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
The FCC has upheld its decision to grant a new station on 88.9 in Dubuque to Vanguard Association of Sunbelt Colleges, dismissing a petition for reconsideration filed by competing applicant Augustana College. Augustana had argued that Vanguard did not have reasonable assurance that it could use the tower site specified in its original application because another antenna is already mounted near the specified spot on the tower. In its dismissal, the FCC writes, “We find that, although the Tower owner’s representative was incorrect about the available height, this error does not diminish VASC’s good faith reliance on the assurance of site availability.” As reported here previously, Vanguard was already been granted a modification to its construction permit to specify a lower position on the tower.
The FCC approved the callsign KRWO-LP for Old Paths Baptist Church’s future low-power FM station on 104.1 in Dubuque.
Minnesota
Gray TV’s KMNF-LD/7.1 (Mankato) completed its move from RF channel 7 to RF channel 8, remaining 3kW. The channel change eliminates potential interference with new station KONC/7.1 (Alexandria).
Gray TV’s K30RA-D (Racine) has completed a move to Dexter, serving an area between Rochester and Austin with a 1.3kW directional signal.
Nebraska
Armada Media’s KBRL/1300 (McCook) has been granted an extension of special temporary authority to operate at about 25% of its usual power as it continues work to recover from a spring 2023 flood at its transmitter site. KBRL normally transmits with 5kW day and 136 Watts night, directional.
North Dakota
The FCC has approved P&A Media LLC’s purchase of KXDI/93.9 (Belfield-Dickinson), KQLZ/95.7 (New England-Dickinson), KGCX/93.1 (Sidney, MT-Williston), KXWI/98.5 (Williston), KDSR/101.1 (Williston), and six radio stations in Montana from several companies owned by the Estate of Stephen A. Marks.
Prairie Public’s KJRE/19.1 (Ellendale) has requested a six-month extension of special temporary authority to remain silent. KJRE has been off the air since Dec. 29, 2023, due to transmission equipment damage resulting from an ice storm. Its latest filing says a new antenna has been ordered but is not scheduled to ship for several more weeks. The filing also says KJRE will submit a filing to change its technical parameters.
South Dakota
James River Broadcasting Company’s K296FI/107.1 (Pierre) reports that it returned to the air with its licensed facilities on June 5. The translator has a construction permit to move to 107.3.
Wisconsin
The FCC approved the callsign KRMN-LP for Mukwonago Baptist Church’s future station on 100.3 in Mukwonago. The action represents the rare grant of a “K” callsign to a station in Wisconsin that is not near the Minnesota border.
The FCC approved a modification to Salvation Poem Foundation’s construction permit for future station WEQM/91.5 (Melrose), switching from a directional to a non-directional antenna and reducing power from 50kW to 6.5kW. The change includes a downgrade from class C2 to C3.
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.