IOWA:
The FCC has denied the Educational Media Foundation's application to change the community of license for a western Iowa station. KILV/107.5 (Castana, population 147), which carries EMF's "K-Love" network and has a rimshot signal to Sioux City, would have changed its community of license to Whiting (population 762) but kept its current transmitter site and 25kW facility. (Whiting is in the same county as Castana and is already the community of license for Powell Broadcasting's KKYY/101.3, which targets the Sioux City market). Though KILV is the only station licensed to Castana and the FCC generally doesn't allow changes that remove a community's only radio license, EMF argued that Castana should no longer be considered a community for allotment purposes due to its dwindling population and lack of businesses and full-time government employees. The FCC disagreed, noting that Castana is still incorporated and its population was already tiny when KILV signed on in 2001. Since KILV's coverage area would not change and stations are not required to target programming to their community of license, EMF's motivation for wanting to move KILV's icense is not completely clear. The application mentions EMF's desire to be in contact with more community leaders, though KILV would still not have had any local programming. (12/31/2017)
WISCONSIN (UPDATED):
Several Milwaukee TV stations are coordinating upcoming changes as part of the FCC's spectrum auction repack, which will eventually affect almost every station in the market. According to notices posted on the station's websites and/or FCC filings, the following changes will take place on Jan. 8:
Sinclair Broadcast Group's WCGV/24.1 will end transmissions on RF channel 25. WCGV's programming will originate on the RF 18 transmitter of sister station WVTV, with WCGV "My 24" programming appearing on virtual channel 24.1 and Comet appearing on 24.2. WVTV will continue to use virtual channel 18.1 for its CW affiliaton. 18.2 currently airs getTV, which will be temporarily replaced by a simulcast of "My 24" for two weeks starting Jan. 2, along with a temporary two-week simulcast of Comet on 18.3. Wikipedia entries claim Grit, which has been seen on WCGV-DT3 (24.3), will move to Scripps' WTMJ-DT4 (4.4), but do not cite a source.
Wisconsin Voice of Christian Youth's WVCY-TV/30.1 will end transmissions on RF channel 22. WVCY's programming will originate on the RF channel 33 transmitter of Tribune's WITI-TV under a channel-sharing agreement.
Milwaukee Area Technical College's WMVT/36.1 will end transmissions on RF channel 35. WMVT's programming will originate on the RF 8 transmitter of sister station WMVS. As previously reported here, the lineup will be: 10.1 PBS, 10.2 Create, 10.3 PBS Kids, 36.1 PBS, 36.2 PBS World, and 36.3 Weather, with all of those channels actually coming from VHF channel 8. WMVS has applied for a power increase from 32kW to 70kW.
Weigel Broadcasting, which currently has two full-power stations and two low-power stations in Milwaukee, will shift channels on several of its transmitters as a result of its WMLW-TV/49.1 (Racine) ending transmissions on RF channel 48. WMLW's programming will originate on the weaker RF 24 transmitter of sister station WBME-CD. WBME will continue to carry MeTV on virtual channel 41.1. The WMLW-TV transmissions originating on WBME's transmitter will be 49.1 "The M" Independent, 49.2 Bounce, 49.3 H&I, and 49.4 Decades. The Telemundo simulcast that had been seen on 49.4 will instead be seen on channel 58.4, swapping positions with Decades. WDJT will continue to carry CBS on 58.1, a MeTV simulcast on 58.2, and ThisTV on 58.3. WYTU-LD/63.1 also carries Telemundo but is slated to be displaced from its RF 17 transmission by a relocated WBME-CD later in the repack; it's unclear whether WYTU-LD will get a different RF channel. (Note: Weigel has changed its announced plans for the H&I and Decades channel positions since this item was first posted.)>/cite>
WTMJ-TV, WITI, WISN-TV, WVTV, WPXE-TV, WDJT, WBME-CD, and WMKE-CD will also be required to change RF channels at later points during the spectrum auction repack but are keeping their bandwidth. (12/28/2017, updated 1/4/2018) MINNESOTA: However, Selective TV warns in the same post announcing the addition of WCCO that its entire system may leave the air if fundraising continues to fall short. The system consists of 15 low-power TV stations, some of which act as translators for Twin Cities commercial stations and the Appleton and Brainerd PBS stations. Other channels carry national networks including MSNBC, Reelz Channel, and Retro TV, as well as the separately-owned "KOOL-TV" channel carrying local programming and reruns. (12/26/2017) MINNESOTA: In southern Minnesota, KEYC-TV (Mankato) says translator K38MY-D (St. James) has gone off the air because it was not able to reach a new tower lease. KEYC's main channel 12 signal, carrying CBS and FOX, already blankets the St. James area, but the translator helped get KEYC's signal to viewers whose antennas are pointed at the other St. James translators owned by the Cooperative TV Association of Southern Minnesota. (12/26/2017) WISCONSIN: IOWA/NEBRASKA/WISCONSIN: SOUTH DAKOTA: MINNESOTA: IOWA: MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN: Meanwhile, W277CW/103.3 (New Richmond, WI) has signed on relaying the Hmong-language format of WIXK/1590 (New Richmond). W277CW transmits with 250 Watts from WIXK's transmitter site south of New Richmond, delivering a fringe signal to the eastern metro. The translator was moved west from Medford, WI, as a result of last year's AM revitalization window.
For a complete listing of all of the low-power FM stations in the metro, visit the Twin Cities Class D/LPFM Stations page. (12/13/2017) SOUTH DAKOTA: IOWA: WISCONSIN: Heartland Communications, which then owned the full-power AM-FM combo in Park Falls, filed a petition to deny W272AY's license renewal application in 2012. Heartland submitted affadavits from listeners who said that on multiple dates in 2012, W272AY split off to carry its own "Oldies" music when WIMI was airing the Packers. (Heartland had the rights to carry the Packers games on one of its stations.)
Tea-Visz responded that since it was prohibited from rebroadcasting the Packers games, it intended to have W272AY go silent when the Packers were playing. Instead, Tea-Visz says WIMI's engineer wired the feed going to W272AY to go to music when the Packers were on WIMI, but the engineer changed the setup when he realized the error.
While the FCC Media Bureau's Audio Division found Tea-Visz apparently liable for $4,000 for the program origination violation, it found Heartland did not prove other allegations about FCC notifications and a relationship between the owners of W272AY and WIMI. Tea-Visz has 30 days to pay the fine or seek a reduction or cancellation. (12/5/2017) IOWA: ONTARIO: IOWA:
Alexandria's over-the-air Selective TV system has added CBS affiliate WCCO-TV (Minneapolis) to its lineup ahead of the sign-off of WCCO satellite KCCO-TV/7 (Alexandria). KCCO-TV is slated to permanently leave the air at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 30 (late night Friday) after owner CBS sold its bandwidth in the FCC spectrum auction for $9,987,598. (See the earlier writeup for a history of KCCO.) Selective TV is apparently relaying WCCO-TV on K32EB-D, remapping to virtual channels 4.1 (CBS) and 4.2 (Decades).
Several Minnesota TV translators have gone off the air in recent days. In northern Minnesota, the translator system in the small community of Orr has gone off the air, citing financial difficulties. K24JR-D, K26KM-D, and K28LN-D are owned by Orr Area Minneonto II and had carried WRPT-PBS, WIRT-ABC, and KQDS-FOX. Minneonto Television had constructed the system in the late 1950's as part of a chain relaying Duluth TV signals north to Borderland. Minneonto's former Kabetogama and International Falls translators remain on the air under the ownership of Koochiching County.
After more than a month of stunting with Christmas music, Cumulus Media's WKRU/106.7 (Allouez-Green Bay) has relaunched as "106-7 The Big Dog, Green Bay's Classic Rock." It replaces Adult Alternative "Kruz @ 106-7" and directly takes on Woodward Communications' heritage Classic Rocker WAPL-FM/105.7 (Appleton). "The Big Dog" includes the syndicated Bob & Tom morning show, which was heard in the market on WRQE/93.5 (New London) up until several years ago (though Bob Kevoian has retired from the show since it was last heard in the area). 106.7 had also carried a Classic Rock format as "The Eagle" for several years around the turn of the century. The new format began at 6 p.m. Christmas Day but had some launch issues - most songs for the first hour were distorted on the web stream, and a source reported distorted sound on the air as well. (12/25/2017)
Several stations in Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin are part of a proposed $13.3 million fine against Sinclair Broadcast Group for alleged violations of sponsorship identification rules. The fine is the largest ever proposed for such a violation, covering more than 1,700 instances in which Sinclair stations allegedly broadcast paid news stories or full-length programs without proper disclosures. The Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture says CBS affiliate KGAN/2.1 (Cedar Rapids) is accused of 30 violations, FOX affiliate KFXA/28.1 (Cedar Rapids) is accused of 29 violations, FOX affiliate WLUK/11.1 (Green Bay) is accused of 29 violations, and ABC affiliate KHGI/13.1 (Kearney) is accused of 21 violations, all in 2016. Most of the alleged violations are for paid news stories for Huntsman Cancer Institute that aired in local newscasts. (A paid news story is different from routine sponsorships in which the advertiser gets a commercial and billboard near a feature story or segment but does not control the editorial content.) Sinclair has 30 days to either pay the fine or seek a reduction or cancellation. The NAL comes as Sinclair seeks federal approval to buy Tribune Broadcasting. (12/21/2017, added Nebraska 12/22)
The FCC has granted the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe a construction permit for a new commercial FM station on 93.5 in Eagle Butte. The class C1 station, which has already been assigned the callsign KIPI, will use 100kW/203m. It will serve a large area of tribal lands in north-central South Dakota that have few other radio options. The West River Eagle reports that that the tribe hopes to sign the station on in the spring of 2018, and that it has obtained grants from several groups to help cover the $1.3 million construction cost. KIPI will carry music and cultural programming, with additional educational programming on an HD2 channel. (12/20/2017)
The Tom Barnard Show is coming to Duluth, according to a news release from KDAL/610. The station will carry the show from 5 to 8 p.m. beginning Jan. 2. The Tom Barnard Show, which is separate from Barnard's longtime top-ranked morning show on KQRS/92.5 in the Twin Cities, is a WestwoodOne podcast and has been heard on WBHR/660 (Sauk Rapids-St. Cloud) and KVBR/1340 (Brainerd) since last summer. On KDAL, Barnard will displace part of Patrick Reusse's Twin Cities-based show. KDAL is owned by Midwest Communications and is rebroadcast on W280FB/103.9 (Duluth). (12/19/2017, added WBHR 1/2)
The FCC has cancelled the license of a south-central Iowa radio station despite last-minute efforts by another area station to keep it alive. KMYQ/97.1 (North English) had been silent and faced a Sept. 28 deadline to return to the air. Though KMYQ's prospective buyers in Oskaloosa provided documentation that KMYQ returned to the air at full power on Sept. 27, the FCC had another concern: Whether KMYQ was actually on the air between 2013 and 2016. In October, the FCC's Audio Division sent the licensee a letter asking him to provide documentation that the station had been on the air, citing concerns about its frequent requests for special temporary authority to remain silent. Federal law says that stations automatically lose their license if they're silent for more than one year. The FCC now says in a Dec. 15 letter that the licensee failed to provide adequate documentation that KMYQ had been on the air, and that its license actually expired as a matter of law in 2014. (12/18/2017)
A few new FM signals have recently signed on in the greater Twin Cities area. New Culture Center in the Midwest applied for a license to cover new low-power FM station KQEP-LP/97.9 (St. Paul), which transmits from 90 Watts from a U of M-owned building on University Avenue. The station provides a strong signal to portions of St. Paul and Minneapolis. New Culture Center in the Midwest is a group "committed to preserving and sharing traditional Chinese culture." (Incidentally, the FCC has deleted the construction permit for another station that was to use 97.9, WRYA-LP Minneapolis, because it was not constructed by its Dec. 5 deadline.)
A belated note of some channel changes and additions: In Rapid City, the CW affiliation moved from Rapid Broadcasting's KNBN-DT2/21.2 to Nexstar's KCLO-DT2/15.2 in September, but stayed on the same cable channel. KNBN, which is a primary NBC affiliate, switched 21.2 to MyNetworkTV, which it had previously carried on an analog low-power TV station. KCLO, a primary CBS affiliate, moved Ion from its DT2 to DT3. Meanwhile, KCLO and Nexstar's KELO-TV/11 (Sioux Falls) also added Escape on their DT4 channels. (12/12/2017)
Nexstar Broadcasting's WOI-DT/5 (Ames-Des Moines) has asked the FCC for permission to replace its VHF Low transmitter with a UHF transmitter. The ABC affiliate, which currently transmits on RF channel 5, would move to RF channel 34 with 835kW/566m from the TV tower farm north of Des Moines. It could continue to remap to virtual channel 5. The move is possible because Family Educational Broadcasting returned the license of KEFB/34 (Ames) last year and the channel was not reassigned to anyone else in the spectrum auction repack. As part of its application, WOI-DT submitted documentation of 66 complaints of reception problems. Digital TV stations transmitting on VHF Low (channels 2-6) are often difficult to receive with indoor antennas and are also susceptible to interference from electronic devices and power tools, as well as e-skip interference in more remote parts of the viewing area. Most former analog VHF Low stations chose to relocate to UHF in the digital transition, and WOI-DT is the only Iowa-licensed TV station still broadcasting on VHF Low (it was under different ownership at the time of the transition). Nexstar also owns CW affiliate KCWI/23.1 (Ames-Des Moines), which already transmits on UHF. (12/8/2017)
NOTE: WOI-DT's application was dismissed by the FCC on Dec. 21 with no reason listed in the FCC's public database.
The FCC has fined a northern Wisconsin FM translator station owner $4,000 for originating programming on the translator in what the owner says was an engineer's error. Tea-Visz, Inc. owns W272AY/102.3 (Park Falls), which relays J&J Broadcasting's WIMI/99.7 (Ironwood, MI).
The Classic Hits format at Saga Broadcasting's KIOA/93.3 (Des Moines) now has an `80s base with some songs from the `70s and `90s, recognizing an progression of the format heard on many Classic Hits outlets as time marches on. The refresh marks a continued evolution for a brand that has been on the FM dial since 1990, when it had a standard Oldies playlist running from the late `50s to 1972. Most of those songs are now heard on sister station "Pure Oldies 104.5." (12/3/2017)
The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. has applied to move its CBC Radio One station in Ear Falls, CBOI, from AM to FM. The current 40-Watt transmitter on AM 690 would be replaced by a 50-Watt signal on FM 95.5. Ear Falls' only other radio signal, a rebroadcaster of commercial Adult Contemporary outlet CKDR-FM (Dryden), recently moved its signal from AM to FM 97.5, also with 50 Watts. CBOI is considered a secondary transmitter of CBQT (Thunder Bay), though CBC Radio One stations in the Central time zone actually carry some of CBQT's programming on a one-hour delay and also carry the 5 p.m. hour of programming from CBW (Winnipeg). CBOI's move to FM is estimated to cost $90,000. The CBC has a number of other low-power AM repeaters in northern Ontario, some of which have authorization to move to FM. (12/3/2017)
Iowa Public Television has launched a fourth broadcast channel, essentially splitting up a hybrid channel that had carried children's programming during the evening and the Create network during other hours. On Dec. 1, the former "IPTV Learns" on DT2 became PBS Kids, with Create moving to a new DT4 channel fulltime. World Channel remains on DT3. The network reaches the entire state with nine full-power transmitters and a handful of translators. IPTV said Mediacom customers should be able to find the new PBS Kids on channel 794 by Dec. 6. (12/2/2017)
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