MINNESOTA:
The MyNetworkTV lineup is no longer airing in prime time in Minneapolis after affiliate FOX 9+ (WFTC) moved MNT back another hour. MNT airs from 7 to 9 p.m. Central time in most markets, but WFTC moved it back one hour in 2016 and then another hour last year with the launch of a 7 p.m. newscast. After the recent addition of another half-hour of news at 7:30, WFTC is now airing syndicated programming from 8 to 10 followed by the MNT lineup from 10 to Midnight. MNT is operated by KMSP/WFTC parent Fox Entertainment Group. (7/30/2018)
WISCONSIN:
A decades-old radio-TV pairing in Milwaukee is slated to end with Scripps Broadcasting's sale of WTMJ/620 and WKTI/94.5 to Good Karma Brands. Scripps announced the $16 million deal Friday, saying it was just the second in what will be a series of sales of all of its eight radio groups, including Omaha (a deal to sell Scripps' Tulsa group was announced last month). The Milwaukee sale will pair Good Karma ESPN affiliate WAUK/540 (Jackson-Milwaukee) with the Conservative Talk format of WTMJ, which is relayed on W277CV/103.3, and WKTI's Country format. The deal will separate WTMJ radio from WTMJ-TV/4.1 for the first time in the TV station's 70-year history. (7/27/2018)
NEBRASKA:
Salem Media is selling its remaining two stations in Omaha to a local broadcaster. Salem announced Wednesday that it will sell KCRO/660, KOTK/1420, and their FM translators to Hickory Radio, an affiliate of Walnut Radio, which also owns one station in Omaha and several stations just north of the city. The sale price was not immediately announced. Salem is also in the process of selling Contemporary Christian outlet KGBI-FM/100.7 (Omaha) to the University of Northwestern-St. Paul; the deal received FCC approval earlier this month but has not yet closed. KCRO "The Word" carries Christian preaching and talk and is relayed on K293CJ/106.5, while KOTK "The Answer" carries Conservative Talk and is relayed on K233CO/94.5. The press release says they'll keep their current formats and branding. Walnut owns KOMJ/1490 and K281CJ/104.1, which carry a "Boomer" Oldies format. Salem had entered Omaha in early 2005 with the purchase of KGBI from Grace University and bought KCRO from Eternal Broadcasting and KOTK from Journal Broadcast Group later that year. (7/25/2018)
MINNESOTA:
Updating an item first reported here a few weeks ago, the FCC has approved full-time operation for KUOM-FM/106.5 (St. Louis Park). The U of M station sought permission to use the frequency full-time after St. Louis Park Public Schools returned the license of KDXL/106.5. The FCC formally cancelled KDXL's license on July 16 and approved KUOM-FM's application the same day. The 6-Watt KUOM-FM, transmitting from western Minneapolis, carries the student-run "Radio K" Alternative format in a simulcast with KUOM/770 (Minneapolis) and two FM translators. (7/23/2018)
MINNESOTA:
DISH Network has added Telemundo affiliate KJNK-LD/25 to its Minneapolis locals package. KJNK is the first Spanish-language station, and the first low-power TV station, to be carried by a satellite provider in the market. The station is owned by HC2 Broadcasting and operated by Hispanic Television Broadcasting of Minnesota. (7/19/2018)
MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
A new digital subchannel network called "Start TV" is scheduled to launch on September 3 with charter affiliates in Minneapolis and Milwaukee. The network, a partnership between Weigel Broadcasting and CBS, will target women with a lineup of procedural dramas including "The Closer," "Medium," "The Good Wife," "Crossing Jordan," and "Cold Case." A press release says programs will be shown at the same time seven days a week with multi-hour blocks for headliner programs. "Start TV" will be carried from launch on CBS owned-and-operated stations including WCCO-TV (Minneapolis) and several Weigel stations, including an unspecified channel in Milwaukee. TVNewsCheck reports that Start TV will displace Decades, another Weigel/CBS network, on some CBS stations, but it was not clear if WCCO would be one of them. Weigel tells TVNewsCheck that it's committed to the Decades network and has already found other affiliates in several markets. Weigel also runs MeTV, H&I, and Movies! Network. (7/18/2018)
MINNESOTA:
The Educational Media Foundation is working to move its main Twin Cities "Air 1" signal back to Minneapolis. W225AP/92.9 had been transmitting from the Wells Fargo Center in Minneapolis with 99 Watts, but was forced to leave that facility after interference complaints from KKJM/92.9 (St. Joseph-St. Cloud). W225AP has been transmitting from St. Paul with 250 Watts since last summer. Now, it's applied to move back to Minneapolis with 250 Watts using a directional antenna to limit the signal to the northwest, protecting KKJM. "Air 1," which carries a Christian Rock format, is also heard on K249ED/97.7 in the far northwest metro. (7/17/2018)
IOWA:
Educational Media Foundation "K-Love" station KLFG/89.5 (Fort Dodge) has completed an upgrade that expands its coverage area to include more of north-central Iowa. KLFG now transmits with 34kW/257m (class C1) from the Iowa Public Television tower near Bradgade. The station had previously transmitted from a tower closer to Fort Dodge with 17kW/111m (class C3). (7/17/2018)
ONTARIO:
Christian broadcaster CJOA-FM/95.1 (Thunder Bay) is asking regulators for permission to add a secondary transmitter in Nipigon, saying residents of the community have asked for the coverage. The 50-Watt station would transmit on 92.5 from the roof of a hardware store. CJOA is owned by United Christian Broadcasters Media Canada. Nipigon is also served by a secondary transmitter of a commercial station based in Marathon, CBC and Radio-Canada transmitters, and rimshot signals from several Thunder Bay stations. (7/17/2018)
WISCONSIN:
Christian broadcaster WRVM, Inc. has applied to move its new central Wisconsin signal to Wausau. WXVM/104.1 (Merrill) is currently licensed for 7.4kW/188m (class C2) from a tower near Merrill and has applied to move its transmitter to Wausau with 8.3kW/144m (class C3). The move would improve reception in Wausau but cut 104.1's signal to the north. However, that area is already served by WRVM's WHJL/88.1 (Merrill), which transmits from a tower north of Merrill. (7/17/2018)
MINNESOTA:
The FCC has approved construction permits that will move two AM stations away from a longtime western Twin Cities transmission site. Salem Media's WWTC/1280 and KDIZ/1570 currently transmit from a site in St. Louis Park that WWTC has used since the 1960's. The CP's call for WWTC to co-locate with sister KKMS/980 at its site in Eagan, while KDIZ will co-locate with sister KYCR/1440 at its site in Golden Valley. WWTC currently transmits with 5kW, nondirectional daytime and directional nighttime, and will upgrade to 10kW day and 15kW night from Eagan, with different day and night directional patterns. KDIZ will make a small change from 3.8kW day and 230 Watts night, nondirectional, to 4kW day and 220 Watts night, nondirectional. (7/16/2018)
MINNESOTA:
Townsquare Media's KDHL/920 (Faribault) plans to drop four towers from its seven-tower array, which is in a high-profile spot along I-35. KDHL is currently licensed for 5kW with different daytime and nighttime directional patterns using four towers during the day and six at night. However, the station has been operating at reduced power since 2014 due to damage to the antenna system. It's now filed an application with the FCC to use 3.3kW day and 1kW night with different day and night patterns from the three towers that would remain. Despite the power reduction, KDHL's daytime coverage would be similar to its former facility (see page 12 of this document). "The Mighty 920" carries a farm-focused Classic Country format covering much of south-central Minnesota and has a rimshot signal to the Twin Cities. (7/16/2018)
NEW FM SIGNALS ON THE AIR:
MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
The FCC has approved Quincy Media's purchase of a second full-power station in the Duluth market. As previously detailed here, Quincy owns NBC/CBS affiliate KBJR-TV/6 (Superior-Duluth) and is buying CW affiliate KDLH/3 (Duluth) from SagamoreHill Broadcasting for $792,577, subject to adjustment. KDLH has been located in KBJR's building since 2005, but Quincy has not been able to sell ads on KDLH since its 2016 purchase of KBJR due to FCC rules that were in place at that time. KDLH's longtime CBS affiliation was moved to KBJR-DT2 in 2016, and KBJR-DT2 assumed KDLH's channel 3 position on cable and satellite systems. Now, outright co-ownership of KBJR and KDLH is being allowed because KDLH has fallen to fifth in the ratings since the 2016 affiliation switch. No programming changes have been announced, but there is no rule preventing Quincy from moving the CBS affiliation, branded as "CBS3," back to KDLH. A similar Quincy purchase in Fort Wayne, Indiana, also received FCC approval. (7/15/2018)
NEBRASKA:
The Nebraska Rural Radio Association has launched a Classic Country format in Scottsbluff. "The Trail" is heard on K269DO/101.7 and originates on the HD2 signal of the NRRA's KNEB-FM/94.1, which carries a mainstream Country format on its primary channel. Online, "The Trail" replaces a web-only Contemporary Hits format called "The Beet" that had streamed through KNEB's website. The NRRA also operates Farm/Talker KNEB/960 (Scottsbluff), which is relayed on K262CU/100.3. K269DO had previously been owned by Armada Media and relayed KOAQ/690 (Terrytown-Scottsbluff) when Armada ran that station; KOAQ is now running a competing Classic Country format under Legacy Broadcasting's management. The KNEB stations also compete with two other FM Country stations in the panhandle. (7/12/2018)
WISCONSIN/MINNESOTA:
Eastern Twin Cities metro signal W279DD/103.7 (Hudson, WI) has returned to the air after receiving special temporary authority from the FCC to transmit at reduced power. As previously reported here, the translator of WDGY/740's Oldies format was forced to leave the air last month after the FCC determined that interference complaints from listeners of WWIB/103.7 (Hallie-Eau Claire) had not been resolved. W279DD had been using 250 Watts but is now using 100 Watts while it tries to resolve the complaints, and has also applied to implement the use of a directional antenna to limit the signal towards WWIB. (7/11/2018)
MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN (UPDATED):
CBS Sports Radio has returned to Midwest Communications' WDUL/970 (Superior-Duluth). The station had been rebroadcasting the Conservative Talk format of sister station WDSM/710 (Superior-Duluth) since early June but returned to the Sports format within days of a report here about the simulcast. WDUL's 1kW coverage area is contained within WDSM's 10kW coverage area. WDUL is the only one of Midwest's three Twin Ports AM stations without an FM translator. (7/9/2018, updated 7/11)
MINNESOTA:
Twin Cities Catholic TV station K14RB-D (St. Paul), formerly K16HY-D, has returned from the air. The low-power station owned by St. Michael Broadcasting had been bumped off the air in late May when KPXM-TV/41.1 completed its spectrum repack RF channel change from 40 to 16. K14RB-D returned to the air Monday, July 9, after a new antenna was installed on the IDS Center and continues to transmit with 15kW, the maximum for LPTV stations. It carries a bulletin board on 14.1, EWTN on 14.2, and other Catholic programming on 14.3. (7/10/2018)
NEBRASKA/SOUTH DAKOTA/WISCONSIN:
The following RF channel changes have recently occurred due to the national TV band repack:
(7/10/2018)
MINNESOTA:
KFMC/106.5 (Fairmont) has dropped Classic Rock for Classic Hits as "106.5 Lakes FM." The new format launched with Prince's "1999" on Monday, July 9, at Noon after a weekend of stunting with a loop of "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport." The change comes a month after City of Lakes Media, headed by Matthew Ketelsen, completed its purchase of KFMC and KSUM/1370 from Woodward Broadcasting. The Classic Rock format had run since 2003. (7/9/2018)
NEW FM TRANSLATORS GRANTED (6/18-7/6):
The FCC has recently granted the following new FM translators as a result of the AM Revitalization filing windows:
One application was dismissed:
Meanwhile, several new FM translators are due to be granted as a result of FCC Auction No. 83:
The applicants must pay their winning bids by July 30, and construction permits won't be issued until the payments have been made. (7/6/2018)
MINNESOTA:
A tiny west suburban Twin Cities FM station has quietly shut down: St. Louis Park Public Schools has returned the license for KDXL/106.5. The 8-Watt station had operated during school hours, carrying programming from St. Louis Park High School. The school district did not give a reason for the shutdown in a letter to the FCC. The school board held a special meeting about the station in February, but minutes from subsequent meetings don't contain any mention of KDXL.
KDXL first signed on at 91.7 in 1978 and later moved to 106.7, which it later had to vacate when a translator began using the same frequency in the east metro. It was one of the last of the now-discontinued class D educational stations still on the air.
For the past 15 years, KDXL had been in a rare time-share agreement with the University of Minnesota's KUOM-FM/106.5. KDXL had the right to use the frequency from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on school days, and KUOM-FM used the frequency at other times. KUOM-FM has now applied to use the frequency full-time. 106.5 was the first foray into FM broadcasting for KUOM/770's "Radio K" format, which is now heard on larger translator signals on 104.5 in Minneapolis and 100.7 in Falcon Heights. (7/5/2018)
ILLINOIS/IOWA:
A western Illinois station recently completed its move closer to the Quad Cities. On June 25, WQUD (Erie, IL) moved from 105.5 to 107.7 and began transmitting with 6kW/97m (class A) from a tower between Moline and Geneseo, giving the station a strong signal to most of the Quad Cities area. To allow for the move, WLLT (Polo, IL) moved from 107.7 to 94.3 and WSSQ (Sterling, IL) moved from 94.3 to 105.5. Both WLLT and WSSQ retained their former coverage areas. WQUD is owned by JMRW LLC and carries a broad mix of Rock and Country from the 1960's to today. (7/5/2018)
IOWA:
Jonathan A. Mason's JAM Media Solutions is buying a set of radio stations in Muscatine from WPW Broadcasting for $965,000. The stations, Classic Rocker KMCS/93.1 and a Classic Country format on KWPC/860 and K236CF/95.1, serve an area just west of the Quad Cities. (7/3/2018)
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