February 2001

MINNESOTA:
At least several positions have been cut at Brill Media's Northland Broadcasting in Duluth over the last few weeks, with Point 107.7 (KUSZ) now completely automated after its morning show and Kool 101.7 now automated during middays in addition to evenings and overnights. Chief operator Paul Kero, who'd been there for a few decades, was also let go. Northland isn't the only group seeing reductions: Shockley Communications recently parted ways with production director Brian Matuczak. Shockley has apparently not done much hiring to replace losses in the news department, since air talent Dave Strandberg is now doing news and feeding stories to the Wisconsin Radio Network. (2/28/01, corrected 3/3/01)

WISCONSIN/MINNESOTA:
DBS providers offering local broadcast stations will be required to carry all stations in the markets they choose to serve beginning on January 1, 2002, and that could help Wisconsin Public Television. Both DBS providers, DirecTV and Dish Network, carry Minneapolis stations, and WPT has a station licensed within the Minneapolis market: WHWC-TV/28 (Menomonie). KTCA/2 is, of course, the largest PBS affiliate in the Minneapolis market and will likely be carried. The providers don't have to carry more than one affiliate of a network unless those two stations are licensed in two different states. However, the providers would only have to carry WHWC's signal if WHWC asks to be carried. If WHWC does end up being carried, it may be made available by satellite to anyone in the Minneapolis market, which stretches west to the South Dakota border, south to the Iowa border, and north to Red Lake. The seven Wisconsin counties in the Minneapolis market represent about 5% of its households. (2/28/01)

MINNESOTA:
After 12 years on KARE 11, "Cheers" will leave their lineup for KSTC/45 at the end of February. Beginning March 1, KARE will move "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" to 11:35 p.m., the same slot as most other NBC affiliates. On Sunday nights, "Minnesota Bound" will be moved up a half-hour to 10:35. Another schedule change will take place March 5, when KARE will move "Dr. Laura" from 2 p.m. to 2:35 a.m. and fill the afternoon slot with back-to-back episodes of "Family Ties." (2/27/01)

MINNESOTA:
Former air talent, programmer, and Minnesota Associated Press Broadcasters President Greg Husak moves from Director of New Media at Didjacast to full-time voiceover and imaging work. Reach him at 888-520-3635 or [email protected]. (2/27/01)

MINNESOTA:
Johnny Rocket takes over the 9-Noon slot on KDWB/101.3, and will continue to voice track a show from 1-3 on KOOL 108. Adam Abrams moves into the 9a-1p slot at KOOL. Rocket continues as KOOL's production director. Back at KDWB, J.J. Kincaid moves from overnights to 10p-2a. (2/27/01)

MINNESOTA:
KDWB/101.3 let John London go Friday. Rumors are that KOOL 108's Johnny Rocket will do KDWB's midday shift live, and stay on KOOL in a voice-tracked form. (2/25/01)

MINNESOTA:
Minnesota Public Radio has been granted another new station in Fergus Falls, KCMF/89.7. The station will operate with 2kW at 67m. MPR plans to carry their music service on the new station. MPR also has a permit for 100-Watt KNWF/91.5 in Fergus Falls, which would presumably carry their news/talk service. (2/21/01)

MINNESOTA:
Dean Staley has joined KSTP-TV/5 as a weekend anchor. (2/21/01)

MINNESOTA:
Construction permits have been issued for KWCM-DT/31 (Appleton) and KSMN-DT/15 (Worthington). (2/21/01)

NEBRASKA:
KIBZ/106.3 (Lincoln) has been granted an upgrade from 3kW to 100kW. (2/21/01)

NORTH DAKOTA:
Construction permits have been issued for KXJB-DT/38 (Valley City-Fargo) and WDAZ-DT/59 (Devils Lake-Grand Forks). (2/21/01)

IOWA:
Construction permits have been issued for KIIN-DT/45 (Iowa City) and KHIN-DT/35 (Red Oak). (2/20/01)

IOWA/NORTH DAKOTA:
Jimmy Swaggart's Family Worship Center Church has been granted more translators for it's Sonlight network, K212DU/90.3 (Bloomfield, IA) and K215DY/90.9 (Dickinson, ND). (2/20/01)

MICHIGAN:
W09AJ (Republic) has been granted a move to channel 43 as W43BY. (2/20/01)

MINNESOTA:
Kiss 92.1 (WWAX Hermantown-Duluth) recently upgraded from the equivalent of 6kW to the equivalent of 25kW, helping get the signal through Duluth's intermodulation problem a little better. The upgrade process actually took about five years and involved moving WCMP-FM (Pine City) from 92.1 to 100.9, and WELY-FM (Ely) from 92.1 to 94.5. (2/20/01)

NEBRASKA:
ETV translator K12HQ (Benkleman) has moved to channel 33 as K33FO. Channel 12 was 10W, while 33 is 47kW. (2/20/01)

NEBRASKA:
Construction permits have been issued for KHGI-DT/36 (Kearney). (2/20/01)

NORTH DAKOTA:
Construction permits have been issued for KDSE-DT/20 (Dickinson), KGFE-DT/56 (Grand Forks), KSRE-DT/57 (Minot), and KWSE-DT/51 (Williston). (2/20/01)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
Construction permits have been issued for KESD-DT/18 (Brookings), KPSD-DT/25 (Eagle Butte), KQSD-DT/15 (Lowry), KZSD-DT/23 (Martin), KTSD-DT/21 (Pierre), KTTW-DT/7 (Sioux Falls), KCSD-DT/24 (Sioux Falls), and KUSD-DT/34 (Vermillion). (2/20/01)

WISCONSIN:
Construction permits have been issued for WPNE-DT/42 (Green Bay) and WMSN-DT/11 (Madison). (2/20/01)

WISCONSIN:
WAUH/102.3 (Wautoma) has been granted a downgrade to 110W at -5m. The station is not yet on the air, and a change like this is usually made when the originally licensed facilities can't be achieved by the date the permit expires. WAUH was originally licensed for 6kW at 46m. (2/20/01)

MINNESOTA:
Minnesota Public Radio has applied for a station on 89.7 in International Falls. The proposed facilities are not yet available. MPR currently serves the International Falls area with translators on 88.1 and 97.7. (2/29/2K)

MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
Hubbard Broadcasting's technical plans for WIXK-FM/107.1 (New Richmond) have changed a bit. An application was filed in December to put the station's antenna on KMSP's Shoreview tower, which also serves as the tower for about ten other Twin Cities radio stations. WIXK's antenna would be at 150m, the maximum for a class C2 station, but the power would be 25kW instead of 50kW to avoid interference to KARP/106.9 (Dassell) and KROC-FM/106.9 (Rochester). WIXK-FM already had a permit to transmit at 50kW from a tower in Lino Lakes. It also has a permit to change its community of license to Coon Rapids. (2/15/01)

IOWA:
Minnesota-Iowa Christian Broadcasting is purchasing KHAM/95.5 (St. Ansgar) from Lyle Evans. Minnesota-Iowa owns KJLY/104.5 (Blue Earth, MN) and KJYL/100.7 (Eagle Grove, IA) and has a number of translators in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa, including Mason City and Albert Lea. KHAM is currently on the air with only 270 Watts but an upgrade to 6kW is possible. (2/15/01)

IOWA/NEBRASKA/WISCONSIN:
Recent call letter changes: KDMI/1460 (Des Moines) became KXNO to go along with its new FOX Sports format; KSSO/94.1 (Omaha) became KMXM to go along with the "Max Country" slogan; the construction permit for 102.3 Wautoma, WI has been assigned WAUH. (2/15/01)

WISCONSIN:
WRHN/100.1 (Rhinelander) changed to Hot Adult Contemporary as "100.1 Hits FM" this morning at 6. (2/14/01)

IOWA/NEBRASKA/WISCONSIN:
Construction permits have been issued for WHO-DT/19 (Des Moines), KPTH-DT/49 (Sioux City), KPTM-DT/43 (Omaha), and WMVT-DT/35 (Milwaukee). (2/14/01)

IOWA:
Applications for new stations on 88.7 in Lone Tree an 88.9 in Middletown have been dismissed at the request of the applicant, Pensacola Christian College. (2/14/01)

NORTH DAKOTA:
The application to the FCC to transfer KVNJ-LP/2 (Fargo) from Fargo Broadcasting to Forum Communications has been dismissed at the request of Fargo Broadcasting. Forum also owns WDAY-TV/6. (2/14/01)

MINNESOTA:
KFAN/1130 morning guy Bob Yates is out. (2/7/01)

WISCONSIN:
WPRE "Cruisin' 980" (Prairie du Chein) began 24-hour broadcasting recently, using 500 Watts from 6 a.m. to sunrise, 1kW from sunrise to sunset, and 30 Watts overnight. The station carries Westwood One's Oldies format with a local news hour in the morning. (2/7/01)

IOWA:
KWWL General Manager Jim Waterbury has retired after 28 years at the station. (2/4/01)

IOWA:
WB affiliate KJMH/26 (Burlington) has changed to KGWB. (2/4/01)

IOWA/MINNESOTA:
Construction permits have been issued for KTIV-DT/41 (Sioux City) and KTTC-DT/36 (Rochester). (2/4/01)

MINNESOTA:
FOX29 continues to promote it's 9 p.m. newscast coming in April, and has posted pictures of the studio construction on its website. (2/4/01)

NEBRASKA:
KKNB/104.1 (Crete-Lincoln) has changed to KSLI to go along with it's new "Kiss" slogan. (2/4/01)

NORTH DAKOTA:
Cardinal Broadcasting has been granted a construction permit for a 5000kW station on channel 27 licensed to Grand Forks. The station will transmit from KXJB/4's tower northeast of Galesburg, meaning the station will probably also target Fargo audiences. (2/4/01)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
107.9 (Flandreau) is on the air and has traded call letters with 95.7 (Dell Rapids), so 50kW-107.9 is now KSOB and 25-kW 95.7 is KSQB-FM. KSOB's Rock format has also been moved over to 107.9. (2/4/01)

WISCONSIN:
WRHN/100.1 (Rhinelander) is promoting a special announcement to be made at Noon Tuesday 2/6. The station recently began running Jones Radio Networks' Light AC format, which is also carried on sister station WMQA/95.9 (Minocqua). WRHN has also been looking for a new transmitter location. (2/4/01)

WISCONSIN:
Lac Courte Orielles Ojibwa Public Broadcasting has been granted a new station on 91.9 in Odanah, which is in the Bad River reservation. LCO runs well-respected WOJB/88.9 (Reserve), and 91.9 is expected to relay WOJB for the most part. (2/4/01)

WISCONSIN:
WXEC/93.9 (Nekoosa) has changed from to WZRK. The station was last reported with a Classic Hits format. (2/4/01)