The following are updates to stories previously reported here, and smaller recent FCC filings that do not merit a full story of their own at this time:
Iowa
Future station K239CR/95.7 (Indianola-Des Moines) has applied to move its transmitter from central Des Moines to the southeast metro, upgrading from 99W to 250W. The move will expand K239CR’s coverage area to the southeast. The translator is owned by Birach Broadcasting and will relay KXLQ/1490 (Indianola).
KDEC/1240 (Decorah) applied to co-locate its transmitter with shared-time station KWLC/1240, which is just over a mile away. Both stations would remain 1kW nondirectional. As previously reported, KDEC was forced to leave its licensed site and was granted special temporary authority to use a temporary longwire antenna.
The application from KNEI-FM/103.5 (Waukon) to move its transmitter north was dismissed; no explanation is listed in the publicly-accessible FCC database.
Michigan
Northern Michigan University returned the license for W216AI/91.1 (Newberry), which had relayed public radio station WNMU/90.1 (Marquette). No additional information on the decision was provided with the filing. The translator had signed on in 1990; WNMU continues to operate several translators in the central Upper Peninsula. The only other public radio station receivable in the Newberry area under normal reception conditions is the fringe signal of Classical station WIAB/88.5 (Mackinaw City).
Catholic station WNOA-LP/103.9 (Marquette) has received a construction permit to move its transmitter to St. Peter Cathedral in the city’s downtown, remaining 100W. The station had previously transmitted from the WDMJ/1320 site on the west side of town and was knocked off the air by a fire there over the winter.
Minnesota
The FCC approved the transfer of K294AM/106.7 (West St. Paul) from Fresh Air to Hmong Radio Broadcast. The deal has not yet consummated.
Townsquare Media applied to move the construction permit for K251CS/98.1 (Faribault) to 97.9, remaining 250W. The translator was granted during the AM revitalization window to relay KDHL/920.
WCMN-LP/13 (St. Cloud), which is one of the last analog signals in Minnesota, has received a construction permit to add a digital companion channel on 14. It will use 15kW, the maximum for low-power digital TV. WCMN appears to have a limited programming schedule.
The FCC approved a six-month extension for the Minnesota Valley TV Improvement low-power TV/translator system in Granite Falls to remain silent. The 12-channel system went off the air in January, with MVTV telling the FCC that the stations went off the air for financial reasons and MVTV was working to determine their future. The system had previously been partially-encrypted but went in the clear in 2018, with MVTV telling subscribers at that time to hook antennas directly to their TV’s and discard their old set-top boxes. MVTV has until Jan. 13, 2021 to return the stations to the air or their licenses will expire.
Minnesota Christian Broadcasters closed on its purchase of KFNK/88.1 (Franklin) from South Central Oklahoma Christian Broadcasting on June 4. KFNK currently has an authorization to remain off the air until Sept. 2 but could potentially seek a six-month extension.
North Dakota
KYYZ/96.1 (Williston) is operating at reduced power after its transmission line and antenna were struck by lightning. The station said in a June 22 request for special temporary authority that it is using 450W effective radiated power from a broadband whip antenna at 153m above average terrain. KYYZ normally uses 100kW/265m.
Gray TV’s K30LR-D (Grand Forks), which relays CBS/CW affiliate KXJB-LD/30 (Horace-Fargo), went silent June 29 due to equipment issues.
Nebraska
KUVR/1380 (Holdrege) has roughly restored its former coverage area. It’s now using 320 Watts daytime-only from the tower of co-owned KRVN/880 (Lexington), which is just outside of Holdrege. KUVR had been temporarily using 25 Watts after losing access to its previous site; it is also relayed on K245CK/96.9.
DTV America’s KQMK-LD/21 (Omaha) was granted a license to cover its 10kW facility transmitting from near Ashland, midway between Omaha and Lincoln. The station was previously licensed to Lincoln on channel 25.
Gray TV KOLN translator K43FX-D (O’Neill) moved to channel 29 as K29MD-D.
NET’s K46KP-D Broken Bow moved to channel 31 as K31OC-D.
South Dakota
Riverfront Broadcasting closed on its purchase of KDSJ/980 (Deadwood) from 4 Paws Broadcasting on July 2.
The Crow Creek Tribe’s KZZE-LP/96.5 (Fort Thompson) notified the FCC on June 22 that it “suffered a severe loss of radiated power…such that the broadcast signal can only be received in the vicinity of the transmitter” and that the timeline for repairs was unknown at the time of the filing.
KAUN-LP (Sioux Falls) moved from analog channel 42 to digital channel 25, while KCWS-LP (Sioux Falls) moved from analog channel 44 to digital channel 27. Programming is unknown. The stations are owned by J.F. Broadcasting, which also owns KWSD/36.1 (Sioux Falls).
KTTM/12.1 (Huron) returned to the air July 1 after having been off the air since May 18 due to equipment failure. KTTM is a satellite of FOX affiliate KTTW (Sioux Falls).
Analog low-power TV station KKRA-LP/24 (Rapid City) went silent April 10 due to transmission line problems. It’s owned by Rapid Broadcasting alongside NBC affiliate KNBN/21.1 (Rapid City)
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