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.
Iowa
Coloff Media’s KHAM/103.1 (Britt) submitted a filing indicating that it has completed a long-planned upgrade from 200 Watts to 10kW/72m (class C3), rimshotting Clear Lake.
Kirkwood Community College’s K295AC/106.9 (Iowa City) applied to move to a different site about 2.5 miles north of its present location, continuing to relay Kirkwood’s KCCK/88.3 (Cedar Rapids). Though it would drop from 250 to 170 Watts, the new facility would have a wider coverage area because of a higher antenna height, improving K295AC’s signal to North Liberty while retaining most existing coverage. The station is seeking expedited processing of the application, saying it received short notice that its current tower will be demolished in September. At the new site, K295AC would be diplexed with KZIA’s K253BE/98.5 (Iowa City).
CSN International reports that K225BP/92.9 (Des Moines) went off the air Aug. 18 due to transmitter failure.
In Aug. 22 filings, Townsquare Media reports that KOEL-FM/92.3 (Oelwein-Waterloo) and KRNA/94.1 (Iowa City-Cedar Rapids) resumed full-power operations on March 29 and April 20, respectively.
The FCC granted VCY America the callsigns KVPG for its future station on 103.9 in Dunkerton and KVPJ for its future station on 92.9 in Rockford.
See also an Iowa item included under Minnesota
Minnesota
The FCC denied Park Public Radio’s request for tolling of the construction deadlines for its new non-commercial stations on 88.7 in Aitkin, 88.3 in Medford, 90.1 in Red Wing, 88.3 in Virginia, and 88.1 in Belmond, Iowa. PPR had said it believes the outcome of a dispute over whether it can move KPPS-LP to a new site will affect its ability to construct the other stations. The FCC’s dismissal letter says tolling for administrative review would only be allowed if the review was of the permits for the new stations themselves, not KPPS-LP.
Midwest Communications’ W252AN/98.3 (Hibbing) reports that it went off the air July 15 due to a transmitter malfunction.
Nebraska
VSS Catholic Communications reports that new station KEJS/88.1 (Sargent) has signed on. KEJS uses 1.2kW/119m (class A).
Nebraska Public Media’s K209FS/89.7 (Columbus) applied to move to a new nearby tower site, remaining 39 Watts. The station left the air last month after its previous tower site was dismantled.
The FCC approved CSN International’s purchase of KNEF/90.1 (Franklin) from South-Central Oklahoma Christian Broadcasting.
North Dakota
Frank Digital Broadcasting’s K31MP-D (Grand Forks) reports that it resumed operations on Aug. 8.
South Dakota
KCPO-LD/26 (Sioux Falls) was granted a construction permit to upgrade from 2.79kW to 5kW.
Homeslice Media Group’s KKLS/920 (Rapid City) was granted another extension of special temporary authority to operate at reduced power while it considers a permanent fix to problems caused by the construction of a new power line in 2016. KKLS is licensed for 5kW day and 111 Watts night from a two-tower array but, because of the new line’s impact on its directional pattern, has been using reduced power of 3.2kW day and 70 Watts night. The latest filing says an outside engineer continues to work on a plan to transition to non-directional operation but other competing work has delayed the engineer’s availability.
Wisconsin
Civic Media closed on its purchase of WCQM/98.3 (Park Falls), WPFP/980 (Park Falls), and WPFP translator W276DJ/103.1 (Park Falls) from the Marks family’s Park Falls Broadcasting Corporation on Aug. 21.
The University of Northwestern-St. Paul was granted the callsign WDNW for its new station on 91.9 in Ashland, a counterpart to the KDNW callsign used in Duluth.
David Magnum’s W241BQ/96.1 (Watertown) applied to move to 103.3, remaining 250 Watts and continuing to relay an HD subchannel of WSJY/107.3 (Fort Atkinson).
Magnum’s W278BQ/103.5 (Manitowoc) applied to move to 93.1 and increase power from 38 to 250 Watts, listing Seehafer’s WLKN/98.1 (Cleveland) as the continued primary station.
Magnum’s W300CM/107.9 (Appleton) applied to move to 106.9 and increase power from 90 to 250 Watts, with Relevant Radio’s WJOK/1050 (Kaukauna) continuing as the primary station.
Magnum Communications’ WRDB/1400 (Reedsburg) requested an extension of special temporary authority to transmit with 75 Watts from a longwire antenna while work continues to replace its tower, which collapsed in February 2022. The latest filing says the new tower is scheduled for delivery in November.
Following up on an earlier notification that its antenna pattern was stuck in nighttime mode, Cumulus Media’s WNAM/1280 (Neenah-Menasha) has requested special temporary authority to use the nighttime pattern 24 hours a day while it works to resolve the problem. The station uses 5kW day and night and normally uses a less-restrictive antenna pattern during the day.
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.