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
KROS/1340 (Clinton) was granted special temporary authority to broadcast at reduced power of 700 Watts while it works to make repairs from wind damage.
Minnesota
The FCC granted Duluth-Superior Area Educational Television Corp. construction permits for new TV translator stations K21PW-D (Duluth) and K25RM-D (Hibbing), each using 15kW. DSAETC is the licensee of PBS North stations WDSE/8.1 (Duluth) and WRPT/31.1 (Hibbing) and the new translators will broadcast from the same towers as WDSE and WRPT.
The FCC granted HC2 Station Group a construction permit for new low-power TV station K14TS-D (Duluth), using 15kW.
North Dakota
The FCC granted BEK Sports Network construction permits for new low-power TV stations K16OH-D (Devils Lake) and K23QA-D (Williston), each using 15kW.
Gray Media’s KMOT/10.1 (Minot) reports that it has been operating at 40% of licensed power since Aug. 19 due to transmitter issues. The notification says KMOT is working on a repair so that it may quickly resume full-power
operations.
Gray Media’s K35PO-D (Bismarck) applied to return to 15kW. The low-power TV station had originally used 15kW but dropped to 240 Watts due to a transmission line failure last year and permanently reduced its licensed power to that level.
Townsquare Media’s KYYZ/96.1 (Williston) was granted another extension of special temporary authority to transmit at 2% of its licensed 100kW. The latest filing says, “progress on the repairs continues to be hindered by ongoing infrastructure challenges.”
South Dakota
The purchase price for Riverfront Broadcasting’s previously-reported purchase of KIMM/1150 and K294BT/106.7 (Rapid City) from Black Hills Broadcasting is $200,000, according to an asset purchase agreement filed with the FCC on Aug. 25.
Wisconsin
K-Love’s WPFF/90.5 (Sturgeon Bay) returned to full power on Aug. 21 after a few weeks at reduced power due to transmitter failure.
The Wisconsin Educational Communications Board, one of the parent organizations of PBS Wisconsin, was granted a construction permit for new low-power TV/translator station W26FY-D (Brule). The new station will transmit with 12kW from the WHSA(FM) tower, serving rural northwestern Wisconsin.
The FCC approved the callsign WJNW-LP for Winwood Lifestyle Educational Radio Corporation’s future low-power FM station on 104.7 in Rhinelander.
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.