The following are updates to stories previously reported here and other recent FCC filings and actions:
Iowa
Saga Broadcasting applied to move K255CY/98.9 (Spirit Lake) to 98.5, keeping its present transmitter site and remaining 250 Watts. It will continue to relay an HD subchannel of KMRR/104.9 (Spencer).
The FCC approved A2Z Broadcasting’s purchase of KLGA/92.7, KLGZ/1600, and KLGZ translator K253BJ/98.5 (Algona) from Riverfront Broadcasting of Iowa.
Scripps ION station KPXR-TV/48.1 (Cedar Rapids) notified the FCC that its main studio is now at Scripps Center in Cincinnati. Other regional ION stations submitted similar notifications last week.
Michigan
WRVM translator W290CO/105.9 (Iron Mountain) completed a move of its transmitter site to a different part of town, improving its signal to neighboring Quinnesec and Niagara, WI despite reducing power from 70 to 13 Watts.
Minnesota
The FCC granted Word of God Fellowship/Daystar’s request for special temporary authority to return WDMI-LD/62.1 (Minneapolis) on channel 26 after KARE began using WDMI’s former RF channel, 31. The STA calls for WDMI to use 1kW nondirectional while it works to install a directional antenna, which will allow the station to transmit for 15kW. A construction permit was also granted for the 15kW facility. The station’s virtual channel is derived from its original analog home on channel 62.
The FCC on Nov. 3 granted a license to cover for SagamoreHill of Minneapolis’ KMWE-LD/17 (St. Cloud), which specified a transmitter site in a residential area of the northwestern Twin Cities suburb of Corcoran.
WMIN/1010 (Sauk Rapids-St. Cloud) requested an extension of special temporary authority to operate at one-quarter of normal power while it rebuilds its phasing system. It’s currently licensed for 1.7kW day and 240 Watts night using different day and night directional patterns and has applied to change to 2.5kW day and 230 Watts night. The latest request says the contract engineer that has been managing construction suffered a serious medical issue and will need three to six months to recover.
VCY America’s WQRM/850 (Duluth) reported that it is operating at 1kW daytime, rather than its licensed 50kW daytime and 13kW critical hours, following the August fire that knocked the station off the air. It returned a few weeks ago. The station does not transmit at night.
Northern Community Radio’s KAXE/91.7 (Grand Rapids) has completed an upgrade from 100kW/140m to 100kW/205m, remaining Class C1. The increased antenna height improves reception on the Iron Range as well as rural areas surrounding Grand Rapids.
Flag Family Media/Bakken Beacon Media closed on its purchase of Lamke Broadcasting’s radio stations in Grand Rapids on Nov. 1. The group consists of KOZY/1320 (Grand Rapids) and its FM translator, K226CV/93.1 (Grand Rapids), KMFY/96.9 (Grand Rapids), and KBAJ/105.5 (Deer River-Grand Rapids).
South Dakota
Mount Rushmore Broadcasting informed the FCC that new 250-Watt FM translator K252GD/98.3 (Hot Springs) is operating pursuant to construction permit program test authority. K252GD was granted during the AM Revitalization effort to relay KZMX/580. KZMX recently reported that it went off the air Oct. 16 due to an unspecified equipment malfunction, but FCC rules allow fill-in translators to stay on the air when their primary stations are temporarily off. KZMX was last known to relay KZMX-FM/96.7.
Gray TV informed the FCC that low-power TV station KABY-LD/20 (Sioux Falls) returned to the air on Sept. 22. A viewer has reported that KABY-LD is relaying ABC/CW affiliate KSFY/13 on virtual channel 15 (virtual channel 20 is used regionally by KSMN Worthington, MN). KABY-LD transmits with 13.2kW from the KSFY tower near Rowena, but its UHF frequency may be easier for some viewers to receive than KSFY’s VHF frequency.
The University of Northwestern-St. Paul’s KNWC/1270 (Sioux Falls) is temporarily transmitting with its nighttime facility 24 hours per day after discovering rodent damage that caused the daytime facility to fail. The station’s request for special temporary authority says there is also excessive water at the transmitter site, which is south of Sioux Falls near Worthing, and “complete repairs will likely take an extended amount of time.” KNWC normally transmits with 5kW day and 2.3kW night with different day and night directional patterns.
Prairie Winds Broadcasting requested another extension of special temporary authority for KSDN/930 (Aberdeen) to transmit non-directionally at 1.25kW day and 250 Watts night, which is one-quarter of its normal power. Filings indicate KSDN has been at reduced power for a decade following a lightning strike that prevented it from using its day and night directional patterns. The latest filing states that the COVID-19 pandemic has “exasperated” efforts to complete the repairs.
Wisconsin
Heart of Wisconsin Media’s WFHR/1320 (Wisconsin Rapids) is now using reduced nighttime power of 89 Watts non-directional, rather than its licensed 500-Watt directional nighttime signal. It continues to use 5kW non-directional during the day. In a request for special temporary authority, the station reports that it suffered a failure of the control system which switches to the nighttime directional pattern and that repairs to the system, which is more than 60 years old, could be extensive. It has submitted a separate application to use the non-directional 89-Watt nighttime signal permanently, remaining 5kW daytime. The application states that the 89-Watt nighttime signal provides interference-free service to at least 85% of Wisconsin Rapids.
The FCC approved a frequency change for future Magnum Communications FM translator W255DE/98.9 (De Forest), moving to 96.9 as W245DQ. The 250-Watt translator, which will relay WPDR/1350 (Portage) to the northern Madison metro, faces a March 15, 2022 construction deadline.
Roseland Broadcasting is buying low-power TV station WPVS-LP/9 (Milwaukee) from Polnet Communications for $100,000.