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
Iowa Western Community College’s KIWR/89.7 (Council Bluffs) was granted special temporary authority to transmit with about 15% of its licensed 100kW. The station’s filing says it began to experience issues with its feedline and antenna around June 28.
Townsquare Media’s KBOB/1170 (Davenport) requested an extension of special temporary authority to transmit with its nighttime directional antenna pattern 24 hours per day while it continues repairs. The new filing says additional problems were discovered after initial repairs.
Minnesota
Edge Spectrum’s KTCJ-LD/13 (Minneapolis) and KHVM-LD/18 (Minneapolis) report that they have completed construction of their new facilities at a tower site in the west metro community of Maple Plain. KTCJ-LD transmits with 3kW and KHVM-LD transmits with 15kW using directional antennas pointed towards Minneapolis. They had been displaced from their former channels (48 and 50) by the discontinuation of RF channels 38 and up. It is not immediately known if they have begun regular programming.
Similar to other filings reported here last week, Edge Spectrum’s W22FD-D (Dodge Center) reports that it went off the air June 1 because Edge “has been unable to negotiate ongoing lease terms with American Tower” and that an alternate site is being sought.
The FCC has granted Northland Community and Technical College’s KSRQ/90.1 (Thief River Falls) a construction permit to upgrade from its present 24kW/102m to 44kW/128m, remaining at its present site. The upgrade includes a change in class from C3 to C2.
Midwest Communications’ KDAL-FM/95.7 (Duluth) requested a six-month extension of special temporary authority to operate at reduced power. The filing says an inspection report “is under review by licensee’s upper-level management to consider the project recommendations and scope and, if acceptable, issue authorization to move forward with the project and place purchase orders for a replacement antenna, transmission line, transmitter and peripheral equipment required to restore station licensed operation.” Normally 100kW from the WDIO tower, a previous filing indicated KDAL-FM is temporarily transmitting with 1kW ERP from the KTCO tower.
Missouri/Illinois
Sinclair CBS/ABC affiliate KHQA/7 (Hannibal, MO-Quincy, IL), which also serves southeastern Iowa, has completed a move from RF channel 7 to RF channel 22, where it uses 975kW/271m.
Nebraska
Gray Media Group closed on its transfer of KNEP/4.2 (Sidney), KSTF/10.1 (Scottsbluff), and several stations in Wyoming to Marquee Broadcasting West on July 1.
Soulful Praise requested the callsign KSPG-LP for its future low-power FM station on 89.3 in Omaha.
North Dakota
The FCC approved Berean Baptist Church’s sale of the construction permit for future station KYPT/90.7 (Minot) to South Dakota-based American Christian Radio for $1.
The FCC granted Prairie Public Broadcasting’s K220FI/91.9 (Beach) a frequency change to 91.5, which includes an upgrade from 8 to 19 Watts. It will have the new callsign K218FO.
Budd Broadcasting and Robert Carr closed on their $35,000 purchase of Frank Digital Broadcasting, the owner of K31MP-D (Grand Forks) and two low-power TV stations in Montana, on July 1. Budd Broadcasting now holds 50% interest in Frank Digital Broadcasting and Carr holds the other 50%. Budd owns three LPTV stations in Florida.
South Dakota
Alpha Media’s KDLO-FM/96.9 (Watertown) has requested a six-month extension of special temporary authority to transmit at reduced power from an alternate site as work continues to rebuild the KDLO-TV tower, which collapsed in December 2022. Normally 100kW/479m, a previous filing indicated that KDLO-FM is temporarily using 18.1kW/110m from a tower on the south side of Watertown.
Jill Bisson’s K263AW/100.5 (Pierre) submitted a license to cover application indicating that it has completed a move from a site west of Pierre to a site south of Pierre, remaining 250 Watts. It relays KPLO-FM/94.5 (Reliance).
Wisconsin
Following the sign-on of new station WEQR/100.9 (Tomahawk), Albert Broadcasting’s W264CH/100.7 (Tomahawk) has applied to move to 97.7. It would remain 250 Watts and continue to relay WJJQ/810.
Civic Media’s WBZH/910 (Hayward) requested special temporary authority to operate at reduced daytime power of 1kW, rather than its licensed 5kW, while it continues work to resolve faults at the transmitter site.
VCY America’s WEGZ/105.9 (Washburn) reports that it has been transmitting at reduced power of 2kW ERP, rather than its licensed 100kW, since June 22 due to transmitter failure.
VCY’s W211AU/90.1 (Monroe) reports that it is now relaying WVCX/98.9 (Tomah) via satellite. It had previously relayed KVCX/101.5 (Gregory, SD).
The FCC has granted Gray Media Group’s W31EV-D (Wausau) a construction to move its transmitter to a site in central Wood County with 15kW non-directional. The planned facility would reach Stevens Point, Marshfield, and Wisconsin Rapids. W31EV-D is currently licensed to transmit with 1.2kW directional from a tower near Stevens Point.
Edge Spectrum’s W39CV-D/W35DM-D (Minocqua) has applied to change the location of its planned channel 35 transmitter site from Minocqua to a tower north of Sayner, remaining 2.3kW non-directional.
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.