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
On the heels of its application to make its Des Moines-area signal a core station in that market, VCY America has applied to make future station KVPG/103.9 (Dunkerton) a core signal in Waterloo. KVPG’s current construction permit calls for a 6kW/100m (class A) signal rimshotting Waterloo. VCY has applied to upgrade it to class C3, using 14kW/64m from a site in Cedar Falls and remaining licensed to Dunkerton. The proposed facility would use less than the maximum power for a class C3 station to prevent interference to adjacent-channel stations in Ames and Clear Lake.
West Des Moines-based St. Gabriel Communications closed on its purchase of KEDB/105.3 (Chariton) from Honey Creek Broadcasting on Sept. 1. The station is now carrying St. Gabriel’s Iowa Catholic Radio as KIHC.
Michigan
New filings from Sovereign Communications indicate work continues to restore the full signals of WYSS/99.5 (Sault Ste. Marie) and WMKD/105.5 (Pickford-Sault Ste. Marie), which have been operating at reduced power since a 2018 tower collapse. Requests of extension of special temporary authority show WYSS is continuing to use 1.3kW and and WMKD is using 700 Watts. Both had used 100kW prior to the collapse.
Minnesota
Twin Cities PBS’ KTCA/2.1 (RF 34, St. Paul) and KTCI/2.3 (RF 23, St. Paul) submitted license to cover applications indicating they have completed the switch to a new antenna at their existing site, the KMSP tower in Shoreview. The stations remain 662kW and 325kW, respectively. They and other FM and TV stations at the site had used reduced power or auxiliary facilities while work was underway over the summer.
The FCC approved the callsign KTGT for We Have This Hope Christian Radio’s future station on 88.3 in Thief River Falls.
Nebraska
The FCC issued a report and order approving a plan to move Nebraska Public Media’s KUON/12 (Lincoln) to channel 27. The move to UHF is intended to alleviate reception problems attributed to KUON’s current VHF frequency. The station must still go through the formality of applying for and receiving a construction permit before it can make the change.
Nebraska Public Media’s KPNE-TV/9 (North Platte) reported that it has been operating at about 60% of its licensed power since Aug. 23 due to a part failure in the transmitter. It has requested special temporary authority to continue at the reduced power level while it works with the manufacturer to obtain parts. KPNE-TV normally transmits with 85kW.
Gray TV’s KSTF/10.1 (Scottsbluff) resumed full-power operation on Aug. 31 following a week-long outage due to transmission line burnout.
CSN International’s K255CJ/98.9 (Briggs-Omaha) reported that it is operating at 25% of its licensed 75 Watts. Its request for special temporary authority says CSN “has determined that its current antenna site will not work properly and as such it is looking to relocate to another tower site.” K255CJ moved to a tower near the I-80/I-480 interchange following the demolition of its former site, the tower at the former WOWT(TV) studio.
The FCC approved the Nebraska Rural Radio Association’s purchase of the former K205CU/88.9 (Burwell) from The Praise Network and approved the translator’s move to 99.7 as K259DL to relay the NRRA’s KRVN/880 (Lexington).
The University of Northwestern-St. Paul’s K276DM/103.1 (Chadron) remains off the air. A request for extension of special temporary authority to remain silent states that the licensee “has determined that the authorized site facilities presented safety concerns” and is looking for a new transmitter site.
CSN International closed on its purchase of KNEF/90.1 (Franklin) from Southern Oklahoma Christian Broadcasting on Aug. 31. The station is currently off the air.
South Dakota
Following its purchase of future station KFCA/88.1 (Aberdeen) from Northern Plains Baptist Church, American Christian Radio has applied to modify the station’s construction permit to specify a more centrally-located tower site using 2.3kW/31m (class A) rather than the 800W/47m that was originally planned.
The FCC approved a construction permit for James River Broadcasting’s K296FI/107.1 (Pierre) to move to a different transmitter site and change frequency to 107.3 as K297CF. The application indicates K297CF will relay KGFX-FM/92.7 (Pierre).
In a request for extension of special temporary authority to remain silent, University of Northwestern-St. Paul’s K292EC/106.3 (Hot Springs) reported that it has received a replacement antenna and installation is scheduled for the week of Sept. 18. The extension request is necessary since the current authority to remain silent expires on Sept. 12.
Wisconsin
The FCC opened a notice of proposed rulemaking for the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s proposal to allot 92.9 to Lac du Flambeau for a future class A station. As noted in a previous FCC Monitor report, the tribe has applied for a 6kW/54m station on the frequency.
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.