September 2017

WISCONSIN:
Wisconsin Public Radio has signed on a new FM signal in Wausau, bringing full-time analog reception of its Ideas Network to the city for the first time. W267BB/101.3 carries the Ideas Network's News/Talk format via the HD3 channel of WHRM/90.9 (Wausau), which carries WPR's NPR News & Classical Music network on its main channel. W267BB was purchased from WRVM Inc. and upgraded to 250 Watts. The Ideas Network is also heard on 54-Watt WLBL-FM/91.9 (Wausau), which shares time with WXPW/91.9 (Wausau). WLBL-FM is on the air weekdays from 3 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 5 p.m. to Midnight, with no Saturday broadcast. (9/30/2017)

AM REVITALIZATION TRANSLATOR APPLICATION UPDATE:
The Upper Midwest has come out largely in the clear after the FCC looked for conflicts among this summer's applications for new FM translators under the AM revitalization window. Out of 108 pending applications in the Upper Midwest, only 11 are in conflict. They are:

MX Group 66: KVTK 102.1 (Vermilion, SD), KYNT 102.1 (Yankton, SD)
MX Group 82: WATK 99.5 (Antigo, WI), WXCO 99.5 (Wausau, WI)
MX Group 83: KFIZ 99.9 (Fond du Lac, WI), WVCY 99.9 (Oshkosh, WI)
MX Group 84: WFDL 93.9 (Fond du Lac, WI), WLAK 93.9 (New Holstein, WI), WOSH 93.9 (Oshkosh, WI)
MX Group 85: WDLS 92.7 (Baraboo, WI), WTTN 92.7 (Madison, WI)
(full national list)

Conflicting applicants now have until November 29 to reach settlement agreements or modify their application to specify a different frequency. Applications that are still in conflict after that date will head to auction. The release of the mutually exclusive list could mean that the FCC will soon act on some of the non-conflicting applications. (9/28/2017)

MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
Hubbard Broadcasting's WDIO-DT (Duluth) and WIRT-DT (Hibbing) have added ION Television on channels 10.3 and 13.3 in 720p HD. ION's launch coincides with the stations' DT2 channel, which carries MeTV, being upgraded to 720p HD, joining the ABC HD signal on DT1. The addition of ION continues a trend of the network adding subchannel affiliates in markets where it doesn't own a primary station.

In other Twin Ports subchannel news, Quincy Media's KBJR-DT3 (Superior-Duluth) has dropped two hours of syndicated programming from 9 to 11 p.m. in favor of more content from Heroes & Icons Network, which now airs 20 hours per day unless pre-empted by local sports broadcasts. KBJR-DT3 is branded "My9" for the MyNetworkTV lineup that runs from 7 to 9 p.m. (9/27/2017)

MINNESOTA:
Red River Broadcast Corporation's FOX affiliates in the Duluth and Fargo markets are now carrying Antenna TV programming from 2 to 5 a.m. The stations, KQDS-TV/21.1 (Duluth) and KVRR/15.1 (Fargo), continue to carry Antenna TV on their DT2 channels, but the addition gives Antenna TV some exposure in households whose provider doesn't carry the network. The classic TV programming replaces a weather loop, which continues in the 5 a.m. hour on both stations. (9/27/2017)

MINNESOTA:
The Center for Communication and Development's KMOJ/89.9 (Minneapolis) has added two HD subchannels, including one simulcasting a central Minnesota station. KMOJ-HD2 is now carrying "the New Urban Hip-Hop sound" as "The Ice," complementing the Adult R&B format heard on KMOJ's main channel. A news release says "The Ice," which will also stream online, targets the 12-24 demographic with "established national and emerging artists from the Twin Cities and beyond." Meanwhile, KMOJ-HD3 is now relaying St. Cloud State University's KVSC/88.1 (St. Cloud), which features student-produced music and news programming. (9/26/2017)

WISCONSIN:
WLAK/1530 (New Holstein) has returned to the air, carrying the same the Oldies format as WGBW/1590 (Denmark-Green Bay) with ABC Information Network news at the top of the hour. WLAK is a 350-Watt daytimer with rimshot coverage of Appleton and Oshkosh from a tower north of Chilton. The stations are owned by Mark Heller. (9/26/2017)

NEBRASKA:
Cochise Broadcasting is donating KHSK/100.9 (Allen) to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska as a result of a consent decree that was reached in May. KHSK is among nine radio stations that Cochise agreed to donate or surrender after an FCC analysis concluded that many of Cochise's stations had sought repeated periods of silence in their last license period. FCC filings indicate KHSK has only been on the air for several days in the past several years. Though KHSK is currently licensed for just 100 Watts, it has in the past had construction permits for a class C3 facility that would have provided rimshot coverage of Sioux City, Iowa, and Vermillion, South Dakota. (9/25/2017)

MINNESOTA:
A celebration of life is set for Oct. 1 for longtime radio station owner John R. Linder, who died Friday, Sept. 22, at the age of 63 following a battle with cancer. Linder spent his entire career in radio, following his father Don and grandfather Harry, and his death comes two years after that of his father.

Linder had an interest in companies that own 17 radio stations in the Mankato, Marshall, Owatonna, Rochester, and Willmar markets, and other members of the Linder family own several more stations in Willmar. Additionally, Linder Farm Network programming airs on two dozen Minnesota stations.

The Linder stations are known for their strong commitment to local programming, bucking the trend of automation and syndication that has dominated the radio industry in recent decades. Linder was also known for treating his employees like family, with longtime KTOE personality Pete Steiner telling the Mankato Free Press that Linder would quietly advance a paycheck for an employee in need.

The celebration of Linder's life will be held at the Chankaska Creek Ranch and Winery in Kasota on Sunday, Oct. 1, from 2 to 5 p.m. More details are available in the obituary on Mankato Mortuary's website. (9/24/2017)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
KBAD-FM/94.5 (Sioux Falls) has gone silent less than two years after signing on with a mainstream Rock format, with owner Chuck Brennan blaming regulatory oversight of his Dollar Loan Center for the shutdown of KBAD and his other businesses. KBAD had launched with much fanfare on Thanksgiving 2015, promising 24-hour live programming and coverage of special events at Brennan's Badlands Pawn complex. The station's website says the KBAD-FM license and its 8,800 square-foot studio/office building are now for sale for minimum bids of $945,000 each. Brennan's Badlands Airtime, LLC purchased the frequency, formerly KCFS, from the University of Sioux Falls for $1.5 million in 2015 and upgraded it to 25kW. The Sioux Falls radio market is dominated by Midwest Communications and Townsquare Media, which both appear to be at the market cap for FM stations. (9/24/2017)

MINNESOTA:
The Minneapolis-based FAN Network has added two affiliates:

In southwestern Minnesota, KWOA/730 (Worthington) and K262AR/100.3 (Worthington) apparently began carrying the network about a month ago. KWOA's website says it carries the FAN Network from 5:30 a.m. to Noon and 3 to 6:30 p.m., with NBC Sports Radio running evenings and overnights. Farm programming runs from Noon to 3 p.m. The station, owned by Absolute Communications II, had previously carried Soft Oldies and Joe Soucheray's syndicated afternoon show. AM 730's 1kW daytime signal has a wide coverage area across the region and can be heard in Sioux Falls, SD.

In north-central Minnesota, Hubbard Broadcasting's KNSP/1430 (Staples) began carrying the FAN Network earlier this month, with ESPN Radio running in evenings and overnights. KNSP had rebroadcast the Country format of KWAD/920 (Wadena) for about a quarter-century, though the stations have overlapping coverage areas. Hubbard stations in Brainerd and Bemidji also carry the FAN Network. (9/22/2017)

MINNESOTA:
The MyNetworkTV lineup is now running later in the Twin Cities. FOX 9+ (WFTC), formerly known as My 29, is now running MyNetworkTV's prime time block of off-network reruns from 9 to 11 p.m. MNT airs from 7 to 9 p.m. Central time in most markets, but has allowed many affiliates to deviate from that time. The lineup had run from 8 to 10 p.m. last season on WFTC. MNT is operated by KMSP/WFTC parent Fox Entertainment Group. (9/20/2017)

WISCONSIN:
W259BC/99.7 (Baraboo) and its originating station, WRPQ/740 (Baraboo), have flipped to Variety Hits as "Max FM," with a playlist heavy on `80s and `90s but also including current and recent hits. The change from Adult Contemporary follows Kory Hartman's purchase of the stations. Baraboo is also the community of license for Entercom Madison Classic Hits outlet WOLX/94.9, which carries a `70s-based playlist. (9/18/2017)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
Independent Communications' KTTW (Sioux Falls) has added Cozi TV on channel 7.3. KTTW is a primary FOX affiliate and also carries This TV on 7.2. Cozi TV had previously been seen in Sioux Falls on Red River Broadcast Co.'s KDLT/46.2, which switched to Antenna TV last year. (9/17/2017)

IOWA/WISCONSIN:
In addition to the Omaha launch reported below, Stadium Network has also launched on channel 28.4 of KFXA (Cedar Rapids), channel 14.4 of WCWF (Suring-Green Bay), and channel 57.4 of WIFS (Janesville-Madison). Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns WCWF and operates KFXA, is a partner in the sports network. WIFS is owned by Byrne Acquisition Group. (9/17/2017)

NORTH DAKOTA:
Midwest Communications has brought the "Jack FM" Classic Hits/Classic Rock format to Fargo, displacing the "Mix 101.9" Adult Contemporary format on KRWK/101.9 (Fargo). RadioInsight reports the format launched at Midnight Tuesday morning (9/12) and notes that Midwest has also reserved Jack FM domain names that could be used in other markets. "Mix" was the only mainstream Adult Contemporary format in the market but lacked the heritage often associated with AC success. 101.9 has been home to several formats in the past two decades, including Country, Rock, and Talk. The format change leaves the Ingstad Adult Top 40 outlet "Big 98-7" (KLTA-FM Moorhead) as the closest thing to AC in Fargo. The "Jack FM" playlist mainly overlaps with two other Ingstad family outlets, Classic Hits station "106.9 The Eagle" (KEGK Wahpeton-Fargo) and Classic Rocker "107.9 The Fox" (KFPX Kindred-Fargo). (9/12/2017)

IOWA/NEBRASKA/WISCONSIN:
Several more Upper Midwest stations have added new subchannel network Light TV, which carries family-friendly classic TV shows. The network first launched in the region on KMSP/9.5 (Minneapolis) over the summer. It's also now on KDMI/19.3 (Des Moines), KWKB/20.2 (Iowa City-Cedar Rapids), and WIWN/68.2 (Fond du Lac-Milwaukee). Light TV replaces The Works on KWKB-DT2 and Evine TV on WIWN-DT2.

Elsewhere, KXVO (Omaha) has added Stadium Network on 15.4. KXVO operator Sinclair Broadcast Group is one of the partners in the network. (9/10/2017)

IOWA:
TV listings indicate FOX 18 (KLJB Davenport) will begin airing a two-hour morning show on Monday, Sept. 18. It'll be the only live local newscast in the 7 to 9 a.m. timeslot, competing with the network morning shows and a repeat of WQAD's morning show on MyTV8.3. KLJB also carries an hour of news at 9 p.m. It's owned by Marshall Broadcasting and operated by Nexstar Broadcasting, which also owns CBS affiliate WHBF/4.1 and CW affiliate KGCW/26.1. (9/7/2017)

MINNESOTA:
Minnesota Public Radio's "The Current" has signed on a third FM signal in Duluth: K231BI/94.1 began carrying the Adult Alternative network last week. It joins the rimshot signal of KZIO/104.3 (Two Harbors), which has carried "The Current" since June, and W215CG/90.9 (Duluth), which first brought the network to the Twin Ports last year. W215CG's programming originates on the HD2 signal of MPR News station WSCN/100.5 (Cloquet-Duluth). MPR bought KZIO and K231BI, which formerly carried an Active Rock format, from Red Rock Radio for $300,000 earlier this year and had taken K231BI off the air while it moved the transmitter to its own tower. The future of 90.9 has not been announced -- its coverage area is within 94.1's, and updated logos on the station's social media accounts do not include 90.9. MPR bought W215CG from Family Stations for $45,000 in 2015. MPR's stations are among nine public radio signals in the Twin Ports/Cloquet area. (9/6/2017)

WISCONSIN:
Milwaukee PBS has eliminated two music channels ahead of the sign-off of one of its two broadcast channels. The Classical and Jazz had aired on channels 36.4 and 36.5 of WMVT (RF channel 35), and the station says its contracts to run the music expired on Aug. 31. WMVT will leave the air Jan. 8 as a result of the spectrum auction, and the station says WMVS (RF 8) will carry all six remaining channels currently seen on WMVS and WMVT. Milwaukee Area Tech College is receiving $84.9 million to take WMVT's transmitter off the air. Milwaukee is the only city in the Upper Midwest lacking a daily Classical music outlet on analog FM radio. (9/5/2017)

WISCONSIN:
A new FM signal has brought a "Party" to suburban Milwaukee. As first reported by RadioInsight, WTKM/1540 (Hartford) has dropped its "Cruisin' 1540" Oldies format in favor of a broad Classic Hits mix as "Party 92.9" simultaneously with the launch of translator W225CP/92.9. WTKM has changed its callsign to WPTT. W225CP transmits from Menomonee Falls with 200 Watts, reaching suburbs including Mequon and Brookfield that are outside of WPTT's main coverage area. W225CP was moved from Saukville as a result of last year's AM revitalization filing window and remains licensed to that community. WPTT/W225CP is owned by Tomsun Media, which also owns unique Classic Country, Polka, and Talk outlet WTKM-FM/104.9 (Hartford). (9/1/2017)