IOWA:
Change is apparently in the works at Citadel's KBGG/1700 (Des Moines), which has dropped its Regional Mexican format and is now looping Queen's "We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions." Records show Citadel reserved the domain name ESPN1700.com earlier this month. KBGG was the first full-time spanish-language station in Iowa, but faced competition from KDLS-FM/105.5 (Perry) in recent years. (2/22/2008)
ILLINOIS/IOWA:
Quad-Cities Online reports that Black Hawk College has dropped its national search for a buyer for its PBS member station, WQPT/24 (Moline), but continues to look for a local buyer. Board of Trustees chair Fred Leggett suggested there were offers which had been rejected, telling the newspaper, "We didn't get any responding bidders that we felt would fit for the Quad-Cities cultural community." Since WQPT is licensed as non-commercial it's possible religious broadcasters would have been interested in the station. Meanwhile, the paper reports WQPT plans to reduce the amount of PBS programming it carries by about 75% in a cost-cutting move. However, much of the dropped programming will likely still be available to Quad Cities viewers: the market is also served by Iowa Public Television; TV listings for Friday, February 22 show 65% of the programming offered by WQPT that day was also carried by IPT. (2/22/2008)
SOUTH DAKOTA:
Riverfront Broadcasting, LLC, is buying six stations in South Dakota: KORN/1490 and KQRN/107.3 (Mitchell), KCCR/1240 and KLXS/95.3 (Pierre), and KYNT/1450 and KKYA/93.1 (Yankton). The stations are currently owned by Sorenson Broadcasting and operated by NRG Media, which will have no stations in South Dakota once operations are transffered to Riverfront on March 1. Riverfront is owned by Carolyn and Doyle Becker of Yankton; Carolyn is a former KYNT/KKYA sales manager. Riverfront has operated two stations in the Nebraska City, NE, market since 2004. (2/21/2008)
WISCONSIN:
The FCC has proposed a $4,000 fine against the owners of WNOV/860 (Milwaukee) for broadcasting a person's voicemail greeting without permission. FCC rules require stations to get permission before broadcasting or recording a telephone call for later broadcast, unless the caller is presumed to be aware that the call will be broadcast. WNOV owner Courier Communications said the incident occurred during a show which it did not control, but the FCC said a licensee is responsible for what its station broadcasts. Courier has thirty days to pay the fine or ask for a reduction or cancellation. (2/21/2008)
MINNESOTA/NORTH DAKOTA:
Bismarck, Minnesota? Prairie Public Broadcasting reports its carrying the new "MN Channel" on all of its stations across North Dakota, not just the Fargo and Crookston, MN, transmitters as had been reported here earlier. The "MN Channel," featuring shows about Minnesota and its neighbors, is now seen on digital subchannels of all 15 PBS member stations in Minnesota and North Dakota. The network's official website, mnchannel.org, does not yet acknowledge the expansion beyond the Twin Cities, where MN Channel has been carried on KTCI-DT2 since 2005. (2/18/2008)
WISCONSIN:
Milwaukee ABC affiliate WISN-TV/12 has filed a petition with the FCC seeking special relief to get ABC programming from Chicago affiliate WLS-TV/7 blacked out on the Racine cable system. Racine is in the Milwaukee market, but FCC rules currently allow WLS to be carried on cable because it is listed as "significantly viewed" in Racine County. WLS and WGN-TV/9 are the only Chicago stations on the list for Racine County. Several more are on the list to the south on Kenosha County. (2/16/2008)
IOWA:
Clear Channel gave Eastern Iowa a "Kiss" this Valentine's Day: new station KKSY/95.7 (Anamosa-Cedar Rapids) signed on at 10 a.m. as "Kiss Country." The new station is focusing on New Country to take on Cumulus' heritage Country station KHAK/98.1. However, KKSY's 6kW rimshot signal is not as strong as KHAK's 100kW signal. Clear Channel owns three other stations in Cedar Rapids and two in Iowa City. It won the rights to build 95.7 in FCC Auction No. 37 with a $2.5 million bid. (2/14/2008)
MINNESOTA:
It appears the long saga of ownership change is over for Clear Channel's former group in Duluth: GapWest president Skip Weller tells Radio & Records the company has decided to keep WEBC/560, KLDJ/101.7, KKCB/105.1, and KBMX/107.7 (Proctor). Clear Channel put the stations on the market in December 2006. First, a deal to sell the stations to Blue Point Media fell through. Then, GapWest agreed to buy the stations, but there was speculation whether it would keep them after GapWest sold its Burlington, IA, group, saying the market didn't fit into its regional strategy with stations out west. But of Duluth, GapWest decided "we really like what we had," Weller told R&R Wednesday. Meanwhile, Clear Channel continues to seek buyers for its groups in Sioux City, IA, Rochester, MN, Bismarck, Dickinson, Grand Forks, and Minot, ND, and Eau Claire, WI. (2/14/2008)
MINNESOTA:
The FCC has denied a petition to deny renewing the license of WCCO/830. James Pennino said the station's license should not be renewed because if its "lack of in-depth coverage of environmental issues on WCCO news," but the FCC said its role in overseeing program content is limited, and that licensees have broad discretion to choose programming. WCCO is one of only a few radio stations in the state that has any full-time news staff. (2/13/2008)
WISCONSIN:
A station's honesty about four errors in ad placement during network children's programming could cost it $8,000. In its license renewal application, WLAX/25 (FOX, La Crosse) listed four instances in which the maximum amount of commercials allowed during children's programming was exceeded. Several of those violations appear to have been network errors. In a Notice of Apparent Liability, the FCC gave WLAX owner Grant Media 30 days to pay an $8,000 fine for the violations or seek a reduction or cancellation. Though other FOX affiliates likely violated the rules as well, they will not be fined unless they reported the problems. (2/13/2008)
MINNESOTA:
"Radio K" will get a third FM frequency in the Twin Cities: the FCC has granted a construction permit for a new translator in Minneapolis to the University of Minnesota Regents. K283BG will broadcast on 104.5 with 99W from the U's Rarig Center, where "Radio K" is based. The format is also heard on daytime-only 5kW KUOM/770 (Minneapolis) and nights and weekends on 8W KUOM-FM/106.5 (St. Louis Park), which is rebroadcast on 10W W264BR/100.7 (Falcon Heights). KUOM-FM shares time with St. Louis Park High's KDXL, which uses the frequency during school days. The new 104.5 translator will add strong FM coverage to the U of M campus, downtown Minneapolis, and parts of southeast Minneapolis. Check out all of the Twin Cities' flea-power stations here. (2/12/2008)
IOWA:
Northwestern College's KNWM/96.1 (Madrid) has applied to move its transmitter closer to Des Moines. KNWM would remain Class A, changing from the current 2.5kW/157m from a site midway between Ames and Luther to 6kW/100m from a site just outside Sheldahl. A tighter directional pattern would be used to prevent interference to KCOB-FM/95.9 (Newton). The move would add Ankeny and the northwestern part of the Des Moines metro area to KNWM's main coverage area. KNWM simulcasts a non-commercial Contemporary Christian format with KNWI/107.1 (Osceola) from studios in Des Moines, but currently, the capital city is outside both station's main coverage areas. (2/11/2008)
WISCONSIN:
Former longtime WRDB/WBDL/WNFM (Reedsburg) sportscaster Troy Matz is now working at WRPQ/740 (Baraboo) and its low-power TV sister station, ION affiliate W43BR (Baraboo). Matz was among those whose position was eliminated last month after Magnum Radio purchased the Reedsburg stations. (2/11/2008)
MINNESOTA:
KNFX/970 (Austin) and KMFX/1190 (Wabasha) have been off the air since January 10 and apparently won't return anytime soon. Owner Clear Channel says in applications for special temporary authority to remain silent that the stations were taken off the air "due to financial performance issues." 5kW/500W KNFX has an unusual directional pattern with a fringe signal stretching from Eau Claire to Des Moines and had been carrying the Mexican Gold "La Preciosa" network. 1kW daytimer KMFX had been relaying the "Fox Country" format of Clear Channel's KMFX-FM/102.5 (Lake City-Rochester). The stations have been for sale for more than a year. (2/9/2008)
WISCONSIN:
WRRD/540 (Jackson-Milwaukee) made its anticipated switch to ESPN Radio at Midnight Wednesday night/Thursday morning. Good Karma Broadcasting is buying the station from Salem Communications to serve as the new home of the format which currently airs on WAUK/1510 (Waukesha) during the day and WMCS/1290 (Greenfield) at night. WRRD is simulcasting with WAUK/WMCS until new programming is launched on those stations. (2/7/2008)
MINNESOTA:
KRJJ/1470 (Brooklyn Park) has changed its callsign to KMNQ following its switch to Regional Mexican (see earlier item). It is the fifth callsign used on the frequency in the past 26 months. (2/7/2008)
IOWA:
New station KKSY/95.7 (Anamosa) was heard testing on Wednesday evening (2/6) with light pop music. KKSY is owned by Clear Channel and will deliver a rimshot signal to Cedar Rapids. It uses 6kW/100m from a tower near Stone City. (2/7/2008)
WISCONSIN:
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Weigel Broadcasting is expanding its "Me TV" brand of Classic TV to Milwaukee. "Me" is currently seen on a low-power station owned by Weigel in Chicago, and will also be seen on Weigel's WDJT-DT3 in Milwaukee starting in March. Weigel also owns CBS58 (WDJT), Independent WMLW-CA/41, and Telemundo WYTU-LP/63 in Milwaukee, and is buying WJJA/49 (Racine-Milwaukee). (2/7/2008)
MINNESOTA/NORTH DAKOTA/WISCONSIN:
Minnesota's first statewide TV network is now a reality. The "Minnesota Channel," produced by Twin Cities Public Television, is now seen on these digital subchannels: