July 2006

NEW TRANSLATOR NETWORK:
Horizon Christian Fellowship is picking up construction permits for new translators in dozens of towns across the region, which could be used to rebroadcast the stations it's building to relay programming from KSRD/91.9 (St. Joseph, MO). Horizon won the new full-power stations in FCC Auction No. 37. It's buying most of the translator CP's from Radio Assist Ministry, which received construction permits for multiple translators in many communities, for $6,356 each. The translators going to Horizon are: IOWA: K247AR Algona, K292FH Audubon, K259AT Boone, K239AF Burlington, K295AS Clinton, K250AH Decorah, K243AQ Dubuque, K238AI Dyersville, K269ER Eagle Grove, K295AK Estherville, K272DY Harlan, K268AX Iowa Falls, K279AN Marshalltown, K268BA Mason City, K271AI Northwood, K258BG Oskaloosa, K246AL Ottumwa, K242AW Pella, K258AX Postville, K253AO/K254BG Spencer, K245AE Williamsburg. MINNESOTA: K223AR Albert Lea, K258AY Fairmont, K290AU Mankato, K270AN/K216FZ Redwood Falls. NEBRASKA: K295AO Crete, K298AG Norfolk, K256BE Seward, K260AZ Yankton. SOUTH DAKOTA: K253AL Milbank. WISCONSIN: W268AU Appleton, W268AI/W214BS Black River Falls, W274AP/W220DR Neillsville, W266BA Nekoosa, W269BH Sparta. (7/22/2006)

NEW DIGITAL SUBCHANNELS:
KCCI WeatherNow has launched on KCCI-DT2 (Des Moines). The CBS affiliate is mixing its own forecasts with content from AccuWeather in the familiar L-bar format. The channel is also on Mediacom digital cable and streams online. Meanwhile, Sinclair stations KDSM-DT2 (Des Moines), WUCW-DT2 (Minneapolis), WMSN-DT2 (Madison), and WCGV-DT2 (Milwaukee) have recently begun carrying "The Tube" music network. (7/21/2006)

NORTH DAKOTA/SOUTH DAKOTA:
Dallas-based Hoak Media is buying stations in three markets from North Dakota Television and South Dakota Television. The sale includes Sioux Falls ABC affiliate KSFY/13 and satellites KABY/9 (Aberdeen) and KPRY/4 (Pierre); Bismarck NBC affiliate KFYR-TV/5 and satellites KMOT/10 (Minot), KQCD/7 (Dickinson), and KUMV/8 (Williston); and Fargo NBC affiliate KVLY-TV/11. KVLY will also continue to operate Fargo CBS affiliate KXJB/4 (Valley City), which Spirit Television is selling to Parker Broadcasting. No purchase prices were immediately disclosed. Kalil & Co. acted as the broker for the sales. Hoak also operates NBC affiliates in Hastings and North Platte, NE, and the FOX affiliate in North Platte, as well as four network affiliates in Colorado and Texas. (7/19/2006)

NEBRASKA/SOUTH DAKOTA:
Dave Daugherty, veteran of numerous stations and creator of NebraskaRadio.com, died Thursday (7/13) at his home in Lincoln at the age of 40. Daugherty, known as Dave Matthews on the air, worked at stations in Sioux Falls, McCook, Kearney, and Lincoln. Services will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home. (7/17/2006)

MINNESOTA/IOWA:
KMWB/23 (Minneapolis) is now WUCW, and KGWB/26 (Burlington-Davenport) is now KGCW, matching the stations' new affiliation with the CW network, which launches in September. (7/16/2006)

WISCONSIN (UPDATED):
NRG Media stations WYTE/96.7 (Whiting-Stevens Point-Wausau) and WLJY/106.5 (Marshfield-Stevens Point-Wausau) plan to swap frequencies on August 1. WYTE's Country format will move to 106.5, while WLJY's Adult Contemporary format will move to 96.7. Both stations transmit from the same area midway between Stevens Point, Marshfield, and Wausau, but 106.5's 100kW signal has slightly better coverage than 96.7's 50kW. (7/15/2006, updated 7/17)

CANADA:
Bell Globemedia has offered to buy CHUM Limited for $1.7 billion, pending shareholder approval. Among numerous other holdings, Bell owns the CTV network, and CHUM owns the Citytv and A-Channel brands. In Manitoba, Bell owns the Winnipeg CTV affiliate, while CHUM owns three radio stations in Winnipeg, Citytv Winnipeg, and the CTV affiliate in Brandon. CHUM also announced Wednesday that it was cutting newscasts at stations across the country. CBC Manitoba reports 28 people lost their jobs as all newcasts were cut at Citytv Winnipeg. (7/13/2006)

IOWA:
Gazette Communications is selling "The Zone" KCRG/1600 (Cedar Rapids) to the owners of KZIA/102.9 (Cedar Rapids), the first ownership change for the station since it signed on in 1947. No purchase price was disclosed. Gazette Communications will retain ownership of The Gazette and ABC affiliate KCRG-TV9. AM1600 will get new call letters and co-locate its studio with KZIA once the sale is complete. "The Zone" carries a Sports format, including ESPN Radio, and "Z102.9" is Contemporary Hits. (7/11/2006)

WISCONSIN:
The La Crosse-Eau Claire market will get its first live 9 p.m. newscast on August 28. NBC affiliate WEAU/13 (Eau Claire) will produce the 30-minute newscast to air on FOX25 (WLAX La Crosse) and FOX48 (WEUX Chippewa Falls-Eau Claire). CBS affiliate WKBT/8 (La Crosse) also repeats its 6 p.m. newscast at 9 p.m. on its UPN digital subchannel. (7/10/2006)

RECENT NEW FM CONSTRUCTION PERMITS:

IOWA:
Catholic programming from Relevant Radio is now on the air in the Des Moines area on KGCW-LP/95.7 (Johnson). The station is owned by Mercy of Jesus Educational Radio and transmits with 32W at 52m from a site in Des Moines. (7/7/2006)

MINNESOTA:
Davidson Media's KLBB/1470 (Brooklyn Park-Minneapolis) will switch to Gospel as KZTG on July 17, carrying the Totally Gospel Radio Network, according to the Pioneer Press. It will be the only full-time Gospel music station in Minnesota. 1470 had continued to carry Soft Oldies since former simulcast partner KMNV/1400 (St. Paul) switched to Regional Mexican last November. The 5kW directional station has a strong signal across the northern suburbs but cannot be heard in the far southern part of the metro. (7/6/2006)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
The co-owner of a group of stations in Huron is buying KIMM/1150 (Rapid City) from Matthew Ward. Duane D. Butt's Gunslinger Radio will pay $50,000 for the station. Duane and his wife Barbara Butt own the four Huron-licensed stations, plus 25% of KJRV/93.3 (Wessington Springs) and two stations in Kansas. Triad Broadcasting had previously run KIMM through an agreement with Ward, but that agreement appears to have ended. (7/3/2006)