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 has formally voted to drop the ownership cap that limited TV groups to stations reaching no more than 39% of households nationwide*, switching to a case-by-case analysis. However, the change could face a legal challenge, and a previous FCC waiver allowing Nexstar to go over the ownership with the Tegna purchase remains tied up in court. (*The UHF Discount means the cap was actually higher than 39%.)
Danielle Thumann Severs has been nominated to a five-year term on the FCC. Deadline Hollywood and other outlets explain the political context.
Iowa
The Iowa Public Broadcasting Board has asked the FCC to revert a table of allotments change that would have allowed it to move KDIN/11 (Des Moines) to RF channel 34. The filing states that IPB will not be able to complete construction before the deadline and that it wishes to keep its current RF channel 11 facility.
K-Love station KLFG/89.5 (Fort Dodge) returned to full power on Aug. 1. The station had previously reported that it was operating at reduced power since May 15 due to a damaged transmission line.
Minnesota
K-Love Inc. station KMWA/96.3 (Edina-Minneapolis), which carries Air1, reports that it was at an unspecified reduced power from July 24 to Aug. 4 due to a power supply failure. KMWA is now back to full power.
DTV America’s KMBD-LD/43.1 (Minneapolis) reports that it returned to the air on Aug. 5.
Shalom Lutheran Church returned the construction permit for new low-power FM station KONX-LP/102.9 (Alexandria).
Nebraska
Walnut Media’s WOW/590 (Omaha) was granted a construction permit to move its transmitter to the KCRO/660 site, reducing power slightly from 5kW to 4.7kW and remaining non-directional.
Nebraska Public Media’s K24GO-D (Blair) returned to the air Aug. 6 using new facilities granted by the FCC days earlier. The translator has moved to a new site and upgraded from 30 to 405 Watts.
Milachi Media LLC was granted construction permits for new low-power TV stations K12YG-D (North Platte), using 220 Watts, and K26QP-D (North Platte), using 1kW.
Ontario
The CRTC has approved the deletion of CHCH-TV-4 (channel 41, Sudbury) and CHCH-TV-5 (channel 38, Sault Ste. Marie), which had relayed Independent station CHCH-DT (Hamilton, Ont.) in analog. The station stated that the transmitters were reaching the end of their lives and were not generating any revenue. “Indeed, when transmitter failures occurred in the last two years, CHCH-TV received no complaints or calls from viewers,” the station’s application said. CHCH-TV-5 was one of three remaining Canadian channels in the Twin Saults, the others carrying the CTV and Global networks. The area can also receive all of the major U.S. networks from two transmitters on the Michigan side of the border.
South Dakota
Gray Media’s KDLV-TV/5.1 (Mitchell) has requested special temporary authority to operate at 500kW, rather than its licensed 1,000kW, while it works to repair a transmitter malfunction.
Wisconsin
The FCC has approved the transfer of control of Courier Communications, owner of WNOV/860 and W293CX/106.5 (Milwaukee), from the late Jerrel Jones to Mary Ellen Jones, as well as the subsequent assignment of the WNOV and W293CX licenses from Courier to Civic Media. The approvals come after the FCC issued a consent decree resolving an investigation of the transfer of Courier’s stock without prior FCC approval; Courier will pay $8,000 under the terms of the decree. Civic has stated plans to transfer the stations to the Milwaukee Black Media Trust.
Cumulus Media’s WDUZ-FM/107.5 (Brillion-Green Bay) returned to full power on July 26 after resolving transmitter problems.
Civic Media’s WHSM-FM/101.1 (Hayward) was granted an extension of special temporary authority to operate at reduced power. The station’s latest filing states that a new transmitter has been delivered but possible antenna issues were discovered during testing.
Morgan Murphy Media’s Television Wisconsin was granted a construction permit for new low-power TV station W31FS-D (Baraboo), using 15kW.
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.