February 2004

IOWA:
The FCC has denied Saga Communications' petition for reconsideration of an earlier decision that allowed KDWD/100.1 (Emmetsburg) to upgrade, improving its signal to Spencer, where Saga has three stations. Saga had proposed that instead of 100.1 Emmetsburg upgrading from class A (6kW) to C3 (25kW), an unused allotment for Brandon, SD, be upgraded from A to C3. The FCC had denied the original Saga proposal because it was determined the Emmetsburg upgrade would serve more new people than the Brandon upgrade. Saga filed a petition for reconsideration, contending that new Census 2000 data showed that Brandon was now the preferred upgrade. However, the FCC's analysis of Census 2000 data found that the Emmetsburg upgrade still served more new people. (2/28/2004)

IOWA:
Edgewater Broadcasting and Radio Assist Ministry received several more construction permits for new translators this week: 99.9 Ames (92W); 97.9 Decorah (4W); and 106.9 Estherville (5W). Though the thousands of applications by Edgewater and Radio Assist for translators in the region specified rebroadcasting other stations in the region, the translators will likely be used to carry the Calvary Satellite Network, if the FCC rules that translators in the commercial portion of the band (92-108 MHz) can use satellite feeds as a delivery method, which is currently prohibited. (2/28/2004)

IOWA:
The Shellsburg Community Broadcasting Association has received a construction permit for a 100W/low-power station on 93.1. SCBA plans a mix of community information for Shellsburg and Vinton, music, and talk, including Chuck Harder's syndicated show. (2/28/2004)

NEBRASKA:
The FCC has granted Roger Harders a construction permit for a 12kW station on channel 44 in Mullen, K44HP. Harders also has CP's for three other LPTV stations in Mullen. (2/28/2004)

WISCONSIN:
Sister Bay's Wisconsin Public Television translator has moved from channel 64 to channel 18. (2/28/2004)

WISCONSIN:
Craig Karmazin's Good Karma Broadcasting is expanding into the Milwaukee market with the purchase of WAUK/1510 (Waukesha) for $2 million. The daytimer is the only all-Sports station in the market. WAUK is a standalone station owned by Walt-West Wisconsin, Inc., of which Carol T. Piszczek is the sole shareholder. Good Karma has stations in the Watertown, Beaver Dam, Madison, and Janesville areas. (2/27/2004)

WISCONSIN:
An owl looking for a new home knocked WPRE/980 and WQPC/94.3 (Prairie du Chien) off the air for a few hours Friday morning. The owl was fried in a transformer outside the studios, which knocked the power out. The electrical spike also rendered the stations' main studio inoperable until midday Friday. (2/27/2004)

MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
KQDS/1490 (Duluth-Superior) has dropped CNN Headline News for a Talk format. Although promos say "The Talk Station" doesn't officially launch until Monday (3/1), the new format was already being heard Thursday night. The lineup includes Dr. Laura, Bruce Williams, Allan Colmes, and Tony Snow, with news from USA on the hour. (2/27/2004)

MINNESOTA:
KMGK/107.1 (Glenwood) has applied to upgrade from 3.3kW (class A) to 25kW (class C3). The station's transmitter would move to a site 24km northeast of its current location, improving reception to Sauk Centre and Alexandria. (2/24/2004, corrected upgrade power 2/25)

NORTH DAKOTA:
"K-Love" station KDJZ/100.7 (Harwood-Fargo) has applied to increase power from its current 25kW to 40kW, upgrading from class C3 to C2. The station would retain its current transmitter site and antenna height (100m). (2/24/2004)

MINNESOTA:
The Esko Senior Citizens have received a construction permit for a low-power (100W) station on 106.1 in Esko, which is between Duluth and Cloquet. (2/23/2004)

WISCONSIN:
WCLO/1230 (Janesville) has revamped its lineup, returning Clark Howard to 1-3 p.m. and adding CNN Headline News from 6 p.m. - Midnight. Additionally, WCLO has added CNN news at the top and bottom of the hour during local news and syndicated talk programming. (2/22/2004)

IOWA:
The Iowa State Daily reports that the Iowa Board of Regents has approved a plan to purchase KIIC/97.9 (Lamoni), to add to the WOI Radio Group. KIIC's new programming will likely be similar to that heard on stations in Fort Dodge and Carroll, which relay programming from WOI AM and FM. KIIC owner Lifestyle Communications is bankrupt; its other stations (KJJC Osceola and KLRX Madrid) were sold to Northwestern College. (2/21/2004)

IOWA:
Translator K290AJ/105.9 (Gilbert-Ames) has flipped from the Northwestern College Radio Network (KNWS-FM Waterloo) to the K-Love network, following Northwestern's purchase of KLRX/96.1 (Madrid-Ames), which is now KNWM. The switch occurred on Monday (2/16). K290AJ is owned by Majestic Airwaves, and is possibly the only translator to have its own website. (2/20/2004)

WISCONSIN:
The Wisconsin Public Television translator in Adams has moved from channel 64 to channel 48, with a slight change in power. (2/20/2004)

MICHIGAN:
WPIQ/99.9 (Manistique) has signed on with a News/Talk format as "Power 99.9," reports Michiguide.com. The lineup includes talk heavyweights Dr. Laura, Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity. The new 6kW station is owned by Todd Stuart Noordyk. (2/19/2004)

MINNESOTA:
Refuge Media Group recently received a construction permit for a 38-Watt translator on 92.1 in North Branch. The station has already applied to move to 91.9. Though the power would remain the same, moving into the non-commercial portion of the band (88-92 MHz) would allow programming to be fed to the translator via satellite, rather than over-the-air. (2/19/2004)

SOUTH DAKOTA/WISCONSIN:
New low-power TV construction permits granted: