The following are updates to stories previously reported here and smaller recent FCC filings and actions. Many of these items are a continuation of the situation described in last week’s article, “Last-Minute Efforts Underway to Save Some Low-Power TV Permits.”
Iowa
Minority Communications’ KJMC/89.3 (Des Moines) went off the air on June 17 due to technical problems. According to the station’s request for special temporary authority to remain silent, the antenna apparently suffered lightning damage. The station, which normally transmits with 7.1kW/61m, continues to stream online.
M&M Broadcasting was granted a change the location of a future FM translator northwest of Des Moines, which will to relay KDLS/1310 (Perry). The construction permit for K232FX/94.3 was moved from Granger to Dallas Center, where it will transmit with 250 Watts. The translator faces a January 2022 construction deadline.
Educational Media Foundation “K-Love” station K281BS/104.1 (Hiawatha-Cedar Rapids) was granted a frequency change to 103.9 with the new callsign K280HA, upgrading fro 170 to 250 Watts.
The Educational Media Foundation closed on its purchase of KLDX/88.5 (Sioux Center) from Dordt University on July 1. KLDX switched to “K-Love” in May.
The FCC approved an extension to the construction deadline for future low-power TV station KEOF-LD (Fort Dodge), which DTV America is in the process of selling to Weigel Broadcasting’s TV-49 Inc., until January 2022.
Edge Spectrum requested a waiver of the statutory deadline for K20KF-D (Davenport) return to the air by July 2. K20KF was displaced from channel 20 last year as part of the spectrum repack and has a construction permit to move to channel 33, but says it doesn’t want to construct the facility until it can do so with ATSC 3.0 and a distributed transmission system.
Michigan
The FCC approved an extension to the construction deadline for future low-power TV station W16EF-D (Marquette) until January 2022. FideliTV is in the process of buying the station from DTV America.
Minnesota
The FCC granted displacement for CTB Spectrum Services Two LLC’s construction permits for new low-power TV stations in the Duluth area that were knocked off their previous channels by the discontinuation of channels 38 and up. The former K49LU-D is now K17OV-D (Duluth), while the former K43ON-D is now K30QX-D (Duluth). Both permits specify 15kW facilities from a tower northwest of Duluth, with directional facilities that would not reach most of Duluth itself. CTB also has a permit for K23MQ-D (Duluth) from the same tower but with a non-directional antenna.
Edge Spectrum requested waiver of the statutory one-year deadline for K44GH-D (Alexandria), K48KJ-D (Geneva), K38MM-D (International Falls), K43JE-D (Lake Crystal), KHVM-LD (Minneapolis), KTCJ-LD (Minneapolis), K47JE-D (Olivia), K43MH-D (Vesta), and K47JC-D (Wadena) to return to the air. The low-power TV stations were forced off the air last July by discontinuation of channels 38 and up and have construction permits to move to new channels. Edge says it doesn’t want to construct the facility until it can do so with ATSC 3.0 and distributed transmission systems.
The FCC approved an extension to the construction deadline for future low-power TV station K35PC-D (Rochester) until January 2022. Julie Huang’s Roseland Broadcasting is in the process of buying the station from DTV America.
The FCC approved an extension to the construction deadline for future low-power TV station K20KW-D (St. Cloud) until January 2022. FideliTV is in the process of buying the station from DTV America.
Nebraska
Nebraska Public Media station KXNE/19.1 (Norfolk) completed an upgrade from 475kW to 525kW.
Edge Spectrum requested waiver of the statutory deadline for K49LT-D (North Platte) to return to the air. The low-power TV station was forced off the air last year by discontinuation of channels 38 and up and has a construction permit to move to channel 20, but Edge says it doesn’t want to construct the facility until it can do so with ATSC 3.0 and distributed transmission systems.
North Dakota
The FCC approved the sale of future low-power TV station K15MQ-D (Bismarck) from DTV America to Julie Huang’s Roseland Broadcasting, and also approved an extension of the construction deadline to January 2022.
The FCC approved extensions to the construction deadline for future low-power TV stations K14PP-D (Fargo), K17LD-D (Fargo), K18NP-D (Fargo), K27LN-D (Fargo), and K32KX-D (Fargo) until January 2022. DTV America is in the process of selling the K27LN-D to Roseland Broadcasting and the others to FideliTV.
Edge Spectrum requested waiver of the statutory deadline for K43JQ-D (Bismarck) and K42IM-D (Minot) to return to the air. The low-power TV stations were forced off the air last year by discontinuation of channels 38 and up and have construction permits to move to new channels. Edge says it doesn’t want to construct the facility until it can do so with ATSC 3.0 and a distributed transmission system.
Edge Spectrum requested tolling to extend the deadline for analog low-power TV station K17HG (Grand Forks) to begin digital broadcasting on channel 18. Edge says it doesn’t want to construct the facility until it can do so with ATSC 3.0 and a distributed transmission system.
South Dakota
Homeslice Media Group’s KKLS/920 (Rapid City) requested another extension of special temporary authority to operate at a variance. The directional pattern from the station’s two-tower array, using 5kW day and 111 Watts night, was altered by the construction of a nearby power line five years ago. The latest filing repeats previous statements that KKLS has decided that the best course of action is to switch to a non-directional antenna but says research is still underway. An application for a facility change has not been filed.
Julie Huang’s Roseland Broadcasting is buying construction permits for nine low-power TV stations from DTV America, including three in South Dakota, for $200,000. The South Dakota stations are K38NJ-D (Beresford), K44KV-D (Elk Point), and K50MS-D (Sturgis). All face July 13 construction deadlines but have sought six-month extensions, and all would also need to find new channels because channels 38 and up were discontinued last year.
Edge Spectrum requested tolling to extend the deadline for analog low-power TV station K32FW (Pierre) to convert to digital. Edge says it doesn’t want to construct the new facility until it can do so with ATSC 3.0 and a distributed transmission system.
Wisconsin
Calvary Radio Network’s WJWD/90.3 (Marshall-Madison) was granted a construction permit to use a circularly polarized antenna with 9.7kW, replacing the current setup of 9.9kW vertical and 51 Watts horizontal.
Future low-power TV station W14ER-D (Eau Claire), owned by Gray TV, changed its callsign to WECX-LD. A viewer also reported seeing WECX-LD on the air testing.
Baraboo Broadcasting Corporation applied to move the permits for new low-power TV stations W43DD-D (Baraboo), W45DR-D (Baraboo), and W47EA-D (Baraboo) to channels 25, 22, and 36, respectively. Channels 38 and up were discontinued last year. Though licensed to Baraboo, the permits specify a tower site near Tomah.
Edge Spectrum requested waiver of the statutory deadline for W39CV-D (Minocqua) to return to the air. The low-power TV station was forced off the air last year by discontinuation of channels 38 and up and has a construction permit to move to channel 35, but Edge says it doesn’t want to construct the facility until it can do so with ATSC 3.0 and a distributed transmission system.