NorthPine: Upper Midwest Broadcasting

FCC Monitor: Competing FM App’s Resolved in Iowa, Minn., Neb.

Iowa

St. Gabriel Communications modified its application for a new non-commercial FM station in Mason City to specify 89.3, rather than 89.9, using 150 Watts at 68 meters. The change removes it from competition with Minn-Iowa Christian Broadcasting’s application for a new station on 89.7 in Osage.

Roseland Broadcasting submitted a license to cover application indicating that new low-power TV station K16NY-D (Elk Point, S.D.) has been constructed as authorized. The station transmits with 4.4kW from South Sioux City, Neb., covering Sioux City, Iowa.


Manitoba

The CRTC approved an application from Interlake Mennonite Fellowship Church for a new class A FM station at the church on Okno, using maximum power of 340 Watts at 26 meters above average terrain on 107.9. The proposed station has a tentative callsign of CFCD-FM. As reported here earlier, the station will broadcast a minimum of two hours per week – one in English and one in German. The CRTC denied a request to exempt the station from broadcasting emergency alert messages from the National Public Alerting System but gave it a 180-day extension to implement the system.


Minnesota

The FCC canceled Mako Communications’ construction permit for low-power TV station K21KR-D (Duluth), which was not constructed in the 11 years that the permit was valid.

Innovative Media Technologies informed the FCC that new low-power TV station K26PF-D (St. Cloud) has been constructed as authorized in a permit that was modified shortly before the deadline, using 250 Watts from Albany.

Several applicants for new non-commercial FM stations in northeastern Minnesota modified their applications to remove themselves from competition with each other:


Nebraska

DTV America submitted a license to cover application indicating that KIUA-LD/15 (Lincoln), which actually transmits from a site near Grand Island, has been constructed as authorized. A viewer has reported seeing KIUA on the air carrying Bounce and several infomercial subchannels.

Central Community College’s KCNT/88.1 (Hastings) has completed its downgrade from 2.3kW to 1.2kW.

The FCC approved the transfer of four stations and three translators from Platte River Radio to Flood Communications Tri-Cities, LLC. The stations include KKPR-FM/98.9 (Kearney), KXPN/1460 (Kearney), KHAS/1230 (Hastings), KICS/1550 (Hastings), and FM translators relaying the AM stations.

Several groups filed amendments to their applications for new non-commercial FM stations in southwestern Nebraska as part of a settlement agreement:


North Dakota

Gray TV submitted license to cover applications indicating that new low-power TV stations K28QT-D (Dickinson) and K20PB-D (Williston) have been constructed as authorized. The applications were submitted on Jan. 12, two days after the stations’ construction permits expired; Gray had previously filed requests to toll the deadlines and those requests remain pending along with numerous similar requests from other permittees who faced the same deadline. Programming is unknown. Dickinson and Williston are within the Bismarck market, and Gray also has full-power satellite stations in both communities.

Major Market Broadcasting of North Dakota requested tolling of the Jan. 10 construction deadlines for new low-power TV stations K23MB-D (Minot) and K27LX-D (Minot). The stations’ filings say that the engineer who was slated to complete construction on the weekend before the deadline died unexpectedly on Jan. 7.

Totally Amped LLC submitted an amendment to its application to assign the license of KDXN/105.7 (South Heart-Dickinson) to Glass Works Broadcasting, stating that the seller did not actually begin operating the station on Nov. 1 as had been called for in a local marketing agreement. The sale remains pending.


South Dakota

Tri State Communications LLC’s purchase of KBFS/1450 (Belle Fourche, S.D.) and KYDT/103.1 (Pine Haven, Wyo.) from Ultimate Caps, Inc. closed on Jan. 10.

The FCC canceled Landover 2, LLC’s construction permits for low-power TV stations K19KI-D (Wasta) and K24LL-D (Wasta), saying Landover did not respond to a request for more information after it requested extensions of the permits last year.


Wisconsin

WPVS-LD/9 (Milwaukee) reported that it is now transmitting with 200 Watts. The station had modified an earlier-reported plan to use 7 Watts to specify the higher power. Roseland Broadcasting is awaiting FCC approval to purchase the station from Polnet Communications.

Spirit of Prayer Ministries requested tolling of the Jan. 10 construction deadline for a new low-power TV station on channel 18 in Wausau, which does not have a callsign despite having been granted 11 years ago. The request says the group’s volunteer engineer has continued to battle health issues.

Sinclair Broadcast Group’s WCWF/14.1 (Suring-Green Bay, RF channel 15) applied to rotate is directional antenna by 65 degrees clockwise, a change the station says will add about 50,000 people to its interference-free noise limited service area. It would remain 700kW. The change would strengthen the signal to Oshkosh and Fond du Lac while weakening it the western part of the Green Bay market, which is also served by Wausau stations. WCWF is planned to be the first ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) station in the market, hosting other major network affiliates on its transmitter.

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