been airing on local radio since the early 1980s. Up until its final show, Hale had been spinning golden oldies for the past 15 years or so.
“It was my last hurrah of broadcasting to this community,” said Hale, who has been involved in local radio since 1959 when he came to Owatonna.
In making the announcement that KRFO would no longer carry the Big Band Show, Shannon Knoepke, market president for Townsquare Media, the owner of KRFO, said: “We want to express our deepest gratitude to Todd Hale for his incredible dedication, passion and talent in keeping Big Band music alive for our listeners for many years.”
Knoepke went on to say that Hale is an icon not just for KRFO, but also for the entire Owatonna community. “His commitment to preserving these timeless music treasures created lasting memories for countless fans,” she said, adding “KRFO thanks, Todd, for sharing his voice, his vast knowledge, and his love for Big Band music with our listeners. We are forever grateful for the legacy he has left behind.”
Hale, 85, knew he was on borrowed time with the Big Band show. He admitted the old-time music was totally out of character for KRFO, which focuses on classic hits. And for years he had volunteered his time to host the weekly show by coming in on Wednesdays when it was taped to air on Sundays. It also aired on Saturdays on KRFO’s sister station in Faribault.
“I did it out of love of being on the air again,” Hale said. “This was the last local program aired on KRFO,” he added.
Some of the past hosts of the show included Pink Allen, Armin Rezac, Bill Reizenhauer and Jerry Peters. Hale took over solo on the show following the death of Peters.
The show’s end has left Hale with a big dilemma on his hands. He has hundreds of vinyl records of Big Band hits, some of which have never been opened. Hale loaded up all the albums in his trunk, but he’s not certain what will end up happening to them.
“I have a hell of a lot of albums,” he said. “Many people donated them to me over the years. I don’t honestly know what to do with them.”
Hale got his start in radio at KRFO in 1959 as a staff announcer. In 1961, he joined two other people in purchasing the station. “I had a chance thanks to my dad to buy in as a third owner,” he said, noting his initial investment was $18,000.
At one time during its heyday, KRFO employed 14 people, according to Hale. In most recent years, there were only a couple people working out of the local station.
KRFO moved from what is now the Law Enforcement Center in downtown Owatonna to 18th Street SE shortly Hale and his partners sold it in 1989. Hale indicated he was kind of forced to sell out when one of his partners had cancer and the other wanted out. “I didn’t think I could buy the whole thing,” Hale said.
To say that Hale is heartbroken to see the demise of local radio would be an understatement.
“I never thought this would happen,” Hale said. “We worked so hard to build the station to what it was.”
He attributes the downturn in local radio to corporate ownership. KRFO is currently owned by Townsquare Media, a conglomerate of many radio stations. On the other hand, KOWZ, which is a competitor of KRFO in Owatonna, is locally owned by the Ketelsen family and others.
When KRFO established its call letters, Hale said, they stood for “Radio From Owatonna.” He noted how radio stations have been bought up by corporations in many communities. “Radio From Owatonna (KRFO) is not really radio for Owatonna anymore,” he said.
Hale hinted that he has considered bringing his big band show to KOWZ, though nothing has been confirmed.