MINNESOTA:
Red River Broadcasting's KZIO/104.3 (Two Harbors-Duluth), with translator K292EZ/106.3 (Duluth), has transitioned from `60s-`70s Oldies to a `60s-`70s-`80s Classic Hits format. Since the 106.3 translator recently completed a move from Canal Park to a much taller stick in the Duluth antenna farm and 104.3 suffers from signal problems in Duluth-Superior proper, "The New KZIO" is usually only identifying as 106.3, with occasional mentions of 104.3 as a station serving the north shore and south shore. They've actually flipped reality a little bit in one liner, saying "The KZIO network originates at 106.3," when, in FCC terms, 106.3 is a translator of 104.3. The program feed is sent simultaneously to the two transmitters from the Canal Park studios. (1/31/02)
WISCONSIN:
Clear Lake Christian Radio has been granted a new low-power FM station on 105.7 in Clear Lake. The 100-Watt station plans programming dealing with family development, child rearing and education, health, and religion. The station's transmitter will be located about 7 kilometers east of Clear Lake, sandwiched between 25kW WCFW/105.7 (Chippewa Falls), 6kW WXCX/105.7 (Siren), and 65W W290AH/105.9 (Amery). (1/31/02)
NEBRASKA:
Changes in the works at The Fox? Waitt Radio's KZFX/101.9 (Lincoln-Omaha) has requested a call letter change to KLTQ. The station's website has been taken down. (1/30/02)
IOWA:
Educational Media Foundation's KMAP-FM/107.5 (Castana) has changed to KILV, reflecting the "K-Love" slogan. (1/30/02)
NORTH DAKOTA:
Family Stations' construction permit for a 1kW station on 91.9 in Bismarck has been assigned the call letters KBFR. (1/30/02)
WISCONSIN:
As expected, WYLT/95.9 (Durand-Menomonie) has changed calls to WJRV after dropping the "Lite" slogan. (1/29/02)
IOWA:
All Access reports that KDAO/1190 (Marshalltown) has begun 24-hour broadcasting after receiving FCC approval for 20 Watts night power. The station gets out really well with 250W during the day, and has a pre-sunrise authority that allows it to bump up to 250W at 6 a.m. during the winter months. (1/24/02)
WISCONSIN:
The Wisconsin State Journal reports that WSUM/91.7 (Madison) is set to sign on Friday, February 22. After an eight-year battle with the Town of Montrose, the station's tower went up last November. WSUM will broadcast a format run by UW-Madison students which has already been available online for several years. (1/24/02)
WISCONSIN:
Alan Quarnstrom's WHSM-FM/101.1 (Hayward) has dropped Classic Rock in favor of Adult Contemporary, going head-to-head with the other commercial FM in town, WRLS/92.3. WHSM's slogan remains "Magic 101," the same name it used with the previous Classic Rock format and the Hot Adult Contemporary format that came before that. The change to Classic Rock had been made last June. (1/23/02)
NORTH DAKOTA:
KBME-DT/22 (Bismarck) has applied for a license to cover, meaning the station may be on the air. If so, KBME-DT would be the first digital TV station on the air in North Dakota. (1/23/02)
MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
WDGY/630 (Hudson-St. Paul) has applied for a facility change that could restore a strong signal on 630 to the entire Twin Cities area. From 1959 to 1994, the facility transmitted from Woodbury, providing a strong signal across most of the metro day and night. In 1994, the land the transmitter sat under was sold, and the station went off the air. The station returned to the air in 1997 at lower power from a site east of Hudson, and even with an upgrade last year, the facility still does not provide coverage of the Twin Cities like it did from the old Woodbury site. Now, the station has applied to move its transmitter to a site along county road 71 near the Koch Refinery in northern Rosemount. The station would operate with 8.2kW day and night. A three-tower array would put out a signal shooting north, providing a strong signal to the entire metro area -- perhaps even better than in the old Woodbury days. The station would remain licensed to Hudson. 630 is currently running a spanish-language format known as "Radio Rey." (1/23/02)
MINNESOTA:
Omni Broadcasting has signed on new 100kW KBLB/93.3 (Nisswa-Brainerd), moved an existing format to that station, and unveiled a new format on the other station. The Country format that had aired on 25kW KTCF/101.5 (Crosby) was moved to 93.3 on Monday, January 21, where it uses the slogan "B93.3" with ABC news on the hour. On Wednesday, January 23, 101.5 flipped to Oldies as KUAL "Kool 101.5." Omni also owns Adult Contemporary WJJY/106.7 (Brainerd). (1/23/02) (Note: the original version referred to 101.5 as 50kW, but it is 25kW)
WISCONSIN:
WYLT/95.9 (Durand-Menomonie-Eau Claire) has dropped the name "Lite 95.9" after using it for only a few weeks, and is now identifying itself only as "The New 95.9 FM." The format remains Light Adult Contemporary. The call letters may change to WJRV. (1/22/02)
WISCONSIN:
VCY/America is buying DDS Communications, the owner of WEGZ/105.9 (Washburn), from Howard L. Moe for $465,000. WEGZ has been carrying VCY/America programming under a time brokerage agreement since January 1. (1/20/02)
MINNESOTA:
Another year, another format: Disney/ABC has dropped the ten-month-old Rhythmic Oldies "V105" format in favor of Adult Alternative as "Drive 105, where only the music matters." The station is a trimulcast of 6kW WGVX/105.1 (Lakeville), 25kW WGVY/105.3 (Cambridge), and 6kW WGVZ/105.7 (Eden Prairie). It's the fourth format change the stations have had since they were purchased by Disney in 1997. The new format is similar to format that aired under the name "Zone 105" that aired from late 1997 to 2000. (1/17/02)
WISCONSIN:
120-Watt VCY/America translator W216BL/91.1 (McFarland-Madison) has signed on. (1/17/02)
NORTH DAKOTA:
The Bismarck Tribune reports that Anderson Broadcasting has found a buyer for KXMR/710, KBMR/1130, KQDY/94.5, and KSSS/101.5, after the planned sale to Cumulus fell through last year. General Manager Bob Denver and Sales Manager Terry Fleck are receiving financial help from Jim Ingstad to purchase the stations. The official documents aren't yet available on the FCC website. (1/17/02)
IOWA:
KFJB/1230 (Marshalltown) has dropped the Oldies from its format and is now all-News/Talk. The lineup includes Mike Gallagher, Shaun Hannity, Mike Savage, and ABC news. (1/16/02)
MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
Rumors are that Hubbard's WIXK-FM/107.1 (New Richmond) has told old advertisers that the rates will soon jump and the station will soon or already has moved its studio to St. Paul. Don Michaels has already taken over the 6-9 a.m. slot. The station is still carrying ABC's Real Country format, but some network "dead breaks" are running on the air, which may indicate a computer change. For those that don't know, WIXK has a construction permit to operate with 50kW from Shoreview. (1/16/02)
MINNESOTA:
KO95 (KWOA-FM/95.1 Worthington) has shifted from Adult Contemporary to Adult Hits and is now including Spencer and Sioux Falls in its ID. The ABC StarStation format has been dropped. (1/16/02)
NORTH DAKOTA:
Clear Channel's KCHY/104.7 (Hope) has been granted a bump from 200W to 100kW, which will give the station a good signal into Fargo. It appears the station has not yet been on the air, even at 200W. (1/16/02)
WISCONSIN:
Lite 95.9 (WYLT Durand-Menomonie-Eau Claire) has hired former Z100 program director/morning host Beu Landrey to be operations manager of the newly-formatted station. (1/14/02)
MINNESOTA:
KWOM/1600 (Watertown) has dumped ABC's Nostalgia format for ABC's Oldies Radio format. A block of locally-programmed Classic Country music continues weekdays from 1-3 p.m., as well as a Saturday morning "Old Tyme" program and Sunday morning religious programming. The change occurred Sunday, January 13, at 12:06 p.m. (1/14/02)
MINNESOTA:
K292EZ/106.3 (Duluth) has completed its move from Canal Park up to the hill. The station is a translator of KZIO/104.3 (Two Harbors). With the move, the 19-Watt translator can be heard well into Carlton County. (1/14/02)
MINNESOTA:
Following its purchase of the KOWO/1170 and KRUE/92.1 (Waseca), Main Street Broadcasting has found that the KOWO/KRUE tower is structurally unsound and has applied to move KRUE's antenna to the tower for co-owned KOWZ/100.9 (Blooming Prairie), which is about 700 feet east of the existing tower. KRUE's new facilities would be 11kW at 162m, resulting in roughly the same coverage area it now has. No application has yet been filed to move KOWO's transmitter. (1/13/02)
MINNESOTA:
Sorenson Broadcasting is buying out its two partners in KLCH/94.9 (Lake City), Gregory Gentling and Jerry Papenfuss, for $112,000 each. The three currently each own one-third of the licensee, Lake City FM, LLC. KLCH signed on last month with a Hot Adult Contemporary format as "Lake Hits 95." KLCH, along with Sorenson's Red Wing stations KCUE/1250 and KWNG/105.9, are being operated by Waitt Radio as part of a time brokerage agreement. (1/13/02)
MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
Sunny 1490 (KQDS Duluth) has completed its transmitter move from the hill in Duluth to the KXTP/970 tower near the Bong Bridge in Superior. The station's power remains 1kW, but the move to a lower, wetter area should help the signal in the main areas of the Twin Ports, especially at night. (1/13/02)
NEBRASKA:
The KOLN (CBS) translator in Newport has moved to channel 25 as K25GM and upgraded to 11kW. (1/13/02)
WISCONSIN:
B93.7 (WLSL Three Lakes) has received permission to upgrade from 50kW to 100kW. The antenna height will remain 101m. (1/10/02)
WISCONSIN:
The FCC has granted Marinette Media Association a construction permit for a new low-power FM station on 107.7 in Marinette. The station will be 100 Watts at 18m. (1/10/02)
IOWA:
Clear Channel's KTOF/1360 (Cedar Rapids) recently dropped its rebroadcast of KWOF/850 (Waterloo) and is now running a Nostalgia format as KMJM. The new format goes head-to-head with locally-owned and -operated KMRY/1450. (1/9/02)
MICHIGAN:
UPN affiliate WUPT-CA/25 (Crystal Falls) has applied to increase from 1kW to 150kW, the maximum for a low-power TV station. (1/5/02)
WISCONSIN:
WKPO Update: Radio/DX Information from Wisconsin reports that the station has picked up the slogan "Hot 105-9" but continues its Rhythmic Hits direction. (1/4/02)
WISCONSIN:
WRDN Update: The 95.9 format change occurred Saturday, December 30. The station has a construction permit to move its transmitter closer to Eau Claire, though the signal will still be only fair there. The signal will be good in Menomonie, where it's rumored that a new studio will be built. The city of 13,000 has not had a commercial radio station in town since the studio for WMEQ AM-FM was moved to Eau Claire. Meanwhile, WRDN/1430 is off the air. (See below for more.) (1/4/02)
SOUTH DAKOTA:
VCY/America station KVCF/90.5 (Freeman) has signed on. The 50kW-equivalent station (9kW at 246m) delivers a fair signal into Sioux Falls. (1/3/02)
WISCONSIN:
WKPO/105.9 (Evansville-Madison) is announcing that a new radio station will come to Madison Thursday, January 3, at 7:15 a.m. The station was sold to Good Karma Broadcasting last year and recently dropped the moniker "Power 105.9" from its Rhythmic Hits format. (1/3/02)
MINNESOTA:
UPN9/KMSP and FOX29/WFTC are now sharing some programming. FOX29 is airing Jenny Jones and Montel Williams at 3 and 4 p.m., while the shows continue to air earlier in the day on UPN9. FOX29 needed to adjust its afternoon lineup since FOX discontinued the weekday version of FOX Kids Network. Both stations came under FOX/News Corp. ownership last year. (1/1/02)
WISCONSIN:
WEGZ/105.9 (Washburn) is now carrying the non-commercial Christian VCY/America network. The station had previously operated commercially with a Country format. (1/1/02)
MICHIGAN:
Sunny 102 (WKQS/101.9 Negaunee-Marquette) and B103 (WFXD/103.3 (Marquette) have completed their move to a new combined antenna site 18km west of Marquette. With the change, both stations showed great increases in antenna height: 12kW WKQS increased from 163m to 307m, and 100kW WFXD increased from 157m to 286m. (1/1/02)
NEBRASKA:
The FCC has granted KZFX/101.9 (Lincoln-Omaha) a construction permit to move its transmitter to the KGBI/100.7 (Omaha) tower, which is 34km closer to Omaha than the current KZFX site. The station's antenna height will also increase from 345m to 365m. An earlier application had been dismissed, apparently because of a small error. (1/1/02)
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