March 2002

NORTH DAKOTA/MINNESOTA:
After one Fargo Clear Channel station changed formats last week (see below), another Fargo Clear Channel station began stunting -- Kool 92.7 (KULW Kindred-Fargo). It's the same type of stunting: "Hi, this is Al Radio. I'm Al. I play what I like. I changed one Fargo station around, and I'm changing this one." (3/31/02)

MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
Brill Media's Adult Contemporary "Point 107.7" (KUSZ Proctor-Duluth) has been playing nothing but Kermit the Frog's "Rainbow Connection" (besides commercials) as "Froggy 107.7" since Friday at 5 p.m. Prior to that, an announcement from General Manager Randy Cable had been airing, saying that the company's hard times had forced the station to sell off its CD's. Afternoon host J.J. Holliday `walked off the job' at the end of his shift Friday, saying he was going back to college. The FCC database shows that 107.7's official call letters are now KBMX. (3/29/02)

WISCONSIN:
The FCC has reinstated CSN International's application for a 25kW station on 90.1 in Spring Valley. (3/29/02)

NORTH DAKOTA/MINNESOTA:
Clear Channel's KFGO-FM/101.9 (Fargo) has flipped from Country as "K102" to Classic Rock as "The Box." The station went from going head-to-head with Traid's "Froggy 99.9" to going head-to-head with Triad's "107.9 The Fox." (3/28/02)

WISCONSIN:
After a short run with Hot AC as "Magic 99.7," Midwest Communications has changed WLTM/99.7 (Sturgeon Bay-Green Bay) to Rhythmic Hits as "Wild 99-7." Midwest also owns Green Bay's heritage Contemporary Hits station, WIXX/101.1. (3/27/02)

IOWA:
Friendship Communications has received a construction permit for a 400-Watt station on 89.1 in Hiawatha, a suburb of Cedar Rapids. The station is expected to relay Friendship's Contemporary Christian KWOF/850 (Waterloo). (3/27/02)

MINNESOTA:
Minnesota Public Radio, a subsidiary of the American Public Media Group, was the winning bidder for a new station on 88.3 in Brainerd and the FCC has now granted a construction permit for that new station. The station will be class C3, with 5kW at 204m. MPR already has KBPR/90.7 in Brainerd, and the second station will enable MPR to broadcast both of its networks in the area. Also, as earlier announced here, Minnesota Christian Broadcasters was the winning bidder for 100.1 Pequot Lakes, and a construction permit has now been issued for that station (3.9kW at 124m), which is expected to carry a Contemporary Christian format. 100.1 was the original home of MCBI's KTIG, which moved to 102.7 to increase power. (3/27/02)

WISCONSIN:
WEAU/13 reports that three Central Radio stations in Eau Claire, including WAXX 104.5, began airing traffic reports this week. No other stations in the market have traffic reports. (3/27/02)

WISCONSIN:
WRVM's Wausau translator has moved to 100.7. (3/27/02)

IOWA:
The FCC has granted a construction permit for a new 1kW low-power TV station, K45GV, on channel 45 in Emmettsburg to Dean Mosely. (3/26/02)

NEBRASKA:
Equity Broadcasting has won the auction for a new full-power station on channel 16 in Scottsbluff and made the formal application for the station. Their application is for 2559kW at 238m. Scottsbluff is in the Cheyenne, Wyoming, TV market, and the new station will likely relay Equity's Cheyenne NBC affiliate, KKTU/33, which relays KTWO-TV/2 (Casper). (3/26/02)

WISCONSIN:
Clear Channel's Star 96.3 (WMLI Sauk City-Madison) has flipped from Light Adult Contemporary to Smooth Jazz as WCJZ. The new format goes head-to-head with Midwest Family Radio's Magic 98, which has a late evening and Sunday morning smooth jazz program that's been around since 1987, as well as an internet-only station at magicsmooth.com. (3/25/02)

MINNESOTA:
The FCC has granted KDUL-LP/12 (Duluth) an extension of its authority to stay off the air through June 1. The station has been off the air since last September and is up for sale. (3/25/02)

MINNESOTA:
A couple of departures in Willmar: Q102 (KQIC/102.5) night announcer Jessica Fox has left, and C.J. Morgan is no longer at The Loon (KKLN/94.1). (3/25/02)

NEBRASKA:
A construction permit has been granted for KGIN-DT/32 (Grand Island). (3/23/02)

NEBRASKA:
KXMB-DT/23 (Bismarck) has begun broadcasting. (3/23/02)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
Bethesda Christian Broadcasting has received a construction permit for a new 67.5kW station on 88.3 in Rapid City. The station will transmit from an antenna at 522m from a tower near Lead. Several other radio and low-power TV stations also have applications or construction permits to operate from this power. (3/23/02)

WISCONSIN:
Wisconsin Public Radio's WLBL/930 (Auburndale), presently a daytime-only 5kW station, has applied for nighttime operation with 70 Watts. The station would continue to be nondirectional. (3/23/02)

MINNESOTA:
Hubbard Broadcasting's KSTC/45 (Minneapolis) has moved from a 375m antenna to a 430m antenna. The station's power remains 5000kW. (3/22/02)

WISCONSIN:
The FCC has granted construction permits for two more low-power 100-Watt stations: 96.1 River Falls to the School District of River Falls and 107.1 Tomahawk to Tomahawk Light Broadcasting. (3/22/02)

IOWA:
KGWB/26 (Burlington) has received a construction permit for its digital facility on channel 41. (3/21/02)

MINNESOTA/SOUTH DAKOTA:
Power 106.3 (KPHR Ortonville) has completed a massive upgrade from 6kW to 100kW. The change also involved moving the transmitter from near Ortonville to a site midway between Watertown and Milbank and increasing the antenna height from 100m to 291m. In Watertown, the signal has been upgraded from almost nothing to strong. (3/21/02)

IOWA:
The tower for Clear Channel's KKEZ/94.5 (Fort Dodge) collapsed early Tuesday morning. Pictures are on their website. (3/20/02)

MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
Midwest Communications' KXTP/970 (Superior-Duluth) has ended its interim rebroadcast of KRBR/102.5 and unveiled its new format: Hot Talk as "Radio X". Shows include Don and Mike, Phil Hendrie, and Tom Leykis. Midwest also owns Rock 102.5, All Sports 710, News/Talk KDAL/610, AC Magic 95.7, and Kat Country 98.9. (3/20/02)

IOWA:
Construction permits have been granted for two new stations on 90.7 in northwestern Iowa. Iowa State University gets a 10kW station on 90.7 in Carroll, which will likely rebroadcast WOI-FM/90.1 (Ames) from its transmitter northeast of Carroll. Western Iowa Tech Community College gets a 4.5kW station on 90.7 licensed to Okoboji but transmitting from Everly (west of Spencer), which will likely rebroadcast KWIT/90.3 (Sioux City). (3/19/02)

MICHIGAN:
Lyle Robert Evans has been granted a construction permit for a new 100kW station on 98.7 in Hancock. The new facility will broadcast from WHKB's tower at an height of 159m. Besides serving the western U.P., the new station should provide a fair signal to Minnesota's north shore and Thunder Bay. (3/19/02)

MINNESOTA:
Regent Broadcasting's KXSS/1390 (Waite Park-St. Cloud) has dropped Nostalgia/Easy Listening for Classic Country, going head-to-head with WVAL/800 and leaving fans of Big Band and Swing to out-of-market signals. The old format was ABC's "Stardust" network and the new one is Jones Radio Network's "Classic Hit Country." AP Network News runs on the hour. KXSS is the fourth station in Minnesota to leave ABC's Stardust network in the past two months. (3/19/02)

MINNESOTA:
As Hubbard Broadcasting prepares to make WIXK-FM/107.1 (New Richmond) a full-fledged Twin Cities signal, they've received a permit for an auxiliary 7kW transmitter at the KUOM/KBEM tower in Falcon Heights. (An auxiliary is a backup transmitter used when the main transmitter needs to be turned off for work.) For those that don't know, WIXK-FM will change its community of license to Coon Rapids and transmit with 22kW from a Shoreview antenna at 179m above average terrain. Rumors are flying about when exactly the change will be made and what exactly the format will be after that, but it appears the station's studio may have already moved to St. Paul a few months ago. (3/19/02)

NORTH DAKOTA:
Randy Holland is selling most of his ownership in KGBZ/100.7 (Harwood-Fargo) to Thomas Ingstad and Donald Nordin. If approved by the FCC, Ingstad will gain control of the station and will receive 65% of the company, Nordin will receive 25%, and Holland will retain 10%. Ingstad will pay $861,000 and Nordin will pay $227,500. (3/19/02)

WISCONSIN:
Not-yet-on air WPLT/106.3 (Spooner) is being listed as "Planet 106.3" on Zoe Communications' website. The 6kW station should provide a fair signal to Rice Lake. The construction permit doesn't expire until August 2003. Meanwhile, WRDN/1430 (Durand), which has been off the air since the end of last year, is listed as "to be announced soon." (3/12/02)

IOWA:
Two of the partners in Putbrese Communications, owner of KWKY/1150 (Des Moines), are buying out some of the stock of the other two partners. Under the sale, Charles E. Putbrese and Ella Mae Putbrese's proportion of the company's stock will fall from 56% to 18%, while John Putbrese and Debra Putbrese's proportion will increase from 44% to 82%. The sale is for about about $388,000 and is subject to FCC approval. (3/9/02)

MINNESOTA:
Kirwin Broadcasting has filed an application with the FCC to transfer control of the company, which owns KOZY/1320 and KMFY/96.9 (Grand Rapids) following the death of primary owner William J. Kirwin. Under the new ownership, Michael Iaizzo and Cynthia Iaizzo, both of Grand Rapids, would each own 50% of the company. Each currently owns 13%. (3/7/02)

MINNESOTA:
Trinity Broadcasting Network has received a construction permit to move its Rochester station from channel 60 to 56 and increase power from 18.6kW to 75kW. (3/7/02)

WISCONSIN:
St. Isidore Radio Association has withdrawn its application for a low-power FM station on 95.9 in Darlington. (3/7/02)

NEBRASKA:
Roger E. Harders has been granted a construction permit for a 12kW station on channel 31 in Mullen, which has been assigned the call letters K31GD. Harders also has CP's for 12kW stations in Mullen on channels 33 and 39. (3/6/02)

WISCONSIN:
Northern Lakes Radio has received a construction permit for a 100-Watt (LPFM) station on 103.5 in Clearwater Lake, which is southeast of Eagle River. (3/5/02)

WISCONSIN:
State-owned WHA-TV/21 (Madison) has dropped from 1120kW to 870kW. The antenna height remains 453m. (3/5/02)

MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
KQDS/1490 (Duluth) has dropped ABC's "Stardust" Nostalgia format in favor of Westwood One's Headline News format, which is the audio from CNN Headline News. The change occurred near the start of the month. Twin Ports fans of Big Band and Swing music can still find the format from WKLK/1230 (Cloquet), which uses the Jones Radio Network format. (3/4/02)

NORTH DAKOTA:
Radio Bismarck Mandan LLC's purchase of Anderson Broadcasting's Bismarck stations, first announced last month, was filed with the FCC in late February. The purchase price for KXMR/710, KBMR/1130, KQDY/94.5, and KSSS/101.5 is $4.2 million. Radio Bismarck Mandan is owned by James Ingstand (80%), Larry Schmidt (a.k.a. Bob Denver) (10%), and Terry Fleck (10%). Anyone who wants to see how much the stations are paying for various programming services can find out on page 27 of their FCC filing. (3/1/02)