Well, that didn't take long. Just two weeks after she was abruptly fired from 89.3 the Current due to a "scheduling conflict," Barb Abney has already landed a new gig at competing station Go 96.3 FM. The former mid-day host at 89.3 will be on from 8 a.m. to noon on Go starting Monday.
"I'm super excited about the brand new team," Abney said. "I've always wanted to be around for the beginning of a new station. And here I am!"
She just tweeted that she will be on air this afternoon with Jason Nagel, one of the station's two on-air staffers held over from Go's predecessor, K-TWIN (the other is Nagel's fellow Cities 97 alum, Brian "BT" Turner).
Launched in early January without any on-air staff, Go 96.3 FM is playing a modern-rock mix similar to the Current's playlist, with a little more slick mainstream rock in the mix. The brand manager for the Pohlad-owned station, Chris Rahn, said Abney "will be a perfect fit for us. She's smart and she's funny, and she connects with people and is connected to the community."
Abney won't be the only new Go staffer to take the air Monday. The station has also hired Twin Cities musician Linnea Mohn of the bands Rogue Valley and Coach Said Not To to be part of a late-afternoon on-air team with Thorn Skroch, a former jockey and program director at both Cities 97 and the Current. Their show will air 4-8 p.m.
As we reported amid the surprisingly large wake created by Abney's firing, Go 96.3 had talked to certain Current staffers about jumping ship to their station. However, Abney reportedly did not talk to Go until after the Current let her go.
