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.
The FCC’s quarterly broadcast station totals show 4,310 AM stations licensed as of March 31, which is 34 fewer than six months earlier. Over the same period, the number of full-power FM licenses rose by 33 to 11,357, while the full-power TV license total rose by one to 1,777.
Iowa
Achen Becker Media closed on its purchase of KCHA-FM/95.9 (Charles City), KCHA/1580 (Charles City), KCHA translator K277DM/103.3 (Charles City), and KCZE/95.1 (New Hampton) from Coloff Media on April 10.
Wavelength Dynamics submitted a new application for a new low-power TV station on channel 6 in Slater, using 3kW, after withdrawing an earlier application.
Michigan
Armada Media’s AMC Partners Escanaba closed on its purchase of the Radio Plus Bay Cities stations in Menominee-Marinette on April 6. The group includes WLST/95.1 (Marinette, Wis.), WSFQ/96.3 (Peshtigo, Wis.), WHYB/103.7 (Menominee, Mich.), WMAM/570 (Marinette), WMAM translator W283DD/104.5 (Marinette), WAGN/1340 (Menominee), and WAGN translator W261DM/100.1 (Menominee).
Calvis Regni Ministries’ WNOA-LP/103.9 (Marquette) suspended operations on April 6. According to the minutes of a February meeting submitted with the FCC notification, the board had voted in January to dissolve the group but then heard from people who were interested in potentially taking over the station. The plan to dissolve was rescinded at the February meeting and the board decided to wait until the day after Easter to turn off the transmitter. There was discussion of whether the station’s Catholic format would be more financially sustainable if it was moved to a full-power license.
Applications for new low-power TV stations include:
- Escanaba, channel 18, 5kW, WZMQ LLC
- Houghton, channel 25, 5kW, WZMQ LLC
- Marquette, channel 17, 10kW, WZMQ LLC
Nebraska
According to an April 7 news release from broker Kalil & Co., Usher Media has closed on its purchase of NRG Media’s group in the Tri-Cities, including KROR/101.5 (Hastings), KRNY/102.3 (Kearney), KQKY/105.9 (Kearney), KSYZ-FM/107.7 (Grand Island), KGFW/1340 (Kearney), and KGFW translator K241CN/96.1 (Kearney). Alan and Joanna Usher completed a divestiture of their shares in Legacy Communications/G.I. Family Radio on April 3, according to FCC filings.
The FCC approved Nebraska Public Media’s purchase of KOOO/101.9 (La Vista-Omaha) from NRG Media.
MyBridge Radio closed on its purchase of K209FS/89.7 (Columbus) from Nebraska Public Media on April 3. As reported here last week, K209FS has a construction permit to move to 88.1 as K201JH.
Nebraska Public Media’s K31OC-D (Broken Bow) returned to the air on April 6.
Nebraska Public Media’s K06KR-D (Crawford) has returned to the air at reduced power of 7 Watts while it works to return to full power of 28 Watts.
South Dakota
Northwestern Media’s KNWC/1270 (Sioux Falls) returned to full nighttime power of 2.3kW directional on April 8. KNWC had been using one-quarter of its usual power at night in non-directional mode while it worked to resolve issues with its directional pattern. The station’s 5kW directional daytime operation was not affected.
Wisconsin
Civic Media’s WZTI/1290 (Greenfield-Milwaukee) was granted a callsign change to WRJM effective April 13. The callsign is similar to simulcast partner WRJN/1400 (Racine).
David Magnum’s W300CM/107.9 (Appleton) returned to the air on April 7 using 25 Watts from the roof of a hockey rink near its licensed site. As previously reported here, W300CM was nearing the one-year deadline to return to the air after problems at its licensed site forced it to go off the air last year.
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.