WDGY/740 (Hudson, Wis.-St. Paul) is seeking FCC approval to move to a different transmitter site and reduce power at the same time as it works to move several FM translator signals.
WDGY currently transmits with 5kW daytime only, using a directional pattern from a three-tower array near I-94 east of Hudson. WDGY has now applied to move to the site of WIXK/1590 (New Richmond, Wis.) with 1kW daytime-only, non-directional.
WIXK transmits from a site southwest of New Richmond, about ten miles northeast of WDGY’s current location. It would continue to use 5kW day and 95 Watts night, non-directional.
The application comes as WDGY’s owner, WRPX Inc., seeks FCC approval to buy WIXK, W277CW/103.3 (New Richmond), and K294AM/106.7 (West St. Paul) from Hmong Radio Broadcast LLC. The purchase price is $225,000, according to an asset purchase agreement filed with the FCC on Oct. 6.
WRPX Inc. and 630 Radio Inc., which owns WREY/630 (St. Paul), are owned by the Borgen family.
Meanwhile, the FCC has now granted construction permits to move three FM translators:
- K294AM, which currently relays KQQL-HD4, will move its transmitter to the Wells Fargo Center in St. Paul, using 250 Watts, and switch its input to WREY.
- W277CW, which currently relays WIXK from the WIXK tower site, will move to the former KJJO-FM tower near Somerset, Wis. (which is now owned by the Washington County, Minn., government). The relocated W277CW will switch its input to WDGY and change its community of license to Hudson, using 250 Watts.
- WRPX Inc.’s W279DD/103.7 (Hudson), which currently relays WDGY from the WDGY tower site, will move to the WIXK tower site and continue to relay WDGY, changing its community of license to New Richmond with 250 Watts.
WREY carries a Regional Mexican format as “Radio Rey” and is also relayed on W235CT/94.9, which transmits from Minneapolis. WDGY carries Classic Hits and is also relayed on W221BS/92.1 (St. Paul) via KTMY-HD2.
WIXK, W277CW, and K294AM continue to carry Hmong programming as of Nov. 1.
The purchase unites two stations with linked histories: The license that is now WREY was originally WCOW/1590 (South St. Paul), which changed its callsign to WISK in 1956 and moved to 630 in 1959, becoming KDWB a short time later. WIXK/1590 then signed on as a new station in New Richmond in 1960.
This item was posted Oct. 5 and updated Oct. 9 with details of the station sale, and again Nov. 1 with information on the proposed changes to WDGY’s facility and approval of the FM translator moves.