NORTH DAKOTA:
Clear Channel's new KDAM/104.7 (Hope-Fargo) is on the air stunting as "Quick 104.7," playing hooks from songs of all categories. "10 songs an hour? We play 10 songs in a minute! Quick 104.7 FM!" (10/31/02)
MINNESOTA:
The Nicollet translator of WNCB/89.5 (Duluth) has moved from 88.9 to 89.1 as K206DI. The station's Sandstone translator also recently moved from 93.3 to 103.9 as W280DF. In other station news, Duluth Mayor Gary Doty has declared Saturday, November 2, "WNCB Day" in celebration of the station's 20th birthday. The station will hold a birthday bash Saturday night featuring Newsboys. (10/31/02)
NORTH DAKOTA:
The FCC has approved an application from Tom Ingstad's "Kool 96.7" (KVMI Arthur-Fargo) to move to 103.9 and increase power to 25kW, using a tower a few miles north of the current site. The change should improve KVMI's signal in Fargo, though the city will still be outside of KVMI's primary community contour. (10/30/02)
SOUTH DAKOTA CORRECTION:
Small changes at Saga Broadcasting's WNAX/570 (Yankton) have led to big talk around the region. The heritage station is known for its five-state news, weather, and farm information, which continues nonstop from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. The station has dropped the few Country songs it used to squeeze between information and added some national talk shows in the afternoon. The talk lineup is Clark Howard at 2, Bill O'Reilly at 4, Laura Ingraham at 6, Dr. Joy Browne at 9, and Coast to Coast AM overnight. The evening talk shows replace Sporting News Radio. Country music continues on WNAX-FM "Big Country 104.1." (10/30/02)
IOWA:
One of the partners in G.O. Radio, licensee of KSIB/1520 and KSIB-FM/101.3 (Creston), is selling his stock to his partner and his partner's wife for $1.1 million. Currently, Glenn Olson owns 80% of the company and David Rieck owns 20%. After the sale is completed, David and Kathy Rieck will each own half of the company. David Rieck is the manager of the station. (10/30/02)
MINNESOTA:
KSTP-TV/5 has announced that Harris Faulker will permanently take on the role as 6 and 10 p.m. co-anchor. She will also continue to co-anchor the 5 p.m. newscast but will no longer co-anchor the 9 p.m. newscast on KSTC/45. Faulkner replaces Julie Nelson, who unexpectedly left for KARE/11 earlier this year. The promotion means Faulkner's radio show on FM107 (WFMP) won't return. (10/30/02)
MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
CBS affiliate KDLH/3 (Duluth) has unveiled a new logo and news graphics. (10/30/02)
NORTH DAKOTA:
Lila Brossart is purchasing Rugby Broadcasters, licensee of KZZJ/1450 (Rugby), from Delhart Nygard for $140,000. The stock purchase agreement contains a provision requiring Brossart to execute and deliver a contract to construct a new tower for the station within 120 days. (10/30/02)
SOUTH DAKOTA:
The FCC has issued forfeitures totalling $13,000 to Mount Rushmore Broadcasting for violations at KZMX-FM/96.7 (Hot Springs) and KAWK/105.1 (Custer). A $3,000 forfeiture was issued for KZMX's "failure to establish monitoring procedures and schedules to determine compliance with operating power and modulation levels...and failure to have positive on/off control of the transmitter." A separate $10,000 forfeiture was issued for KAWK "willfully operating an unlicensed aural broadcasting auxiliary station without Commision authorization." (10/30/02)
WISCONSIN:
WHBY/1150 (Kimberly-Appleton) has applied to increase power to 20kW day and 24.8kW night. The change would be possible partly because another tower would be added, changing the directional pattern. An agreement with WJJD/1160 (Chicago) allows both stations to upgrade. WHBY currently operates with 5kW day and night. (10/30/02)
WISCONSIN:
Radio and Records reports that Clear Channel's WMAD/92.1 (Sun Prairie-Madison) has moved from Modern Rock to Hot Adult Contemporary as "Mix 92.1, Today's Best Music." The station describes the change as more of an "evolution." (10/28/02)
WISCONSIN:
Radio and Records also says that Mid-West Management is buying the construction permit for a new station on 106.7 in Mount Horeb from David and Lynn Magnum. However, the proposed transfer has not yet been filed with the FCC. The current CP for the class A (6kW equivalent) station calls for a site 43km west of downtown Madison, which would provide a fair to poor signal to the Madison area. WWQM/106.3 (Middleton-Madison), which is owned by Mid-West, prevents 106.7 from moving close enough to provide a strong signal to Madison. Mid-West also owns a CP for a WHIT/93.1 (De Forest), which should provide a good to strong signal to the Madison area. (10/28/02)
WISCONSIN:
Zoe Communications' WJRV/95.9 (Durand-Menomonie) changed its name from "The River" to "Western Wisconsin's Soft Rock, Star 95.9" at 6 a.m. today. It's the second name change for the station's Adult Contemporary format, which was called "Lite 95.9" when it launched late last year. The station says the change comes after extensive market research and one-on-one perceptual surveys. (10/28/02)
WISCONSIN:
The FCC has approved Clear Channel's purchase of WISM/98.1 (Altoona-Eau Claire) from Alpenglow Communications. Though the ownership cap for the Eau Claire area is six stations and Clear Channel already owns six stations in the area, the company argued it should be allowed to purchase WISM since its principal community contour does not overlap with the principal community contour of Clear Channel's WATQ/106.7 (Chetek-Eau Claire). A map of the contours can be found on page three of this document. Other broadcasters objected to the proposed purchase, arguing that while WISM and WATQ's principal community contours may not overlap, both serve the Eau Claire market. WATQ's studio is co-located with other Clear Channel stations in Eau Claire. A WISM format change is likely since the station's Classic Rock format competes directly with Clear Channel's "Rock 92.1" (WMEQ-FM Menomonie-Eau Claire). (10/25/02)
MINNESOTA:
Minnesota broadcast media rushed to report the tragic news of the death of Sen. Paul Wellstone and seven others in a light plane crash Friday morning near Eveleth. Stations including MPR's News/Information network, KDAL/610, WCCO/830, KFAN/1130 (and other FAN Network stations), WMNN/1330, KSTP/1500, KSTP-FM/94.5, and WFMP/107.1 went to continuing coverage in the early afternoon. WEBC/560, WNMT/650, and WDSM/710 continued to air live national talk shows, which had updates on the tragedy. NBC affiliate KBJR/6 was apparently the first station to get video of the scene to national media. In the Twin Cities, WCCO-TV/4, which was in a regularly scheduled newscast when the news first broke, and KSTP-TV/5 were the first to begin continuing coverage, though KMSP/9 and KARE/11 were not far behind. KSTC/45 simulcasted with KSTP for several hours, and WFTC/29 simulcasted with KMSP until it was ready to begin its own coverage. WCCO-TV's 5 p.m. newscast was seen nationally on C-SPAN. (10/25/02)
IOWA:
Douglas Sheldahl has received construction permits for three low-power TV stations in Rockwell City: K46HB (3kW), K54IH (20kW), and K56IA (20kW). Sheldahl has also applied for stations on channels 48 and 52. (10/25/02)
NEBRASKA CORRECTION:
Translator K299AK/107.7 (Omaha), mentioned in a news posting a few days ago, was never used to rebroadcast KXKT/103.7, rather KLTQ/101.9 (Lincoln). The item below has been corrected. (10/24/02)
SOUTH DAKOTA:
At KDLT/46 (Sioux Falls), executive producer Joel Knip has been promoted to news director. (10/24/02)
MICHIGAN:
Starboard Broadcasting's latest purchases are WDBC/680 (Escanaba), WYKX/104.7 (Escanaba), and WADW/105.5 (Pickford-Sault Ste. Marie). Starboard is purchasing WDBC/WYKX from KMB Broadcasting for $850,000. Starboard plans to sell WYKX to a company controlled or owned in part by Lyle Evans and begin a local marketing agreement for WYKX with Evans once the purchase from KMB is completed. KMB is a subsidiary of Delta Broadcasting, owned by James and Betsy Cooke. The Cookes also own Barcheif, Inc., which has an LMA to operate WADW and an option to purchase the station from Seaway Broadcasting. Starboard will pay Barcheif $3,500 for the right to purchase the station and Seaway $746,500 for the station itself. The rapidly-growing Starboard Broadcasting owns, operates, is buying, or is building 11 other stations in the region and runs non-profit Catholic formats on the stations it operates. Starboard is controlled by Mark Follett, John Cavil, and Robert Atwell of Green Bay. (10/24/02)
MINNESOTA:
Changes to the KCCO/KCCW operation in Alexandria apparently go much deeper than let on by the original statement from parent WCCO-TV/4. The Diocese of St. Cloud, which has produced a TV Mass at the Alexandria studios for almost as long as the station has been on the air, says it was told most of the KCCO/KCCW staff would be laid off and the current studio would be abandoned for a smaller downtown news bureau. The Diocese has urged its members to write "polite and personal, but emphatic" letters to WCCO-TV urging the station to help the mass continue after the Alexandria studio is closed in January. (10/23/02)
IOWA:
Call letters for new stations: The construction permit for 99.5 Britt has been assigned KHAM (the same calls owner Lyle Evans used on 95.5 St. Ansgar before selling it), and the CP for 88.3 Newton (owned by Broadcasting for the Challenged) has been assigned KNNU. (10/23/02)
NEBRASKA:
Waitt Radio is selling translator K299AK/107.7 (Omaha) to Baer Communications. The translator was once used for KLTQ/101.9 (Lincoln), but was no longer required once KLTQ moved its transmitter closer to Omaha. (10/23/02, corrected 10/24)
WISCONSIN:
Mark Silberman has received a construction permit for a 999-Watt station on channel 54 in Eau Claire, which has been assigned the call letters K54HI. (10/23/02)
MINNESOTA:
WCCO-TV/4 has announced plans to add bureaus in Brainerd and St. Cloud and discontinue local news segments on WCCO satellites KCCO/7 (Alexandria) and KCCW/12 (Walker). In the past, stories produced in Alexandria would only be shown on KCCO/KCCW during cut-ins to WCCO's newscast. Now, stories produced by the Alexandria, Brainerd, and St. Cloud bureaus will fed to Minneapolis to be shown on all of the stations, meaning Twin Cities viewers will see more news from central and northern Minnesota. KCCO/KCCW viewers will still see local weather at 7:25 and 8:25 a.m. and during newscasts at noon, 5, 6 and 10 p.m. Availability of WCCO on DirecTV and DISH Network may have contributed to these changes since viewers in central and northern Minnesota can now watch WCCO directly rather than KCCO/KCCW. (10/22/02)
NEBRASKA:
Pappas Telecasting has received a construction permit for a 20kW low-power TV/translator on channel 38 in McCook, assigned the call K38HI. Pappas also has a CP for a 20kW LPTV/translator on channel 40. The company did not indicate in its applications which stations would be rebroadcast on the translators, but it does run ABC and FOX affiliates in the area. (10/22/02)
MINNESOTA/SOUTH DAKOTA/WISCONSIN:
A number of other low-power TV/translator construction permits have been issued:
NEBRASKA:
TBN station K58GD (Lincoln) has upgraded from 30kW to 106kW. (10/22/02)
WISCONSIN:
WFDL/1170 (Waupan) continues with its Easy Listening/Oldies format after changing call letters from WMRH. CBS News has been added and local information for Fond du Lac and Dodge counties is receiving more emphasis. (10/22/02)
NORTH DAKOTA:
ABC affiliate KBMY/17 (Bismarck) is expanding availability of its signal on broadcast and cable. The Bismarck Tribune recently reported that KBMY is adding low-power translators in Dickinson and Williston, where it has lacked broadcast coverage until now. Also, the cable system in Dickinson has returned KBMY to its lineup after using KMGH/7 (Denver) for ABC programming over the last several years. (10/21/02)
SOUTH DAKOTA:
New Generation Broadcasting's new 86kW KQRQ/92.3 (Rapid City) signed on with a Classic Hits format as "Q92.3" on Thursday morning (10/17). The station is being run by Duhamel Broadcasting, which also operates KOTA/1380 (News/Talk), KDDX/101.1 (Hard Rock), and KOTA-TV/3 (ABC). Here's a report on the new station from KOTA-TV. (10/19/02)
SOUTH DAKOTA:
Another new station could eventually come to the Rapid City market. The FCC has allotted 105.5 to Wall as a class C station (100kW/600m). A station using the facility could potentially provide a good signal to Rapid City, though the area's terrain may prevent that. Applications for the frequency will be accepted at a future date. (10/19/02)
NEBRASKA:
The FCC has alloted 97.9 to Hyannis as a class C1 station (100kW/300m). A station using the frequency would serve rural western Nebraska. Applications for the frequency will be accepted at a future date. (10/19/02)
MINNESOTA:
FOX21/KQDS-TV (Duluth) has signed on its new Aitkin translator, K39GG, which operates with 14.3kW. Duluth's other three commercial stations also have translators in Aitkin. Also, FOX21's Grand Rapids translator has moved from channel 18 to channel 29 as K29EB, with about the same power. (10/19/02)
MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
KNOF/95.3 (St. Paul) and KRDS-FM/95.5 (New Prague-Northfield) have agreed to allow each other to upgrade from 3kW to 6kW. An agreement was necessary since the two are short-spaced (closer than normally allowed by FCC regulations). The change should make KNOF's signal a little stronger in the Twin Cities suburbs and KRDS' signal a little stronger in the southern suburbs, though there may be more interference between the two in some areas. KNOF is also short-spaced to WGMO/95.3 (Shell Lake), but KNOF says WGMO consented to this short-spacing when it upgraded several years ago. (10/18/02)
WISCONSIN:
Starboard Broadcasting is buying WKBH/1570 (Holmen-La Crosse) from Riverview Communications for $210,000. Starboard operates non-profit Catholic stations using a large amount of programming from EWTN Radio. The company owns, operates, is buying, or is building ten stations in the Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Wausau, Eau Claire, and Minneapolis markets. WKBH currently simulcasts much of its programming with WFBZ/105.5 (Trempeleau-La Crosse), which is not included in the sale. (10/18/02)
WISCONSIN/MICHIGAN:
WRVM, Inc. has applied to move its newly acquired WGAZ/91.3 (Goodman) to 90.7, move the transmitter from Goodman to Fence, and upgrade from 422W to 9kW. The change would give the station a good signal to Iron Mountain, Michigan. A call letter change to WMVM is planned. (10/18/02)
WISCONSIN:
The FCC has dismissed applications for low-power FM stations on 95.3 in Plymouth and 105.7 in Watertown. (10/18/02)
MINNESOTA:
All Access and Radio and Records report that Tone E. Fly is no longer doing KDWB/101.3 afternoons following his departure from a sister Clear Channel station in Austin, Texas, where he'd been doing a live morning show and voicetracking the shows for KDWB and other Clear Channel stations. Fly started at KDWB doing a live evening show, then moved to afternoons, and continued to voicetrack an afternoon show after moving to Texas last year. (10/17/02)
NORTH DAKOTA:
Clear Channel's construction permit for a new station to serve the Fargo market has changed call letters from KCHY to KDAM. The new 100kW station on 104.7, licensed to Hope, should provide a good signal to Fargo-Moorhead. The CP expires May 2, 2003. Clear Channel's website has listed the format of the station as Active Rock and Adult Alternative, but then again, their website also has outdated format information for two other Fargo stations. The company runs a Hard Rock station called "The Dam" in Omaha. (10/17/02)
IOWA:
University of Northern Iowa student radio station KGRK will be moving to FM, thanks to a recently granted construction permit for a new low-power FM station. The new station on 94.5 in Cedar Falls will broadcast with 100W at 28m and is officially held by the Board of Control for Student Broadcasting. KGRK, "The Underground," is currently heard on a carrier-current station at AM1440 and on the campus cable TV system. The station has been around since 1955. (10/16/02)
MINNESOTA:
Comsearch has received a construction permit for an experimental low-power station on 91.1 in Owatonna. You read right: 91.1, which is right on top of KNOW/91.1 (Minneapolis-St. Paul). The official purpose of the station is to test whether low-power FM's will cause objectionable interference to third-adjacent stations, which in this case could be KGAC/90.5 (St. Peter) or KLSE/91.7 (Rochester). However, the FCC's own regulations would not actually allow a regular LPFM station to occupy 91.1 in Owatonna since it's too close to KNOW. Comsearch had originally applied for an experimental station on 106.3 in Owatonna, but its unknown why the application was changed to 91.1 since that information is not provided on the FCC website. Comsearch was also granted a CP for an experimental LPFM on 91.7 in East Bethel. (10/16/02)
NORTH DAKOTA:
Martin Wishnatsky has filed a motion to dismiss the North Dakota Department of Transportation's application for a low-power FM station on 96.3 in Fargo. (10/16/02)
IOWA:
The Dubuque Telegraph-Herald reports that Dubuque will be losing its only locally-produced TV newscast. The report says KFXB/FOX40's 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts on will end October 25, while a 9 p.m. newscast originating in Cedar Rapids and airing on both KFXA/FOX28 (Cedar Rapids) and KFXB/FOX40 will start shortly thereafter. Channel 40's news department was established when the station was an ABC affiliate; the station was later sold and paired with channel 28 to simulcast FOX. (10/14/02)
WISCONSIN:
Mid-West Managements's WTDA/1480 (Madison) became "La Movida" with a spanish-language Latin Contemporary format at 9 a.m. today. A callsign change to WLMV is expected. The station is being operated by Luis Montoto, who had previously done a Saturday night show of the same name on 100X (WTLX/100.5 Columbus-Madison). The new format on 1480 is the first full-time spanish-language format in the Madison area, though 1480 will eventually be required to leave the air since the station "moved" to 1670. Stations that moved into the expanded band were given a limited amount of time to keep both frequencies on the air. (10/14/02)
IOWA:
Pappas Telecasting has received a construction permit for a low-power/translator station on channel 65 in Spencer, to operate with 20kW. The callsign K65HI has been assigned to the facility. Pappas also has a CP for a 10kW station on channel 53 in Storm Lake. In applying for the stations, the company did not specify which station would be rebroadcast, but the company does own Sioux City FOX affiliate KPTH/44. (10/11/02)
SOUTH DAKOTA:
Haugo Broadcasting has applied to replace its Rapid City translator for KSQY/95.1 (Deadwood) with an on-frequency booster. Translator K221DN/92.1 will be forced off the air when new station KQRQ/92.3 signs on. The proposed booster on 95.1 would operate from the tower already used by KIQK/104.1, with 4kW horizontal from a directional antenna at 137m above average terrain. See the last page of this document for a coverage map. (Boosters synchronously transmit programming with the primary station and must be located within the station's primary community contour. They are allowed to operate with up to 20% of the power of the primary station, as long as the booster does not interfere with other stations.) (10/11/02)
IOWA:
Lyle R. Evans has received a construction permit for a new station on 99.5 in Britt. The facilities are 6kW at 77m from a site west of Britt. The station's primary coverage area will also include Algona. (10/11/02)
IOWA:
Broadcasting for the Challenged has received a construction permit for a new station on 88.3 in Newton, with 1.1kW at 30m from a site just east of town. (10/11/02)
MINNESTA:
Colleen McCarty has joined KSTP-TV/5 and KSTC/45 as a general assignment reporter. (10/11/02)
WISCONSIN:
Apparently WKSH/1640 (Sussex-Milwaukee) will be carrying Radio Disney once ABC takes over the station, at least if this page on the Radio Disney website is accurate. The FCC approved ABC's purchase of the station late last month. (10/11/02)
WISCONSIN:
Quarnstrom Media Group is buying WLMX-FM/104.9 (Balsam Lake) and WXCX/105.7 (Siren) from Casey Communications for $1.2 million. Quarnstrom has been operating the stations since October 1 under a local marketing agreement. The WLMX/WXCX studios and offices are located in Milltown. Quarnstrom Media is owned equally by Alan and Linda Quarnstrom of Cloquet. The two own 11 other stations in the region, including AM-FM combinations in Pine City and Hayward. (10/10/02)
WISCONSIN:
Wisconsin Public Television's WHWC-TV/28 (Menomonie-Eau Claire) has been operating at about one-quarter of normal power for the last several days as a tower crew works to install a new antenna and transmission line. The station is also off the air completely at times due to the work. The reduced power may have forced translator W24CL Grantsburg off the air, since it relays WHWC-TV. (10/8/02)
WISCONSIN:
Rumors are going around Madison that a spanish-language format will pop up on Mid-West Management's WTDA/1480. There is currently no fulltime spanish-language station in the area. 1480's license will expire eventually, since it was one of the stations that moved to the expanded band. 1480 has been rebroadcasting WTDY/1670 fulltime in recent months. (10/6/02)
WISCONSIN:
Marathon Media may not be getting out of the radio business completely. As widely reported in other industry media over the last several days, Marathon is selling 22 stations in Wisconsin and Illinois to NewRadio Group LLC for $19 million. However, published lists of stations to be sold have NOT included Marathon's WFAW/940 (Fort Atkinson), WKCH/106.5 (Whitewater), or WSJY/107.3 (Fort Atkinson). WSJY and WLJY/106.5 (Marshfield), which is included on the lists, currently broadcast the same voice-tracked Light Adult Contemporary format with separate imaging and commercials. (10/5/02)
WISCONSIN:
In what has to be record time in the radio business, former "Mix 105" (WLMX/104.9 Balsam Lake) Program Director and morning host Adam McCune popped up Friday night on crosstown "Star 97.7" (WAQE-FM Barron-Rice Lake) doing a football game, only four days after his last show on WLMX. McCune is expected to begin an afternoon shift on one of the Rice Lake stations beginning Monday. (10/5/02)
IOWA:
Winds of Fire Ministries has received a construction permit for a new 100-Watt/low-power station on 95.3 in Pocahontas. It appears the station will carry a Christian music format. (10/4/02)
WISCONSIN:
"Mix 105" (WLMX/104.9 Balsam Lake) has returned to the air after about 24 hours off. (10/2/02)
MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
WMIN/740 (Hudson-St. Paul-Minneapolis) has switched to Catholic programming from EWTN Radio. The station was off the air until about 11 a.m. today. Meanwhile, contrary to reports in other industry media, KSMM/1530 (Shakopee-Minneapolis) continues to carry EWTN's Spanish-language network as it has done since July. Both stations are being leased by Starboard Broadcasting (see earlier story). (10/1/02)
WISCONSIN:
"Mix 105" (WLMX/104.9 Balsam Lake) has gone off the air. Quarnstrom Media was expected to take over WLMX and sister station "Oldies 105.7" (WXCX Siren) today under a local marketing agreement. WXCX continues with its normal satellite programming but yesterday's weather. In an unrelated move, Program Director/WLMX morning host Adam McCune had his last show yesterday. McCune had been with 104.9 since it started an Adult Contemporary format in 1999. (10/1/02)
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