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
iHeartMedia’s WOC/1420 (Davenport) reports that it is operating with its licensed parameters as of Sept. 10. The station had been operating under special temporary authority since 2021 after reporting that several array parameters had gone out of tolerance. WOC is licensed for 5kW with different day and night directional antenna patterns.
Silicondust USA has applied for new low-power TV stations on channel 26 in Cedar Rapids and channel 18 in Davenport, each using 15kW.
Michigan
Sumbera Broadcasting’s WMJT/96.7 (McMillan) has completed a move to a tower closer to McMillan and Newberry, changing from 50kW/126m (class C2) to 20.5kW/111m (class C3). WMJT had previously broadcast from a site about 13 miles north of Newberry, which sent a large amount of signal over Lake Superior.
Minnesota
The FCC has granted WRVM Inc.’s WJRF/89.5 (Duluth) an upgrade from 2.25kW/181m to 3.3kW/224m, remaining class C3.
Grigsby Way Broadcasting has applied for a new low-power TV station on channel 12 in St. Cloud, using 3kW. Edge Spectrum’s K25QV-D (Alexandria) currently has a construction permit to move to channel 12 in St. Cloud; the Grigsby Way application alleges that K25QV-D has been off the air for more than a year, which would make its license expired as a matter of federal law if proven true. As of now, K25QV-D remains listed as “licensed and silent” in the FCC database.
Nebraska
Silicondust USA has applied for a new low-power TV station on channel 28 in Omaha, using 15kW.
Wisconsin
The FCC has dismissed an upgrade application from 2820 Communications’ WTHX/89.3 (Whitewater) over prohibited overlap with WPNE/89.3 (Green Bay). WTHX had been seeking a power increase from 2.7kW to 5.5kW.
Grigsby Way Broadcasting has applied for new low-power TV stations on channel 30 in Green Bay and channel 25 in West Bend, each using 15kW. W30BU-D (Green Bay) is currently licensed on the channel and has a construction permit to move to channel 25 in West Bend; the Grigsby Way applications allege that W30BU-D has been off the air for more than a year, which would make its license expired as a matter of federal law if proven true. As of now, W30BU-D remains listed as “licensed and silent” in the FCC database.
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.