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
The FCC granted Keweenaw Bay Indian Community’s WZAM/970 (Ishpeming) a construction permit to downgrade its daytime power from 5kW to 250 Watts. Its nighttime facility of 26 Watts will remain unchanged. WZAM feeds W295CX/106.9 (Marquette).
The FCC granted Fundamental Baptist Church of Kinross Township a construction permit for a new low-power FM station on 96.5 in Kinross, using 34 Watts.
The FCC granted Global Evangelism Ministry Services a construction permit for a new low-power FM station on 101.9 in McMillan, using 100 Watts.
Minnesota
The FCC approved a new channel for Edge Spectrum’s K44GH-D (Alexandria). It was originally permitted to move to channel 28 but has now been granted displacement to channel 25, which will prevent the low-power TV station from interfering with Selective TV’s reception of the RF 28 signal of KAWB (Brainerd) to rebroadcast on its translator system. Edge’s K25QV-D will use 750 Watts from Selective TV’s tower.
The FCC approved a third six-month extension of tolling of the construction permit for K250BY/97.9 (Plymouth), owned by Central Baptist Theological Seminary, to move to the IDS Center. The move remains mired in administrative judicial review as KPPS-LP/97.5 (St. Louis Park) battles for an upgrade instead (see background). The countdown clock for implementing the construction permit will not begin until tolling ends.
Nebraska
Nebraska Public Media’s KRNE-FM/91.5 (Merriman) requested special temporary authority to continue operating at 40% of its licensed 100kW as tower work continues. The station first reported the reduced power operation on March 20.
South Dakota
VCY America’s KVCH/88.7 (Huron) reports that it went off the air April 17 “after suffering a major antenna and transmission line burn-out.”
The FCC granted Sagamore Hill of Portland’s K32FW-D (Pierre) a construction permit to move to a different tower site and upgrade from 100 Watts to 1kW.
Wisconsin
Roseland Broadcasting’s W17ET-D (Verona) has moved its transmitter closer to Madison. It’s now transmitting with 1kW directional from a site in the Town of Primrose, having moved from its previous site near Darlington. The station reports that it resumed operations April 18, the day after the FCC granted the move. W17ET-D was formerly licensed to Sioux Falls, SD (though it never broadcast there) and had its community of license changed to Verona as part of the recent construction permit. It has also requested a callsign change to WMWI-LD effective April 25.
Roseland’s WPVS-LD (Milwaukee) requested a callsign change to WWMW-LD effective April 25.
The City of Marshfield was granted the callsign WIBR-LP for its future low-power FM station on 93.1 in Marshfield.
VCY America’s W216BL/91.1 (McFarland) returned to the air on April 12. It had been off the air since October for transmitter equipment replacement and testing.
Civic Media’s W255DN/98.9 (Wausau) withdrew its license to cover application for an upgrade to 250 Watts, saying that the application was inadvertently filed before the licensee had prepared proof that it complied with conditions of the construction permit.
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.