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
Grace Baptist Church’s KSHW/88.3 (Glidden) was granted a construction permit to upgrade from 100W/19m to 3kW/27m.
Minnesota
HC2 Station Group’s K33LN-D (Minneapolis) reports that it returned to full power of 15kW on March 26 after repairs to its transmitter.
Northwestern Media’s K205GG/88.9 (Grand Rapids) has signed on carrying Faith Radio from KLBF (Lincoln, ND) via internet. K205GG is the former K201IX/88.1, which was displaced by the sign-on of KDGR/88.1 (Grand Rapids). KDGR uses the former K201IX site, while K205GG moved to the K254DS/98.7 site on the west side of the city. K254DS is now silent.
The FCC has canceled the license of K252GF/98.3 (Montevideo), which had relayed KDMA/1460. The reason for the cancelation is not listed in the FCC database but KDMA is also simulcast on KDMA-FM/93.9 (Granite Falls), which covers Montevideo.
CSN International’s K204ES/88.7 (Brainerd) has dropped an application to move to 91.1, which had been filed in anticipation of a new full-power station using 88.7 in the region — but that station’s construction deadline has now passed. Instead, K204ES has now applied to remain on 88.7 and increase power from 80 to 170 Watts, remaining at its present site.
Christian Media Inc. has returned the license of KAWD-LP/88.1 (Detroit Lakes) after the group replaced it with a full-power license, KAWD/88.1 (Detroit Lakes).
The FCC approved Civic Media’s purchase of WELY/1450 and WELY-FM/94.5 (Ely) from Zoe Communications.
The FCC added 95.3 in Grand Marais as a vacant class C1 (100kW/299m) allotment for auction in the future. The move comes after the former WFNX/95.3 (Grand Marais) returned its license last year. The date of the next FCC auction of FM stations has not been announced; the last was held in 2021.
The FCC granted a callsign change for future NexCom Media low-power FM station KRKG-LP/101.9 (Willmar) to KRGX-LP.
Edge Spectrum’s K35JN-D (Duluth), which is currently off the air, has been granted a construction permit to reduce power from 400 to 100 Watts and reorient its directional pattern to point southeast rather than south.
Nebraska
New stations KVKC/89.1 (Crawford) and KVJR/89.9 (Crawford), both owned by Southern Cultural Foundation, filed license to cover applications requesting program test authority. The group already owns KCFD/88.1 (Crawford); all three transmit with 100 Watts from a home in Crawford with separate antennas located between 63 and 70 meters below the area’s average terrain.
Flood Communications West’s K26CV-D (Ogallala) was granted a construction permit to move to a site closer to Ogallala, using 3.2kW directional. The LPTV station is currently silent and licensed to transmit with 15kW from a site midway between Ogallala and North Platte, using 15kW.
North Dakota
In His Presence Ministries’ KTGH/90.1 (Bowdon) has applied to upgrade from 120 Watts to 100kW/141m (class C1). It would transmit from a site midway between Bowdon and Bismarck and deliver a rimshot signal to part of the capital city.
South Dakota
VCY America’s KVFL/89.1 (Pierre) returned to the air April 1. It had gone silent March 4 due to program delivery issues.
CSN International’s K201HB/88.1 (Aberdeen) was granted a move to 91.3 as K217GQ, relocating to a tower site east of the city and dropping power slightly to 205 Watts. The translator was bumped off 88.1 by the sign-on of a new full-power station.
Wisconsin
Armada Media’s W243ED/96.5 (Rice Lake) completed a move of its antenna to a lower location on its existing tower, remaining 250 Watts and continuing to relay WJMC/1240.
Edge Spectrum’s W36EI-D (Wausau) was granted a construction permit to move to a new site and upgrade from 100 to 200 Watts.
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.