The FCC has adopted a report and order changing some of the rules and procedures for Class A, low-power TV, and TV translator stations.
One change will require that LPTV stations be licensed to a community within their coverage area, ending a situation where stations have retained their former community of license after moving to a completely different market.
Another change will require new LPTV stations to use a standard four-letter callsign (such as KAAA-LD), with only translator stations using alphanumeric callsigns containing channel numbers (such as K14AA-D). Currently-licensed LPTV and Class A stations using alphanumeric callsigns will not be required to change them.
Meanwhile, the FCC chose not to adopt some of the proposals, including establishing a minimum operating schedule for LPTV stations. (The lack of a minimum schedule means LPTV stations can essentially be off the air most of the time without informing the FCC.) Despite not adopting a minimum schedule, the FCC took the opportunity to remind LPTV licensees of their existing obligations:
“Although we decline to establish set minimum operating hours, LPTV stations will continue to be subject to existing operational requirements. We take this opportunity to remind LPTV stations of various statutory and operational requirements. An LPTV station that fails to operate for more than 10 days must notify the Commission that it is silent. If a station remains silent for more than 30 days, it must seek Commission authority to remain silent. Failure of an LPTV station to operate for a period of 30 days or more, except for causes beyond the control of the licensee, shall be deemed evidence of discontinuation of operation and the license of the station may be cancelled at the discretion of the Commission. Finally, as with all broadcast stations, an LPTV station’s license will automatically expire, as a matter of law, if the station fails to transmit a broadcast signal for any consecutive twelvemonth period, notwithstanding any provision, term, or condition of the license to the contrary. LPTV stations must also file required applications and/or notifications when they operate at variance from their licensed parameters. LPTV stations should continue to be cognizant of these operational and notification requirements.”
Meanwhile, numerous LPTV stations have filed for major modifications during an FCC filing window. In most cases, stations are seeking to move to larger cities, including three applying to move to the Twin Cities area on VHF channels.
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
Edge Spectrum’s K22KD-D (Sioux Falls, S.D.) applied to move to Sioux City on channel 25 with 10kW.
CSN International’s K206BW/89.1 (Adel) reports that it went off the air Dec. 9 at the request of the tower owner. K206BW has a construction permit to move its transmitter to Waukee and change frequency to 89.7.
Michigan
Edge Spectrum’s W28DY-D (Sault Ste. Marie) applied to move to the lower peninsula, transmitting with 12kW from a site north of Harbor Springs. It would change its community of license to Traverse City, which would be outside of its coverage area.
K-Love Inc. closed on its acquisition of WQXO/1400 and W249DR/97.7 (Munising) on Dec. 18.
Minnesota
Edge Spectrum’s K15IS-D (Willmar) applied to move to Minneapolis on channel 10, transmitting with 3kW from Maple Plain.
Edge Spectrum’s W26FG-D (Eau Claire, Wis.) applied to move to the Twin Cities area on channel 11 with 3kW. It would be licensed to Minneapolis and transmit from Maplewood. (Unrelated station KARE/11.1 now transmits on channel 31; the LPTV station would have to use a different virtual channel.)
Edge Spectrum’s K21NU-D (Geneva) applied to move to Minneapolis on channel 12 with 3kW directional, transmitting from the KMSP-TV tower in Shoreview.
Edge Spectrum’s K25QV-D (Alexandria) applied to move to St. Cloud on channel 12 with 3kW.
Edge Spectrum’s K29NY-D (Alexandria) applied to move to St. Cloud on channel 27 with 15kW.
Edge Spectrum’s K22LJ-D (Mason City, Iowa) applied to move to Rochester on channel 16 with 8kW.
Edge Spectrum’s K35PA-D (Mason City, Iowa) applied to move to Rochester on channel 17 with 15kW directional.
Edge Spectrum’s K22NL-D (Wadena) applied to move to a tower near Tansem, Minn., on channel 20 with 11kW. It would change its community of license to Fargo.
The FCC approved a callsign change for Shalom Lutheran Church’s future low-power FM station KVSL-LP/102.9 (Alexandria) to KONX-LP.
The FCC has upgraded the allotment for a future station on 96.9 in Grand Marais from class C3 (25kW/100m) to class C2 (50kW/150m). (Historically, the allotment had originally been for a class C1 [100kW/299m] station at Grand Portage.) No auction date has been scheduled.
Nebraska
After previously reporting damage from a lightning strike, Muñoz Media’s KMMQ/1020 (Plattsmouth) has now been granted special temporary authority to return to full power with a variance in its directional antenna patterns. KMMQ is licensed for 50kW daytime and 1.4kW at night with different day and night directional patterns.
Connoisseur Media’s KLIR/101.1 (Columbus) applied to reduce its antenna height slightly from 237 to 202 meters above average terrain, remaining 100kW.
DTV America’s KIUA-LD/15 (Lincoln), which is currently licensed to transmit from a site near Aurora, applied to move its transmitter to Lincoln on channel 16 with 15kW.
North Dakota
Major Market Broadcasting’s K22OG-D (Fargo) was granted a construction permit to upgrade from 8.6kW to 15kW and move its transmitter from Fargo to Moorhead. The company also applied to move the transmitter of K25LY-D (Fargo) from Fargo to the KRDK-TV tower in Galesburg, upgrading from 8.6kW to 15kW; that application remains pending.
Edge Spectrum’s K18NT-D (Grand Forks) applied to move to Fargo on channel 26 with 15kW, transmitting from the WDAY-TV tower northwest of the city.
Frank Digital Broadcasting’s K31MP-D (Grand Forks) applied to move to Fargo with 15kW.
Wisconsin
The FCC has approved a frequency change for Madison Christian LPFM’s future low-power FM station licensed to Monona. Originally planned for 103.7, the construction permit now calls for the use of 89.1 from a transmitter site in Maple Bluff. The frequency change eliminates the need for Madison Christian LPFM to share time with Iglesia Pentecostal Jehova Rafa, which will have a station on 103.7 licensed to McFarland. Callsigns have not yet been assigned to either station.
The FCC has formally approved Civic Media’s purchase of WZTI/1290 (Greenfield-Milwaukee), W262CJ/100.3 (Milwaukee), and W297BY/107.3 (Franklin) from the Milwaukee Radio Alliance. As previously reported, Civic is already operating the stations under a time brokerage agreement.
Baraboo Broadcasting applied to move three low-power TV stations that are currently licensed to Baraboo and authorized to transmit from a tower near Tomah:
- W22FK-D applied to move to La Crosse on channel 29 with 7.5kW.
- W25FT-D applied to move to Madison on channel 33 with 5.25kW.
- W36FN-D applied to move to a tower near Baraboo on channel 16 with 15kW. This would replace a temporary facility that has been operating on channel 16 for many years as the replacement for former analog station W43BR.
Digital Networks-Midwest’s W21EF-D (Fond du Lac) applied to move to Milwaukee with 15kW.
Digital Networks-Midwest’s W33EW-D (Rhinelander), which is currently authorized to transmit from a site near Lakewood, applied to move to Green Bay with 15kW.
Edge Spectrum’s W36EI-D (Wausau) applied to move to Green Bay on channel 33 with 15kW.
Edge Spectrum’s W30BU-D (Green Bay) applied to move its transmitter to West Bend on channel 25 with 15kW directional, reaching the northern Milwaukee metro area.
Lowcountry 34 Media’s W35DM-D (Minocqua) applied to change its community of license to Mattoon, Wis., and transmit from Antigo on channel 11 with 1kW.
Lowcountry 34 Media’s K17OV-D (Duluth, Minn.) applied to move to Siren, Wis., on channel 11 with 1kW.