The following are updates to stories previously reported here and other recent FCC filings and actions:
Iowa
Weigel Broadcasting/TV-49 changed the callsign of future low-power TV station KEOF-LD (Fort Dodge) to KPWT-LD and applied to move its transmitter to Algona with 500 Watts.
Minnesota
The FCC approved modifications for Northwestern’s K220BI/91.9 (Grand Marais) and K288BF/105.5 (Grand Marais) to a different tower and operate them both from the same antenna, using 23 Watts non-directional.
Nebraska
The Nebraska Rural Radio Association’s KTIC-FM/107.9 (West Point) is transmitting at 10% of its usual power due to transmitter failure, according to a Nov. 9 request for special temporary authority. KTIC-FM is licensed for a maximized class C2 facility of 33kW/182m.
Ontario
The CRTC has approved upgrades for two repeater signals of North Superior Broadcasting’s CFNO-FM/93.1 (Marathon). CFNO-FM-7 (Nakina) will upgrade from 49 to 110 Watts and CFNO-FM-5 (Longlac) will upgrade from 4 to 125 Watts. Both transmit on 107.1. CFNO operates a half-dozen repeaters in isolated northern Ontario communities, and the upgrades will fill in gaps between the transmitters. The CRTC received no objections to the applications. North Superior has two years to complete the upgrades.
South Dakota
Gray TV informed the FCC that translator K27HJ-D (Pierre) returned to the air at full power on Nov. 9.
Innovative Media Technologies applied to move the transmitter of future low-power TV station K06QJ-D (Sioux Falls) from Sioux Falls to the KSFY-TV site near Rowena, greatly increasing its potential rooftop coverage area. It would transmit with 3kW, the maximum for low-power TV stations on VHF. The station faces a Jan. 10, 2022 construction deadline.
Wisconsin
Magnum Communications parked the WEZY callsign on the former WPDR/1350 (Portage) on Nov. 3, though the radio station continues to use the WPDR callsign as a slogan. Meanwhile, Magnum changed the callsigns of silent low-power TV stations WEZY-LP (Tomah) to WPDR-LP and WBOO-LP (Elk Mound) to WBDL-LP. It said in a Nov. 12 filing that it anticipates turning on WPDR-LP’s new channel 35 digital facility “in the next week.” Magnum is awaiting FCC approval to sell the LPTV stations to QueenB Television.
