June 2000

MINNESOTA:
KSMM/1530 (Shakopee) continues its series of special programming in light of possible format changes in the not-to-distant future. Programs this weekend include: Guest DJ's from local band Moneypenny, Friday 6-9p; Peter Jesperson's "Shakin' Street," Saturday 2-4p; and Ron "Boogiemonster" Gerber with "Crap From The Past," Saturday 4-9p. (6/30/2K)

MINNESOTA:
A construction permit has been issued for KAWB-DT/28 (Brainerd). (6/29/2K)

IOWA:
Brooke Bouma is joining WHO-TV/13 (Des Moines) as a general assignment reporter and fill-in anchor. She moves from the CBS affiliate in Topeka and is a graduate of Central College in Pella. (6/28/2K)

IOWA:
KGBI (Omaha) translator K269EF/101.7 (Sioux City) has had its license cancelled at the request of its owner. (6/28/2K)

MINNESOTA:
The St. Cloud Broadcast Group is selling three stations to Regent Broadcasting for $5 million cash. Magic 1390 (KXSS), Star 96.7 (KKSR), and Z103 (KLZZ) will join Regent's WJON/1240, Mix 94.9 (KMXK), and 98 Country (WWJO). Regent will take over the stations through a time brokerage agreement on July 1. Meanwhile, St. Cloud Broadcast Group retains KASM/1150 and The Edge (KDDG/105.5) in Albany, and is hiring video producers, editors, and personalities to return St. Cloud LPTV station WCMN-LP/13 to the air. (6/22/2K)

MINNESOTA:
KXBR/91.9 (International Falls) signed on last Friday, June 16, with a Christian Rock/Alternative format called "The Edge." KXBR is owned by Heartland Christian Broadcasters, which also owns KBHW/99.5 in International Falls. (6/22/2K)

IOWA/NEBRASKA:
There could be another FM station in the Omaha market in a few years. The FCC has alloted 107.7 as a class A (6kW) station to Pacific Junction, Iowa, at the request of Warga Broadcasting. Pacific Junction is an incorporated city of 548 that's 32km south of downtown Omaha, and the allocation has a site restrction four miles north of town. That pretty much guarantees that a station using the allocation would cover the southern half of Omaha with its primary coverage area, and would certainly be listenable throughout the city. The FCC must open a window of filing before applications can be made for the allocation. Mitchell Broadcasting had filed a counterproposal that the same allocation be made, except for a class C3 (25kW) station, but the FCC denied the counterproposal. Click here to see the report. (6/22/2K)

MINNESOTA:
The FCC has approved MPR's other application for a new station in Grand Marais, this one on 88.7 (see earlier item). (6/22/2K)

NATIONAL:
Despite lobbying efforts to stop low-power FM from happening, the process is underway. The first batch of applications have been filed by the FCC. 769 applications for LPFM stations have been filed so far in ten states and the District of Columbia, with 309 applications in California alone. No states in the Upper Midwest are included in the first filing period, but Michigan and Minnesota will be included in the second filing period, which will be at the end of August. To see the applications made so far, click here and scroll down a few pages. (6/22/2K)

WISCONSIN:
Star 97.7 (WAQE-FM Barron) has switched to a new liner voice. (6/22/2K)

MINNESOTA:
KDWB/101.3 began using a new set of jingles last week. They sound a little like jingles KDWB ran in the `80s, and a little heritage couldn't hurt KDWB in the battle with upstart B96. (6/20/2K)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
The Freedom Baptist Church's KJBB/89.1 (Watertown) is on the air with an unknown format. (6/20/2K)

IOWA/NEBRASKA:
Scott Richardson is moving from WOI-TV/5 (Ames), where he was Assistant Manager, to KLKN/8 (Lincoln) to be Assistant News Director. (6/20/2K)

IOWA:
North Central Christian Broadcasting has been granted a new translator for its WNCB, K201GQ/88.1 (Estherville). (6/20/2K)

IOWA:
KOPE-LP/43 (Des Moines) will change or has changed to KRPG-LP. (6/20/2K)

MICHIGAN:
WDHS/8 (Iron Mountain), which has been on and off the air over the years and is currently off the air, has received a construction permit for its digital station on channel 22. (6/20/2K)

NORTH DAKOTA:
The FCC has granted a new translator in St. Anthony, K211EG/90.1, to the Pensacola Christian College, which operates WPCS Pensacola, FL. (6/19/2K)

MINNESOTA:
Jeff Spicoli is the new afternoon guy at The Point 107.7 (KUSZ Proctor-Duluth). He last worked as Joe Tanner at KG95 (KGLI) in Sioux City. In other Point news, Billy Reisen has been elevated to Assistant Program Director, and Pascha Sharp continues to broadcast from home following the birth of her baby Eden. (6/15/2K)

MINNESOTA:
Minnesota Public Radio's application for a new station on 89.7 in Grand Marais has been approved. 89.7 would be 6kW at 187m, and MPR has also applied for a station with the same facilities on 88.7. Cook County, which had no radio stations just a few years ago, would have four if MPR gets both stations on the air. (6/15/2K)

NEBRASKA:
KWNB (Hayes Center) has been granted a construction permit for its digital facility on channel 18. (6/15/2K)

NORTH DAKOTA/SOUTH DAKOTA:
Clear Channel is buying Roberts Radio for $65.9 million. Roberts Radio owns 29 stations in eight markets, including KLTC/KCAD/KZRX (Dickinson, ND), KRRZ/KIZZ/KZPR (Minot, ND), and KSDN/KKAA/KQAA/KSDN-FM/KBFO (Aberdeen, SD). (6/13/2K)

NORTH DAKOTA:
The construction permit for 104.7 Hope has been given the call letters KCHY. (6/13/2K)

MINNESOTA:
Doug Holtz is leaving the afternoon shift at Cool Country 100.9 (WCMP-FM Pine City) this week to pursue opportunities in another field. (6/13/2K)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
Calvary Satellite Network translator K220HX/91.9 (Franklin) is on the air. (6/13/2K)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
Jimmy Swaggart/Sonlife Network translators K211EC/90.1 (Watertown) and K216EY/91.1 (Yankton) are on the air. (6/13/2K)

NEBRASKA:
Waitt Radio is purchasing KISP/106.3 (Blair) from Sunrise Broadcasting. (6/12/2K)

NORTH DAKOTA:
KDIX/1230 (Dickinson) is being transferred from Darmar LLC to Stardakk, Inc. (6/12/2K)

MINNESOTA:
KMSP-DT/26 (Minneapolis) is on the air. For now, programming consists of a converted signal from KMSP's analog facility on channel 9. (6/10/2K)

MINNESOTA:
Hubbard Broadcasting is now operating KVBM/45 (Minneapolis) and will make some schedule changes next Monday (June 19), but a major schedule overhaul won't come until fall. For now, Christian programming and the Shop at Home network will remain intact, with more paid programming during the daytime hours in place of Shop at Home. Hubbard, of course, also owns KSTP-TV and is starting the first commercial TV duopoly in the state with the KVBM purchase. (6/9/2K)

WISCONSIN:
Cumulus Media has appointed a new President and CEO and is leaving Milwaukee. Lewis W. Dickey, Jr., formerly Executive Vice Chairman, is now the top executive. The company will consolidate its headquarters and finance operations in Atlanta by October 1. (6/8/2K)

WISCONSIN:
Construction permits have been issued for WMTV-DT/19 (Madison) and WMMF-DT/44 (Fond du Lac). (6/8/2K)

MINNESOTA:
Broadcasting for the Challenged has filed on top of the Board of Regents of the U of M's application for a new station on 106.5 in St. Louis Park. The U of M station would share time with St. Louis Park High's KDXL/106.5, which currently occupies the frequency. The U and KDXL have been working together on the plan. (6/8/2K)

WISCONSIN:
Yamilet Virgin joins WDJT/58 (Milwaukee) as a bilingual anchor/reporter. She last worked at the Telemundo affiliate in San Antonio, where she was anchor/reporter/producer. (6/6/2K)

MINNESOTA:
Word is that KQRS hasn't renewed longtime morning sidekick Tony Lee's contract. (6/6/2K)

MINNESOTA:
More word on the street has KS95 hiring George McFly to replace longtime afternoon host Pat McKeever. (6/6/2K)

NEBRASKA:
New 50kW station KUSO/92.7 (Albion) is on the air with an unknown format. (6/6/2K)

MINNESOTA:
KMSP has been granted the construction permit for it's digital facility on channel 26. (6/5/2K)

WISCONSIN:
Tea-Visz, Inc., has been granted translator W272AY/102.3 (Park Falls) after a three year wait. The translator will rebroadcast WJJH/96.7 (Ashland). Roger Utnehmer had objected to the translator. Meanwhile, WCQM/98.3 (Park Falls) has been granted a fill-in translator in Phillips, W275AI/102.9. (6/2/2K)

MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
Dish Network has reached a retransmission agreement with Clear Channel, the owners of FOX29 (WFTC Minneapolis), and WFTC has been returned to Dish Network's lineup. (6/2/2K)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
KOSZ/1570 (Vermillion) has flipped to KVTK - "The Ticket", dropping Oldies for Sports. Programming includes ESPN Radio, the Chicago Cubs, and the Sioux Falls Canaries. They'll also broadcast the Vikings and Timberwolves. (6/1/2K)

MINNESOTA:
Paul Isaac is leaving the midday slot WNCB/89.3 (Duluth) to focus on other full-time commitments in the Twin Ports. Regular overnighter Al Gilbertson will cover middays through the summer until a replacement is found. In other WNCB news, they've been granted another translator: K212FH/90.3 in Balaton, which is south of Marshall. (6/1/2K)

NEBRASKA/NORTH DAKOTA:
Jimmy Swaggart's Family Worship Center Church has been granted another slew of translators: K218DG/91.5 (Alma, NE), K217DV/91.3 (Broken Bow, NE), K212FI/90.3 (Fairbury, NE), K207DI/89.3 (Kimball, NE), K201GM/88.1 (O'Neill, NE), K215DQ/90.9 (Valentine, NE), K201GJ/88.1 (Beach, ND), K210DB/89.9 (Harvey, ND), and K205DY/88.9 (Langdon, ND). (6/1/2K)

MINNESOTA:
96.3 Glencoe-Minneapolis has launched its new format and identity: a Rhythmic CHR/Urban format called "B96 Jams" and "The Beat." The station will apparently be jockless for several months and is having long periods of dead air in the early hours of the format. (6/1/2K)

NORTH DAKOTA:
Morton County Radio has proposed allotting 106.7 to Almont as a class A (6kW) station. The FCC has set a deadline of July 17, 2000, for comments on the proposal, and August 1, 2000, for replies to comments. Almont is about 55km west of Bismarck. (6/1/2K)

NEBRASKA:
The FCC has denied a request from Gary Cocola, owner of KXVO/WB15 (Omaha), to lower or rescind the fine the FCC issued to KXVO for violating rules regulating the amount of commercial matter that may be aired during children's programming. The FCC contends that since KXVO aired a commercial featuring Warner Brothers characters during a show featuring those same characters, the show is considered a program-length commercial and in violation of the children's programming rules. Cocola argued that the three violations were a mistake on The WB's part, not KXVO. The FCC responded that licensees are ultimately responsible for what goes over the air. (6/1/2K)