MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
Though Clear Channel's WEBC/560 (Duluth) has joined the FAN Network as planned, it is continuing to carry Rush Limbaugh live from 11-2. (The show is distributed by Clear Channel subsidiary Premiere.) The company may be keeping Rush on WEBC until another Duluth affiliate can be found, trying to avoid what happened when KVOX/1280 (Moorhead-Fargo) joined FAN and dropped Rush: no one else picked him up, and he ended up back on KVOX. Meanwhile, WEBC is airing When Radio Was in the evenings until other programming is found, and ABC/Information Network news continues to run on the hour. And, former WEBC host Lew Latto has reached an agreement for his show to air on Midwest Communications' WDSM/710 (Superior-Duluth), from 9-11 a.m. in the near future. (7/29/2003)
WISCONSIN/MINNESOTA:
WMIN/740 (Hudson-St. Paul) has applied to move back to its old transmitter site, which is just east of Hudson. WMIN moved to its current site in Woodbury in the 1990's, operating with 850W directional, daytime only. WMIN would use 1.1kW from the Hudson site (here's the coverage map), which is further from the core of the metro area, and is the same site currently used by WDGY/630. The station is owned by Borgen Broadcasting and carries the Starboard Network under a local marketing agreement. (7/26/2003)
MINNESOTA:
KOWZ/1170 (Waseca) has applied to increase its daytime power from 1kW to 2.5kW nondirectional. The station would drop to 1kW during critical hours (two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset), and would still use 60W nondirectional at night. A coverage map of the proposed daytime facility can be found on page 6 of this document. (7/26/2003)
WISCONSIN:
Wisconsin Broadcasting reports that WHIT/93.1 (DeForest-Madison) debuted its format at 9 a.m. today: Classic Hits as "93-1 The Lake." The new 6kW station is added to Mid-West Management's group of six stations. WHIT's Classic Hits format and the Hard Rock format of Mid-West's WJJO/94.1 compete with the Classic Rock format of Clear Channel's WIBA-FM/101.5. (7/25/2003)
WISCONSIN:
Zoe Communications' new WPLT/106.3 (Spooner) has signed on, carrying a Country format as "King Country 106.3." The station debuted at 3:30 p.m. Thursday (7/24) with 5,000 songs commercial free. WPLT operates with 6kW at 100m (class A), reaching Washburn County and parts of Barron, Burnett, and Sawyer counties. Zoe owns two other stations in the area, WCSW/940 and WGMO/95.3 (Shell Lake). (7/25/2003)
MINNESOTA:
Clear Channel announced today that WEBC/560 (Duluth) will drop its longtime News/Talk format to join the FAN Network. The change will happen at 6 a.m. Monday, July 28. Clear Channel recently took over WEBC and three Duluth FM's in a swap with Regent Broadcasting. The FAN Network will air on WEBC from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, but what will air at other times has not been announced. As part of the change, Dave Kuharski and two part-timers will lose their jobs. Dave Walter will continue as WEBC program director. The change displaces Rush Limbaugh, Joe Soucheray, and local host Lew Latto, who has been assuring listeners that he will be somewhere on the dial Monday morning. Midwest Communications, which owns three AM's in the market, is expected to pick up some of the displaced programming, but no announcements have been made. (7/24/2003)
IOWA:
The Iowa Department of Transportation has received another low-power FM construction permit, for 93.5 in Ottumwa. The DOT has received 16 CP's so far for its planned network to broadcast information for travelers. (7/22/2003)
NORTH DAKOTA/MINNESOTA:
A low-power station in Grand Forks is apparently no longer part of the plan for CBS affiliate KXJB/4. KXJC-LP/35, which had relayed KXJB, left the air a few weeks ago, and the FCC has deleted the station's license at the owner's request. KXJC-LP had operated with 9.5kW and had a construction permit to upgrade to 60kW. The move comes several months after an agreement for KVLY/11 (NBC) to manage KXJB was announced. (7/22/2003)
WISCONSIN:
Wisconsin Broadcasting reports that WECB/104.3 (Seymour-Green Bay-Appleton) has dropped `70s Hits for an Adult Contemporary format as "The Breeze." The `70s format ended Wednesday (7/16), and the new format debuted Friday after a few days of stunting. The change follows the station's sale from Brooker Broadcasting to Woodward Communications. (7/21/2003)
WISCONSIN:
The new low-power station in Cashton, WCWR-LP/101.3, is now on the air. It was heard over the weekend broadcasting western music with ID's recorded by local kids. The station is owned by the Cashton Community Wellness Group. The studios are located above the office of a Chiropractor who is a director of the station. (7/21/2003)
WISCONSIN:
Broadcast owner William Walker died over the weekend at age 79 of an apparent heart attack. He co-founded the company that became Mid-West Management in 1959, and still served on the company's board of directors. Walker's current holdings include 38% of Mid-West Management in Madison, 19% of Family Radio in La Crosse, and 7% of TKC, Inc. in Rice Lake. (7/16/2003)
NORTH DAKOTA:
The FCC has granted a low-power FM (100W) station for 102.3 in Jamestown to the Seventh-Day Adventists. (7/16/2003)
WISCONSIN:
Wisconsin's top two radio networks are becoming one. Learfield Communications is buying the Goetz Radio Networks from NewRadioGroup. Learfield offers news, sports, and farm reports through the Wisconsin Radio Network and the Brownfield Network, and also holds the rights to UW athletics. Goetz' services include news, sports, and farm reports, wire services, the state high school playoffs, and talk programs. (7/15/2003)
REGIONAL:
Third-adjacent LPFM's are still out of the question for now, but the FCC is considering thousands of applications for new translators on third- and second-adjacent channels, filed during a short window in March. More than 1,000 applications were filed in the states covered by this site. Many regional broadcasters which already known for their translators are among the applicants, but two applicants -- Edgewater Broadcasting and Radio Assist Ministry -- account for more than half of the applications filed. The two organizations are both based in Twin Falls, Idaho, which is the home of KAWZ/Calvary Satellite Network, and did not file any competing applications. For a complete list of the applications, click here. Here are some regional highlights:
IOWA:
MINNESOTA:
NEBRASKA:
NORTH DAKOTA:
SOUTH DAKOTA:
WISCONSIN:
WISCONSIN:
Radio/DX Information from Wisconsin and Wisconsin Broadcasting report that Mid-West Management's new WHIT/93.1 (De Forest-Madison) began stunting on Saturday as "TV93," playing TV theme songs and classic commercials, complete with ID's from one of those "don't wait, call now!" announcers and "jingles." Wisconsin Broadcasting has posted audio samples. (7/13/2003)
MINNESOTA:
The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that Minnesota Public Radio plans to have KBPN/88.3 (Brainerd) on the air by the end of the week. The station will use 5kW at 204m (class C3), and will carry MPR's News/Talk network. KBPR/90.7 (Brainerd) already carries MPR's Classical network. (7/13/2003)
MINNESOTA/NATIONWIDE:
The third-adjacent test results are in, and they are be good news for low-power FM proponents. Third-adjacent frequencies are those three channels (.6 MHz) from a local station. After objections from broadcasting groups, Congress ordered the FCC to study interference that LPFM stations could potentially cause to third-adjacent stations. The studies were conducted by Comrex at six sites around the country, including two at East Bethel and Owatonna, Minnesota. The findings: "...no significant LPFM-related degradation of a nontranslator receiver was ever identified more than 333 meters from the test LPFM transmitter...." The recommendation: "...existing third-adjacent channel distance restrictions should be waived to allow LPFM operation..." If the FCC eventually decides to grant LPFM's on third-adjacent channels, hundreds of applications that have been set aside could be granted. Most of the third-adjacent LPFM applications are in areas with a crowded dial, such as the Twin Cities. You can read the Field Measurement Data report by clicking here. Third-adjacent information begins on page 156. (7/11/2003)
WISCONSIN:
WRVM's new translator in Rhinelander, W210BP/89.9, has signed on. The old translator, W267AF/101.7, is still on the air. New WRVM translators in Marshfield, Medford, Mercer, and Merrill are also expected to sign on this month. (7/9/2003)
SOUTH DAKOTA:
The FCC has granted G.I.G., Inc., a construction permit for a 150kW low-power station on channel 52 in Mount Vernon, K52IP. The new station would serve the Mitchell area. G.I.G. did not specify a station to be rebroadcast on its application, but it does own UPN/3ABN station KCPO-LP/26 (Sioux Falls). (7/8/2003)
NEBRASKA/IOWA:
KETV/7 is operating from an auxiliary transmitter site after its main tower collapsed Friday night. There were no deaths or injuries and the cause is unknown. The Omaha World-Herald reports that the KVNO/90.7, which also used the tower, remained off the air Saturday. (7/6/2003)
MINNESOTA:
KAAL reports that KSMQ/15 (Austin) is looking for a new owner. It has become increasingly difficult for Austin Public Schools to fund the station, which will need to come up with $500,000 to replace the transmitter damaged by water last week. KSMQ is licensed as a non-commercial station, and is one of two PBS stations in the market -- the other being Iowa Public TV's KYIN/24 across the border. (7/5/2003)
NEBRASKA:
Lincoln Broadcasting has received a construction permit for a full-power station on channel 51 in Lincoln. The CP calls for 5000kW from southwest of Seward, which would give the new station a coverage area similar to KLKN/8 and KOLN/10. (7/3/2003)
MINNESOTA:
The FCC has granted Hinckley Adventist Broadcasting Corporation a construction permit for a low-power (100W) station on 96.3 in Hinckley. (7/3/2003)
MINNESOTA:
A new radio station is signing on in Alexandria. KMSR/94.3 (Sauk Centre) has upgraded to class C3 (25kW) and moved to a tower near Alexandria. The station has changed calls to KULO and is on the air, but isn't expected to begin regular programming until next week. As part of the upgrade, 94.3 is changing community of license from Sauk Centre to Alexandria, while KIKV/100.7 will change its license from Alexandria to Sauk Centre. Both stations are owned by Lou Buron. (7/2/2003)
MINNESOTA:
PBS station KSMQ/15 (Austin) has been off the air since last Wednesday (6/25), when leaking water damaged the stations' transmitter beyond repair. The station expects to return at low-power next week. (7/2/2003)
WISCONSIN:
Several of his former co-workers want it to be known that Zack Harris was the "part-timer" laid off from Eau Claire's Maverick Media last month, along with six others. Harris had worked at the group for about a decade and put in a full-time workweek. (7/2/2003)
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