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.
Minnesota
Minnesota Public Radio has signed on K209GE/89.7 (Alexandria), which is the former K215BL/90.9. The Classical MPR translator had been forced off the air by the sign-on of a full-power station on 90.9.
Edge Spectrum has withdrawn its license to cover application for K26KF-D (Duluth), stating that it “no longer intends to operate this facility.” Edge had previously reported that the low-power TV station was off the air.
North Dakota
The FCC granted Minot State University a construction permit for a new low-power FM station on 92.9 in Minot, using 14 Watts. The new station will carry student-produced Alternative programming that already streams online.
South Dakota
Riverfront Broadcasting’s K278AM/103.5 (Spearfish) has completed a major upgrade with a move to the Terry Peak transmitter site, giving it a much larger coverage area for its rebroadcast of KDSJ/980 (Deadwood). To make way for that upgrade, K278AN/103.5 (Rapid City) will move to 103.7 as K279DF, continuing to relay KDDX/101.1 (Spearfish); a license to cover application for the frequency change has been filed but the KDDX translator continued to operate on 103.5 as of Sept. 22.
Gray’s KDLV-TV/5.1 (Mitchell) was granted special temporary authority to operate at reduced power of 500kW, rather than its licensed 1,000kW, due to transmitter damage.
Bridge News’ K06QJ-D (Sioux Falls) modified its application to move to UHF to specify channel 35 instead of 17, removing it from conflict with a northwestern Iowa station’s application. On channel 35, the Sioux Falls station would use 15kW horizontal and 4.5kW vertical.
Wisconsin
Magnum Media closed on its purchase of W223DN/92.5 (La Crescent) from Faith Sound on Aug. 30. The translator, formerly K220EP/91.9, now transmits from West Salem.
Disclosure: Jon Ellis was an employee of Gray Media Group at the time this item was posted. The statements and views expressed in this posting are his own and do not reflect those of Gray Media Group.