New Northern Wisconsin FM Gets Highest Regional Bid in FCC Auction

A new FM station in northern Wisconsin had the highest bid among the nine Upper Midwest allotments included in the recent FCC Auction 109.

The future station on 100.9 in Tomahawk went to The Salvation Poem Foundation with a $129,000 bid. Salvation Poem, a Christian broadcaster with four existing stations in western Wisconsin, also won 103.1 in Crandon.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee-based Christian broadcaster VCY America won two new stations in Iowa, 103.9 in the Waterloo market and 92.9 in the Mason City market.

A few existing commercial broadcasters expanded their reach: Houghton Community Broadcasting won 96.3 in Houghton, MI, and Flood Communications won 98.1 in Bayard, NE.

The lowest regional winning bid was for 96.9 in Grand Marais, MN, which went to Wireless LLC for $4,100.

Nationally, only 97 of the 140 allotments up for auction were actually sold, with four AM frequencies in the St. Louis area finding no bidders. However, all Upper Midwest allotments were sold.

Here’s the list of winning bids in the region:

Dunkerton, IA (Waterloo market): 103.9 class A (6kW/100m)
VCY America, $60,000

Rockford, IA (Mason City market): 92.9 class A (6kW/100m)
VCY America, $25,000

Carney, MI (Escanaba market): 99.9 class A (6kW/100m)
Suzanne D. Henderson, $38,000

Houghton, MI: 96.3 class C1 (100kW/299m)
Houghton Community Broadcasting, $91,000

Grand Marais, MN: 96.9 class C3 (25kW/100m)
Wireless LLC, $4,100

Gackle, ND (Jamestown market): 99.1 class C1 (100kW/299m)
Jordan Zeller, $15,000

Bayard, NE: 98.1 class A (6kW/100m)
Flood Communications West LLC, $16,000

Crandon, WI: 103.1 class A (6kW/100m)
The Salvation Poem Foundation, $58,000

Tomahawk, WI: 100.9 class C3 (25kW/100m)
The Salvation Poem Foundation, $129,000

Note: The power levels listed above are the maximum for their classes and may not represent the facilities that are actually built, since formal applications for construction permits have not yet been filed.