WISCONSIN:
Hip-Hop has returned to the Madison area on WJQM/106.7 (Mount Horeb), which is now "106.7 Jamz." 106.7 had previously simulcast the Classic Hits format of sister Mid-West Management station WHLK/93.1 (De Forest). The move comes a few weeks after Good Karma Broadcasting's WKPO/105.9 (Evansville) dropped Hip-Hop for Rock as WWHG "The Hog." Neither 105.9 nor 106.7's main coverage area includes Madison; however, 106.7's coverage of the capital city is comparable to 105.9's. (1/31/2007)
WISCONSIN:
Magnum Radio's WTMB/94.5 (Tomah) has dropped Country for Classic Rock. The Country format had debuted in November 2003 after 94.5's long-running Oldies format moved to WBOG/1460. (1/31/2007)
NEBRASKA:
The Reader's Media Notes reports that KBLR/97.3 (Blair) will become "Country 97.3" on February 1. Facing the impending loss of KBLR translator K299AK/107.7 (Omaha), NRG Media moved KBLR's Hip-Hop/R&B format to KOPW/106.9 (Plattsmouth-Omaha), which is now "Power 106.9." K299AK will be forced to leave the air when Connoisseur Media signs on its construction permit for a new station on 107.7 licensed to Pacific Junction, Iowa. The Reader reports KBLR's new format will originate from NRG's Fremont studios, home to KHUB/1340 and KFMT/105.5. Both Fremont and Omaha are on the edge of KBLR's main coverage area. (1/27/2007)
SOUTH DAKOTA:
Dakota Broadcasting, LLC, a partnership of Dean Sorenson and Duane Butt, is buying the construction permits for two new stations in the Aberdeen market. Dakota is buying KMOM/105.5 (Roscoe) from L. Topaz Enterprises and KZBR/107.7 (Ipswich) from Owensville Communications for $375,000 each. Both CP's were issued after FCC Auction No. 37. Armada Media owns the six other commercial stations in the Aberdeen market. (1/27/2007)
WISCONSIN:
Longtime La Crosse radio host Brucie Bumchuckles, now at WKBH/100.1, is leaving the business at the end of the month. Kelly Wilde will move into the morning slot at WKBH from sister station KQEG/102.7, co-hosting with Neil Klos. Wilde will also serve as program director. KQEG, which carries ABC's Oldies Radio format, has reverted to that network's morning show with Jay Fox and Theresa Brown. Fox started his career in La Crosse. (1/26/2007)
WISCONSIN:
In other La Crosse news, Brian Bender has moved from Z93 (WIZM-FM/93.3) back to his former station, "95.7 The Rock" (WRQT), hosting middays. (1/26/2007)
WISCONSIN:
WGEZ/1490 (Beloit) has switched from Jones' "Good Time Oldies" format to ABC's "True Oldies" at night as "The Statelines True Oldies Channel." WGEZ continues to air local Oldies programming during the day. The satellite changeover took place on January 18. (1/26/2007)
NEBRASKA:
Journal Broadcasting is selling "Magic 1490" (KOMJ Omaha) to Cochise Broadcasting, LLC, for $500,000. Journal owns five other radio stations in the market and is selling KOMJ to fall below market caps, so it can complete its purchase of KMTV/3 (CBS). Cochise agreed not to buy any other station in the Omaha market in the next year. The new owners will have to construct their own studio and hire new staff. Cochise is owned by Jana and Ted Tucker, Sr. of Jackson, WY, who, along with their son, own 19 stations and construction permits for new stations in Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. (1/23/2007)
MINNESOTA:
The non-profit Throw Fire Project is buying the construction permit for a new AM station and has applied to move it to the St. Cloud area. Throw Fire Project will pay Edward De La Hunt, Sr. $600,000 for the new station on 1180 licensed to Baxter. The current CP calls for 50kW nondirectional day and 5kW directional at night. The new application is to change the community of license to Rockville, south of St. Cloud, using a seven-tower array. It would transmit with 35kW daytime, 16kW critical hours (after sunrise and before sunset), and 5kW night, with different day and night directional patterns. The station would have a strong signal to St. Cloud day and night. Throw Fire Project is a non-profit effort of Andy Hilger, Mark Durenberger, and James Schleper. (1/23/2007)
MINNESOTA/IOWA:
All Access reports that Blue Point Media has entered into agreements to buy Clear Channel's radio groups in Duluth, MN, and Burlington, IA. The Duluth group includes WEBC/560, KLDJ/101.7, KKCB/105.1, and KBMX/107.7; the Burlington-Fort Madison group includes KBKB/1360, KBUR/1490, KBKB-FM/101.7, and KGRS/107.3. Chris Devine of Chicago is the sole member of Blue Point Media. (1/19/2007)
CANADA:
CBC Radio Two has announced plans to drop Classical music in the evening, in favor of jazz, live performances, and contemporary music. Some music programming will move to Radio Two from Radio One, making room for more news and information programming. Radio Two's coverage area includes Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, and Brandon, while Radio One has wider distribution. (1/18/2007)
MICHIGAN:
Y101 (WUPY/101.1 Ontonagon) has upgraded from 30kW/189m (class C2) to 100kW/212m (C1). The upgrade improves Y101's signal to Houghton and Ironwood, though Houghton is on the edge of its main coverage area and Ironwood remains outside of it. (1/18/2007)
WISCONSIN:
Northcentral Technical College is asking for a waiver of FCC rules to donate WNRB-LP/93.3 (Wausau) to the Wausau Area Hmong Mutual Association. Northcentral signed the station on in 2005 and then turned it off in 2006 over budget concerns, and says the donation will help it maintain financial stability. The WAHMA had broadcast twelve hours per week on WNRB when it was under Northcentral's control. (1/17/2007)
MINNESOTA:
The non-commercial "K-Love" Christian Adult Contemporary network has signed on two more translators in the Twin Cities area:
WISCONSIN:
Good Karma Broadcasting's WKPO/105.9 (Evansville) has flipped to "The Hog, Everything That Rocks." The station had carried a Hip-Hop format for the last decade. 105.9 is strongest in the Janesville area but also targets listeners in Madison. (1/13/2007)
WISCONSIN:
WEZY/92.1 (Racine) has changed its slogan from "EZ92" to "Lite Rock 92.1." (1/13/2007)
IOWA:
The sale price for NRG Media's two stations in the Sioux City market is $4.2 million, which includes a non-compete agreement, according to the asset purchase agreement filed with the FCC. As previously reported, Powell Broadcasting is buying KKYY/101.3 (Whiting) and KZSR/102.3 (Onawa) from NRG and is already operating the stations under a local marketing agreement. (1/13/2007)
WISCONSIN:
Good Karma Broadcasting's "Hot 105.9" (WKPO Evansville-Madison) is announcing that "there will be a new station on 105.9" starting Saturday at 10 a.m. The announcement is followed by a possible slogan and a song from that format. Is the Hip-Hop format really leaving, or is it just stunting? Stay tuned. (1/12/2007)
NEBRASKA:
Legacy Communications is selling the two Kimball radio stations, KIMB/1260 and KBFZ/100.1, to Michael Victor's Kimball Radio, LLC for $300,000. Kimball Radio may already be operating the stations under a local marketing agreement. Victor has an interest in eight other stations in Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota. Legacy recently bought KBFZ from Tracy Broadcasting, while KIMB has a construction permit to move to Ogallala. (1/6/2007)
IOWA/MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
Mediacom removed Sinclair Broadcasting stations from its cable systems Friday night (1/5) at midnight after their retransmission agreement expired with no new deal. The affected stations in our region are KGAN/2 (CBS, Cedar Rapids), KDSM/17 (FOX, Des Moines), WUCW/23 (CW, Minneapolis), and WMSN/47 (FOX, Madison). In Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, Mediacom played an announcement saying the channels normally occupied by KGAN and KDSM would simulcast digital cable channels in the coming days. Ironically, in Cedar Rapids, that included KGAN competitor KWWL's "Weather Plus" channel. (1/6/2007)
IOWA:
New documents clarify a radio sale: Dean Radio.TV Company is buying a total of four stations in Newton and Grinnell. Dean Radio.TV Company-Newton, LLC will pay Central Iowa Broadcasting $2.5 million for KCOB/1280 (Newton), KCOB-FM/95.9 (Newton), and KRTI/106.7 (Grinnell). Dean Radio.TV Company, Grinnell-LLC, will pay Crawford Broadcasting $2.25 million for KGRN/1410 (Grinnell). Both purchase prices are subject to adjustment. The applications to transfer the licenses were filed simultaneously but showed up in the FCC's database one day apart, resulting in an incomplete initial report here. Dean Radio.TV Company is also retaining Crawford president Russell Crawford as a consultant, and reached a $750,000 non-compete deal with Central Iowa Broadcasting president Frank Liebl. (1/5/2007)
SOUTH DAKOTA:
Rapid Broadcasting is selling its TV group in Sioux Falls to J.F. Broadcasting, LLC, for $300,000 and assumption of liabilities. J.F. is owned by James F. Simpson of Rapid City. Here's the asset purchase agreement. The stations include CW affiliate KWSD/36, "i" affiliate KAUN-LP/42, and KCWS-LP/44. The sale does not include Rapid's stations in Rapid City, which include the NBC, CW, and My Network TV affiliates. (1/5/2007)
IOWA/ILLINOIS:
Oak Hill Capital Partners will buy the New York Times Company's nine TV stations for $575 million. The group includes NBC affiliate WHO-TV/13 (Des Moines) and ABC affiliate WQAD/8 (Moline-Quad Cities). Oak Hill does not have any other broadcast holdings. The New York Times Company plans to focus on the newspaper business and related digital ventures, but is keeping one radio station in New York City (WQXR/96.3). (1/5/2007)
IOWA/MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
The FCC has denied Mediacom's request for emergency permission to continue carrying Sinclair Broadcasting stations amid a retransmission consent dispute. The FCC disagreed with Mediacom's claim that Sinclair is not negotiating in good faith. The current agreement between the two companies is set to expire on Friday night (1/5) at midnight. Stations that could disappear from Mediacom systems include KGAN/2 (CBS, Cedar Rapids), KDSM/17 (FOX, Des Moines), WUCW/23 (CW, Minneapolis), and WMSN/47 (FOX, Madison). (1/5/2007)
MINNESOTA:
Three Eagles Communications' two FM stations in Worthington have swapped formats. 36kW KITN/93.5 is now "The Breeze" with an Adult Contemporary format, while 100kW KWOA-FM/95.1 is now carrying Classic Hits during the day and Spanish-language programming in the evening. (1/3/2007)
WISCONSIN:
Clear Channel's WOKY/920 (Milwaukee) has transitioned from Soft Oldies to Oldies of the `60s and `70s, bringing back the "Mighty 92" slogan the station used during that era. WOKY has local hosts during the day and uses Dial Global's "Oldies Channel" format overnights and weekends (formerly WestwoodOne). Sister station WRIT/95.7 has transitioned from Oldies to a more Classic Hits direction in recent years. (1/3/2007)
| Upper Midwest Broadcasting: News/Main | IA | MN | NE | ND | SD | WI | MI |
