The following are updates to stories previously reported here and other recent FCC filings and actions:
Iowa
Ecker Broadcasting closed on its purchase of KMRY/1450 and K226BO/93.1 (Cedar Rapids) from Sellers Broadcasting on Jan. 1.
Michigan
Sovereign Communications requested another extension of special temporary authority for WDMJ/1320 (Marquette) to operate at reduced power following a 2019 fire at its transmitter site. Normally licensed for 5kW day and 135 Watts night, the station has instead been using 200 Watts day and night.
Minnesota
The FCC denied Park Public Radio’s amended application for a new station on 91.7 in Tofte. The reason for the dismissal is not specified in the FCC database. The application had originally specified 88.3 in Beaver Bay but was amended to remove it from competition with Two Harbors Community Radio’s application for a new station on 88.3.
In a followup to previous reports here, viewers have noted that K29OE-D (Racine) and K30RA-D (Racine) are relaying KTTC/10 (Rochester) while K33MW-D (Sherburn) is relaying KMNF-LD/7 (Mankato).
Nebraska
Legacy Broadcasting’s KRGI/1430 (Grand Island) reports that its consulting engineer has died from COVID-19. No other information on the engineer is contained in the station’s filing, which is a request to extend KRGI’s special temporary authority to operate at reduced nighttime power. The station has been using 250 Watts non-directional at night due to a problem with its directional antenna array, which normally uses 1kW at night.
VSS Catholic Communications applied to move K207BY/89.3 (Chadron) to 91.3, remaining 250W. K207BY is due to be displaced from 89.3 by Southern Cultural Foundation’s future station on 89.5 in Chadron.
North Dakota
The FCC approved Glass Works Broadcasting LLC’s purchase of KDXN/105.7 (South Heart-Dickinson) from Totally Amped LLC.
South Dakota
Homeslice Media Group’s KKLS/920 (Rapid City) requested an extension of special temporary authority to operate at a variance. KKLS has had a series of STA extensions for a variance caused by the construction of a nearby power line more than five years ago.
Wisconsin
The FCC approved Magnum Communications’ application to change the community of license of WKBH-FM/102.7 from La Crescent, MN to Onalaska, WI. As noted earlier, the station’s actual facilities will not change.
Milwaukee Media’s WIWN/68.1 (Fond du Lac-Milwaukee, RF channel 5) was granted an extension of special temporary authority to transmit with 34kW. The station’s filing says “the increased power has resulted in some improvement to the over‐the‐air reception of WIWN’s signal” and that it continues to evaluate a “permanent solution to the circumstances that impede reception of WIWN.”
WPVS-LD/9 (Milwaukee) applied to increase power to 3kW.