May 2001

IOWA:
A recent FCC rule change will allow KIOA/93.3 (Des Moines) to get back what it gave up a few years ago. 93.3 in Bennington-Omaha, NE, wanted to upgrade to 25kW, but minimum distance separation rules at the time required KIOA to drop from class C to C1. KIOA simply pulled back from 100kW to 82kW. Now that a new class C0 has been created, KIOA has been granted an "upgrade" to C0 and will be able to go back up to 100kW. (5/31/01)

IOWA/MINNESOTA/NEBRASKA/NORTH DAKOTA/SOUTH DAKTOA/WISCONSIN:
DTV construction permits have been issued for KPXR-DT/47 (Cedar Rapids, IA), KDSM-DT/16 (Des Moines, IA), KFXB-DT/43 (Dubuque, IA), KWKB-DT/25 (Iowa City, IA), KSAX-DT/14 (Alexandria, MN), KYNE-DT/17 (Omaha, NE), KJRE-DT/20 (Ellendale, ND), KDSD-DT/17 (Aberdeen, SD), WEUX-DT/49 (Chippewa Falls, WI), WBAY-DT/23 (Green Bay, WI), and WCGV-DT/25 (Milwaukee, WI). (5/31/01)

MICHIGAN:
The Keewanaw Bay Indian Community is purchasing WCUP/105.7 (L'Anse) from L'Anse Broadcasting. (5/31/01)

NEBRASKA:
The FCC has dismissed the Educational Media Foundation's application for a new station on 89.9 in Hickman. (5/31/01)

NORTH DAKOTA:
KRKH/100.7 (Harwood) tells the FCC it's on the air for a few months. (5/31/01)

NEBRASKA:
KLIQ/94.5 (Hastings) is on the air with a Light Adult Contemporary format called "The Breeze." (5/30/01)

MICHIGAN:
WMPL/920 and WMPL-FM/93.5 (Hancock) are being sold from Copper Country Enterprises to Victor Corporation. (5/30/01)

MICHIGAN/WISCONSIN:
Badger Communications is buying Roberts Broadcasting, owner of WJMT/730 and WMZK/104.1 (Merrill) and WJMS/590 and WIMI/99.7 (Ironwood). (5/30/01)

IOWA:
KKSO/1390 (Des Moines) has returned its license to the FCC. The station moved to 1700 a few years ago, and as a station moving to the "expanded band" had been allowed to stay on the air at 1390 for up to five years after the new facility signed on. KKSO had been rebroadcasting the new KBGG/1700. (5/29/01)

MINNESOTA:
WDIO translator K57BJ (Brainerd) has been granted a move to channel 30 as K30GN, and KSTP-TV translator K57CN (Wabasha) has been granted a move to channel 40 as K40GF. (5/29/01)

NEBRASKA:
A construction permit has been issued for KNOP-DT/22 (North Platte). (5/29/01)

WISCONSIN:
WCLQ/89.5 (Wausau) has been granted an upgrade from 5kW to 100kW. (5/29/01)

WISCONSIN:
A construction permit has been issued for WVTV-DT/61 (Milwaukee). (5/29/01)

WISCONSIN:
TBN affiliate W19BH (Janesville) has been granted a move to channel 65 as W65EA. The move was necessary because of the new WMTV-DT/19 (Madison). The TBN station got an upgrade from 10kW to 17kW as well. (5/29/01)

IOWA:
After only about four months as Classic Hits "Magic 98.3," KRKQ (Boone-Des Moines) changed "Soft Rock 98.3 The River" with an Adult Contemporary format in March. Bob and Tom are still on in the morning. (5/28/01)

WISCONSIN:
The construction permit for 99.9 Cornell has been assigned the call letters WDRK. The 25kW station will have a good signal into Eau Claire. (5/26/01)

NORTH DAKOTA:
Family Stations Spanish-language translator K216FK/91.1 (Bismarck) is on the air. (5/11/01)

WISCONSIN:
WIFC/95.5 (Wausau) has transitioned from Contemporary Hits to more of an adult sound. (5/11/01)

IOWA:
KNEI-FM/103.5 (Waukon) has been granted an upgrade from 9.25kW to 37kW. (5/9/01)

WISCONSIN:
WMTV-DT/19 (Madison) is on the air. The station signed on April 5 and is currently at about half-power pending amplifier repairs. (5/9/01)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
Leo Axdahl has been granted a new 1kW station on 1450 in Pierre. Axdahl was the only applicant for the frequency. (5/8/01)

MINNESOTA:
Reporter Scot Tanner moves from Prairie Public Broadcasting to KSAX/42 (Alexandria). (5/8/01)

IOWA:
MS Communications is buying K53FC (Ottumwa) from Charles Bayne. MS Communications (Mark Silberman) owns a few dozen other low-power stations in the region and is also involved with applications for hundreds of new low-power TV stations, which I'm still sorting through. If anyone has any information on what MS Communications is and what it wants to do with all of these LPTV stations, I'd like to hear it! (5/7/01)

MICHIGAN:
WOBE/100.7 (Crystal Falls) has been granted an upgrade to 100kW at 199m. The station is supposedly already on the air with 135W. (5/7/01)

MINNESOTA:
WXXZ/95.3 (Grand Marais) is now rebroadcasting KQDS-FM/94.9 (Duluth), which is also rebroadcast on KAOD/106.7 (Babbitt) and KBAJ/105.5 (Deer River). All three rebroadcasters had previously relayed KQ sister Kiss 92.1. (5/7/01)

MINNESOTA:
KTTC-DT/36 (Rochester) is on the air, according to their website. (5/7/01)

MINNESOTA:
A construction permit has been issued for KAWE-DT/18 (Bemidji). (5/7/01)

IOWA:
KMAP-FM/107.5 (Castana) is on the air. The station had been licensed for 25kW but recently applied for 100W, possibly in an attempt to get the station on the air before the permit expires. Anyone know the format? (5/1/01)

IOWA:
KIOW/107.3 (Forest City) has been granted an upgrade from 25kW to 50kW. The change will improve the station's signal into Mason City and Albert Lea. (5/1/01)

IOWA:
Minnesota-Iowa Christian Broadcasting has been granted a new 50kW station on 88.9 in Spirit Lake. Minnesota-Iowa also owns KJLY/104.5 (Blue Earth, MN) and KJYL/100.7 (Eagle Grove), and recently purchased KHAM/95.5 (St. Ansgar). (5/1/01)

IOWA:
Wilks Broadcasting is purchasing Des Moines market stations KBGG/1700, KJJY/92.5, KGGO/94.9, KHKI/97.3, and KRKQ/98.3 from Two Rivers Broadcasting. (5/1/01)

IOWA:
CSN International has been granted a new 10kW station on 88.9 in Adel to carry its Calvary Satellite Network. The new station will have a fair-good signal into Des Moines. (5/1/01)

MINNESOTA:
KXAC/100.5 (St. James-Mankato) recently dropped its Light Adult Contemporary format in favor of Oldies from ABC's Oldies Radio. KXAC's studios are now co-located with KTOE/KDOG in Mankato. (5/1/01)

MINNESOTA:
Cities 97 recently picked up Lovelines, which lost its Minneapolis home when Zone 105 became V105. (5/1/01)

MINNESOTA:
If you didn't hear the news a month or two ago, Radio One is purchasing Blue Chip Broadcasting. Blue Chip's holdings include KTTB/96.3 (Glencoe-Minneapolis). (5/1/01)

MINNESOTA:
WCCO-TV/4 has promoted Randi Kaye from reportor to weekend evening anchor. (5/1/01)

NEBRASKA:
KFLV/88.9 (Wilber-Lincoln) is on the air carrying the "K-Love" network's Adult Contemporary Christian format. K-Love is also heard on Lincoln translator K220GT/91.9. (5/1/01)

NORTH DAKOTA:
Jimmy Swaggart's Family Worship Center Church has been granted a translator in Jamestown: 50-Watt K202DO/88.3. (5/1/01)

WISCONSIN:
WCQM/98.3 (Park Falls) has upgraded from 57kW to 100kW. (5/1/01)

WISCONSIN:
So much for a battle between Eau Claire rock stations WMEQ/92.1 and WISM/98.1: WMEQ owner Clear Channel is buying WISM from Alpenglow Communications. Following completion of the purchase, Clear Channel will have five FM stations and two AM stations in the Eau Claire market. (5/1/01)