May 2000

WISCONSIN:
WNCZ/950 (Sheboygan) will change or has changed to WCLB. The station is being purchased by Yellow Dog Broadcasting along with WXER/104.5 (Plymouth). (5/19/2K)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
The Construction Permit for a new TV station on channel 21 in Rapid City has been assigned the call letters KNBN. Rapid Broadcasting Company owns channel 21 as well as KNBN-LP/27, which has been Rapid City's NBC station since affiliation swaps in the mid-90's. (5/19/2K)

MINNESOTA:
KDUL-LP/12 (Duluth) has announced that it will be affiliated with UPN and the American Independent Network instead of UPN and America One. KDUL's lineup will include two hours of Disney animation in the afternoon, UPN programming from 7-9 p.m., Entertainment Tonight at 9 p.m., and AIN at other times. KDUL is still planning a June 1 sign-on. (5/18/2K)

MINNESOTA:
The anticipated format change at KARP/96.3 (Glencoe-Minneapolis) following the transfer in ownership to Blue Chip Broadcasting took place just after Noon today (5/18). The station played all requests during the morning hours, with goodbyes from the DJ's and other staff. John Mons gave a final farewell, followed by "Happy Trails." Since then, 96.3 has been repeating a short list of songs from Prince and Janet Jackson. The FCC is holding the call letters KTTB for KARP's new owners to begin using. Meanwhile, KARP morning host John Carrigan and John Mons announced that they would be moving over to KKJR/106.9 (Dassell-Hutchinson), which is expected to adopt a format similar to KARP on June 1. (5/18/2K)

MINNESOTA:
The FCC has rescinded is approval of the upgrade plan for KSCR/93.5 (Benson). The FCC said last week it had approved the upgrade from 3kW to 23.5kW. (5/18/2K)

MINNESOTA:
KTIS-FM/98.5 (Minneapolis) is joining eight other stations on the new combined FM backup facility on top of the IDS Center. The nine stations share a single antenna on the west pole, and all nine normally broadcast from KMSP's Shoreview tower. (5/18/2K)

NEBRASKA:
More translators have been granted to the Family Worship Center Church for Jimmy Swaggart's Sonlife Network: K208DY/89.5 (Sidney) and K220HZ/91.9 (Bridgeport). (5/18/2K)

MINNESOTA:
Cumulus Media has filed an informal objection on the FCC's approval of Milestone Radio's purchase of KBGY/107.5 (Faribault). (5/15/2K)

WISCONSIN:
WTMJ-TV/4 (NBC, Milwaukee) and WPXE/55 (PAX, Kenosha-Milwaukee) have announced a joint sales agreement between the owners of the two stations (Journal Broadcast Group and Paxson Communications) that will result in some TMJ4 newscasts being aired on WPXE and WTMJ sales staff selling ads on WPXE. Beginning July 3, TMJ4's "6:00 Report" will be simulcast on WPXE, and the "10:00 Report" will be rebroadcast on WPXE at 10:30. Different ads will air on the two stations. Sales revenue from WPXE will be split between the two companies. NBC, which owns 32.5% of PAX, is doing this with the stations it owns and has been encouraging affiliates to follow suit. (5/13/2K)

WISCONSIN/IOWA:
Cumulus Media has announced that it reached a deal with Connoisseur Communications to delay Cumulus' closing on a deal to buy 37 radio stations in nine markets, including stations in the Quad Cities and Waterloo. Cumulus is already running the 37 stations under Local Marketing Agreements, but is not expected to close on the stations until the late third or early fourth quarter. Also, Cumulus announced earlier this week that it had hired KPMG LLP as its new auditor. (5/13/2K)

MINNESOTA:
KSCR-FM/93.5 (Benson) has received a Construction Permit to upgrade from 3kW to 23.5kW. (5/13/2K)

IOWA/WISCONSIN:
A group called MS Communications is buying K21EM, K45EE, and K49DX (Ottumwa, IA), W65DC (Whiting, WI), and two more LPTV stations in Tennessee. (5/12/2K)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
The FCC says it will conduct additional analysis of the transfer of Cumulus Media's six Eau Claire properties to Clear Channel before approving the sale. The FCC may be concerned with the overlapping coverage areas of the Eau Claire stations and Clear Channel's Twin Cities stations. (5/11/2K)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
Three Eagles Communications is buying KSDR/1480 and KSDR-FM/92.9 (Watertown) from Faehn Radio Enterprises. (5/11/2K)

NEBRASKA:
The FCC has approved a plan to upgrade Y102 (KRNY Kearney) from 25kW to 79kW, while increasing antenna height from 100m to 331m. That'll make Y102's coverage area comparable to sister KQKY/105.9. At the same time, KQKY will change antenna height from 308m to 367m. (5/11/2K)

IOWA/NEBRASKA/WISCONSIN:
Jimmy Swaggart's Family Worship Center Church has been granted more translators for its Sonlife network: K201GF/88.1 (Spencer, IA), K205DU/88.9 (Beatrice, NE), and W210BM/89.9 (La Crosse, WI). (5/11/2K)

NORTH DAKOTA:
Michael Radio Group of Cheyenne, Wyoming, has been granted the Construction Permit for a new 200W station on 104.7 in Hope, which is about 85km northwest of Fargo. The station has potential to be upgraded to 6kW. (5/10/2K)

NEBRASKA:
Lee Enterprises is selling most of its TV stations, including KMTV/3 (CBS, Omaha) to Emmis Communications. Lee is selling the stations so it can concentrate on the newspaper business. (5/10/2K)

NEBRASKA:
WB15 (KXVO Omaha) is being sold from Gary Cocola to Mitts Telecasting. WB15 is actually operated by Pappas Telecasting, owner of FOX42, through an LMA. (5/9/2K)

MINNESOTA:
The FCC has approved Milestone Radio's purchase of KBGY/107.5 (Faribault) from James Ingstad. Cumulus Media had objected to the sale, saying it had the right to purchase the station at a lower price as part of its agreement to purchase Ingstad's other stations in the area a few years ago. Milestone also owns KLCI/106.1 (Princeton), which has a rimshot signal across the Twin Cities, like KBGY will. (5/9/2K)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
Hot 104.7 (KKLS-FM Sioux Falls) has increased its antenna height from 215m to 297m. (5/9/2K)

MINNESOTA:
Jimmy Swaggart's Family Worship Center Church has been granted translator stations K219FA/91.7 (Alexandria) and K213DJ/90.5 (Bemidji). They will relay the Sonlife Network from WJFM Tupelo, Mississippi. (5/9/2K)

MICHIGAN/MINNESOTA/NORTH DAKOTA/SOUTH DAKOTA/WISCONSIN:
Construction Permits have been issued for WJMN-DT/48 (Escanaba), KCCO-DT/24 (Alexandria), KCCW-DT/20 (Walker), KXMD-DT/14 (Williston), KIVV-DT/29 (Lead), KDLO-DT/25 (Florence), WFRV-DT/56 (Green Bay), and WKBT-DT/53 (La Crosse). (5/9/2K)

MINNESOTA:
WLOL/KQQL Cheif Engineer Rob Goldberg has taken on those same duties at KDWB and KTCZ. (5/7/2K)

WISCONSIN:
StarStation 104.9 (WWLC Balsam Lake) was off the air for most of Saturday (5/6) due to transmitter problems. (5/7/2K)

WISCONSIN/IOWA:
Cumulus Media is paying for the stations that it got from Clear Channel's divestiture with $172.9 million in asset swaps and $36.6 million in cash. Cumulus is giving Clear Channel 25 stations in five markets plus cash for 11 Clear Channel stations in 4 markets, a deal that was previously announced. In our region, Cumulus' Eau Claire stations are going to Clear Channel (WMEQ, WBIZ, WMEQ-FM, WQRB, WBIZ-FM, WATQ). Cumulus is getting Cedar Rapids stations KRNA, KHAK, and KDAT. The Cedar Rapids stations were among many that Clear Channel sold off as part of its merger with AMFM. (5/5/2K)

NORTH DAKOTA:
KXJB/4 (Valley City-Fargo) recently changed its name from "KX4" to "CBS4" and changed its website to www.cbs4you.com. Their news slogan is now "People You Can Count On." The changes become shortly before Catamount Broadcasting took over the station. (5/4/2K)

WISCONSIN:
DirecTV has announced that it will begin to offer local channels in the Milwaukee market in June. WTMJ-TV/4 (NBC), WITI/6 (FOX), WISN-TV/12 (ABC), and WDJT/58 (CBS) will be offered. (5/4/2K)

MINNESOTA:
WCMP-FM/100.9 (Pine City) is at reduced power of about 3kW due to transmitter problems. (5/4/2K)

MINNESOTA:
The Point 107.7 (KUSZ Proctor-Duluth) has an opening for afternoon drive, since Steve Elliot is no longer with the station. The job could also include Music Director responsibilities. Send your package to Tom Bishop, 14 East Central Entrance, Duluth, MN 55811, or call 218-279-0022. (5/3/2K)

WISCONSIN:
Rego, Ltd. has purchased WGEZ/1490 (Beloit). The FCC has already approved the sale. (5/3/2K)

MINNESOTA:
WCCO isn't the only Twin Cities TV station that has changed its imaging. Twin Cities Public Television stations KTCA/2 and KTCI/17 are now referred to as "TPT," with new logos for and . The new name is being used because the organization, which previously had two program streams, will offer up to 10 streams in the future using new digital technology. They already have the capability to broadcast multiple streams using KTCI-DT/16. In addition, TPT2 has begun 24 hour broadcasting, and TPT17 has added a block of children's educational programming from 5 to 7 p.m. The new imaging went into effect today. (5/1/2K)

MINNESOTA:
After a weekend of stunting, KZIO/104.3 (Two Harbors-Duluth) unveiled its new format at 6 a.m. today (5/1). The format is Light Adult Contemporary, positioned as "Light Rock, Classic Hits." At sign-on, KZIO promised "the biggest promotion Twin Ports radio has ever seen" and two months without commercials. It's the third format for 104.3 since it signed on in 1995, but the first to be locally originated. KZIO's previous format, Nostalgia and Easy Listening from ABC's Stardust network, has been moved to KQDS/1490. The weekend stunting included two kids songs in rotation on Saturday and REM's "The End of the World as We Know It" on Sunday. The first song on the station was "New Kid in Town" by The Eagles, and the first announcer was Kyle Underwood. KZIO's new format includes the ABC newscast that ran during the old format. It's the fifth station in the Duluth area broadcasting the AC genre. You can hear KZIO's new format debut in RealAudio by clicking here. (5/1/2K)

WISCONSIN:
Wisconsin Public Radio station KUWS/91.3 (Superior) is back up to full power of 83kW after 13 months at low power, which occured after KUWS' last transmitter was soaked with water when KBJR's transmitter building's roof gave way last April. (Check the archive for more information). (5/1/2K)