MINNESOTA:
The Educational Media Foundation has received another construction permit for a Twin Cities-area translator. 170-Watt K260BA/99.9 will be licensed to Coon Rapids, but strangely, the FCC database indicates that K260BA's transmitter will be in Plymouth, and will not provide a city-grade signal to Coon Rapids. EMF, operator of the Christian "K-Love" and "Air-1" networks, has received several other Twin Cities translator CP's, and still has several applications pending. (9/30/2004)
WISCONSIN:
Seven groups have been granted construction permits for 100W/low-power stations on 99.1 in Madison. Rather than share time over the course of a week, the groups will serve successive license terms. Each group will operate a station for about 14 months, and then leave the air to make way for another group. It is not clear which group will get on the air first. The groups are Center for Prevention and Intervention, Common Ground Church, Cornerstone Church, Health Writers Inc., St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Sun Prairie Community Church, and Youth with a Mission Inc. (9/30/2004)
MICHIGAN:
Trinity Broadcasting Network station W17CS/17 (Marquette) has signed on. (9/30/2004)
MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
Several changes are coming to the Twin Cities AM dial on Friday, October 1:
MICHIGAN/WISCONSIN:
The FCC is considering a proposal for two new FM allotments near the Michigan-Wisconsin border:
WISCONSIN:
Wisconsin's official state dance will soon fill the airwaves across northern Dane County. The Wisconsin Polka Appreciation Society (WPAS) has received a construction permit for a low-power station on 97.1 in Dane. In its application, WPAS stated plans for a 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. broadcast schedule initially, using a mix of local and satellite programming. At just 100W from a tower near Dane, 97.1 will be difficult to receive in Madison, but will likely be sought out by Polka fans. WPAS is headed by Walter Wigglesworth of Dane; Delbert Schultz and Linus Maier of Waunakee also sit on the board.
In other action, the FCC granted a construction permit to the UW Board of Regents for a new translator in Madison. W300BM/107.9 will transmit with 38W from the WHA/970 tower, and will relay WSUM/91.7. (9/25/2004)
NEW FM TRANSLATOR/LPFM CONSTRUCTION PERMITS (9/20-9/24):
SOUTH DAKOTA:
Midcontinent Media is selling its Sioux Falls radio group -- its last broadcast holdings -- to Backyard Broadcasting for an undisclosed sum. The group includes KWSN/1230, KELO/1320, KELO-FM/92.5, KTWB/101.9, and KRRO/103.7. Backyard Broadcasting is based in Baltimore and has radio groups in six markets in other parts of the country. The company's principle equity investors are Boston Ventures Management, Inc. and PCG Corporate Partners Fund. (9/23/2004)
ONTARIO:
There are more changes coming to the Thunder Bay radio landscape, according to the Chronicle-Journal. If the CRTC approves the changes, the market will consist of two commercial radio groups. Dougall Media will own full-power CKPR/580 and CJSD/94.3, the low-power suburban simulcast CFQK/104.5 and CKED/103.5, and low-power tourist information stations in Thunder Bay and Pigeon River. Newcap Broadcasting will own full-power CJLB/105.3 and low-power CJUK/99.9. (9/21/2004)
WISCONSIN:
WLTQ/97.3 (Milwaukee) debuted an `80s-based Rock format this morning as "97.3 The Brew." The Clear Channel station dropped its "Lite 97.3" format on Friday and had stunted all weekend. (9/20/2004)
WISCONSIN:
Eleven months after Cumlus moved its Green Bay Sports format to FM, the format is back on AM. WNGB/1400 (Green Bay) has dropped News/Talk and reverted to the WDUZ callsign, simulcasting with WDUZ-FM/107.5 (Brillion-Green Bay). Could a change be coming to 107.5? The station's website says "Sports Radio 107.5 the Fan now heard on 1400 AM." (9/19/2004)
WISCONSIN:
Clear Channel's WLTQ/97.3 (Milwaukee) dropped its 20-year-old "Light 97" format Friday, and is announcing that a new format will debut at 6 a.m. Monday. The stunting seems to hint that the new format could be Liberal Talk from Air America Radio, which Clear Channel recently launched on FM in Madison, and has picked up in a number of other markets. However, Clear Channel also revealed plans this week to switch some of its stations to spanish-language formats over the next 18 months. The Milwaukee market has a 5.9% Hispanic population, but does not currently have a strong spanish-language station. (9/18/2004)
NEW FM TRANSLATOR CONSTRUCTION PERMITS (9/13-9/17):
WISCONSIN/MINNESOTA:
Arbitron will resume ratings surveys in the La Crosse market this fall. Sparta-Tomah Broadcasting, owner of WKLJ/1290 and WCOW/97.1, has signed on as the charter subscriber for the fall and spring surveys. (9/16/2004)
ONTARIO:
LU Campus Radio at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay has received authorization for a new station on 102.7, which will operate at 134W. The group's website says a sign-on date has not been decided. The station will be operated by students and community volunteers. It will carry a variety of music, including local artists, and will carry some programming in French, Spanish, and Aboriginal languages. When the station signs on, Thunder Bay will have ten radio stations -- twice as many as it did five years ago. (9/16/2004)
WISCONSIN:
WATK/900 (Antigo) has dropped its rebroadcast of WACD/106.1 in favor of ESPN Radio. (9/15/2004)
FM AUCTION 37:
The FCC has released an initial list of applicants who qualify to participate in the November 3 auction of 288 FM construction permits around the country, including 53 in the Upper Midwest. It appears there could be up to 40 bidders for a station in suburban Omaha, 34 bidders for a station in Sioux Falls, 34 bidders for a station in suburban Cedar Rapids, and 32 bidders for a station in Mankato. More potential bidders could be added, since about half of the initial applicants were rejected due to incomplete attachments, and have been given a few weeks to correct the deficiencies.
The list of applicants is too long to list here. Refer to DA-04-2948 Attachment 2 for the list of accepted applicants, and DA-04-1020 Attachment 1 to look up the code for individual allotments. Then use Acrobat's search feature to see who applied for which allotments. Keep in mind that some applicants qualified to bid for all of the auctions in a state, and 13 applicants apparently qualified to bid in every single auction nationwide. Check this site's list of vacant allotments for more information on markets covered by the future stations. (9/14/2004)
MINNESOTA/IOWA:
Mark Anthony is leaving his TV and radio jobs Alexandria to take a meteorologist position at KGAN/2 (Cedar Rapids). He will also appear on the KGAN-produced newscast that airs on KFXA/28 (Cedar Rapids) and KDSM/17 (Des Moines). Anthony has been at KSAX/42 (Alexandria) for five years, and has served as program director and morning host for "Cool 94.3" (KULO Alexandria) for the past year. He will continue to provide weather for KULO and KIKV/100.7. (9/14/2004)
WISCONSIN:
Harmony Pet Care has filed a petition to deny license renewal for WAUK/1510 (Waukesha-Milwaukee). The business is located near WAUK's towers. (9/11/2004)
NEW FM TRANSLATOR/LOW-POWER FM CP's (8/30-9/10):
IOWA:
KRIB/1490 (Mason City) has become "Eagle Country," carrying a locally-automated mix of Country. However, the station continues to air a mix of Adult Standards from Midnight to 6 a.m. KRIB had also carried ESPN Radio at times. (9/9/2004)
IOWA:
100000watts.com reports that KILJ/1130 and KILJ-FM/105.5 (Mount Pleasant) have swapped formats. 1130 now carries Country, and 105.5 carries "memory music" - a mix of Adult Standards and Oldies. The change follows the stations' sale to Paul and Joyce Dennison. (9/9/2004)
MINNESOTA:
Equity Broadcasting is buying 110-Watt WBWX-CA/13 (Minneapolis) from The Box Worldwide, a subsidiary of Viacom, for $1.25 million. Equity is based in Little Rock, Arkansas, where programming for its few dozen stations originates through a Central Automated Satellite Hub (C.A.S.H.) Equity's station group includes affiliates of Univision and Telefutura, which are not currently available over-the-air in Minneapolis. WBWX-CA currently carries MTV2, and holds a construction permit to move to channel 33 with 24kW. (9/4/2004)
MINNESOTA:
"The Patriot II" (KYCR/1570 Golden Valley-Minneapolis) will be repeating less of the programming heard on "The Patriot" (WWTC/1280), starting Monday, September 6. KYCR will carry Bill O'Reilly and Michael Reagan live (11a-1p and 5-8p), as well as Lars Larson. The station will continue to repeat two hours each of Laura Ingraham and Dennis Prager in the afternoon. (9/4/2004)
MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN/MICHIGAN:
No, that's not late-night e-skip: some people in the Northland might have been surprised to see a Miami station early Saturday morning. Duluth ABC affiliate WDIO recently expanded 24-hour broadcasting to the weekend, using ABC's News Now network, which has been carrying Miami ABC affiliate WPLG during its continuous coverage of Hurricane Frances. Both stations are on channel 10. (9/4/2004)
WISCONSIN:
WEMP/1250 (Milwaukee) will drop Christian programming for Sports, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal and the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. An exact date for the changeover hasn't been announced. Milwaukee does not currently have a 24-hour sports station: daytimer WAUK/1510 (Waukesha) carries the format from sunrise to sunset, and WTMJ/620 carries sports programming in the evening. (9/2/2004)
WISCONSIN:
Woops! An earlier report that WXXM/92.1 (Sun Prairie-Madison) had formally switched formats was premature. The station continued its Hot AC format at last report, but is expected to switch to Liberal Talk from the Air America network in the near future. (9/1/2004)
MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN/MICHIGAN:
Duluth CBS affiliate KDLH/3 is set to begin a 5 p.m. newscast on Monday, September 13. (9/1/2004)
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