The following are updates to previously-reported items and other recent regulatory filings and actions concerning Upper Midwest broadcast stations. This report is created by the author and is not an official report of the FCC.
Midwest Communications submitted applications to transfer control of 98 radio licenses following the death of Duke Wright, who held 100% of the votes and 10% of the assets in the company. The votes will be evenly divided between Mary K. Wright, Jeffrey S. Wright, Michael J. Wright, CFO Paul Rahmlow, and president Peter Tanz. The Wright Family Irrevocable Trust of 2010 will continue to hold 90% of the company assets, with 10% held by corporate officer Pegge Wright. The company owns 21 AM stations, 54 full-power FM stations, and 23 FM translators in eight states.
Iowa
Hearst CBS affiliate KCCI/8 (Des Moines) filed a NextGen modification application stating that Sinclair Broadcast Group’s KDSM/17 (Des Moines), which broadcasts on RF channel 16, will serve as the ATSC 3.0 host for KCCI. As of Jan. 29, KDSM itself had not yet filed its own application providing details of the plan to convert to NextGen TV.
Minnesota
Dayton’s Bluff District Four Community Council is transferring the license of WEQY-LP/104.7 (St. Paul) to BLCK Press Center for Broadcast Journalism. Documents submitted as part of an application to transfer the authorization state that DBCC will retain the station’s equipment and rent it to BLCK for $500 per month. It will also receive four 30 to 60 second public service announcements per day. The application states that BLCK conducts annual training to make media accessible for early career journalists of color, and that the radio station will extend its existing journalism through programs “which educate listeners about community health, safety, weather, participation opportunities, local government and other timely and important topics of public service.”
The FCC has identified One Day Church Project as the tentative selectee for a new non-commercial station on 88.7 in Mankato. The applicant has proposed a 54kW/83m (class C1) facility transmitting from near St. Peter. A summary at REC Networks shows it is one of six competing applications after seven others removed themselves from the group either by modifying facilities or reaching settlements. In the FCC’s points-based selection system, One Day Church Project initially tied with Minnesota State University Mankato and Minn-Iowa Christian Broadcasting; One Day Church Project won in a tiebreaker because it does not have any other stations (it has pledged to divest a low-power FM station in Dodge Center if the Mankato station is granted).
K300EA/107.9 (Bemidji) has signed on relaying KOJB/90.1 (Cass Lake). K300EA is the former K287AD/105.3, which was displaced by the sign-on of WRLN/105.3 (Red Lake).
Midwest Communications’ KTCO/98.9 (Duluth) is operating at 78.5kW ERP, rather than its licensed 100kW, due to a transmitter problem. The station’s request for special temporary authority says it is uncertain when replacement components will arrive due to shortages and supply chain delays.
Nebraska
The University of Northwestern-St. Paul’s K276DM/103.1 (Chadron) is now relaying KLMP/88.3 (Rapid City), received off-air. It had previously carried KSLT/107.1 (Spearfish-Rapid City).
North Dakota
It has now been more than a year since Forum Communications formally requested a waiver to purchase KVRR/15.1 (Fargo), with KQDS-TV/21.1 (Duluth) also included in the deal. The FCC has an informal timeline of making such decisions within 180 days but has not stated when it will make a decision on this application.
South Dakota
Nexstar’s K24DT-D (Aberdeen) filed a notice that it returned to the air on Jan. 21. The translator had relayed CBS affiliate KELO-TV (Sioux Falls) via KDLO-TV/3 (Florence) until the KDLO tower collapsed in December.
Wisconsin
Heartland Communications’ WCYE/93.7 (Three Lakes) reported that it went off the air on Jan. 21 due to damage to its antenna. The station’s request for special temporary authority to remain silent states that a repair team can’t currently climb the tower because it’s ice-laden. It says they hope to have climbers on the tower within 45 days and return to the air shortly thereafter. The station is streaming its programming online.
The FCC identified Vanguard Association Of Sunbelt Colleges Corporation as the tentative selectee for a new station on 88.3 in Rosendale. The proposed station would use 24kW/68m (class C3), reaching Fond du Lac, Ripon, and Waupun. Of the eight competing applications, only Vanguard, WRVM Inc., and the Salvation Poem Foundation proposed facilities that would provide the first city-grade non-commercial service to some listeners, so the three advanced to a points-based selection system. Vanguard initially tied with WRVM with two points apiece; Vanguard then won on the first tie-breaker because it has no other stations. The other applicants are Call Communications Group, the Educational Media Foundation, the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board, Immanuel Bible Church, and Waupun Baptist Church.
Magnum Communications’ W228EP/93.5 (Eau Claire), formerly W256AE/99.1 (Chippewa Falls), is now on the air relaying WEZY/105.7 (Chippewa Falls). Chris Tarr, Magnum’s group director of engineering, discussed the translator at the beginning of the This Week in Radio Tech podcast.
David Magnum’s W283CJ/104.5 (Cedarburg) reported that it went off the air Jan. 24 as it works to move to a new location next to the old site. The filing explains that the landlord required them to remove equipment from the old site, but that the new site is not yet ready.
Civic Media’s WXCE/1260 (Amery) changed its callsign to WLAK effective Jan. 29, matching its “Lake Air” branding. The callsign comes from WLAK/1520 (New Holstein), which changed to WVXN.
The FCC approved Civic Media’s purchase of WTTN/1580 (Columbus) and W224EG/92.7 (Madison) from Good Karma Broadcasting. Meanwhile, Good Karma requested a callsign change for WTTN to WMDX, effective Feb. 6.
The FCC approved tolling of the deadline for Baraboo Broadcasting Corporation’s construction permits for W22FK-D, W25FT-D, and W36FN-D (Baraboo), which will transmit from a tower near Tomah, after “well-documented requests” explaining how heavy snow and excess vegetation at the tower site have delayed the project. The new deadline is June 1.
Digital Networks-Midwest’s K18NQ-D (Rhinelander) and W21EF-D (Waupaca) reported that they returned to the air Jan. 18 and Jan. 19, respectively.
Wisconsin Public Radio’s WHSA/89.9 (Brule) reported that it has been operating at below 90% of its authorized 92kW since Jan. 17 due to icing conditions. The exact power being used was not specified.
Disclosure: Jon Ellis is an employee of Gray Media Group. The statements and views expressed in this posting are his own and do not reflect those of Gray Media Group.
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