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 transfer of control of M&H Broadcasting from the Melvin Suhr Trust to the Michael A. Suhr Irrevocable Trust (51%) and Heidi Feldman (49%). The filing explains that the transaction represents a gift of the company’s shares from parents to their children. Michael Suhr will serve as President and Secretary of M&H and Feldman will serve as Vice President and Treasurer. M&H owns KNIA/1320 (Knoxville), KRLS/92.1 (Pella), KCII/1380 (Washington), KCII-FM/106.1 (Washington), and three FM translators.
Michigan
WGGL-FM/91.1 (Houghton) requested another six-month extension of special temporary authority to transmit at 10% of its licensed 100kW. The station plans to install a new antenna but the filing notes that installation is not feasible during the winter (Houghton is known as one of the snowiest areas of the Midwest). WGGL has been at reduced power since Dec. 3, 2024 after icing conditions caused its antenna to fail. It is owned by Minnesota Public Radio and carries national feeds of public radio programming.
South Dakota
Mount Rushmore Broadcasting’s KFCR/1490 (Custer) requested a six-month extension of special temporary authority to remain silent. The station’s filing says, “Financial distress continues to limit Licensee’s ability to continuously operate KFCR. As a result, Licensee is actively engaged in efforts to identify and secure a suitable purchaser for the Station.”
Wisconsin
The FCC granted Seehafer Broadcasting’s WEMP/98.9 (Two Rivers) a callsign change to WOMT-FM effective Feb. 1. The heritage WEMP callsign had previously been used in Milwaukee from 1935 to 2005.
VCY America’s W260DL/99.9 (Oshkosh) returned to the air Dec. 19 following the recent return of its parent station, WVCY/690 (Oshkosh).
After finding its application in conflict with another, Digital Networks-Midwest’s W33EW-D (Rhinelander) amended its application to move to Green Bay to specify channel 35 rather than 33. The proposed facility remains 15kW.