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 recently named Vanguard Association of Sunbelt Colleges Corporation as the tentative selectee for a new station on 88.9 in Dubuque, edging out Augustana College’s application for a new station on 88.9 in Epworth in a point system selection process. VASC scored more points because it claimed diversity of ownership, meaning that it does not own any other station that would overlap with the proposed station, while Augustana College did not make such a claim.
Elswehere, Heritage Baptist Church was tentatively selected as the winner of a new station on 88.1 in Burlington, chosen over an application from Sound in Spirit Broadcasting for the same frequency. Though Sound in Spirit Broadcasting’s proposed facility would have reached more people, Heritage Baptist Church scored higher in the point-based selection process because it is an established local applicant.
Minnesota
The St. Cloud Area Somali Salvation Organization completed its transfer of KZYS-LP/105.1 (St. Cloud) to Hayaan Inc. on Nov. 14.
Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota
The University of Northwestern-St. Paul closed on its purchase of translators 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) from International Church of the Foursquare Gospel on Nov. 16.
North Dakota
The Grand Forks Bible Study Group was tentatively selected as the winner of a construction permit for a new station on 88.3 in Grand Forks, edging out Bible Broadcasting Network in the FCC’s points-based system because it is an established local applicant.
Wisconsin
Magnum Broadcasting’s WEZY/105.7 (Chippewa Falls) reported that it is operating at reduced power of 4.5kW ERP, rather than its licensed 25kW, due to an antenna problem which began Nov. 8. The station’s filing says the antenna will need to be replaced and it is using a temporary four-bay antenna in the interim.
Good Karma Broadcasting’s WGKB/1510 (Waukesha) returned to the air on Nov. 10 after resolving technical difficulties that had silenced the station in June.
Wisconsin Public Radio’s WUWS/90.9 (Ashland) completed a slight increase in antenna height above average terrain from 70.5 to 75 meters, remaining 24.5kW, and switched from a directional to a non-directional antenna (though terrain in the area still creates in a non-circular coverage pattern). The change coincided with a move of sister station WHWA/104.7 (Washburn) to the same Ashland tower used by WUWS, though the stations use different antennas.
The FCC approved Civic Media’s purchase of WXCE/1260 (Amery), W297CU/107.3 (Amery), WBZH/910 (Hayward), and WDMO/95.7 (Baldwin) from Zoe Communications. As previously reported, Civic is already operating WXCE/W297CU, while WBZH is silent and WDMO will change its callsign to WSCM effective Dec. 1.
Northern Illinois University was tentatively selected as the winner of a construction permit for a new FM station in the Wisconsin-Illinois stateline area, scoring higher in the points-based system than VCY America. NIU applied for 90.1 in Galena, IL, while VCY sought 90.1 in Mineral Point, WI. NIU scored three points for being an established local applicant, while VCY claimed two points for diversity of ownership and scored two points for proposing a larger facility. However, the FCC says VCY failed to provide documentation to support the diversity claim, leaving NIU with one more point than VCY.