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
Davenport Adventist Radio reported that KRQC-LP/107.9 (Davenport) went off the air July 8 after a lightning strike damaged its transmitter and other components.
As reported here Wednesday, iHeartMedia’s WMT/600 (Cedar Rapids) received special temporary authority to transmit with about 1.25kW nondirectional at night after one of its towers collapsed during the Aug. 10 Iowa Derecho. WMT continues to transmit with 5kW nondirectional daytime.
As reported here Friday, KROS/1340 (Clinton) received special temporary authority to transmit with 300 Watts from a wire antenna after its tower fell during the Aug. 10 Iowa Derecho.
Manitoba
The CRTC renewed Zoomer Media’s licenses for CIIT-DT/35 (Winnipeg) and a TV station in Vancouver. The regulator approved the removal of license conditions that required a minimum amount of programming produced from non-Christian perspectives and expanded the window for Canadian programming to air in the evening hours. However, it denied Zoomer’s requests that the stations be exempt from Canadian programming expenditures.
Minnesota
The FCC granted the Educational Media Foundation’s W225AP/92.9 (St. Paul) a permit to replace its expired permit to move its transmitter from St. Paul back to the Wells Fargo Center in Minneapolis. There, it will use a directional antenna limiting the signal towards KKJM/92.9 (St. Joseph-St. Cloud), which filed a complaint in 2017 that forced W225AP to turn off its previous non-directional Minneapolis facility.
As reported here Tuesday, Asian American Broadcasting’s KFXN/690 (Minneapolis) received special temporary authority to transmit with 120 Watts non-directional daytime after the center tower in its three-tower array collapsed Aug. 10.
Townsquare Media’s KLDJ/101.7 (Duluth) says in a request for special temporary authority that it is transmitting at about half of its usual power due to a failed transmitter tube. The station normally uses 18.5kW/249m, achieving the maximum coverage area for a class C2 station.
Townsquare Media’s WEBC/560 (Duluth) is using its nighttime directional pattern 24 hours per day after suffering damage from “either a lightning strike or significant electrical surge.” Its request for special temporary authority says repairs may take several months. WEBC transmits from a site just outside Superior with 5kW day and night but normally uses a less-restrictive antenna pattern during the day. The nighttime mode limits the signal to Wisconsin and east-central Minnesota but actually sends a stronger signal to Minnesota’s Iron Range.
Nebraska
Eagle Communications’ KQSK/97.5 (Chadron) is back to full power after the collapse of its licensed tower last December. The station had been using an interim 250-Watt facility but is now back up to 100kW/255m (class C1).
VSS Catholic Communications’ KETT/99.3 (Mitchell-Scottsbluff) has completed its upgrade to 2.65kW/258m, class C3. It had previously used 950W/249m (class A). The power increase represents Spirit Catholic Radio’s second upgrade in Scottsbluff this year since its programming had moved from a low-power FM station to KETT in the spring.
South Dakota
Gray TV notified the FCC that KABY-LD/20 (Sioux Falls) returned to the air on Aug. 13. Programming is unknown. KABY-LD bears the callsign of the former Aberdeen TV station but is not related to that now-deleted license. The low-power station is licensed to transmit with 13.2kW from KSFY’s tower near Rowena.
Alpha Media’s KBRK-FM/93.7 (Brookings) is operating at about half of its usual 100kW. The station’s request for special temporary authority says its antenna feedline has been taking on water.
Wisconsin
Baraboo Broadcasting Corp. was granted experimental special temporary authority to launch a low-power digital TV station on channel 16 to replace analog LPTV station W43BR, which must soon leave the air. As mentioned here last month, W43BR is in an extremely rare situation of having been operating under special temporary authority for more than 20 years. The FCC’s geographic restrictions on applications over the years have prevented the station from seeking a digital facility in Baraboo. Owner Kory Hartman discussed the situation in a recent video podcast with the Advanced Television Broadcasting Alliance:
Milwaukee Area Technical College, the owner of Milwaukee Public Television, notified the FCC that WMVS digital replacement translator WMVS-LD has left the air since its former RF channel, 36, is now in use by Class A station WMKE-CD as a result of the spectrum repack. WMVS-LD has a construction permit to move to channel 10. WMVS itself remains on the air on RF channel 8, hosting WMVS/10.1 and WMVT/36.1.
1 thought on “FCC/CRTC Monitor: Neb. Station Back to Full Power, Experimental LPTV Granted in Wis.”
Comments are closed.