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
Gabriel Media’s KYES/1180 (Rockville-St. Cloud) returned to full-power operation on April 27 after completing repairs. The station had been at reduced power for a few months. KYES uses 50kW day, 8kW critical hours, and 5kW night with different day and night directional patterns.
Following its earlier reduced-power notification, Hubbard Broadcasting’s KSTP/1500 (St. Paul) has requested special temporary authority to continue operating at 25kW day and 10kW night, rather than its licensed 50kW. The new filing repeats the explanation that the reduced power is needed “to analyze certain technical issues and determine whether additional steps are needed.” The STA was requested because the reduced-power operation is now expected to exceed 30 days.
Heartland Christian Broadcasters’ KXBR/91.9 (International Falls) reports that it has been operating at reduced power for about a week due to a power supply failure. KXBR has been granted special temporary authority to operate at an unspecified reduced power while it awaits delivery of parts. The filing states that the station expects to return to full power in about a month.
The FCC granted an extension of special temporary authority for HC2 Station Group’s KJNK-LD/25 (Minneapolis) to operate at reduced power of 9.45kW, rather than its licensed 15kW.
The FCC approved Heartland Signal LLC’s purchase of KTNF/950 (St. Louis Park-Minneapolis) from JR Broadcasting LLC.
Nebraska
The FCC granted Usher Media’s purchase of five stations in the Omaha market from NRG Media: KQKQ/98.5 (Council Bluffs), KOPW/106.9 (Plattsmouth), KZOT/1180 (Bellevue), KOIL/1290 (Omaha), and KOZN/1620 (Bellevue). Usher has already been operating the stations under a local marketing agreement.
The FCC has granted Nebraska Public Media’s KUON-TV/12.1 (Lincoln) special temporary authority to use an interim facility during its move from RF channel 12 to 27. See last week’s FCC Monitor for details.
North Dakota
Gray Media’s K28QT-D (Dickinson) reports that it left the air May 1 due to transmitter equipment failure.
Wisconsin
David Magnum’s W276CO/103.1 (Fond du Lac) has applied to upgrade from 120 to 250 Watts. The application states it will continue to relay WMBZ/92.5 (West Bend).
There were no significant actions or updates from Iowa, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, or South Dakota within the past week.
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.