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
Iowa Catholic Radio’s KLOX/90.9 (Creston) has been granted a construction permit to upgrade from 500 Watts to 100kW/189m, using a new tower to be built southwest of Creston. KLOX had previous permits to upgrade to 100kW from a different site under its previous owner.
Grigsby Way Broadcasting was granted construction permits for new low-power TV stations K24PD-D (Cedar Rapids) and K24PE-D (Davenport), each using 15kW. K24PE-D’s construction permit calls for a tower site near Durant, IA, and the applications waived any possible interference.
DTV America’s KFKZ-LD/35.1 (Cedar Falls) reports that it returned to full-power operations on Aug. 18.
HC2 Broadcasting’s KRPG-LD/43.1 (Des Moines) reports that it returned to full-power operations on Aug. 19.
Manitoba
The CRTC has put out a call for comments on a proposed new FM station in Selkirk. Kelly C. Dion has applied for a new English-language commercial station on 90.5 using maximum power of 17.9kW (class B1). Under Canadian rules, such an application triggers a call for comments on market capacity and whether to accept additional applications. (Unlike the U.S., a market’s ability to sustain a new station is a factor in deciding whether to allow new commercial stations to sign on in Canada.) Selkirk is the community of license for two Winnipeg-market stations; the proposed station would serve Selkirk, St. Andrews, St. Clements, and the southern Lake Winnipeg beach communities.
Michigan
West Central Michigan Media Ministries WUPC/89.1 (Iron Mountain) filed an amendment to its license to cover application stating that the station is using 13.8kW ERP, rather than the originally-planned 15kW, to reduce radiation to levels considered safe.
A transfer of control application indicates Bruce Grassman is returning his shares in Results Broadcasting of Iron Mountain for $42,000. After the transaction is complete, Bruce Grassman’s son Donald W. Grassman will hold 100% of the votes in the company. It owns WOBE/100.7 (Crystal Falls-Iron Mountain), WJNR/101.5 (Iron Mountain), and WHTO/106.7 (Iron Mountain).
Minnesota
K-Love Inc.’s W225AP/92.9 (St. Paul), which carries “Boost” from KMWA-HD2, returned to full-power operations on Aug. 18. The station had reported antenna damage from a windstorm in May.
As noted in the Weekly Log, KNNZ/89.1 (Hawley-Fargo) returned to the air Aug. 18.
The Christian Community Foundation, Inc., doing business as WaterStone, closed on its purchase of Salem Media on Aug. 20. The company’s Upper Midwest stations include KKMS/980 (Richfield-Minneapolis), WWTC/1280 (Minneapolis), KYCR/1440 (Golden Valley-Minneapolis), and KDIZ/1570 (Golden Valley-Minneapolis).
Nebraska
Nebraska Public Media’s KPNE-FM/91.7 (North Platte) reports that it returned to full power on Aug. 18. As previously reported, KPNE-FM went off the air May 19 due to antenna damage and returned to the air June 16 using reduced power while repairs were made.
South Dakota
South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s K214BN/90.7 (Edgemont) has been off the air since Aug. 7 after a storm damaged its antenna.
Wisconsin
WTHX/89.3 (Whitewater), owned by 2820 Communications, applied to increase power from 2.7kW to 5.5kW, with its antenna remaining at 40 meters above average terrain.
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.