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
KZIA/102.9 (Cedar Rapids) informed the FCC that it is operating at reduced power of 32kW ERP, rather than its licensed 100kW, due to a transmitter problem that “became significant” on Oct. 23. A replacement tube has been ordered.
After recently having its license restored, Grinnell College’s KDIC/88.5 (Grinnell) requested special temporary authority to remain silent through March 27, 2023. The station’s filing says information from the tower company indicates “repairs to the tower should be completed in three to four months, and the installation of the repaired station antenna can be completed approximately thirty days thereafter.”
Educational Media Foundation “K-Love” station KKLG/88.3 (Newton) has completed an upgrade from 400W/67m to 600W/73m.
DTV America’s K17MH-D (Cedar Falls) withdrew its request for special temporary authority to operate at reduced power of 7.3kW, saying it has already repaired a problem and returned to fully-licensed power of 11.7kW on Nov. 8.
Manitoba
The CRTC granted an upgrade for Nostalgia Broadcasting Cooperative’s CJNU-FM/93.7 (Winnipeg). The station will remain at its downtown location and increase power from 460W to 2kW, a move the station said is needed to reach people within its existing service contour area who cannot actually receive the station.
Michigan
The FCC approved Aurora Media’s purchase of WRPP/92.7 (Manistique) and W254AG/98.7 (Escanaba) from Todd Stuart Noordyk and Great Lakes Radio.
Minnesota
A year after receiving a license to transmit from the northwestern Twin Cities suburb of Corcoran, SagamoreHill of Minneapolis’ KMWE-LD/17 (St. Cloud) has applied to move its transmitter to the First National Bank building in St. Paul. From there, it would transmit with 15kW using a directional antenna to limit the signal towards Wisconsin, where the channel is used by another station. The application says the site was “selected to maximize the efficient use of CH 17.” The channel was previously used by the analog signal of KTCI, now on RF channel 23, and then the digital signal of WUMN-LD, which moved to channel 21.
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Sinclair CW affiliate WUCW/23.1 (Minneapolis, RF22) requested special temporary authority to transmit at reduced power of 580kW, rather than its licensed 790kW. The filing says WUCW has completed installation of its new antenna but it has not yet installed a new transmitter, and the existing transmitter is not capable of generating enough output to reach 790kW ERP. It transmits from the Telefarm tower site in Shoreview.
Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota
The FCC approved the University of Northwestern-St. Paul’s purchase of seven FM translators in western Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota from International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. They are K296DS/107.1 (Alliance, NE), K276DM/103.1 (Chadron, NE), K219LV/91.7 (Hemingford, NE), K293BN/104.7 (Bowman, ND), K295BR/106.9 (Dickinson, ND), K274CC/102.7 (New England, ND), and K292EC/106.3 (Hot Springs, SD). As reported previously, the Chadron and Hot Springs translators will carry Northwestern’s “Faith Radio” from KLMP (Rapid City) while the others will carry its KSLT (Spearfish-Rapid City) as relayed by its satellites in Fort Pierre or Dickinson. The translators had all previously relayed KSLT or now-silent KTPT/97.9 (Rapid City); many have filed for upgrades.
Wisconsin
Metro North Communications has proposed an upgrade to translator W230DA/93.9 (New Holstein), which it is in the process of selling to Civic Media along with parent station WLAK/1520 (New Holstein) and two other stations. W230DA has applied to change frequency to 96.5 and move to an existing tower near High Cliff State Park, where it would use a directional antenna that would rimshot Appleton. The directional antenna would limit the signal towards the south and east, where there are co-channel and adjacent-channel stations.
Zoe Communications has requested to change the callsign of WDMO/95.7 (Baldwin) to WSCM, effective Dec. 1. Zoe is in the process of selling the station to Civic Media.
Wisconsin Public Radio’s WHWA/104.7 (Washburn) has completed the move of its transmitter to Ashland, where it now broadcasts with 25kW/66m (class C3). The move co-locates WHWA with sister station WUWS/90.9 (Ashland) but represents a downgrade from WHWA’s previous 17.5kW/184m (class C2) facility that was located on the WEGZ/105.9 tower near Washburn. However, the area along the South Shore that lost a strong WHWA signal continues to receive a strong signal from WHSA/89.9 (Brule), which carries the same network as WHWA.
DTV America’s WZCK-LD/24 (Madison) informed the FCC that it is operating at 7.5kW, rather than its licensed 15kW, as it works to replace a power amplifier.
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.