Everything from the spectrum auction repack to the demolition of a grain elevator to a brush clearing accident are being cited as reasons for stations seeking special temporary authority from the FCC in the past month. According to filings:
Telemundo Minnesota station KJNK-LD/25 (Minneapolis) went off the air in mid-July while it awaits a facility change. KJNK transmits from the IDS Center with 15kW, but must install a directional antenna to prevent interference to WQOW/18.1 (Eau Claire), which moved to RF channel 25 due to the spectrum auction repack. KJNK is owned by HC2 Broadcasting and carries a half-dozen other channels in addition to Telemundo, which is operated by Hispanic Television Broadcasting of Minnesota.
The FCC denied a request from Panther Communications’ KWIA/100.9 (Newell, IA) to transmit with 1.9kW/69m from a tower east of Storm Lake under special temporary authority. In a letter, Audio Division Senior Engineer Dale Bickel said the proposed facilities require the filing and grant of a construction permit application rather than an STA request. KWIA had said in a filing last year that its licensed transmitter site is no longer available, and the FCC says the station is apparently off the air.
W224AO/92.7 (Houghton, MI) left the air July 15 due to storm damage. W224AO relays WGGL/91.1 (Houghton), a Minnesota Public Radio-owned station that carries national feeds of public radio programming.
KZLW/90.1 (Gretna, NE) went silent July 19 while new owner My Bridge Radio looks for a new tower site. KZLW had previously transmitted with 100kW from a tower near Wahoo that is 120 feet tall, which is much shorter than towers normally used by stations with such high power.
My Bridge Radio’s K257GW/98.3 (Nebraska City, NE) went silent July 18 while it awaits delivery and installation of a new antenna. The station’s most recent transmitter site is midway between Nebraska City and Omaha, and it has a construction permit to move another step closer to Omaha.
Prairie Public Broadcasting’s K220FF/91.9 (Crosby, ND) went off the air July 24 when the licensee learned that the grain elevator that had served as its transmitter site was about to be demolished. Prairie Public Broadcasting is looking for a new site.
The Prairie Center Broadcasting’s KXRF-LP/100.3 (Dodge, ND) went off the air July 14 citing “numerous financial and technical difficulties.” The filing says station management is discussing a solution to solidify the station’s operation.
Armada Media’s KBWS/102.9 (Sisseton, SD) is at reduced power due to damage from a July 19 lightning strike that damaged its antenna and transmission line. KBWS, known as “Pheasant Country,” is operating at about 25 percent of its usual 100kW.
Zoe Communications’ WXNK/940 (Shell Lake, WI) is operating at reduced power of 50 Watts, down from the usual 1kW daytime, after a utility company damaged the station’s facilities while clearing brush on July 3. WXNK serves as the originating station for the “Ink 92.7” Hard Rock format heard on W224DN/92.7.