July 2012

WISCONSIN (UPDATED):
Northland College radio station WRNC-LP/97.7 (Ashland) is back on the air after a transmitter failure. Station manager Danielle Kaeding said it's believed a power surge during a lightning storm caused the failure. Kaeding said Wisconsin Public Radio and the Educational Communications Board loaned a transmitter until WRNC can find a permanent replacement. The 100-Watt station carries a variety of progressive talk, news, and music programming, which continues to stream online. Northland has a construction permit for a new 6kW station on 102.9 to replace 97.7, but the recent outage was not related to the CP. (7/31/2012, updated 8/5)

WISCONSIN:
Translator W259AO/99.7 (Port Washington), which relays the Contemporary Christian format of WORQ/90.1 (Green Bay), is temporarily off the air. Owner Lakeshore Communications tells the FCC the translator went silent on July 10 because the owner of the licensed transmitter site needs the space for its own equipment, and a new site has not been secured. (7/31/2012)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
The battle continues over the use of 96.7 in western South Dakota. To recap, Alex Media applied to move its future FM station licensed to Lead from 94.3 to 96.7 so it can cover Rapid City. The move would require KZMX-FM/96.7 (Hot Springs) to move to a different frequency, but KZMX-FM instead applied to remain on 96.7 and upgrade. Now, Alex Media has filed an informal objection to KZMX-FM's applcation, calling it "clearly defensive" and saying it was filed too late to be considered valid. It'll be up to the FCC to sort out the dispute. KZMX-FM is owned by Mt. Rushmore Broadcasting and was off the air at last report. Editorial note: Coverage of this story was made possible by the FCC's recent decision to accept and post informal objections online. (7/30/2012)

MINNESOTA:
Granite Broadcasting's "Northland's NewsCenter" in Duluth announced Friday that it has reached a deal with Charter Communications to resume carrying its CW and My Network TV subchannels, ending a four-month-long standoff. Charter runs cable systems in Duluth, Superior, northwestern Wisconsin, and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. "CW2" (KDLH-DT2 Duluth) and "My9" (KBJR-DT2 Superior) have been off Charter's Twin Ports system since March 12 and left other regional systems later in the spring. It's not clear whether the channels will return to the high-profile channel 2 and 9 positions where they had previously been seen in the Twin Ports; Charter has already moved HSN to channel 2 while 9 has been static. (7/27/2012)

WYOMING:
The FCC is proposing fines against Mt. Rushmore Broadcasting totalling $68,000, an unusually high amount for a small-market broadcaster, for alleged violations at four stations in Casper. The four Notices of Apparent Liability stem from an FCC inspection of the stations on Aug. 17, 2011. The stations went silent following the inspection and recent filings indicate two are still off the air. The NAL's reveal that three of the stations were allegedly using unlicensed studio-to-transmitter microwave links and the fourth station's STL was allegedly not at its licensed location. The proposed fines are double the base amount because the violations allegedly occurred continuously for more than a decade. The company has thirty days to appeal the NAL's. More information is in the NAL's for each individual station: KMLD, KQLT, KHOC, and KASS. Mt. Rushmore Broadcasting, which is owned by Jan Charles Gray, also owns AM-FM combos in Custer and Hot Springs, SD, which are off the air, according to recent FCC filings. This site normally doesn't cover news from Wyoming, but this item is included here because of the unusual nature of the situation and the fact that the owner has holdings in South Dakota. (7/26/2012)

SOUTH DAKOTA (UPDATED):
Midwest Communications is buying Backyard Broadcasting's group of seven radio stations in Sioux Falls for $13.35 million. The stations are Sports KWSN/1230, News/Talk KELO/1320, Adult Contemporary KELO-FM/92.5, Variety Hits KSQB-FM/95.7 (Dell Rapids), Country KTWB/101.9, Rock KRRO/103.7, and Oldies KXQL/107.9 (Flandreau). Midwest is based in Wausau and the Sioux Falls group will be the farthest-west of its holdings, which include 47 stations in a dozen markets in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois. There's more information in this press release. The sale comes as Sioux Falls' other major radio group transfers from Cumulus Media to Townsquare Media. (7/25/2012, updated with sale price 7/26)

NORTH DAKOTA:
The price for the previously-reported sale of 105.9 "Bob FM" (KKBO Flasher-Bismarck) is $700,000, according to documents filed with the FCC. Radio Bismarck Mandan is buying KKBO from Connoisseur Communications to move in with its existing "Mojo" (KXRV/107.5 Cannon Ball-Bismarck). (7/25/2012)

WISCONSIN:
WBWT-LP/38 (Milwaukee) will switch from Azteca America to MundoFOX when the new network launches next month. WBWT is among three stations Adelante Media Group is flipping to MundoFOX, News Corp.'s foray into spanish-language network broadcasting. No other Upper Midwest affiliates have been announced for the new network. WBWT signed on about five years ago and currently broadcasts only in analog but has a construction permit to flash-cut to digital. (7/25/2012)

NORTH DAKOTA:
"FOX Sports 1410" (KDKT Beulah) is temporarily at low power due to transmitter problems. It normally uses 1kW day and 189W night, but is currently using 189W day and night. The station tells the FCC it believes the problem should be fixed within 90 days. (7/25/2012)

IOWA:
KDMI/19 (Des Moines) recently signed on at its permanent home. The This TV/My Network TV station was originally on channel 56 but was forced to leave that channel in 2009 as part of the digital transition; its programming had temporarily been remapped to 19.1 from a subchannel on sister Pappas Telecasting station KCWI-TV/23 (Ames). KDMI uses 839kW/610 on channel 19, which was WHO-DT's home before that station converted channel 13 from analog to digital in 2009. (7/24/2012)

NEBRASKA:
Daystar station KOHA-LP/48 (Omaha) has converted from analog to digital, carrying the Christian network on channel 48.1. It's owned and operated by the network's parent, Word of God Fellowship. KOHA-LD uses 15kW, the maximum for UHF low-power TV stations. (7/24/2012)

ONTARIO:
Last week's story about the CBC shutting down almost all of its transmitters missed the fact that TV Ontario is doing much the same. The provincial non-commercial network plans to shut down 114 analog stations it never converted to digital by October 2013. Mid-power transmitters, including those in Kenora and Sault Ste. Marie, will be turned off at the end of July. TVO says the transmitters being silenced serve only about one percent of Ontario households. The network will have nine remaining digital transmitters, including one in Thunder Bay. (7/23/2012)

WISCONSIN:
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports Weigel Broadcasting plans to swap two of its channels to allow more people to see HD programming from Independent station WMLW. Weigel has two full-power digital, one low-power digital, and two low-power analog TV signals in Milwaukee carrying seven program streams. Currently, WMLW-CA broadcasts on analog LPTV channel 41 and programming is simuclast in standard definition on the full-power signal of WDJT/58.2. On August 7, WMLW programming will move to the full-power signal of WBME/49.1 in HD. Me-TV, now on 49.1, will move to 58.2, where it doesn't matter that it's only standard definition since Me-TV's classic 1950's to 1980's programming is not HD. Both stations are carried on cable and satellite. (7/23/2012)

MINNESOTA:
Red Rock Radio is buying WWWI/1270 (Baxter-Brainerd) and WWWI-FM/95.9 (Pillager-Brainerd) from Tower Broadcasting for $700,000. The deal includes a non-competition agreement, and Red Rock has been operating WWWI AM-FM since July 1 under a time brokerage agreement. The stations run News/Talk formats. Red Rock Radio owns 22 stations in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, including 101.5 "Sam FM" (KFGI Crosby-Brainerd) and the AM-FM combo in Aitkin. (7/19/2012)

MANITOBA/ONTARIO:
In a major change to the Canadian TV landscape, the government-owned CBC/Radio-Canada network plans to turn off almost all of its TV transmitters at the end of the month. The CRTC recently approved the plan to shut down 620 rebroadcasting transmitters, which serve small cities and rural areas. None were converted to digital and the CBC estimates only about two percent of Canadians are still watching the transmitters being shut off.

Only a few dozen network-owned TV transmitters will remain on the air, including CBWFT-DT/3.1 (Winnipeg) and CBWT-DT/6.1 (Winnipeg), plus a few private affiliates such as CKPR-DT/2.1 (Thunder Bay). The CBC said the shutdown was needed because of the network's financial problems and justified by the very high percentage of Canadians who already have cable or satellite. The move is expected to save about $10 million per year.

The shutdown means more than two dozen small Manitoba towns, including Churchill, will lose their only broadcast TV service. Only about 20 TV transmitters will remain on the air in the province. Northwestern Ontario will still have about 127 TV transmitters, 115 of them carrying the non-commercial TV Ontario network. About eight communities not served by TVO will lose their only broadcast service, including Atikokan, Dryden, and Marathon. Fort Frances viewers will only be able to receive U.S. signals.

A complete list of stations going off the air is available here. (7/17/2012)

MINNESOTA:
KLGR/1490 (Redwood Falls) will get an FM translator in a deal with Refuge Media. KLGR owner Three Eagles will pay the Christian broadcaster $10,000 for translator K240CU/95.9 (Redwood Falls), and the application says it will rebroadcast KLGR. The station carries an Information-based Country format. (7/17/2012)

NORTH DAKOTA:
Radio Bismarck Mandan is adding a second station with the purchase of 105.9 "Bob FM" (KKBO Flasher) from Connoisseur Media. The price was not disclosed in a press release but will likely be revealed in a future FCC filing. KKBO will join "Mojo 107.5" (KXRV Cannon Ball), which Radio Bismarck Mandan bought last year from World Radio Link. KKBO is Connoisseur's only station in the market. Radio Bismarck Mandan, which had sold its previous group of three stations to Clear Channel in 2004, is owned by Larry J. Schmidt, also known as Bob Denver. Denver noted in the press release that Radio Bismarck Mandan's new downtown facility has three studios, meaning there's still room for one more station. (7/17/2012)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
Church Planters of America, which recently sold all of its stations in South Dakota, is buying a different one. It'll pay Union Valley Baptist Church $16,500 for the construction permit for KTUT/89.5 (Frankfort). Church Planters of America will be the third group to hold the CP since it was first issued in 2008. The station faces a Sept. 12, 2012 deadline to begin broadcasting. The current CP calls for 100kW/146m (class C1) with possible rimshot coverage of Huron and Watertown. (7/17/2012)

MANITOBA/NORTH DAKOTA:
Canadian regulators have approved a move to FM for an AM station near the U.S. border. Golden West Broadcasting's CKMW/1570 (Morden) will move to 103.7 and use 100kW/51m (class C1) and will continue to carry a Country format. Once the new FM station signs on, the AM station will be allowed to simulcast the FM for up to three months and then leave the air permanently. AM-to-FM license conversions are unheard of in the U.S. but common in Canada, where ownership caps are lower and requirements for starting new stations are higher. CKMW's move to FM is exactly what the CRTC suggested four years ago when it denied Golden West's application for a new station on 103.7, which would have put the company over ownership caps for the area. Golden West had said the new station was needed to compete with Winnipeg and U.S. stations. Its other stations in the area are CFAM/950 (Altona) and CJEL-FM/93.5 (Winkler). (7/16/2012)

MINNESOTA:
Several more digital channels have come to the Selective TV low-power TV/translator system in Alexandria, bringing the total number of unencrypted DTV channels available in the small city to about 37, excluding duplicates and audio-only channels. New channels include Rural TV on 21.1 (with RFD-TV now on 21.2), Biz TV on 32.5, Tuff TV on 47.1, the Pentagon Channel on 48.1, and CBC on 50.1. (7/10/2012)

MINNESOTA:
The FCC has approved a move to the IDS Center for KNOF/95.3 (St. Paul). The station currently transmits from St. Paul with 6kW/76m and will move to IDS with 900W/258m, giving it a coverage area similar to Cumulus Media's WGVZ/105.7 (Eden Prairie). KNOF is owned by North Central University and carries a Christian "Praise FM" format in a simulcast with several western Minnesota stations. It previously had a construction permit to move its transmitter to Falcon Heights but recently applied for the IDS facility instead. (7/10/2012)

IOWA:
Iowa Public Television is celebrating a ratings victory. The network says according to Nielsen Media Research and TRAC Media Services, IPTV flagship KDIN/11 (Des Moines) was the most-watched public TV station in the country during the February ratings period. The station ranked first among public TV stations nationwide in diary whole-week cumes. IPTV does not buy ratings data for other markets due to budget constraints. (7/10/2012)

WISCONSIN:
WAOW/9 (Wausau) has doubled its power from 31.6kW to 63.2kW. The Quincy Newspapers station carries ABC on 9.1, CW+ on 9.2, and ThisTV on 9.3. Competing CBS/MNT affiliate WSAW/7 (Wausau) upgraded its signal to 72kW earlier this year; both stations broadcast on VHF High, which many stations report has been problematic for digital broadcasting. (7/9/2012)

NEBRASKA:
Misson Nebraska has turned off "My Bridge Radio" translator K260AF/99.9 (Kearney), telling the FCC it was no longer necessary after the sign-on of KHZY/99.3 (Overton). (7/9/2012)

NATIONAL:
In an important move towards increasing transparency, the FCC is making it easier for the public to file and view informal objections, petitions to deny, and other pleadings related to applications before the Commission. Up until now, there was no formal electronic method of accepting such filings. Staff members apparently printed the documents and placed them in filing cabinets. A member of the public could only see them by paying a private contractor to make a copy or electronic scan at a cost topping $50 even for short documents. Pleadings can now be made through the Consolidated DataBase System and will be viewable through the CDBS application search, where applications themselves have been viewable for more than a decade. (7/9/2012)

MINNESOTA:
KSTP-TV (St. Paul, RF 35) has added Live Well Network on channel 5.7. KSTP carries ABC on 5.1, while sister station KSTC-TV (Minneapolis, RF 45) provides Independent programming on 5.2, Me-TV on 5.3, Antenna TV on 5.4, and This TV on 5.6. (7/9/2012)

MINNESOTA:
Minnesota Public Radio tells the FCC its Grand Marais stations, Classical WMLS/88.7 and News WLSN/89.7, are operating at 50 percent of normal power due to antenna system failure. The stations have been at reduced power since at least June 30. (7/9/2012)

MANITOBA:
Red River College's CKIC-FM/92.9 (Winnipeg) left the air on July 4. The 250-Watt Adult Alternative/Indie "Kick FM" was operated by Cre-Comm Radio, which decided to end broadcasting. Cre-Comm Radio blames a change in CRTC regulations and financial challenges. A statement posted on the station's website says it in its nine years on the air, it was not able to acheive a goal of becoming a self-sustaining operation. The statement says that Red River College plans to continue training students in radio with an online stream but will return CKIC-FM's license to the CRTC. (7/9/2012)

MICHIGAN:
The FCC has deleted a vacant allotment for an FM station licensed to Crystal Falls, Michigan. The allotment had no bids during two auctions. It would've been for a class C2 (50kW/150m) station on 103.9. (7/9/2012)

MINNESOTA:
NBC affiliate KARE/11 (Minneapolis) announced Thursday that longtime sports director Randy Shaver will take over as co-anchor of the 5, 6, and 10 p.m. newscasts beginning July 16. Shaver replaces Mike Pomeranz, who left the station in March to become an announcer for the San Diego Padres. The move comes a few years after KARE promoted weekend sports anchor Eric Perkins to weekend news co-anchor. (7/5/2012)

IOWA:
KWLO/1330 (Waterloo) has dropped Oldies for ESPN Radio following the station's sale to Woodward Communications. KWLO was already the flagship of the University of Northern Iowa Panther Sports Network. ESPN had previously been heard in the region on KQMG/1220 (Independence), which is now carrying Country. The market still has an Oldies outlet since Fife Communications' KCFI/1250 (Cedar Falls) recently picked up the format, dropping a Latin mix. KCFI's sister station, KCNZ/1650 (Cedar Falls), carries FOX Sports Radio, while KWLO sister KXEL/1540 (Waterloo) carries a News/Talk format. (7/5/2012)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
KLXS/95.3 (Pierre) has dropped "Jack FM" for "Country 95.3." The new format debuted at Noon Tuesday, July 3. Sister Riverfront Broadcasting station KCCR/1240 says its FM counterpart will carry more news, weather, and sports with its new format. "Country 95.3" competes primarily with Janice Ingstad's KPLO/94.5 (Reliance), which has been operating at reduced power for more than two years due to a tower collapse but also has a translator in Pierre. (7/4/2012)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
KZMX-FM/96.7 (Hot Springs) isn't giving up its frequency without a fight. As earlier reported here, Alex Media is proposing moving KZMX-FM to 96.3 so a new station licensed to Lead, which Alex Media won in an FCC auction, can be built on 96.7 from Terry Peak to cover Rapid City. (The current Lead allotment is for 94.3, which is too close to KKMK/93.9 to enter the Rapid City market.) Now, KZMX-FM has filed its own application to upgrade from 1.4kW/135m (class A) to 51kW/134m (class C2). As proposed, KZMX-FM wouldn't cover Rapid City, but the move could leave the possibility open for another upgrade in the future to enter the market. KZMX-FM is owned by Jan Charles Gray's Mount Rushmore Broadcasting and is currently off the air. (7/3/2012)

NEBRASKA:
NRG Media is selling its group of three Humboldt-area radio stations to Community First Media of Nebraska, LLC. The buyer will pay $900,000 plus accounts receivable for News/Talk KHUB/1340 (Fremont), Country KBLR/97.3 (Blair), and Classic Hits KFMT/105.5 (Fremont). KBLR is legally within the Omaha market but lacks a strong signal to the city; it was heard on a translator there and targetted Omaha in the 2000's before NRG moved its format to a stronger station. Community First Media of Nebraska is owned by Dean Sorenson (26.67%), Richard Chapin (26.67%), Delwin Meyer (10%), Chris Walz (10%), Duane Butt (13.33%), and Jim Butt (13.33%). Sorenson and Duane Butt are owners of companies which own nine radio stations in Iowa and seven in South Dakota. (7/2/2012)

IOWA:
Rigoberto Lopez Sanchez is buying out his partner in the company that owns KZAT/95.5 (Belle Plaine). Lopez will pay Manuel Villagrana Robles $175,000 for his 50 percent stake in Grupo Roble, LLC. The deal includes a non-compete clause for Villagrana which expires in 2019 or when Lopez finishes paying off his purchase, whichever comes first. Neither person has any other broadcast interests. (7/2/2012)