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 approved a modification to Divine Mercy Educational Radio’s construction permit for a new low-power FM station on 101.1 in Fort Madison, moving farther west of Fort Madison than the original plan and increasing power slightly from 90 to 100 Watts. Divine Mercy already owns KDME-LP/98.3 (Fort Madison), which it has pledged to divest.
The Edge Spectrum’s K22LJ-D (Mason City) and K35PA-D (Mason City), which are currently off the air, were granted construction permits to move to a different site. K22LJ will upgrade slightly from 400 to 450 Watts while K35PA will downgrade slightly from 600 to 350 Watts.
The FCC approved Minn-Iowa Christian Broadcasting’s purchase of KRFH/88.7 (Marshalltown) and KTDV/91.9 (State Center) from Marshalltown Education Plus.
Minnesota
Civic Media closed on its purchase of WELY/1450 and WELY-FM/94.5 (Ely) from Zoe Communications on April 25. Civic has been working on returning the stations to the air and has some jobs posted for WELY.
CSN International’s K214FP/90.7 (Fergus Falls) has been granted an upgrade from 200 to 250 Watts.
Edge Spectrum’s K29NY-D (Alexandria), which is currently off the air, has been granted a construction permit to move to a nearby tower and downgrade from 500 to 250 Watts.
Nebraska
New My Bridge Radio station KNPE/88.5 (North Platte) has signed on under program test authority. The permit once called for 100kW but was downgraded to 200 Watts last month.
Legacy Communications’ KRGI/1430 (Grand Island) has completed a transition to 5kW day and 21 Watts night, non-directional. KRGI had previously been licensed for 1kW directional at night but, as previously reported here, had been operating with 250 Watts non-directional at night under special temporary authority since 2017.
North Dakota
Sidestream Media closed on its purchase of KZRN/102.3 (Hettinger) from HiRange Media Corp. on March 4.
Wisconsin
The Salvation Poem Foundation’s WWJC/101.5 (Augusta) has applied to increase power from 1kW to 4kW, with its antenna remaining at 466m above average terrain from the WEAU-TV tower north of Fairchild. The upgrade would add Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls to WWJC’s main coverage area. It would also result in an upgrade of WWJC’s license from class C3 to class C2, which would be short-spaced with the class C0 allotment of KDWB/101.3 (Richfield-Minneapolis). WWJC proposes that the reference coordinates for KDWB’s allotment be changed to specify a site in a residential backyard in the northwestern Minneapolis suburb of Crystal; KDWB would apparently be allowed to remain at its current site in Shoreview since its 315m antenna height is below the maximum allowed for a class C0 facility.
Gray Media’s WZAW-LD/33.1 (Wausau) and W31EV-D (Stevens Point) returned to the air April 21 after a few weeks of silence due to a transmitter malfunction following an ice storm.
The Edge Spectrum’s W30BU-D (Green Bay) was granted a construction permit to move to a new site and reduce power from 1kW to 500W.
Magnum Communications’ W223DN/92.5 (La Crescent, MN) reports that it left the air on April 23 due to the loss of the least at its current transmission site in West Salem, WI. W223DN, which is the former K220EP/91.9 license, has a construction permit to move its transmitter back to the Minnesota side of the river and change frequency to 92.7 with 250 Watts. The latest filing says plans are being made to move to the new location within 30 to 60 days.
David Magnum’s W300CM/107.9 (Appleton) reports that it left the air April 21 after a water main break forced the landlord to take down the translator’s tower. The filing says the licensee will consider repairing the tower or finding a new location.
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.