August 2012

MINNESOTA:
Northern Lights Broadcasting's KTWN/1310 (Glencoe) is now being operated by Tor Ingstad's Iowa City Broadcasting, which also owns nearby KDUZ/1260 (Hutchinson) and KARP/106.9 (Dassel). KTWN continues to run Dial Global's Classic Country format and the Linder Farm Network but has added news, sports, and weather updates from KDUZ/KARP and high school sports. Northern Lights Broadcasting moved 1310 from St. Peter to Glencoe in 2009 to serve as Glencoe's new radio license so KTTB/96.3 (now KTWN-FM) could change its community of license from Glencoe to Edina. Northern Lights, owned by the Pohlad family, continues to operate KTWN-FM. (8/31/2012)

MINNESOTA:
Minnesota Public Radio News station KNGA/90.5 (St. Peter) is operating at just four percent of regular power since at least Aug. 9. A temporary antenna is being used with a new antenna on order. (8/31/2012)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
KOTA/1380 (Rapid City) is at reduced power due to damage to its meter monitoring the nighttime directional system. The station normally uses 5kW day and night, with a non-directional signal during the day and directional at night. It's temporarily using 1.25kW non-directional day and night while the meter is reparied. (8/31/2012)

TV MARKET RANKINGS:
There are no dramatic changes in Nielsen Media's TV market rankings for the 2012-2013 season. Omaha, Davenport, Sioux Falls, Wausau, and Bismarck all rose one position, while Cedar Rapids and Ottumwa each fell a notch. Other Upper Midwest markets are unchanged. Minneapolis was one of the few markets to buck a trend of declining TV households nationwide, with Minneapolis seeing about a 0.4 percent increase in households while the national total fell by about the same percentage. (8/31/2012)

MINNESOTA:
The unofficial end of summer will also be the end of an era in broadcasting in the Brainerd Lakes area. KLKS/104.3 (Breezy Point) plans to end its decades-old Nostalgia/Easy Listening format on Labor Day after Lakes Broadcasting sold KLKS to Minnesota Christian Broadcasters. The owners of KLKS decided to sell after the retirement of their father and station founder Ernest Bundgaard, better known by his on-air name Allen Gray. MCBI plans to move "The Pulse," a Contemporary Christian format, to 104.3 from the weaker signal of WZFJ/100.1 (Pequot Lakes) on Sept. 12. "The Pulse" will simulcast with 100.1 for a week or so and then go silent as a buyer is sought for the old frequency. (8/30/2012)

IOWA/ILLINOIS:
17 years after the application was first filed, a new TV station has signed on on the Quad Cities TV market carrying the Trinity Broadcasting Network. WMWC (Galesburg, IL), owned by Northwest Television, broadcasts on channel 8 and remaps to 53.1, representing the channel the station was originally slated to occupy before the FCC discontinued channels 52-69. It broadcasts from the Orion tower farm south of the Quad Cities with 23kW/330m, providing coverage of the Quad Cities, Galesburg, Clinton, Burlington, and Muscatine. The president of Northwest Television is Bruce E. Fox of Sarasota, FL, who owns 44% of Prime Cities Broadcasting, the owner of the FOX affiliates in Bismarck, ND. TBN had previously been seen on K61HD (Davenport), which is off the air after being sold to Digital Networks-Midwest, LLC. (8/29/2012)

WISCONSIN:
The construction permit for a new station WEMP/98.9 (Two Rivers) is changing hands and could move closer to Sheboygan. Tri-County Radio obtained the CP in 2010 after a 13-year wait. It reached a deal to sell the CP to Midwest Communications last year, but the deal was never consummated. Now, Mark Heller's Metro North Communications has agreed to pay $197,500 for WEMP, contingent on FCC approval of a change to the CP. The current CP calls for 6kW/100m from a tower in the Town of Newton, but the Town of Newton denied a conditional use permit for the new tower. WEMP proposes changing its community of license to Howards Grove and moving to an existing tower north of Cleveland, using 6kW/89m. The proposed facility would deliver a good signal to Sheboygan and Manitowoc. Regardless of whether the CP modification is approved, WEMP faces a December 2013 deadline to sign on. (The WEMP callsign, of course, was long used in the Milwaukee market and was more recently used in New York City.) Heller also owns WGBW/1590 (Denmark-Green Bay) and WLWB/1530 (New Holstein). (8/29/2012)

IOWA:
"The Jock" Sports format is back on KXLQ/1490 (Indianola-Des Moines). The lineup includes local morning and afternoon shows with Marty Tirrell, Yahoo! Sports Radio, and Yankees baseball. (8/28/2012)

MINNESOTA:
BounceTV, a broadcast network for the African-American community, will be added on a subchannel of WFTC/29 (Minneapolis). The addition comes as WFTC sister station KMSP/9 prepares to add the Accuweather Channel on a subchannel. (8/28/2012)

WISCONSIN:
Radio Power, Inc. is selling translator W250BN/97.9 (West Allis) to the owner of WJTI/1460 (West Allis-Milwaukee). El Sol Broadcasting will pay Radio Power $125,000 for the translator and the application states it will relay WJTI, which carries a Latin Adult Contemporary format. W250BN, which moved from Beloit in a series of facility changes, is currently licensed to transmit from Muskego with a main coverage area southeast of Milwaukee. It has a pending application to move its transmitter to West Allis, which would provide coverage of much of Milwaukee. Radio Power modified the application from an earlier request to move the transmitter to the Milwaukee antenna farm. The original application resulted in a series of questions from the FCC about whether the translator's journey from Beloit was an abuse of process after an FCC decision that translator "hops" accomplish a major change while only minor changes are currently allowed. The deal to sell the station is contingent on the FCC's approval of the transmitter move to West Allis and license renewal. (8/27/2012)

WISCONSIN/MINNESOTA:
WSSU/88.5 (Superior) has begun regular programming from Wisconsin Public Radio's News and Classical Music Network. The new station had been testing for several weeks and formally launched Friday (8/24). It uses 950W/100m from the Duluth hillside and fills in a hole in the coverage area of longtime News and Classical Music network station WHSA/89.9 (Brule), which, incidentally, is in the process of replacing its tower and may be off the air or at low power at times. WHSA will upgrade to 92kW when the new tower is complete. (8/24/2012)

NORTH DAKOTA:
Ingstad Family Media has changed formats at two of its stations in the Jamestown area. KXGT/98.3 (Carrington-Jamestown), which is rebroadcast on K274BH/102.7 (Valley City), has dropped its four-year-old Adult Contemporary format for a broad mix of Classic Hits as "Ted." The move leaves the area, which had two AC's up until recently, without a mainstream AC format. Meanwhile, KQDJ/1400 (Jamestown) and FM translator K246AM/97.1 (Jamestown) have joined the Ingstad's "Dakota Country Radio" network, which is also heard on KOVC/1490 (Valley City), KDAK/1600 (Carrington), and KDDR/1220 (Oakes). The latter change follows the end of Dial Global's Classic Hits format, which KQDJ had carried since adding the FM translator in early 2010. (8/24/2012)

IOWA:
St. Gabriel Communications of Sioux City is buying the construction permit for a new non-commercial station in Storm Lake from South Central Oklahoma Broadcasting for $19,000. The CP for KOIA/88.1 calls for 1.4kW/142m but faces a Nov. 5 deadline to go on the air. St. Gabriel Communications, a Catholic broadcaster, also owns KFHC/88.1 (Ponca, NE-Sioux City). (8/23/2012)

MICHIGAN:
The FCC is proposing a $13,000 fine against J&J Broadcasting for alleged violations at WJMS/590 and WIMI/99.7 (Ironwood). In a Notice of Apparent Liability, the Commission alleges both stations failed to maintain required issues/progam lists in their public files and that the ownership information for the WIMI tower in Montreal, Wis. was not updated when the station was sold. The issues came to light during a Sept. 14, 2011 inspection by an agent from the FCC's Detroit office. J&J Broadcasting has thirty days to either pay or appeal the fine. (8/23/2012)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
Translator K289AI/105.7 (Rapid City), which rebroadcasts the Christian programming of KLMP/88.3 (Rapid City), is temporarily off the air due to transmitter problems. Owner Bethesda Christian Broadcasting tells the FCC the station left the air Tuesday (8/21) so the transmitter can be dismantled and repaired. (8/23/2012)

MANITOBA:
Global Winnipeg (CKND-DT/9.1) expanded its 10 p.m. newscast to a full hour Monday (8/20) under the new name "News Hour Final." It's the only 10 p.m. newscast in Winnipeg, with CBC's ten-minute newscast at 10:55 and CTV's 35-minute newscast at 11:30. (8/21/2012)

MANITOBA:
New station CKEB-FM/101.3 is on the air at the Ebb and Flow First Nation, carrying a mix of music as "Da Flow." Ebb and Flow First Nation is near the north end of Lake Manitoba. (8/21/2012)

NEBRASKA/SOUTH DAKOTA:
Nebraska Indian Community College recently signed on KZYK/88.9 (Santee, NE). The 1kW station serves an area along the Missouri River west of Yankton, SD. (8/21/2012)

MINNESOTA:
The FCC has granted an upgrade for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa's WGZS/89.1 (Cloquet) from 50kW to 92kW, with its antenna height remaining 135m. The change means the station's class will change from C2 to C1. WGZS transmits from a site near Brookston and the upgrade will increase its signal strength in Duluth. It signed on last year with a variety of music and Native American programming. (8/21/2012)

NORTH DAKOTA:
Synergy Broadcast North Dakota, LLC is proposing a community of license swap for two stations it just purchased so they can improve their signals to Bismarck and Dickinson. KLTQ/95.7 (New England) would move to Beulah with 100kW/163m, with a main coverage area nipping the edge of Bismarck. KQLZ/97.9 (Beulah) would move to New England and change frequency to 98.1 with 100kW/142m, delivering a city-grade signal to Dickinson. Synergy bought the stations from Horizon Christian Fellowship. (8/20/2012)

MINNESOTA:
Here are some updates on northern Minnesota TV translators from recent monitoring trips. Some changes may not be recent:
Baudette: K14PH-D is carrying KVLY-NBC on 34.1 and KXJB-CBS on 34.2, K16KE-D is carrying WDAZ-ABC on 36.1 and KVRR-FOX on 36.2, and K25MW-D is carrying KAWE-PBS, remapping to 9.1-9.6. (K14PH and K16KE are apparently relaying the Williams translators, leading to the 34 and 36 remapping.)
Birchdale: Unable to receive from several locations on Highway 11.
Bemidji: No changes from previous listings; analog translators K28DD-KSTP/ABC and K30DK-KMSP/FOX are still on the air. KFTC, which is a satellite of WFTC-MNT, is now on 26.1 rather than 26.3. (Unlike WFTC, KFTC does not carry a subchannel for KMSP).
Big Falls: No changes from previous listings: K27LL-KRII/NBC-CBS, K29KE-KAWE/PBS, and K31MA-WIRT/ABC.
Bigfork: K21KY-D is carrying KQDS/FOX, apparently relaying an analog translator signal from the Iron Range; K23KZ-D is carrying WIRT/ABC.
International Falls and Kabetogama: No changes from previous listings noted.
Max: K38MJ is carrying KQDS/FOX, remapping to 21.1; K36KZ-D is carrying WIRT as previously listed.
Northome: No changes from previous listings: K16JD-WIRT/ABC and K18JM-KRII/NBC-CBS.
Orr: The three translators are carrying programming indicated in FCC filings but from a few different sources: K24JR-D gets its feed from WRPT-PBS rather than WDSE and K28LN-D carries KQDS-FOX directly from its Duluth transmitter rather than relaying Virginia. The third translator, K26KM-D, carries WIRT-ABC.
Red Lake: K41LX-D is carrying KAWE/PBS; K43MY-D is carrying KFTC/MNT; K45LH-D is carrying WGN, remapped to 19.1 (WGN-TV's RF frequency); K47MY-D is carying WIRT/ABC; K49LO-D is carrying KCCW/CBS; and K51LN-D is carrying KRII/NBC-CBS. With the exception of K45LH-D, all translators remap to their virtual channels.
Roseau: The translators are carrying the stations indicated on FCC listings (and previous listings on this site) but are apparently not receving the feeds directly over the air (except for the KAWE translator), since PSIP data and subchannels are not passed through. K42CU-D carries KAWE-PBS, K46BV-D carries KVRR-FOX (remapped to 17.1 for an unknown reason), K48CQ-D carries WDAZ-ABC, K50AM-D carries KXJB-CBS, and K52AM-D (which is to become K38OC-D) carries KVLY-NBC.
Walker: DK21KP-D continues to carry KMSP-FOX on 21.1, KSTP-ABC on 21.3, and local weather on 21.4. K24KT-D is on the air carrying KARE-NBC in widescreen SD on 24.1 and KARE-WeatherNation in anamorphic SD on 24.2. K35KH-D is carrying local weather on 35.1, while K51KE-D is now silent. Analog translator K25JZ is also silent.
Williams: W32EG-D is carrying KAWE-PBS, remapping to 9.1-9.6; K34MC-D is carrying KVLY-NBC on 34.1 and KXJB-CBS on 34.2, and K36LW-D is carrying WDAZ-ABC on 36.1 and KVRR-FOX on 36.2. (8/20/2012)

MINNESOTA:
The Brainerd Dispatch reports that the longtime Nostalgia/Easy Listening format on KLKS/104.3 (Breezy Point) will end once the station's sale to Minnesota Christian Broadcasters is complete. As previously reported, MCBI is buying KLKS from Lakes Broadcasting Group for $350,000 after station founder Ernest Bundgaard, better known by his on-air name Allen Gray, retired from the station. The Dispatch reports MCBI will move its Contemporary Christian "The Pulse" format from WZFJ/100.1 (Pequot Lakes) to the stronger KLKS signal and then put 100.1 up for sale. On 104.3, "The Pulse" will more closely match the coverage area of MCBI's flagship station, KTIG/102.7 (Pequot Lakes). (8/18/2012)

MINNESOTA (UPDATED):
The FCC has quickly squashed a proposal by an FM translator to begin broadcasting from St. Cloud before the Commission formally approves the move. Blue Wing, Inc. bought W293AV/106.5 (Hinckley) from Minnesota Public Radio and wants to move it to St. Cloud to relay Tri County Broadcasting's WXYG/540 (Sauk Rapids), which carries an Album Rock format. The application has remained pending for ten months since the FCC is not currently accepting applications for new translators in St. Cloud. This week, Blue Wing applied for special temporary authority to turn on the transmitter while the full application remains pending, saying it would serve the public interest, but the FCC denied the request the next day. The STA application had cited the case of a low-power TV station in Baraboo, WI that has operated under an STA for 15 years. Blue Wing has also applied to move K283AN/104.5 (Hinckley) to 107.1 in St. Cloud and relay Tri-County's WMIN/1010 (Sauk Rapids), which carries Nostalgia, but K283AN did not apply for an STA. (8/17/2012)

WISCONSIN:
Wisconsin Public Radio will make some changes to its weekend schedule beginning today (8/17). The Ideas Network will air The Moth Radio Hour at 7 p.m. Friday, replacing the second hour of On Point, and RadioLab will find a permanent home at 3 p.m. Saturday, replacing a weekly rotation of specials. There are more changes on the NPR News & Classical Music Network: To The Best of Our Knowledge will displace an hour of Classical music at 6 a.m. both Saturdays and Sundays, an hour-long version of Whad'Ya Know? will air at 9 a.m. Saturdays, and From the Top will air at 8 p.m. Sundays. (8/17/2012)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
KIJV/1340 (Huron) will get an FM simulcast with the purchase of translator K237EL/95.3. KIJV owner Dakota Communications, Ltd. will pay First Ventures Capital Partners $20,000 for the translator. Dakota Communications lost an FM signal in the market a few years ago when it moved the former KZNC/99.1 (Huron) to Milbank. K237EL is currently licensed to transmit from a site southeast of town but a map submitted with the application to transfer the license suggests it'll apply to move the transmitter into town. KIJV currently carries an Oldies format. (8/16/2012)

WISCONSIN:
Sunrise Broadcasting, LLC, which has operated WDTX/100.5 (Rothschild-Wausau) since its sign-on in 2010, is buying the station outright from JER Licenses for $325,000. WDTX carries ESPN Radio. Sunrise is owned by Steven Resnick and also owns WXCO/1230 (Wausau). (8/16/2012)

MINNESOTA:
The Minnesota Twins are getting another new home in the Twin Cities: 96.3 "K-Twin" (KTWN-FM Edina). The Northern Lights Broadcasting station announced Wednesday that it would begin carrying the Twins in the 2013 season. The team has spent the past six seasons on Hubbard Broadcasting's "ESPN1500" (KSTP St. Paul) after having moved from longtime home WCCO/830 (Minneapolis). Besides the "K-Twin" slogan that began this year with the present Adult Pop format, the move to KTWN-FM was not completely unexpected since Northern Lights Broadcasting and the Twins are both owned by the Pohlad family. Though the Twins will be on FM in the Twin Cities for the first time, reception may be limited since KTWN-FM's signal is not as large as the market's other stations. Most major FM's in the market transmit with 100kW/315m from Shoreview but KTWN-FM came along after the band was already crowded and is only allowed to use 19kW/77m from New Hope, leaving parts of the south and east metro outside its main coverage area. (8/15/2012)

MINNESOTA:
Radio Power, Inc.'s apparent plan to move two FM translators into the Twin Cities market is over. The FCC has cancelled the licenses of W269CK/101.7 (Braham) and K288GE/105.5 (Silver Lake) at the owner's request. W269CK started its life in Mora and K288GE began in Olivia. Radio Power had been moving the translators closer to the Twin Cities through a series of moves before the FCC decided such chain-style moves were a violation of the rules, which are intended to prevent long-distance moves of translators. In other markets, Radio Power had used its translators to relay HD2 subchannels which operated as de facto commercial FM's. (8/15/2012)

WISCONSIN:
WWAZ-TV/68.1 (Fond du Lac) has completed its move to Milwaukee and changed its callsign to WIWN. Though the Pappas Telecasting station is still licensed to Fond du Lac, it's now broadcasting from the Milwaukee antenna farm on channel 5 with 9kW/338m, remapping to 68.1. The station's coverage area is theoretically the larger than the major Milwaukee stations, though its VHF signal may be difficult for some viewers to receive with indoor antennas. WIWN originally signed on as FamilyNet affiliate WMMF in 2000 and later changed its callsign to WWAZ but has been off the air for most of the last several years. With the transmitter move to Milwaukee, it had to add translators in Columbus and Ripon to continue serving areas the station had reached from its previous analog transmitter site. With the translators, WIWN's coverage area extends to Madison and Oshkosh. (8/13/2012)

MINNESOTA:
A belated report that new station KPMI/1300 (Bemidji) is on the air with a News/Talk format as "NewsChannel 1300." The lineup includes America's Radio News Network, FOX News, and syndicated talk shows. KPMI is owned by Troy Paskvan and uses 2.5kW nondirectional daytime and 500W directional night. Troy Paskvan also owns WMIS/92.1 (Blackduck-Bemidji) and Roger Paskvan owns three stations, including News/Talk-formatted KKBJ/1360.

Meanwhile, future competing station WBKK/820 (Wilton-Bemidji) is close to signing on, according to a job opening announcement running on sister station "Coyote 102.5" (KKWB Kelliher-Bemidji). WBKK will use 10kW day and 750W night with the same directional pattern day and night. WBKK and KKWB are owned by Edward Paul De La Hunt. (8/13/2012)

MINNESOTA:
KGPZ/96.1 (Coleraine-Grand Rapids) has changed its slogan to "Z96" and switched from Cumulus Media's Real Country format to Dial Global's Mainstream Country format. The switch follows the station's sale to Red Rock Radio. Meanwhile, "Real Country" is still heard in Grand Rapids on translator W300BP/107.9, which switched to Real Country affiliate WBJI/98.3 (Blackduck-Bemidji). (8/13/2012)

WISCONSIN/MINNESOTA:
Future Wisconsin Public Radio station WSSU/88.5 (Superior) began program tests Monday afternoon (8/6) with a looped hour of Jazz music, which is expected to continue for several hours each afternoon. Regular programming will eventually come from WPR's NPR News & Classical Music network. WSSU transmits from the Duluth (MN) antenna farm with 950W/100m (class A), filling in a coverage gap from existing NPR News & Classical Music station WHSA/89.9 (Brule). WPR's Ideas Network is heard in the area on the larger signal of KUWS/91.3 (Superior), which also transmits from Duluth. The WSSU callsign was used on present-day KUWS until 1988. The new WSSU displaces Family Radio translator W203AL/88.5 (Duluth), which left the air in the last few months has not applied to move to another frequency. (8/7/2012)

NORTH DAKOTA:
Just a few months after signing on with a Conservative News/Talk format, KZZQ/101.9 (Richardton-Dickinson) is being sold to a Catholic broadcaster. Real Presence Radio, which operates non-commercial Catholic radio stations in other parts of the state, is buying KZZQ from Meadows Broadcasting, LLC for $300,000. The FCC filing to transfer the license indicates a separate application will be filed to convert KZZQ to non-commercial status. Meadows Broadcasting built the new station more quickly than most in recent memory: The FCC issued the initial construction permit in August 2011 and the station signed on in April, more than two years before the deadline. Its lineup includes Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. (8/7/2012)

IOWA:
New station KSOI/91.9 (Murray) has been heard on the air with a mix of musical genres. The new 19kW/148m (class C2) station serves south-central Iowa and is owned by Grand River Valley Radio. The Osceola Sentinel-Tribune reports that the group feels the area has been underserved since Iowa Public Radio bought KIIC/97.9 (Lamoni) and converted it to non-commercial KOWI. (8/5/2012)


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