FM Applications: Park Public Radio Proposes Solution to Mpls. Conflict

Park Public Radio, which operates suburban Minneapolis low-power FM signal KPPS-LP/97.5 (St. Louis Park), has applied for Class A FM stations as a potential solution for a long-running effort to relocate its transmitter site.

In the FCC’s Nov 2-9 filing window for new non-commercial stations, Park Public Radio applied for stations on 90.7 and 91.9. The proposed stations would both be licensed to St. Louis Park and would transmit from the IDS Center in Minneapolis.

The proposed 90.7 would transmit with 99 Watts at 241 meters above average terrain. It would require waivers due to short-spacing with the second-adjacent channels of KFAI/90.3 and KNOW/91.1, though Park Public Radio says any interference would be limited to the rooftop of the IDS Center. It would also require a waiver due to short-spacing on an intermediate frequency channel of KDWB/101.3; in that case, Park Public Radio says the proposed facility falls into line with other situations where the FCC has issued waivers for IF frequencies when the station uses less than 100 Watts.

If approved, the new 90.7 would displace K214DF/90.7, which transmits from the Wells Fargo Center (a block from IDS) with nearly identical facilities to that of the proposed new station. K214DF is owned by the Educational Media Foundation and carries Northwestern Media’s “Faith Radio;” Park Public Radio suggests it could move to a new frequency.

Meanwhile, the proposed 91.9 would transmit with 30 Watts at 241 meters using a directional antenna to limit the signal towards WINH/91.9 (Hinckley) and KQRS/92.5. The application proposes a waiver of third-adjacent interference to KQRS that could occur on the top levels of the IDS Center.

The proposed new station on 91.9 would displace Macalester College Class D FM station WMCN/91.7 and Minnesota Public Radio’s K220JP/91.9 (Minneapolis).

No other organizations submitted applications for either frequency during the filing window.

Park Public Radio would divest KPPS-LP if either of the new stations is granted.

KPPS-LP currently transmits from a residence in St. Louis Park and desires to move to a new transmitter site, though an earlier plan to change frequency to 88.9 fell apart when no suitable transmitter site could be secured within the limited area where 88.9 could broadcast under the rules for low-power FM stations.

As reported here previously, KPPS-LP applied earlier this year to move its transmitter to Minneapolis on 97.7 but fell into conflict with the Central Baptist Theological Seminary’s application to move K250BY/97.9’s transmitter to Minneapolis. The FCC has not decided the outcome of that dispute.

Park Public Radio also applied for stations in Aitkin, Beaver Bay, Gilbert, Grand Rapids, Owatonna, Red Wing, and Stewartville during the FCC’s filing window.