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
American Christian Radio is buying KPVL/89.1 (Postville) from Community Public Media for $25,000. The South Dakota-based buyer owns three stations that recently signed on in Kansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota and has construction permits for one new station in Indiana and two in New Mexico. The 3kW KPVL currently runs a broad Classic Hits mix.
The FCC has dismissed Holy Mother Mary’s application for a new low-power FM station on 98.3 in Cascade, denying two waivers the applicant had requested. The applicant had sought a 25-Watt facility that falls just short of the FCC’s minimum coverage area for LPFM stations and that was short-spaced to KHAK/98.1 (Cedar Rapids). In its decision, the FCC says, “HMM does not cite to special circumstances that would justify its Waiver Requests.”
Following a move by KDAO-FM (Eldora) to 92.9, Fieldview Broadcasting’s K225BZ/92.9 (Webster City) has completed a move to 99.1 as K256DM. The translator remains 250 Watts and continues to relay KZWC/1570 (Webster City).
Titan Broadcasting’s KGRS/107.3 (Burlington) has applied to move to a tower about seven miles west of its current site, remaining 100kW and increasing its antenna height above average terrain from 131 to 199 meters. The move would put Mount Pleasant within KGRS’ city-grade contour and also strengthen its signal to Fairfield and Keosauqua.
Minnesota
Leighton Enterprises’ KJJK/1020 (Fergus Falls) requested another extension of special temporary authority to transmit with 60 Watts, which it has been using since early 2022 due to a problem with its antenna system. The latest filing says frozen ground has prevented progress since the last extension. KJJK normally transmits with 2kW day and 37 Watts night.
North Dakota
The FCC has approved Bakken Beacon Media’s purchase of WDAY/970 and K226CL/93.1 (Fargo) from Forum Communications. In approving the application, the FCC denied an informal objection from a citizen concerned about comments by Scott Hennen, co-owner of Bakken Beacon, regarding the state of journalism. In response to the objection, Audio Division Chief Albert Shuldiner wrote, “the Commission does not interfere with the programming decisions of licensees, nor does it consider issues of programming choice when reviewing an application for the assignment or transfer of a broadcast license.” The buyer has already been operating WDAY since 2020.
The FCC has approved RadioDifferently’s purchase of KHRT-FM/106.9 (Minot) from Faith Broadcasting.
Wisconsin
VCY America’s WVCY/690 (Oshkosh) reports that it went off the air Jan. 3. WVCY’s silence has also taken its two FM translators, W260DL/99.9 (Oshkosh) and W286DS/105.1 (Appleton), off the air.
Civic Media’s WGBW/1590 (Denmark-Green Bay) has returned to full power of 10kW day and 500 Watts night, with different directional antenna patterns day and night, and has been granted special temporary authority for additional time to repair or replace the antenna monitor and perform additional modeling. The station rebuilt one of its towers after construction equipment clipped guy wires last August, causing the tower to fall.
Wisconsin Public Radio’s WSSU/88.5 (Superior) reports that it is operating at an unspecified reduced power due to antenna damage suffered on Feb. 5. WSSU transmits from the Duluth antenna farm and normally uses 950 Watts ERP.
The FCC has approved The Family Radio Network’s purchase of W225CP/92.9 (Milwaukee) from Tomsun Media.
Columbus Community Radio was granted the callsign WAWA for its future station on 91.1 in Columbus. The WAWA callsign was used in the Milwaukee market until the 1980s and has been assigned to stations in several other states since then.
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.