November 2010

WISCONSIN:
Metro North Communications has applied to move the construction permit for new station WLWB/92.9 (New Holstein) six miles closer to the Fox Cities. The current CP calls for 6kW/100m (class A) from a new tower near Chilton. Now, Metro North proposes using a tower two miles east of Stockbridge. The 6kW/95m facility would deliver a good signal to Appleton and Oshkosh. Metro North says the reason for the move is to get away from the new Flying Feathers Airport. (11/28/2010)

NORTH DAKOTA:
The FCC has granted KFAA/89.5 (Horace-Fargo) a power boost from 4.1kW to 50kW. The construction permit calls for the station's transmitter to remain in West Fargo with a height above average terrain of 27m. KFAA is owned by Selah Corporation and carries Educational Media Foundation's "Air1" Christian Rock network. (11/28/2010)

ALL-CHRISTMAS UPDATE:
Flips on the day before Thanksgiving included "Curve 94.3" (CHIQ-FM Winnipeg), "Lite 92.5" (KELO-FM Sioux Falls), and "Lake 98.1" (WLKN Cleveland-Sheboygan-Manitowoc). Flips on Thanksgiving included "Sunny 97.7" (WFDL-FM Lomira-Fond du Lac) and WISS/1100 (Berlin, WI). More flips are expected Friday; here's the complete list. (11/25/2010)

WISCONSIN:
Zoe Communications is selling WPDR/1350 and WDDC/100.1 (Portage) to Magnum Communications for $750,000. Magnum Communications, Magnum Broadcasting, and Magnum Radio are headed by David R. Magnum and own a total of ten radio stations in Wisconsin, including WBKY/95.9 (Portage), which has a construction permit to move into the Madison market. Both WDDC and WBKY carry Country formats. Zoe retains ownership of five stations in northwestern Wisconsin. (11/24/2010)

IOWA/NEBRASKA:
The FCC has taken the rare step of deleting an allotment for a new station on 107.7 at Pacific Junction, near Council Bluffs, after determining that concerns over potential interference with airplane communications systems could not be resolved. Connoisseur Media won the right to build the new station in a 2004 auction with a $6.765 million bid, but then asked the FCC for its money back last year after Federal Aviation Administration concerns came to light. The FAA is concerned about interference to communications systems on adjacent frequencies. Connoisseur offered to move the FAA communications systems to other frequencies, but no other frequencies are available. The FCC also determined that no station could operate on 107.7 while both meeting the FAA's concerns and providing a city-grade signal to Pacific Junction, and that no other frequencies are available to be alloted to Pacific Junction. (11/24/2010)

MANITOBA:
The CRTC has approved a secondary transmitter for CJSB-FM/104.5 (Swan River) at Benito. The Benito transmitter will broadcast on 99.1 with 50 Watts. "CJ104" carries a mix of Adult Contemporary, Classic Hits, Oldies, and Country. (11/24/2010)

NORTH DAKOTA:
Longtime broadcast journalist and manager Charley Johnson is joining ABC affiliate WDAZ/8 (Grand Forks) as 6 and 10 p.m. co-anchor, the station announced Tuesday. Johnson began his broadcast news career at KNOX/1310 (Grand Forks) more than thirty years ago and most recently worked at NBC affiliate KVLY-TV/11 (Fargo), where he served as anchor, news director, and general manager. He starts at WDAZ on Monday, Nov. 29. (11/23/2010)

MINNESOTA:
We Have This Hope Christian Radio has signed on new station WHPJ/88.7 (Hibbing). The station uses 6kW/41m (class A) from a tower in Hibbing. We Have This Hope Christian Radio originates at KOPJ/89.3 (Sebeka) and is also head on WYNJ/89.5 (Blackduck) and translator K228EW/93.5 (Bemidji). KOPJ/91.7 (Warroad), another new station, is expected to sign on this winter. The sign-on of WHPJ forced KDNW translator K205AX/88.9 to move to 89.3, where it is now K207ES. (11/23/2010)

WISCONSIN/NATIONAL:
Weigel Broadcasting's "Me TV," currently seen on WBME/49.1 (Racine-Milwaukee) and Weigel stations in Chicago, will go national in January. The company announced Monday its offering the network up for affiliation. "Me TV" joins a crowded field of digital subchannel offerings, including classic TV networks "Retro TV" and "Antenna TV," the latter of which also launches in January. However, "Me TV" may have a programming advantage: teaser videos on its website feature clips from the biggest classic TV hits, including I Love Lucy, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, The Twilight Zone, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Star Trek, The Beverly Hillibillies, Get Smart, The Brady Bunch, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Happy Days, MASH, and Cheers. (11/22/2010)

ALL-CHRISTMAS UPDATE:
Weekend flips include "I94" (WIAL/94.1 Eau Claire), "Classic Hitsmas 94.7" (KCLH/94.7 Caledonia-La Crosse), and KDAT/104.5 (Cedar Rapids), except during the John Tesh show. WMYX/99.1 (Milwaukee) and "Star 104.5" (KSRZ Omaha) made their previously-announced flips Monday morning. Also, KFOR/1240 (Lincoln) switched the musical portion of its information-heavy format to Christmas. Here's the complete list. (11/22/2010)

MINNESOTA:
The FCC has changed direction when it comes to a new radio station on 91.9 in Pine County. The commission had tentatively selected Immanuel Baptist Church of Rice Lake, WI, as the winner of a new 25kW/99m (class C3) station licensed to Pine City from a group of five applicants. Now, it has dismissed Immanuel's application after another applicant, Minnesota Public Radio, provided a declaration from Ro Grignon, president of Red Rock Radio, stating that Immanuel had not received reasonable assurance that it could place its antenna on the WCMP-FM/100.9 (Pine City) tower near Beroun. (Immanuel later amended its application to specify a different tower site.) The FCC requires applicants for new stations to have reasonable assurance that the proposed tower site can be used when the application is filed.

The FCC has now accepted MPR's application for a new station on 91.9 licensed to Hinckley using 16kW/129m (class C3), transmitting from the same tower used by MPR's recently-signed-on WGRH/88.5 (Hinckley). MPR also has four translators in Hinckley, but says it would return one of the translator licenses if the 91.9 application is granted. (11/21/2010)

ALL-CHRISTMAS UPDATE:
In one of the most closely-watched Christmas races in the Upper Midwest, Clear Channel's "Oldies 95.7" (WRIT) is Milwaukee's first all-Christmas stations this year. WRIT and Entercom's WMYX/99.1 have competed for the first flip in recent years, usually with both stations flipping within an hour of each other -- on Halloween two years ago. This time, WRIT flipped at 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18. WMYX began mixing Christmas music into its playlist Friday morning and is promoting a flip to all-Christmas on Monday. Elsewhere, Saga's "Lite 104.1" (KLTI-FM Ames-Des Moines) was due to flip at 4 p.m. Friday, Clear Channel's "Mix 96" (KMXG/96.1 Clinton-Quad Cities) is promoting a Saturday changeover, and Journal's "Star 104.5" (KSRZ Omaha) is set for the change at 7:30 a.m. Monday. Follow the flips here. (11/18/2010, updated 11/19)

MINNESOTA:
Minnesota Public Radio plans to sign on new station KITF/88.3 (International Falls) on Dec. 1. The station will carry MPR's News network. It will transmit from south of International Falls using 5.75kW/47m, replacing 7-Watt translator K201CN/88.1. Classical MPR will continue on translator K249BK/97.7 (International Falls). (11/17/2010)

ALL-CHRISTMAS UPDATE:
Add "Lite Rock 104.3" (KZLT East Grand Forks) and "Kool 101.7" (KLDJ Duluth) to the all-Christmas list. KZLT actually flipped at midnight Monday morning, while KLDJ is expected to flip Wednesday morning. Follow the flips here. (11/16/2010)

NEBRASKA:
The Santee Sioux Nation is donating its construction permit for a new radio station along the Nebraska/South Dakota border to Nebraska Indian Community College, which hopes to extend the deadline to get the station on the air. The CP is for a station on 88.9 licensed to Santee with 5kW/105m (class A). It's due to expire Feb. 11, 2011, but the proposed new owner is requesting an 18-month extension. (11/16/2010)

ALL-CHRISTMAS UPDATE:
WOLX/94.9 (Baraboo-Madison) made the flip to all-Christmas at 6 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16. Follow the flips here. (11/16/2010)

IOWA:
Stop, thief! Connoisseur Communications says KZWU/96.3 (Pleasantville) has gone off the air due to equipment theft. The station states in an FCC filing that it's been off the air since Oct. 14 due to the theft, and is working to replace the stolen equipment. KZWU and KZWF/105.9 (Patterson) first signed on two years ago simulcasting a Country format as "The Wolf;" KZWF is off the air due to what it called an unacceptable level of interference near the transmitter. (11/15/2010)

ALL-CHRISTMAS UPDATE:
Eau Claire's "Mix 98.1" (WISM Altoona) and Wausau's "Mix 96.7" (WLJY Whiting) made the flip to all-Christmas Saturday morning, Nov. 13. WLJY had also aired Christmas music the weekend of Nov. 6-7. Meanwhile, Des Moines' "Lite 104.1" (KLTI-FM Ames) plans to go all-Christmas on Friday, Nov. 19, after spinning Christmas tunes Nov. 13-14 and this week on the Delilah show. In the Quad Cities, "Mix 96" (KMXG Clinton) plans to make the switch on Saturday, Nov. 20, after all-Christmas playlists on the first two weekends of the month. Watch here for updates. (11/15/2010)

NORTH DAKOTA/ALL-CHRISTMAS UPDATE:
Bismarck's "Y93" (KYYY/92.9) made the switch to all-Christmas at 5 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 11). Watch here for updates. (11/12/2010)

MINNESOTA:
A tower collapse has knocked out translator K287AD/105.3 (Bemidji), which relays KAXE/91.7 (Grand Rapids). The tower on top of the Bemidji Federal Building collapsed during an Oct. 28 recent wind storm, but KAXE's equipment was not damaged. Northern Community Radio is seeking special temporary authority to return K287AD to the air from a tower 2km away. It's also seeking listener donations to help pay for the move. (11/12/2010)

MINNESOTA:
CBS Radio's "102.9 Lite FM" (WLTE Minneapolis) made the switch to all-Christmas music Thursday (Nov. 11), becoming the first Upper Midwest station to set aside its reglar format this season. (As earlier reported, new station WXYG/540 Sauk Rapids-St. Cloud is also spinning Christmas music during its testing.) Clear Channel's "Kool 108" (KQQL/107.9 Anoka-Minneapolis) is promoting a switch to all-Christmas on the day after Thanksgiving. Des Moines' "Lite 104.1" (KLTI-FM Ames), the Quad Cities' "Mix 96" (KMXG/96.1 Clinton), and Wausau's "Mix 96.7" (WLJY Whiting) are all planning to spin Christmas music this weekend. (11/11/2010)

IOWA/WISCONSIN:
The FCC has moved quickly in granting Quincy Newspapers construction permits for new translators in Dubuque, IA and Tomah, WI. The Dubuque translator will rebroadcast NBC affiliate KWWL/7 (Waterloo) in synchronous transmission on channel 7 with 300W. The Tomah translator will rebroadcast ABC and CW affiliate WXOW/19.1 (La Crosse) with 660W on channel 26 from a tower north of Sparta. (11/10/2010)

IOWA/MICHIGAN/MINNESOTA/NEBRASKA/WISCONSIN:
The FCC continues to cancel licenses of silent analog low-power TV stations. Recent cancellations include TV-45, Inc.'s K53EY (Omaha), which had carried TBN, and dozens of stations owned by MS Communications in Ottumwa, IA, Waterloo, IA, Sault Ste. Marie, MI, Rochester, MN, in Whiting, WI and other cities nationwide. (11/10/2010)

WISCONSIN:
ABC affiliate WISN-TV/12.1 (Milwaukee) has upgraded from 863kW/263m to 1000kW/302m. The station broadcasts on channel 34. (11/10/2010)

ALL-CHRISTMAS UPDATE:
The Upper Midwest's first all-Christmas station of the year is a new entrant: WXYG/540 (Sauk Rapids-St. Cloud), which had been occasionally testing with a mix of Rock and Country since June, is now playing Christmas music. WXYG is a new 250-Watt station owned by Herbert Hoppe's Tri-County Broadcasting. Elsewhere, the Quad Cities' Mix 96 (KMXG/96.1 Clinton) and Wausau's Mix 96.7 (WLJY Whiting) both played Christmas music over the weekend but are now back to their regular formats. Watch here for updates. (11/8/2010)

NORTH DAKOTA/MINNESOTA:
Following the sign-on of FM translator K300BG/107.9 (Grand Forks), Leighton Enterprises' KCNN/1590 (East Grand Forks) and the translator have flipped to "Rock 107.9." The mix of Classic and new Rock replaces FOX Sports Radio. The change comes just a few months after Leighton dropped a Rock format on KNOX-FM/94.7 for Contemporary Hits. Some listeners may confuse the new translator with the fringe signal of KPFX/107.9 (Fargo), which could be heard on car radios in Grand Forks before K300BG's sign-on. K300BG uses 250 Watts from the KWTL/1370 tower southwest of town, while KCNN uses 5kW day and 1kW night. (11/5/2010)

WISCONSIN:
WJJH/96.7 (Ashland) has switched from Dial Global's Classic Rock format to DG Local's mainstream Rock format, keeping the "J96" slogan. (11/5/2010)

IOWA:
On again, off again: Connoisseur Media's KZWF/105.9 (Patterson) has again gone silent. In an FCC filing, the station states it was on the air for three days in late October until it was forced to leave the air because of "the potential for localized reception interference" near the transmitter. The station also says the silence is necessary to complete the modification of its facilities under a construction permit; the station will move to a new trasnmitter site and increase its power from 900W to 15kW, giving it a rimshot signal to Des Moines. Connoisseur first signed on KZWF and KZWU/96.3 (Pleasantville) in 2008, simulcasting a Country format as "The Wolf." (11/5/2010)

NEBRASKA:
The owner of an AM-FM combo in York is buying the AM-FM combo in Ord. Mark G. Jenson's MWB Broadcasting II, LLC will pay Sandhills Advertising $550,000 for KNLV/1060 and KNLV-FM/103.9. The price includes a three-year non-compete agreement with Sandhills Advertising president Eugene McCoy, Jr. covering a nine-county area. MWB's stations in York are KAWL/1370 and KTMX/104.9. (11/5/2010)

NORTH DAKOTA/NEBRASKA:
Educational Media Foundation ceased satellite distribution of the "God's Country" network at the end of October, meaning changes in Bismarck, ND, and Scottsbluff, NE. KGCD/89.1 (Lincoln, ND-Bismarck) is now KLBF and carries EMF's "K-Love" network, which is also heard on KBMK/88.3 (Bismarck). K218DL/91.5 (Scottsbluff) now carries Radio Nueva Vida. "God's Country," which mixes Classic Country and Southern Gospel, continues online. (11/5/2010)

WISCONSIN:
FOX 47 (WMSN Madison) plans to complete its digital channel move at 7 a.m. Friday, Nov. 5. The station will move its digital broadcasts from channel 11 to 49, and broadcast viewers may need to rescan their receivers to continue receiving the station. With the move, all of Madison's TV stations will be broadcasting on UHF, making it the only all-UHF market in Wisconsin. (11/5/2010)

NORTH DAKOTA:
KQLX-FM/106.1 (Lisbon-Fargo) has rebranded as "Thunder 106.1," playing a mix of Country from the past four decades. The lineup includes The House Of Bouge & Kim from 5:30-9 a.m., Mike Ray from 9-2, Scott Winston from 2-7 p.m., and Cowboy from 7-Midnight. KQLX-FM is operated by Great Plains Integrated Marketing, which also runs three other stations in the Fargo/Lisbon area. It first moved into the Fargo market two years ago and briefly ran a Talk format as "Liberty 106.1" before flipping back to Country. (11/1/2010)

ALL-CHRISTMAS WATCH:
Who will flip first? As of Monday night, there are no known flips to all-Christmas yet this year in the Upper Midwest, except for a few stunts. However, some stations are hinting of flips to come. KDAT/104.5 (Cedar Rapids) has already updated the header on its website to say "your official Christmas music station," but its playlist is holiday-free for now. WOLX/94.9 (Baraboo-Madison) asked listeners on Facebook when it should flip to Christmas, with responses ranging from now to never. "Chuck FM" (WCHK-FM/104.3 Seymour-Green Bay), "Mix 96.7" (WLJY Whiting-Wausau), and "95.7 Kiss Country" (KKSY Anamosa-Cedar Rapids) are all running Christmas feeds on the web. Watch here for updates. (11/1/2010)

IOWA/ILLINOIS/WISCONSIN:
Several Upper Midwest stations are on the affiliate list for AntennaTV, a Tribune subchannel network carrying classic sitcoms and movies due to launch on Jan. 1. WITI (Milwaukee), WHO-TV (Des Moines), and WQAD (Moline-Quad Cities) are listed as affiliates. All are owned by Local TV, LLC, which shares some management functions with Tribune. (11/1/2010)

MINNESOTA:
Translator W270CA/101.9 (Mora) is on a march towards the Twin Cities. W270CA was originally licensed as W220DK/91.9 in 2006 with a transmitter in Mora, relaying KVSC/88.1 (St. Cloud). After being sold to Radio Power Inc., it moved to 102.5 as W273BX from a transmitter south of Mora and later moved to 101.9, but most recently filed for special temporary authority to remain silent because of financial problems. Now, it's applied to move to a tower in northern Isanti County, move to 101.7 with 250 Watts, and change its community of license to Braham.

Meanwhile, Radio Power's K288GE/105.5 (Buffalo Lake) has applied to move to Hutchinson. It's currently licensed to Buffalo Lake after a move from Olivia. Applications for both translators list KCFB/91.5 (St. Cloud) as the station to be relayed.

FCC rules for translator moves require an overlap in the old and new coverage areas, and daisy-chain moves have become common as groups try to move a translator from one area to another. (11/1/2010)

NORTH DAKOTA/MINNESOTA:
"Fox Sports 1590" translator K300BG/107.9 (Grand Forks) has signed on. The translator uses 250 Watts from the KWTL/1370 tower southwest of town, relaying Leighton Enterprises' KCNN/1590 (East Grand Forks). (11/1/2010)

NEBRASKA:
The FCC has deleted the license of low-power TV station KVSS-LP/67 (Omaha). The station was owned by VSS Catholic Communications, which also owns KVSS/102.7 (Papillion). (11/1/2010)

WISCONSIN:
Sinclair Broadcasting CW affiliate WVTV/18 (Milwaukee) has upgraded from 172.5kW to 745kW. (11/1/2010)