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
iHeartMedia’s WOC/1420 (Davenport) requested an extension of special temporary authority to operate at an unspecified reduced power or variance, stating, “Due to lack of available manpower no additional work has been completed to repair this facility.” The station’s original 2021 filing said several array parameters suddenly went out of tolerance.
The FCC granted construction permits for Saga Broadcasting’s K252EX/98.3 (Spencer) and K273DD/102.5 (Spencer) to move their antennas 22 meters lower on their existing tower, remaining 250 Watts. As previously reported here, the project comes after the translators reported antenna damage that forced them to reduce power until the new antenna is installed.
Michigan
Queen Bee’s Knees’ WBUP/10.1 (Ishpeming) reports that it has been operating at reduced power since Dec. 30 due to transmission equipment failure. The exact power level being used was not specified.
Minnesota
Mankato State University has signed on new 14-Watt low-power FM station KMSU-LP/107.9 (Mankato). Previous announcements have stated that the station will carry student programming as “Mav FM” in simulcast with the HD3 signal of KMSU/89.7 (Mankato).
Minn-Iowa Christian Broadcasting has signed on new 200-Watt station KJRX/89.1 (Delhi-Redwood Falls). KJRX carries Minn-Iowa’s “Kinship Radio” network.
Christian Media, Inc. has signed on new 250-Watt station KAWD/88.1 (Detroit Lakes), which replaces 100-Watt low-power FM station KAWD-LP/88.1 (Detroit Lakes). Besides the small increase in power, the change in license status ensures KAWD cannot be bumped off the air in the future by other stations.
Townsquare Media’s KLDJ/101.7 (Duluth) reports that it returned to full power on Jan. 7 after completing repairs.
The University of Northwestern-St. Paul applied to modify the construction permit for future station KDGR/88.1 (Grand Rapids) to move to the tower site already used by UNWSP’s K201IX/88.1, remaining 5kW but dropping the planned antenna height from 75 to 55 meters above average terrain. KDGR is facing an April 13 construction deadline. K201IX has a construction permit to move to 88.9; KDGR’s new filing states that the current plan is to take the translator off the air while the licensee considers whether to diplex the stations’ antennas or install a separate one for the translator.
After being bumped off the air by the sign-on of a new station, the University of Northwestern-St. Paul’s K202EN/88.3 (Fairmont) has applied to move to 91.3. It would remain at its previous site but reduce power from 205 to 110 Watts.
North Dakota
Days before its construction permit was due to expire, the FCC granted a downgrade to future Hi-Line Radio Fellowship station KDND/89.1 (Dickinson). Originally planned for 10kW/177m (class C2) from a tower southwest of Dickinson, the permit now calls for 400W/165m (class A) from a site closer to town.
Wisconsin
Gray Media’s W21DS-D (Sayner/Vilas County), which is a translator of WSAW (Wausau), reports that it returned to full power on Jan. 7.
Civic Media’s WBZH/910 (Hayward) was granted special temporary authority to transmit at 1.5kW daytime while it continues work to return to full power of 5kW daytime.
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.