June 2006

NEBRASKA:
KYDZ/1180 (Bellevue-Omaha) is now carrying a spanish-language format as "La Bonita." The NRG Media station had left the air for what was thought to be forever in February. The station had legally "moved" to a new spot in the expanded portion of the AM band (KOZN/1620) and the FCC's original plan was to have the old licenses expire five years after the new expanded band stations signed on. However, a number of stations, including KYDZ, have received temporary extensions to remain on the air with special-interest formats. (6/29/2006)

IOWA:
The callsigns are sorted out in Des Moines: 100.3 "The Bus" is now officially KDRB, and Ankeny-licensed "Capital 106.3" is KPTL. A mixup had put the KPTL callsign on 100.3 for nine days, while KDRB remained parked at 106.3 even after the "Bus" moved to 100.3. (6/28/2006)

NEBRASKA:
KOWH/51 (Lincoln) officially signed on June 26 carrying the WB 100+ network. KOWH will be a CW affiliate (carrying the 24/7 CW Plus network) this fall, and will also be seen on cable and satellite systems. The station is owned by a subsidiary of the Omaha World-Herald Company, but is operated by Pappas Telecasting, which also operates ABC, FOX, and Azteca America affiliates in the Lincoln-Kearney-Hastings-Grand Island market. For now, KOWH is only operating with 54.1kW from a tower in Lincoln, but an upgrade to 5,000kW is possible in the future. (6/27/2006)

NEBRASKA:
Journal Broadcasting has agreed to sell "Radio Lobo" (KBBX/97.7 Nebraska City-Omaha) to Connoisseur Media for $7.5 million. Journal retains six other stations in the Omaha market; the divestiture was needed following Journal's purchase of CBS affiliate KMTV/3. Connoisseur also holds the construction permit for a new station on 107.7 licensed to Pacific Junction, IA, which will serve the Omaha market. Here's the asset purchase agreement. (6/27/2006)

NEBRASKA:
The FCC has dismissed Cumulus Media's plan to move a construction permit for a new station from Humboldt, NE, into the Topeka, KS, market. An engineering review found that the proposal is technically defective since the proposed Valley Falls, KS, class C2 facility on 96.9 would not be mutually exclusive with the Humboldt allotment, which is for class A (6kW/100m) on 96.7. Here's more. (6/27/2006)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
The FCC has ordered James Gordon Stewart to stop operating an unlicensed station on 105.3 in Black Hawk. An agent tracked the signal to Stewart's house on May 17. Read more here. (6/27/2006)

WISCONSIN:
WAUK/1510 (Waukesha-Milwaukee) has received a construction permit to upgrade its daytime power from 10kW to 23kW. However, the station will remain daytime-only and will have to use 20kW in the hours after sunrise and before sunset. Here are the maps. (6/23/2006)

MINNESOTA:
The FCC has granted Northwestern College's KTIS/900 (Minneapolis) a construction permit to upgrade to 50kW day and 500W night, up from the current 25kW day and 300W night. Coverage maps show the upgrade will improve KTIS' signal in the Lake Minnetonka area, but will not otherwise result in a large increase in coverage area. (6/22/2006)

WISCONSIN:
WMWK/88.1 (Milwaukee) has upgraded from 170W to 1.1kW, dropping its antenna height slightly from 291m to 276m. The change strengthens the Family Radio stations' signal to the outer Milwaukee metro area and adds Kenosha to its fringe coverage area. (6/22/2006)

WISCONSIN:
Wisconsin Public Radio will cut back classical music programming on its NPR News and Classical Music network by two hours beginning July 3 to make way for more news programming. Morning Edition will be extended to 9 a.m. and All Things Considered will begin an hour earlier at 3 p.m. Fresh Air moves from 3 to 6 p.m., and Marketplace is added at 5:30 p.m. Meanwhile, WPR's Ideas Network will make changes on July 8, with Jean Feraca's Here on Earth moving from weekends to 3-4 p.m. weekdays and As It Happens adding an 8 p.m. airing. On weekends, the Ideas Network will add Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me and Kevin McKinley On Your Money, while The Splendid Table and Harry Shearer's Le Show are dropped. More details are here. (6/20/2006)

IOWA:
After several weeks of simulcasting with KMXD/100.3 (Des Moines), Clear Channel's KDRB/106.3 (Ankeny-Des Moines) has debuted an Adult Alternative format as "Capital 106.3." 106.3's former format, Variety Hits "The Bus," moved to 100.3's more powerful signal, replacing the latest incarnation of a long-running series of Adult Contemporary formats on the frequency. All Access reports 106.3 will change to KPTL, a callsign reserved by a Clear Channel subsidary on May 3, according to FCC records. However, the FCC database indicates KPTL became 100.3's official callsign on Saturday (6/17), while 106.3 remains KDRB. (6/19/2006)

MICHIGAN:
The company running WUPY/101.1 (Ontonagon) under a local marketing agreement has agreed to buy WMPL/920 and WKMJ/93.5 (Hancock-Houghton). Bay Broadcasting, co-owned by Jerry Hackman and John Nix, will pay Victor Broadcasting $775,000 for the stations. (6/19/2006)

MICHIGAN/WISCONSIN:
Armada Broadcasting is now up to three markets, with a new deal to buy stations in the Ironwood, MI, and Marinette, WI-Menominee, MI markets from David Winters and his son Melvin Winters for $8.5 million. The deal includes WJMS/590 (Ironwood), WIMI/99.7 (Ironwood), WMAM/570 (Marinette), WAGN/1340 (Menominee), WLST/95.1 (Marinette), WSFQ/96.3 (Peshtigo, WI), and WHYB/103.7 (Menominee). Armada is also in the process of buying a group of six stations in the Aberdeen, SD, market. (6/19/2006)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
The FCC has fined KWYR/1260 (Winner) $4,000 for operating above its authorized nighttime power of 146W over the course of several months last year. KWYR has thirty days to pay the fine or appeal. Read the entire notice here. (6/19/2006)

IOWA:
The FCC has renewed the license of Des Moines Public Schools' KDPS/88.1, but fined the station $7,000 for failing to file a timely license renewal application. KDPS' license expired on February 1, 2005, but stayed on the air for five months before filing for renewal and special temporary authorization to remain on the air. Read the full order here. (6/8/2006)

WISCONSIN:
The FCC has granted WISS/1090 (Berlin) a construction permit to move to 1100 and upgrade from 500W to 1kW nondirectional, but remain daytime-only. (6/8/2006)

MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
Alan and Linda Quarnstrom are selling 9 of their 14 stations to Red Rock Radio for $7.5 million. Included in the deal are KKIN/930 and KKIN-FM/94.3 (Aitkin, MN), KFGI/101.5 (Crosby, MN), KGHS/1230 and KSDM/104.1 (International Falls, MN), WHSM/910 and WHSM-FM/101.1 (Hayward, WI), WLMX/104.9 (Balsam Lake, WI), and WXCX/105.7 (Siren, WI). Quarnstrom retains stations in Cloquet, Moose Lake, and Pine City. Red Rock owns four radio stations in the Duluth market, as well as stations in Grand Marais, Babbitt, and Deer River, which are used as full-power satellites. Red Rock Radio is owned 85% by Curtis Squire, Inc., and 15% by Ro Grignon, who also own TV stations in the Duluth, Fargo, and Sioux Falls markets. (6/7/2006)

WISCONSIN:
WSPT-FM/97.9 (Stevens Point) has applied for a booster station in Wausau. WSPT-1 would transmit with 125 Watts and could improve the station's signal in parts of Wausau, but could also cause a "wall of interference" in other parts of the city. Booster stations are on-frequency repeaters within a station's main coverage area. (6/7/2006)

RECENT NEW FM CONSTRUCTION PERMITS: