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.
Michigan
Gray TV NBC/FOX affiliate WLUC/6 (Marquette, RF 35) has completed an upgrade to 100kW.
Minnesota
The FCC’s letter inquiring about the operational status of KQSP/1530 (Shakopee) was returned to the FCC with a yellow U.S. Postal Service label indicating “forward time expired, return to sender.” The FCC uploaded an image of the returned letter as an attachment to the station’s license renewal application, which remains pending.
Park Public Radio’s KPPS-LP/97.5 (St. Louis Park) left the air Feb. 7, the day after the FCC denied PPR’s petition for reconsideration of the dismissal of its application to move to a different transmitter site. In its request for special temporary authority to remain silent, KPPS-LP states that a harsh winter has caused further deterioration of its transmission system and that the antenna will need to be removed for building repairs.
Shire & Shore Communications’ WFNX/95.3 (Grand Marais) reported that it returned to the air Feb. 1. Programming is unknown.
The FCC updated the FM Table of Allotments to add 98.1 as a vacant allotment at Grand Portage for a future class A (6kW/100m) station. The move comes after the license for WOTO/98.1 (Grand Portage) was returned last year. It means that the frequency will be put up for auction at some point in the future. Prior to an earlier auction, the allotment had been for a full class C (100kW/600m) station that could have reached Thunder Bay but the permit was downgraded to class A before WOTO signed on.
Bridge News LLC closed on its purchase of K26PF-D (St. Cloud) and ten other low-power TV stations from Innovative Media Technologies on Feb. 1.
Nebraska
MyBridge Radio’s KMBV/90.7 (Valentine) reported that it has been operating at reduced power since Jan. 27 after ice damage to the antenna led to instability of the transmitter. The station’s reduced power notification says that the road to the transmitter site “was impassable due to the snow, so our engineer hiked up the hill with a smaller transmitter strapped to his back.” The station has a construction permit to move to a different tower site and says it plans to install a bigger transmitter at that time.
North Dakota
New TV station KNGF/27 (Grand Forks-Fargo), which is owned by BEK Sports Network, submitted a license to cover application on Feb. 9. As noted in the Weekly Log, a viewer has reported receiving four channels of BEK programming on the new 720kW station, but BEK has not yet formally announced the station’s launch.
The Educational Media’ Foundation’s KLDQ/100.7 (Harwood-Fargo) reported that it has been operating at reduced power since Jan. 27 due to transmitter failure. The exact power being used was not specified.
South Dakota
Homeslice Media Group’s KKLS/920 (Rapid City) reports that it has completed a study about switching to non-directional status but needs more time to complete the project. It submitted a request for special temporary authority to continue operating at reduced power of 3.2kW day and 70 Watts night. KKLS is licensed for 5kW day and 111 Watts night from a two-tower array, but the construction of a power line in 2016 affected the directional pattern.
James River Broadcasting’s KGFX/1060 (Pierre) requested an extension of special temporary authority to operate its 1kW nighttime directional pattern at a variance. The problem began with a 2017 lightning strike. KGFX’s latest filing says equipment changes did not materially change antenna monitor readings and the station was unable to schedule a consultant before deep snow covered the site for the winter.
Bridge News LLC closed on its purchase of K06QJ-D (Sioux Falls) and ten other low-power TV stations from Innovative Media Technologies on Feb. 1.
Disclosure: Jon Ellis is an employee of Gray Media Group. The statements and views expressed in this posting are his own and do not reflect those of Gray Media Group.