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.
The FCC has announced that, after a 17-year pause, it will resume accepting applications for pre-sunrise (PSRA) and post-sunset authorizations (PSSA) for AM radio stations. The authorizations allow stations that are daytime-only, or that use greatly reduced power at night, to increase power before sunrise and/or stay at higher power after sunset. The benefit mostly comes during the winter months when sunrise and sunset cut into drive time hours. There does not appear to be any official online public record of existing PSRA/PSSA’s.
Iowa
Sinclair’s KGAN/2.1 (Cedar Rapids, RF 29) has applied to increase its antenna height above average terrain from 589 to 604 meters, remaining licensed for 850kW. The application states that the proposed antenna will also be used by two other stations, previously reported by KCRG-TV to be KCRG and KRIN. (As noted a few weeks ago, KGAN is currently using 275.47kW during a transmitter replacement project.)
Gray Media Group’s purchase of K27LD-D (Salix) from Lowcountry 34 Media closed on July 10 after receiving FCC approval.
As noted in the report on their impending sale, KMAQ/1320 (Maquoketa) and K223DA/92.5 (Bellevue) returned to the air on July 6.
Michigan
Sullivans Landing LLC, owned by Ralph M. Oakley, closed on its purchase of WJMN-TV/3.1 (Escanaba-Marquette) from Nexstar on July 1.
Minnesota
A new filing from WGZS/89.1 (Cloquet) says the station continues to operate at reduced power. The station, owned by the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, requested an extension of special temporary authority to operate at reduced power while it awaits delivery of a new transmitter.
Nebraska
Soulful Praise was granted the callsign KSPG-LP for its future low-power FM station on 89.3 in Omaha.
North Dakota
The FCC has deleted the license of low-power TV station KCPM-LP (Fargo), which had previously transmitted in analog on channel 2 and had applied to move to channel 23 with digital operations. The FCC sent a letter on July 9 saying that the licensee had failed to provide adequate documentation showing that KCPM-LP been on the air using authorized facilities and that the license had, therefore, expired as a matter of law. The FCC writes:
According to GIG and Commission records the Station went silent on February 8, 2020. Based on the information provided by GIG in its LOI Responses to the Bureau, it is clear that the Station’s operations in February 2021 were unauthorized, having occurred from an unauthorized location (approximately 3.5 miles away from its licensed location), with unauthorized operational parameters (incorrect power level and antenna height), and without a license authorizing digital operations. For purposes of section 312(g) of the Act, the Commission and D.C. Circuit have held that transmissions from an unauthorized site cannot be used to avoid automatic license cancellation and amount to silence under section 312(g). Therefore, the Station’s unauthorized operations between February 3, 2021 and February 6, 2021, did not constitute the transmission of a broadcast signal and pursuant to section 312(g) of the Act the Station’s license expired, as a matter of law, on February 9, 2021.
Letter from FCC Video Division Chief Barbara Kreisman, July 9, 2024
Digital Syndicate Network’s KDKT/1410 (Beulah) notified the FCC that it is operating at reduced power of 500 Watts using a backup transmitter after its main 1kW transmitter failed. The filing says the station has ordered a new transmitter, which should be installed in 20-30 days.
South Dakota
Peter John closed on his purchase of Gray Ghost Broadcasting, licensee of KQKD/1380 and K260DG/99.9 (Redfield), on July 8.
Wisconsin
Milwaukee Turners, Inc. has returned the license of WMWG-LP/89.3 (Glendale) for cancelation. The 100-Watt low-power FM station had been licensed to serve parts of the northern Milwaukee metro area. No reason for the cancelation was given in the filing.
We All Rise African American Resource Center Inc. was granted a construction permit for a new low-power FM station on 107.9 in Green Bay, using 100 Watts.
The New Testament Church’s WDYD-LP/100.9 (Merrill) has gone off the air following the sign-on of Salvation Poem Foundation’s WEQR/100.9 (Tomahawk). WDYD-LP has applied to move to 102.5 with 100 Watts.
2820 Communications has applied to modify its construction permit for future station WTHX/89.3 (Whitewater). It would move to a tower closer to Whitewater and reduce power from 8kW/46m (class B1) to 2.7kW/40m (class A), removing coverage of the far southeastern Milwaukee suburbs.
Following up on its earlier reduced-power notification, Audacy’s WMYX-FM/99.1 (Milwaukee) has requested special temporary authority to use transmitter power output of 2kW while antenna repairs continue. The filing says repairs are anticipated before July 30.
Edge Spectrum’s W39CV-D/W35DM-D (Minocqua) was granted a modification to its channel 35 construction permit to change the location 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.