The following are updates to stories previously reported here, and smaller recent FCC filings that do not merit a full story of their own at this time:
Iowa
Minnesota Public Radio’s KLNI/88.7 (Decorah) went off the air July 20 due to electrical work at its transmitter site. 100-Watt KLNI carries MPR’s News network, which is also carried on 115-Watt K242BW/96.3 (Decorah), transmitting from a different site. K242BW apparently remains on the air. The translator actually has a larger coverage area due to its higher power and antenna height.
Edge Spectrum’s K20KF-D (Davenport) notified the FCC that it went silent July 3 due to the spectrum repack. The station, which transmits from midway between Davenport and Iowa City, has a construction permit to move to channel 33. The filing says the licensee has a number of stations involved in the repack process and is preparing to purchase equipment and schedule installations. K20KF was last known to carry Three Angels Broadcasting Network.
Minnesota
Hmong Radio Broadcast closed on its purchase of K294AM/106.7 (West St. Paul) from Fresh Air, Inc. A post on the buyer’s Facebook page indicates they will be using the HD3 signal of KQGO/96.3 (Edina) to originate programming for K294AM, which is a change from what had been previously listed on an FCC application.
Edge Spectrum tells the FCC that its nine low-power TV stations in Minnesota went silent July 3 due to the spectrum auction repack. They are: K44GH-D (Alexandria), K48KJ-D (Geneva), K38MM-D (International Falls), K43JE-D (Lake Crystal), KHVM-LD/48 (Minneapolis), KTCJ-LD/50 (Minneapolis), K47JE-D (Olivia), K43MH-D (Vesta), and K47JC-D (Wadena). All have construction permits to move to new channels and the filing says the licensee is preparing to purchase equipment and schedule installations. All except the Minneapolis stations had carried the Three Angels Broadcasting Network.
The FCC approved the transfer of KSMR/92.5 (Winona) and K232CZ/94.3 (Winona) from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota to Real Presence Radio.
Nebraska
Alpha Media’s KZEN/100.3 (Central City-Grand Island) is operating at reduced power due to wind damage to its antenna. The station tells the FCC that the damaged sections have been removed and it is now operating at half of its usual 100kW. The filing says repairs will take “weeks to months due to the difficulty of scheduling tower crews at this time.” KZEN normally has the largest FM coverage area in Nebraska with its 100kW at 562m facility, nearly the maximum allowed.
KMMJ/750 (Grand Island) went silent Aug. 1 amid its planned transfer to MyBridgeRadio. The transfer remains pending at the FCC.
Edge Spectrum’s K49LK-D (North Platte) went silent July 3.
North Dakota
Edge Spectrum’s K43JQ-D (Bismarck) and K42IM-D (Minot) went silent July 3.
Wisconsin
Quincy Media’s WMOW/4.1 (Crandon) returned to the air after rebuilding its facility simultaneously with the spectrum auction repack frequency change. It now transmits on RF channel 13. WMOW is a satellite of ABC/CW affiliate WAOW (Wausau).
Edge Spectrum’s W39CV-D (Minocqua) went silent July 3.
Magnum Communications closed on its purchase of WKCH/106.5, WSJY/107.3, and WFAW/940 (Fort Atkinson) from NRG Media. Dave Magnum said in a news release announcing the closing that he has dreamed of owning WSJY’s large signal since he first started in radio. “Now 40 years later, my two sons, Reid and Ty, and our co-workers are privileged to have that opportunity. We’re pinching ourselves because if we had been able to create a signal from scratch to finish connecting our stations across Wisconsin, we couldn’t have drawn up a better one than WSJY,” Magnum said.