October 2009

WISCONSIN:
Two Green Bay/Appleton stations are dressing up as Santa for Halloween. 104.3 "The Breeze" (WECB Seymour) and the simulcast of WROE/94.3 (Neenah) and WRQE/99.7 (Sturgeon Bay) made the switch to all-Christmas on Friday, Oct. 30. WROE/WRQE is continuing is regular Adult Contemporary format online.

It appears this is the earliest Christmas flip ever in the Upper Midwest. Last year, two Milwaukee stations (WRIT/95.7 and WMYX/99.1) flipped on Halloween, which was a Friday, but both were sticking with their regular format as of late Friday night. Once again this year, you can track the Christmas flips right here. (10/30/2009)

MINNESOTA:
105.5 "The Buzzard" (KRBI-FM St. Peter-Mankato) has applied to move its transmitter from St. Peter to North Mankato. It would remain licensed to St. Peter and remain 25kW, increasing its antenna height slightly from 61m to 68m. The Three Eagles Communications station carries a Classic Rock format. (10/30/2009)

MINNESOTA:
Christian Heritage Broadcasting is exercising its right to purchase KCGN-FM/101.5 (Ortonville) from Praise Broadcasting for $250,000. Christian Heritage Broadcasting has actually been running KCGN since Jan. 1, 1999. The station simulcasts "Praise FM" with Christian Heritage Broadcasting's KBHL/103.9 (Osakis) and KBHZ/91.9 (Willmar). (10/29/2009)

IOWA:
Truth Broadcasting Corp. is buying KFFF/1260 and KFFF-FM/99.3 (Boone) from The Faith & Freedom Network, but the sale is unusual in that there is no purchase price. Instead, Truth Broadcasting will assume responsibility for a $20,000 FCC fine against KFFF and pay for operating losses, up to $20,000 monthly, between October and December 2009. The asset purchase agreement states that Truth Broadcasting does not intend to employ any of Faith & Freedom's employees. KFFF AM-FM carries a Christian Talk format. Both stations have fringe coverage of Des Moines, though the AM's signal is a bit stronger in the capital city. Truth Broadcasting is owned by Stuart Epperson of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and owns six stations in North Carolina. The company's Secretary/Treasurer is Nancy Epperson, who holds an interest in Salem Communications. Faith & Freedom Network is owned equally by James Johnson of Stratford, Fred M. Johnson of Boone, E. William Bean of Aguanga, CA, Paul Gugino of West Chester, OH, and Joel Johnson of Tolland, CT. (10/27/2009)

WISCONSIN:
Rich Kirchen of the Business Journal of Milwaukee reports that WJTI/1460 has completed its move from Racine to West Allis. The station, which carries a Latin Adult Contemporary foramt, uses 1kW day and 240W night from the WGLB/1560 (Elm Grove) tower in West Allis. The move should improve WJTI's signal throughout the Milwaukee metro area. (10/27/2009)

WISCONSIN:
The FCC has downgraded the vacant allotment for a future station on 103.1 in Crandon, clearing the way for WGLX/103.3 (Wisconsin Rapids) to add strong coverage of Wausau. WGLX currently uses 100kW/99m from Wisconsin Rapids and has applied for 65kW/244m from the current WLJY/WYTE site near Milladore, which is about 20 miles closer to Wausau. The Crandon allotment will be changed from class C3 (25kW/100m) to class A (6kW/100m). The allotment was originally for a class A station but was upgraded to class C3 when Eclectic Enterprises held a construction permit for the frequency. The Crandon CP was cancelled in 1999. (10/26/2009)

IOWA/NORTH DAKOTA/WISCONSIN:
The FCC has delayed the filing window for new non-commercial stations on reserved frequencies between 92-108 MHz (see earlier story below). Originally scheduled for Dec. 11-18, 2009, it's now set for Feb. 19-26, 2010 after a request from nine groups who said two months was not enough time for non-profit groups to decide whether they are interested and prepare applications. (10/24/2009)

MINNESOTA:
New station WQRN/88.9 (Cook) has signed on carrying Milwaukee-based Christian network VCY/America. The station uses 16kW/70m and its main coverage area includes Cook, Orr, and Tower, with fringe coverage of parts of the Mesabi Iron Range. WQRN signed on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 3:33 p.m. (10/24/2009)

NORTH DAKOTA/MANITOBA:
FOX affiliate KNRR/12 (Pembina) has returned to the air. The Red River Broadcast Co. station, which is a satellite of KVRR/15 (Fargo), left the air in June when full-power analog broadcasting ended. KNRR had previously operated digitally on channel 15 but had to leave that channel to make way for KGFE (Grand Forks). It now broadcasts digitally on channel 12, using the former top-mounted analog antenna, with 4.44kW/427m. Pembina is along the Canadian border, and years ago, the station had tried to appeal to Canadian viewers. However, the station doesn't likely have many viewers across the border now since digital TV signals have not yet signed on in Manitoba. KNRR's U.S. coverage area includes about 25,000 people. (10/24/2009)

ILLINOIS/IOWA:
The Quad City Times reports that the license and equipment of PBS station WQPT/24 (Moline) will be transferred from Black Hawk College to Western Illinois University. The boards of both institutions agreed to the transfer last week. WQPT has been at Black Hawk College since it started in 1983, and will move to WIU's Moline campus. The station recently switched to a more affordable PBS lineup after losing funding from Black Hawk College. (10/22/2009)

MANITOBA:
The CBC has announced changes to its news operations, including a new ten-minute newscast at 10:55 p.m. on CBWT/6 (Winnipeg) and other CBC owned-and-operated stations starting next Monday. The O&O's hadn't previously had a late-night newscast, but expanded early newscasts to 90 minutes earlier this year. Meanwhile, the CBC Newsworld cable channel will change its name to CBC News Network. (10/22/2009)

MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
NBC affiliate KTTC/10 (Rochester) has converted its La Crosse translator to digital. W50DR operates at 15kW, the maximum for low-power/translator stations, theoretically covering a large area including La Crosse, Winona, Caledonia, Rushford, Viroqua, Sparta, and Galesville. Rochester and La Crosse are separate markets, and WEAU/13 (Eau Claire) is the official NBC affiliate for La Crosse. Quincy Newspapers owns both KTTC and ABC affiliate WXOW/19 (La Crosse). Both KTTC and WXOW carry CW+ on subchannels. The La Crosse translator had previously operated in analog on channel 67 as W67CH. KTTC also has a construction permit to convert its Winona translator, K62EV, to digital on channel 43 using 3kW. (10/21/2009)

WISCONSIN:
Zoe Communications is buying translator W228BQ/93.5 (Ladysmith) from Horizon Christian Fellowship for $5,000. Zoe owns three stations based in Shell Lake. The asset purchase agreement mentions plans to rebroadcast one of Zoe's AM stations on the translator, which would require the translator to move because FCC rules prohibit use of a translator to carry an AM station more than 25 miles away or outside the AM station's 2 mv/m contour, whichever is less. Zoe's nearest AM station (WCSW/940 Shell Lake) is about 44 miles from the current W228BQ site. Zoe also recently bought W234BG/94.7 (Chetek-Rice Lake). (10/20/2009)

MINNESOTA:
Detroit Lakes Broadcasting is selling KRCQ/102.3 (Detroit Lakes) to Lake Lida Broadcasting, LLC for $850,000. Lake Lida is owned equally by Christopher A. Bernier of Fond du Lac, WI and Adam Bernier of Eden Prairie, MN and holds a minority interest in Armada Media, which owns 27 radio stations based in Michigan, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Christopher A. Bernier also has an interest in four radio stations in the Fond du Lac area. Detroit Lakes Broadcasting is owned by Ken Buehler of Duluth. (10/16/2009)

NEBRASKA:
Legacy Communications is exercising an option to purchase "Thunder 103.1" (KKJK Ravenna-Grand Island), which it has operated under a time brokerage agreement since the station signed on in 2006. Legacy will pay Community Broadcasting $1.15 million for the station. KKJK carries a Hard Rock format. Legacy's stations include KRGI/1430 (Grand Island), KRGI-FM/96.5(Grand Island), KRGY/97.3 (Aurora), and eleven stations in the North Platte, McCook, and Scottsbluff markets. (10/16/2009)

MINNESOTA:
Northwestern College's KDNW/97.3 (Duluth) has applied for an upgrade from its present 40kW/167m to 72kW/168m. The upgrade would not result in a large increase in coverage area, but would intensify the signal in the Twin Ports metro area, which suffers from interference caused by intermodulation of FM stations transmitting from eight different sites on Observation Hill. KDNW would change from class C2 to class C1 with the upgrade. (10/15/2009)

MINNESOTA:
It may be early 2010 before KTCI-TV/2.3-2.4 (St. Paul) moves to a more powerful transmitter. In a recent filing with the FCC, the Twin Cities Public Television station says equipment for the move to channel 23 won't arrive until Nov. 15 at the earliest and construction will take about 45 days. The FCC granted an extension of KTCI's special temporary authority to continue operating on channel 16 with 50kW until Feb. 17, 2010. KTCI will use 375kW on channel 23, more closely matching the coverage of its counterpart, KTCA-TV/2.1-2.2. KTCA carries the "tpt2" and "tptMN" channels, while KTCI carries "tpt Life" and "tptWX." KTCI, which was on analog channel 17, has always operated digitally on channel 16. It originally planned to move to channel 26 and later petitioned to move to channel 38, but then settled on channel 23. (10/14/2009)

WISCONSIN:
DX-midAMerica reports WOTE/1380 (Clintonville) has reverted to Nostalgia as "The Lounge." The station, formerly WFCL, had flipped to Oldies earlier this year. (10/13/2009)

MINNESOTA:
An unusual dual-DTV transmitter operation has ended in southern Minnesota. ABC affiliate KAAL/6 (Austin) had kept its original channel 33 DTV transmitter (224kW) on the air near Austin, even after going on the air on channel 36 (324kW) from the KXLT tower near Grand Meadow earlier this year. Channel 33 left the air last Friday (10/9). Since the new site is 30 miles east of the old one, KAAL has lost significant coverage to the west of Austin but has improved its signal strength in Rochester, the largest city in the market. It has a construction permit for a digital translator on channel 33 to serve Garner and Mason City, IA. (10/12/2009)

MINNESOTA:
WGPO/90.1 (Grand Portage) signed on last Friday (10/9), relaying WTIP/90.7 (Grand Marais). The 1kW WGPO is intended to fill in areas at the tip of Minnesota's Arrowhead where WTIP's 25kW signal is weak. WTIP, also known as "North Shore Community Radio," is Cook County's only local radio station and offers about ten hours of local programming each weekday, including news and a variety of music. WTIP also operates translator W219CU/91.7 (Gunflint Trail) and has a construction permit for a new 1kW station on 89.1 in Gunflint Lake. (10/12/2009)

WISCONSIN:
Red Rock Radio's WHSM-FM/101.1 (Hayward) has dropped Classic Hits for Adult Contemporary, using Dial Global's AC format outside of the 6-10 a.m. morning show. With the change, Deb Murray joined Hans Evins and Joe Lancello on the "Breakfast Club." The station continues to use the slogan "Magic 101." The switch is a reversal of a flip from AC to Classic Hits made by a previous owner in 2005. Dial Global's Classic Hits format is still heard two counties to the west on Red Rock's WXCX/105.7 (Siren). (10/12/2009)

MICHIGAN:
WLUC/6 (Marquette) has succeeded in getting a lower channel number for its new "FOX UP" subchannel on Charter cable. It's moved from channel 306 to channel 11 in Marquette, Escanaba, Houghton, and Iron Mountain. Green Bay FOX affiliate WLUK had been carried on channel 11 until recently, when it was moved down the dial. In Ironwood and Ontonagon, "FOX UP" is on channel 12, where WJFW/12 (Rhinelander) had been carried until recently. (10/12/2009)

MINNESOTA:
K242AY/96.3 (Walker) is now relaying KAKK/1570, which carries an Oldies format. The 35-Watt translator had relayed KXKK/92.5 (Park Rapids) before the FCC's AM-on-FM transmitter rule took effect. The stations are owned by Edward De La Hunt. (10/9/2009)

WISCONSIN:
WisconsinBroadcasting.com two format changes in Antigo: WATK/900 dropped Country for Soft Oldies while WACD/106.1 dropped Adult Contemporary for Country. Both stations are owned by Bruce Grassman. WACD has a construction permit to upgrade from its current 10kW to 50kW from a tower near Summit Lake, covering Rhinelander. (10/9/2009)

ONTARIO:
Seven years after it originally applied for an upgrade, "Magic 99.9" (CJUK-FM Thunder Bay) has received CRTC approval to upgrade to 250 Watts. The Newcap Broadcasting station, which carries an Adult Contemporary format, has used 37 Watts since it signed on in 2001. While the signal is strong enough to reach car radios across Thunder Bay, CJUK has long argued that it was not strong enough to reach indoor radios in much of the city. The CRTC denied an application to increase CJUK's power to 15kW in 2003, saying the station had not shown an economic or technical need for the changes. This time around, the CRTC found Newcap had "provided compelling evidence that CJUK-FM's authorized technical parameters are not adequate to provide satisfactory service." The upgrade means CJUK's license will change from unprotected low-power status to protected class A1 status. Acadia Broadcasting is in the process of buying CJUK and sister station 105.3 "The Giant" (CKTG-FM) from Newcap. (10/8/2009)

WISCONSIN:
WRPQ/740 (Baraboo) is the latest AM station to get an FM translator in the wake of the FCC's new rule allowing them. WRPQ is rebroadcast on W259BC/99.7 (Baraboo), which uses 8 Watts, enough to cover Baraboo. The station carries an Adult Contemporary format. WRPQ owner Baraboo Broadcasting bought the translator, originally licensed on 99.9 in Mauston, from Edgewater Broadcasting for $21,000 earlier this year. It had been relaying non-commercial WNWC-FM/102.5 (Madison) until Tuesday. (10/7/2009)

IOWA:
Saga Communications, which owns five stations in the Des Moines market, apparently has big plans for an FM translator it's buying in Ames. K260AM/99.9 is currently licensed for 3 Watts covering Ames, but has now received a construction permit for 250 Watts from Alleman, the major transmission site for the Des Moines market. The new 99.9 would have a rimshot signal to part of Des Moines. K260AM's application stated plans to rebroadcast Saga's KSTZ/102.5 (Des Moines), which also transmits from Alleman. Saga is already using translators to relay HD subchannels in markets outside the Upper Midwest. It's also recently picked up translators in Spencer IA, Yankton SD, and Mitchell SD, where it also has stations. (10/5/2009)

IOWA:
Iowa Public Radio is swapping its two hour-long daytime talk shows effective Monday (10/5). "Talk at 12" will move to 10 a.m. and change its name to "The Talk of Iowa," focusing on artistic, cultural, and lifestyle topics. "The Exchange," which focuses on news of the day, will move to Noon. (10/5/2009)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
KKLS/920 (Rapid City) is now being rebroadcast on 180-Watt FM translator K248BT/97.5 (Rapid City). KKLS, owned by Schurz Communications subsidiary New Rushmore Radio, carries Citadel's True Oldies Channel format. It's the second AM-on-FM translator in Rapid City, joining crosstown Classic Country KIMM/1150, which is rebroadcast on K294BT/106.7. (10/3/2009)

MANITOBA:
The CBC reports western Manitoba is about to lose its only local TV station. CKX-TV/5 (Brandon) will shut down after its 6 p.m. newscast tonight (10/2), leaving 39 people out of work. Viewers in the Brandon market, which has a population of about 124,000, will now receive only TV newscasts from Winnipeg and other parts of the country. CKX-TV had been on the air since 1955 and was the only local station in Manitoba outside of Winnipeg.

The closure comes after two deals for CTVglobemedia to sell the station for $1 fell through: first, Shaw Communications, then, Bluepoint Media. Bluepoint owner Bruce Claasen told Marketing Magazine that the purchase was not viable because his company could not get assurance that CKX-TV would ever be carried on satellite, which reaches 54 percent of homes in western Manitoba.

CKX-TV had been a CBC affiliate but had already lost its affiliation. Winnipeg CBC station CBWT is already available on cable and satellite, but it's not clear whether CBC will establish broadcast coverage to replace CKX-TV. (10/2/2009)

IOWA:

Longtime KIOA (Des Moines) DJ Richard "Dic" Youngs has died at 68. Youngs got his first shot at radio at the age of 16 when he won an amateur DJ contest at KSO/1460. He moved to KIOA, where he stayed for nearly 42 years as the station transitioned from a Top 40 format on 940 to an Oldies format on 93.3. Youngs also raised more than $500,000 for the Variety Club in a series of 50-hour radiothons, and hosted 26 Rock N' Roll Reunions at the Iowa State Fair. After leaving the KIOA afternoon slot in 2007, which he later alleged was a forced retirement, Youngs continued to host a Saturday night show on KRNT/1350.

Video provided by Des Moines Register

A public visitation will be held at Prairie Meadows on Sunday, Oct. 4 from Noon-2 p.m., followed by a private burial. KIOA has posted memories and an aircheck of his last show, and here's more coverage from the Des Moines Register, KCCI, and WHO-TV. (10/2/2009)

MINNESOTA:
The University of Minnesota's "Radio K" (KUOM/770 Minneapolis) is now broadcasting on two FM translators 24 hours a day, thanks to a new FCC rule taking effect today allowing FM translators to relay AM stations. The translators, K283BG/104.5 (Minneapolis) and W264BR/100.7 (Falcon Heights), had previously relayed KUOM-FM/106.5 (St. Louis Park). KUOM-FM carries "Radio K" but shares time with St. Louis Park High School's KDXL/106.5, which uses the frequency during during school days. 104.5 transmits from the U's Rarig Center, while 100.7 transmits from the 770 tower in Falcon Heights. The "Radio K" College Alternative format launched in 1993 on 770, which broadcasts from 6 a.m. to sunset. KUOM-FM was added in 2003, followed by 100.7 in 2005 and 104.5 earlier this year. (10/1/2009)