The following are updates to previously-reported items and other recent regulatory filings and actions concerning Upper Midwest broadcast stations. This report is created by the author and is not an official report of the FCC.
Iowa
HC2/DTV America’s KFKZ-LD/35.1 (Cedar Falls, RF 32) informed the FCC that it went off the air July 12 due to lightning damage to its transmission line.
Edge Spectrum informed the FCC that new low-power TV stations K22LJ-D (Mason City), K35PA-D (Mason City), and K31PP-D (Sioux City) have been constructed as authorized. Programming is unknown.
The FCC approved Gray TV’s application to move the transmitter of K30QY-D (Oakland, MN) to the Mason City area with 15kW. K30QY is currently licensed to transmit with 800W from a site near Northwood.
Lowcountry 34 Media applied to downgrade K27LD-D (Salix) to 200W. In the application, Lowcountry acknowledged that its “currently licensed site cannot support permanent station operations.”
William Penn University’s KWPU/90.5 (Oskaloosa) was granted an upgrade from 1kW/54m to 3.9kW/53m.
Honey Creek Broadcasting says work on a new facility for KMGO/98.7 (Centerville) is now scheduled for early fall, if weather and crew availability permit. KMGO requested another extension of special temporary authority to transmit with 19.5kW/124m from a site near Melrose, which it has been using since 2016 due to a lightning strike that knocked out its 100kW facility in Centerville. It has a construction permit to operate from a different tower near Melrose with 100kW/321m, which will extend the station’s main coverage area nearly to Des Moines.
Minnesota
The Educational Media Foundation informed the FCC that Twin Cities-area “K-Love” translators K221ES/92.1 (Albertville), K249ED/97.7 (Albertville–Nowthen), K260BA/99.9 (Coon Rapids-Minneapolis), and K288GR/105.5 (Bayport) are now relaying the HD4 signal of iHeartMedia’s KQQL/107.9 (Anoka). KQQL did not previously have an HD4 channel. It’s the third such notification about a K260BA program feed change in recent months. The filings indicate K260BA is fed via internet while K288GA receives K260GA over the air, K249ED (which transmits from KQQL’s tower) receives KQQL-HD4 over the air, and K221ES relays K249ED.
Edge Spectrum and FideliTV informed the FCC that new low-power TV stations K19MS-D (Alexandria), K29NY-D (Alexandria), W22FD-D (Dodge Center), K28QJ-D (Duluth), K31LN-D (Rochester), K20KW-D (St. Cloud), and K15IS-D (Willmar) have been constructed as authorized. Programming is unknown.
Nebraska
Nebraska Public Media’s KPNE/9 (North Platte) reported that it has been operating at 60kW, rather than its licensed 85kW, since July 18 due to a failure of the air conditioning at the transmitter site. Replacement parts are expected to take several weeks to obtain.
Community Broadcasting/Bott Radio Network’s K257EF/99.3 (York) reported that it has returned to the air after moving its transmitter closer to York, remaining 250W.
North Dakota
BEK Sports Network submitted the formal application for the new station on channel 27 in Grand Forks that it won in the recent FCC auction. BEK plans a 48.5kW facility transmitting from Grand Forks that would not reach Fargo but would have cable and satellite must-carry rights across the Fargo-Grand Forks market. It won the new station with a $6,411,000 bid, the most of any allotment in the auction.
Gray TV’s K28QT-D (Dickinson) reported that it has completed an upgrade from 350W to 15kW.
South Dakota
Edge Spectrum informed the FCC that new low-power TV station K22KD-D (Sioux Falls) has been constructed as authorized. Programming is unknown.
G.I.G. Inc.’s KCPO-LP/26 (Sioux Falls) reported that it went off the air July 27 due to the loss of its transmitter site. A separate filing says the station had been transmitting from Augustana University property but was asked to move, so the station is seeking special temporary authority to transmit from a tower three miles away with plans to apply for a permanent move to the site.
Wisconsin
Vanguard Association of Sunbelt Colleges Corporation was granted a construction permit for a new station on 91.9 in Janesville. The new station will use 2.1kW/135m (class A).
Gray TV has submitted the formal application for the new station on channel 26 in Eagle River that it won in the recent FCC auction with a $182,000 bid. The proposed 80kW facility would share an antenna with Gray’s WYOW/34.1 (Eagle River, RF 28) and match WYOW’s power level. WYOW is a satellite of Gray CBS/FOX/CW affiliate WSAW/7 (Wausau). The application does not specify what programming will be carried on the new station. WYOW and the new station serve the northern portions of the market, including Rhinelander, and the new station will also be able to exert must-carry rights on cable and satellite throughout the Wausau market.
Roseland Broadcasting informed the FCC that WPVS-LD/9 (Milwaukee) has completed its upgrade to 3kW.
Edge Spectrum informed the FCC that new low-power TV stations W26FG-D (Eau Claire) and W19DP-D (La Crosse) have been constructed as authorized. Programming is unknown.