October 2000

NEBRASKA:
WOW is no more. (It's actually been gone for a few weeks.) A year after changing WOW/590 to KOMJ, Journal Broadcasting has changed WOW-FM to "Kiss Country 94.1" as KSSO. WOW had been around since the age of three-letter callsigns in the 1920s. (10/25/2K)

MINNESOTA:
The construction permit for the new station on 94.1 in Red Lake has been give the call letters WRLN. (10/25/2K)

MINNESOTA:
"CD107.7" (KLCX St. Charles-Rochester) has dropped its locally originated Classic Hits format in favor of satellite-delivered Oldies (not ABC). The new name is "Oldies 107.7" and the format can be heard from their old website. Sister station KOLM/1520 had been broadcasting satellite Oldies; no word yet if that format has continued. (10/24/2K)

MINNESOTA:
The licensee of WLKX/95.9 (Forest Lake) is changing hands again. The FCC had already approved the transfer of control of Lakes Broadcasting to Polaris Communications of Salt Lake City. Then Eddie Cary, who currently controls Lakes Broadcasting, applied to transfer control of the company to Homenet, Inc., of Las Vegas. That application has also been approved. (10/23/2K)

WISCONSIN:
After six years using Jones Radio Network's Country format as "US96", WUSK/96.1 (Tomah) has switched to Jones' Hot Adult Contemporary format as "Mix 96." The call letters have also changed to WXYM. The owner of the station, Magnum Radio, also owns "Mix 106" (WNNO-FM/106.9 Wisconsin Dells), which also carries Jones' Hot AC format. (10/23/2K)

NEBRASKA:
Three Eagles is selling KROR/101.5 (Hastings) to Eternal Broadcasting. (10/23/2K)

MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
Salem Communications is buying former Catholic Family Radio stations WWTC/1280 (Minneapolis) and WZER/540 (Jackson-Milwaukee) for a combined $7 million. Salem already owns KKMS/980 and KYCR/1570 in the Twin Cities but has no other stations in Milwaukee. (10/23/2K)

MINNESOTA:
Lifetalk Broadcasting Association has been granted a translator on 89.7 in St. Francis using the call letters K209DF. The 27-Watt translator will relay 200-Watt KLRO Nile, WA, via satellite. (10/23/2K)

NORTH DAKOTA:
Paulino Bernal Evangelism has been granted translator K216FK/91.1 (Bismarck). The translator will relay KCZO Carrizo Springs, Texas. (10/23/2K)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
The Calvary Chapel of Twin Falls, Idaho, has been granted two more trantslators: K205ED/88.9 (Aberdeen) and K201HB/88.1 (Mina). Both will rebroadcast KAWZ Twin Falls, Idaho. (10/23/2K)

MINNESOTA:
WCCO-TV anchor Don Shelby will take on a second job next week when he takes over the 3-5 p.m. slot on WCCO/830. Shelby will continue to anchor the 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts on channel 4. Shelby was quoted in WCCO's press release: "The show will give me the freedom to take some of the topical news of the day and give it an edginess that is not available on radio in the Twin Cities or within a television news format." Al Malmberg, WCCO's afternoon drive host for the last eight months, will return to the overnight shift. WCCO Radio will also simulcast WCCO-TV's 5 p.m. newscast, followed by a half hour of its own news at 5:30. (10/17/2K)

MINNESOTA:
The Red Lake Band of Chippewa has been granted a 100kW station on 94.1 in Red Lake. The station will be the only one in the state owned by a native group. (10/17/2K)

MINNESOTA:
FOX29 (WFTC) has been granted a construction permit for its digital station on channel 21. (10/17/2K)

IOWA:
KTIV/4 (Sioux City) has hired Chad Nichols as a reporter and weathercaster. (10/17/2K)

NEBRASKA/SOUTH DAKOTA:
Meteorologist Scott Akin is moving from KDLT/46 (Sioux Falls) to WOWT/6 (Omaha). (10/17/2K)

NORTH DAKOTA:
Grand Forks TBN affiliate K22DQ has become K49FF. (10/17/2K)

MINNESOTA:
The Twin Cities' NBC and PAX affiliates will be jointly operated under another joint sales agreement announced by Paxson Communications. Paxson and Gannett, owner of KARE 11 (NBC), have reached an agreement whereby Gannett's six NBC affiliates will sell advertising and provide programming on the PAX affiliates in their markets. In addition, KARE newscasts will be repeated on PAX affiliate KPXM/41. KARE is the second station in the market to take on a smaller partner, although unlike KSTP-TV's common ownership with KSTC, KARE will only be 'renting' KPXM. With KPXM to begin repeating KARE's newscasts and FOX 29 (WFTC) slated to begin its own news operation next spring, WB23 (KMWB) will be the only station left in the market without a news presence. (10/13/2K)

MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
J.J. Kincaid is leaving the overnight/swing shift at KDWB/101.3 to become the Assistant Program Director, Music Director, and afternoon host at Z104 (WZEE Madison). His last show at KDWB will be on October 27. (10/12/2K)

IOWA:
Paxson Communications has entered a joint sales agreement with the New York Times Company, owner of WHO-TV/13 (NBC, Des Moines), to operate Des Moines PAX affiliate KFPX/39 (Newton). WHO will sell advertising and market KPFX. KFPX will also air rebroadcasts of some WHO newscasts. Additionally, the Times Company will oversee day-to-day operation of KPFX' programming. The company has a Digital Operating Center in Norfolk, VA, where programming for all eight of the Times stations is controlled and monitored. (10/12/2K)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
KAUN/36 (Sioux Falls) is on the air as a PAX affiliate. The 2630kW station, owned by the Iowa Teleproduction Center, is the sixth commercial station in the market. (10/10/2K)

IOWA:
Clear Channel is entering Sioux City with the purchase of Chesterman Communications' stations: KMNS/620, KWSL/1470, KGLI/95.5, KSEZ/97.9, and KSFT-FM/107.1. (10/10/2K)

NORTH DAKOTA/MINNESOTA:
KNDK, Inc. is being transferred from Bert and Lyle Johnson to Robert and Diane Simmons. The company owns KNDK/1080 and KNDK-FM/95.7 (Langdon), as well as KRWB/1410 (Roseau). (10/10/2K)

MINNESOTA:
There's been some channel swapping in Willmar as UHF-TV, Inc. moves some of its stations to get out of the way of new digital stations. Here are the changes: K38CV (All News Channel) becomes K39FE, K50AG (KARE) becomes K20GD, K62FG (KMWB) becomes K36FL, K66DN (The Weather Channel) becomes K52GK, and K40BR (WFTC) becomes K54GG. (10/10/2K)

MINNESOTA:
KFML/94.1 (Little Falls) has upgraded from 3kW to 6kW. (10/10/2K)

WISCONSIN:
WWLC/104.9 (Balsam Lake) has changed to WLMX and dropped "StarStation 104.9" in favor of "Mix 105." The switch was made to reflect the recent change in management, and the format has not changed. (10/8/2K)

WISCONSIN:
Razor 94.7 (WZOR Mishicot-Green Bay) has been granted an upgrade from 6kW to 25kW. (10/7/2K)

MINNESOTA:
Kyle Kaine of KRBR/102.5 (Superior-Duluth) is the host of "Modern Rock Twin Cities," a new show which began airing a few weeks ago on the Metro Cable Network in the Twin Cities and also airs on KDUL-LP/12 (Duluth) Friday nights at 10:30. The show is produced by Jet Blast Media and feature music videos and interviews from both local and national musical acts. (10/7/2K)

MINNESOTA:
PAX-affiliate-to-be K56FH (Duluth) will be known as KWMN-LP when it signs on. (10/7/2K)

IOWA:
Several movements and new faces at WQAD/8 (Moline-Quad Cities): Jim Mertens moves from reporter to 6:30 news anchor, and Julie Sisk and Jennifer Pascua join the station as reporters. (10/7/2K)

MINNESOTA:
Granite Broadcasting, the parent company of Duluth NBC affiliate KBJR/6, has been granted a construction permit for a full-power station on channel 11 in International Falls. KBJR had previously indicated that the station would serve as a satellite for KBJR. The station will transmit from east of Little Fork along Highway 217, using the full power allowed for VHF-high stations (316kW) at an antenna height of 147m. Though the station's coverage area will be sparsley populated, it make KBJR's signal easier to receive and will fill in gaps between current low-power translators, as well as expand KBJR's coverage into southwestern Ontario. Granite has three years to get the station on the air. (10/3/2K)

IOWA:
Meteorologist David Paul is moving from KIMT/3 (Mason City) to WQAD/8 (Moline). (10/3/2K)

WISCONSIN:
Cynthia Kaump has joined FOX11 WLUK (Green Bay) as a general assignment reporter. (10/3/2K)

WISCONSIN/MINNESOTA:
The FCC has approved the plan to move WIXK-FM/107.1 (New Richmond) into the Twin Cities, except part of the reason for the approval is that the station is not moving into the Twin Cities. Confused? Here's the FCC's reasoning: WIXK applied to change its community of license to Coon Rapids, a Twin Cities suburb, and provided information that Coon Rapids was not part of the "Minneapolis-St. Paul Urbanized Area," which was accepted by the FCC. (The FCC does not usually approve moving stations from rural areas to urban areas.) Interestingly, KOOL 108 (KQQL), one of the Twin Cities major stations, is licensed to Anoka, which is immediately west of Coon Rapids. WIXK-FM will move it's transmitter to Lino Lakes, using a power of 32kW at an antenna height of 175m (the equivalent to a traditional 50kW station). That will provide 107.1 with city-grade coverage of the entire Twin Cities. The upgrade will also require KBFH/107.1 (Moose Lake) to be moved to 106.9. Here's the FCC's Report and Order. Earlier this year, the FCC approved Hubbard Broadcasting's purchase of WIXK/1590 and WIXK-FM/107.1. (10/2/2K)

IOWA:
WPRE/980 (Prairie du Chein) has stopped rebroadcasting WQPC/94.3 in favor of an Oldies format called "Cruisin' 980." Most of the programming comes from Westwood One's "Oldies Channel" format, with an hour of local news and information in the morning. The new format debuted on September 28 at 11 a.m. (10/2/2K)