The following are updates to previously-reported items and other recent FCC filings and actions:
National
An FCC Public Notice says potential bidders in the upcoming Auction 112 featuring a half-dozen Upper Midwest full-power TV licenses include Gray TV, Weigel’s TV-49 Inc., TCT’s Radiant Life Ministries, Major Market Broadcasting, BEK Sports Network, and Sinclair Television, among others. The exact allotments being sought by each applicant have not been publicly revealed. A reader points out that Gray TV committed to applying for the Eagle River and Freeport allotments when it proposed their additions.
Iowa
Faith Lutheran Church was granted a construction permit for a new station on 88.7 in Odebolt, using 100kW/51m (class C1). The new station will provide a good signal to Denison and Carroll with Storm Lake must outside of the main coverage area. The grant comes a month after the FCC identified Faith Lutheran as the tentative selectee for the frequency; St. Gabriel Communications’ application for 88.7 in Carroll and Minn-Iowa Christian Broadcasting’s application for 88.7 in Eagle Grove have now been dismissed.
North Dakota
After completing an upgrade to 170W/111m earlier this year, Educational Media Foundation “K-Love” translator K237ER/95.3 (Grand Forks) reported that an antenna problem has forced it to operate at low power. The exact power currently being used is not listed in the FCC database.
The FCC denied a request from Major Market Broadcasting for another extension to the construction deadlines for low-power TV stations K23MB-D (Minot) and K27LX-D (Minot), as well as three LPTV permits in Colorado and one in Indiana. MMB purchased the permits in early 2021. They had originally been set to expire July 13, 2021 and were extended to Jan. 10, 2022. MMB had requested more time, saying the first engineer who was supposed to construct the Minot stations needed surgery in December and the second engineer, who was also expected to construct the Colorado stations, died on Jan. 6. Separately, vandalism was discovered at the Indiana tower site a day before the deadline. In a letter denying the requests, Video Division Chief Barbara A. Kreisman wrote:
“Despite MMB’s certifications as part of its acquisition of the Stations that the facilities would be constructed by the January 10, 2022 deadline, it is difficult based on the facts presented to find that the Stations could have been built by that date even if the last-minute delays did not occur. While independently these circumstances may be considered ‘rare and extraordinary,’ when considered in the context of MMB’s overall construction efforts, the main factor behind MMB’s failure to complete construction of the facilities by their CP expiration dates appears to be MMB’s inaction and lack of diligence.”
April 29 letter to Major Market Broadcasting
MMB was allowed to provide amendments to back up its request, but the FCC says they did not provide further support for its claims. The FCC says all authority to construct the stations has been terminated.
South Dakota
Bethesda Christian Broadcasting’s KTPT/97.9 (Rapid City) went silent on April 14, according to a request for special temporary authority to remain silent. The FCC database lists technical problems as the reason for going silent with no additional information. As previously reported, Bethesda put KTPT up for sale and warned listeners that its Worship format would end after closing on the sale of its two other stations to Northwestern Media a few months ago. KTPT’s website now appears to be offline.
Wisconsin
Nora Karbash’s CMC Media LLC, licensee of WSLD/104.5 (Whitewater), filed a transfer of control application showing that her husband, Jeff Karbash, will take control of half of the company. There is no written purchase agreement.
The FCC approved an application by Gray TV CW affiliate WECX-LD/14 (Eau Claire) to move to the Fairchild tower of sister station WEAU-TV using 10.1kW.