April 2011

MINNESOTA:
Minnesota Public Radio has made another change in Hinckley, switching translator W226AY/93.1 from its News network to its Classical network. Classical MPR continues to be heard on K283AN/104.5, though MPR recently sold K283AN along with W293AV/106.5 to St. Paul-based Blue Wing, Inc. (W293AV carries the News network but is no longer needed since MPR signed on WGRH/88.5). MPR had switched another area translator, K231AT/94.1 (Pine City-Beroun), from News to Classical after WGRH's sign-on last year. Yet another translator, W248AS/97.5, continues to carry The Current. More changes may be coming with the eventual sign-on of WINH/91.9. (4/25/2011)

WISCONSIN:
The FCC is mulling arguments over whether a new station on 98.9 licensed to Two Rivers would create intermodulation interference. The FCC granted Tri-County Radio, Inc. the construction permit for the new station in December. It will use 6kW/68m from a tower south of Manitowoc. Seehafer Broadcasting and Cub Radio, which own other stations in the area, raised the intermodulation concerns when Tri-County Radio applied to transfer the CP to Midwest Communications, which is paying $200,000 for the CP. In its response, Tri-County Radio says the objections should have been raised when the CP was issued and also says they are without merit. WTRW, Inc. filed comments in support of Tri-County Radio. The FCC has not yet acted on the objections or the application to transfer the license. (4/24/2011)

IOWA:
The Country Network is now active on KFXA/28.2 (Cedar Rapids). It's the 17th digital broadcast channel available in Cedar Rapids. (4/24/2011)

MINNESOTA:
It turns out the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council won't be keeping KMFX/1190 (Wabasha) after all. Clear Channel is donating the silent station to MMTC, which is now selling it to Alan Quarnstrom's Q Media Group, LLC for $15,000. Quarnstrom's companies also own three stations based in Red Wing and three based in Cloquet. KMFX is licensed for 1kW daytime-only operation. Clear Channel is also donating KFXN/690 (Minneapolis) to MMTC. (4/21/2011)

MINNESOTA:
KARE 11 is parting ways with longtime news director Tom Lindner. The station's press release doesn't mention who made the decision, but the Star Tribune is referring to it as a firing. Lindner will stay with KARE through the end of the month. He's been with the NBC affiliate since 1992, and also worked at CBS affiliate WCCO-TV/4 in the 1980's. (4/21/2011)

MINNESOTA:
The board of trustees of American Public Media, the parent organization of Minnesota Public Radio, has chosen Jon McTaggart to succeed Bill Kling as chief executive officer of APMG. McTaggart is currently APMG's senior vice president and chief operating officer. He will begin his new role when Kling leaves on July 1. Kling founded the network four decades ago and oversaw the expansion to statewide coverage, creation of nationally-known programming, and addition of new operations in California and Florida. (4/21/2011)

IOWA:
A new cell phone tower is causing problems for WMT/600 (Cedar Rapids). WMT transmits with 5kW from a site north of Marion, using a non-directional pattern during the day and a directional pattern from a three-tower array at night. It says in an FCC filing that the new cell tower 1.15km southwest of the array is resulting in re-radiation that is causing problems at night. The FCC granted special temporary authority to continue operating WMT as currently licensed while the station works to retify the situation. (4/19/2011)

IOWA:
Five years after an auction determined the winner of a new FM station near Waterloo, the station still isn't ready to go on the air. Ace Radio Corp. won the construction permit for KCOO/103.9 (Dunkerton) in the 2006 auction with a $455,000 bid. In 2009, Ace Radio sold nine CP's, including KCOO, to Magnolia Radio Corp. for $1,867,900. CP's for new stations are normally valid for three years, but an 18-month extension is allowed when stations are sold, and KCOO's CP was extended to March 3, 2011. KCOO applied for its license to cover on March 2. After the FCC granted the license, Magnolia filed a notification of suspension of operations stating KCOO had gone silent March 3 for financial reasons and that it needs to find a new programming source. The FCC has not yet acted on the STA request. The station is licensed for 6kW/95m (class A) from a tower in Readlyn, delivering a rimshot signal to Waterloo. (4/18/2011)

SOUTH DAKOTA:
Martin Busch, 89, the founder of the South Dakota Public Broadcasting system, passed away Friday, April 15 at his home in Kansas. Busch served as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II in the Pacific theater and later earned undergraduate and masters degrees from the University of South Dakota. He was hired as program director of the university's KUSD/690 (Vermillion) in 1954 and promoted to director in 1960, overseeing development of South Dakota's public radio and TV networks. He retired in 1984 but continued to host "The Bookshop," which started in 1956, until 2002. The SDPB TV studios were named in his honor last fall. Busch is survived by three sons, one daughter and four grandchildren. Services will be held Wednesday, April 20 at 11 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Vermillion. Memorials may be sent to the Friends of SDPB, P.O. Box 5000, Brookings, South Dakota, 57006-5000. Photo provided by SDPB (4/17/2011)

WISCONSIN:
New northeastern Wisconsin station WLWB/92.9 will most likely carry a Country format, according to a news release from Woodward Communications, which also says the station will likely sign on this fall. Woodward finalized its purchase of the construction permit from Metro North Communications for $1.2 million on April 4. The CP is currently allotted to New Holstein, but a pending application would change the community of license to Chilton, close enough to Appleton that Woodward could use its existing Appleton facility for WLWB's main studio. Woodward owns six other radio stations in the Appleton and Green Bay markets. (4/17/2011)

IOWA:
Iowa Public Radio has decided not to build new station KDVO/90.7 (Mason City). The FCC recently deleted the construction permit at the request of the University of Northern Iowa, the CP holder and one of the member universities of IPR. The network's Classical service is already heard on 90.7 in Mason City on translator K214BA, but the new station would have improved coverage (14kW versus 273W) and prevented future stations from bumping the translator off the air. (4/17/2011)

ILLINOIS/IOWA/WISCONSIN:
Missouri-based Catholic Radio Network is buying the construction permit for WGLA/90.1 (Galena, IL) from St. Michael's Church of Galena for $1,000. The CP calls for a transmitter site near Shullsburg, WI, using 23.5kW/118m, with an arrowhead-shaped coverage area reaching Dubuque, IA. The CP expires May 21, but the buyer will be able to request an 18-month extension from the FCC. (4/14/2011)

WISCONSIN:
The FCC has approved a big upgrade for WISS/1100 (Berlin). The station will remain daytime-only under a new construction permit, but upgrade to 50kW during the core of the day. It'll have to drop to 20kW during critical hours (after sunrise and before sunset). WISS currently uses 2.5kW day and 1.6kW during critical hours with a nondirectional pattern. It would add a second tower and use a directional pattern limiting the signal to the southeast, but the signal strength to the Oshkosh and Appleton would increase. (4/13/2011)

WISCONSIN:
Another casualty from recent storms in southeastern Wisconsin is "K-Love" Christian Adult Contemporary station WKMZ/105.3 (Mukwonago-Milwaukee). The station's transmission line was crushed when an ice bridge protecting a microwave dish spun around the tower during a storm. A tower crew was able to unkink the line enough for the station to broadcast at half-power for now. WKMZ, owned by K-Love operator Educational Media Foundation, normally uses 1.65kW/193m. (4/12/2011)

WISCONSIN:
WBWI/92.5 (West Bend) is operating at low power after a lightning strike damaged its transmission line, making it unusable above the 260-foot level. According to a filing with the FCC, WBWI is using 2kW from a temporary one-bay antenna at the 260-foot level, or about 122m above average terrain. The station says it will likely be at least four weeks before it can return to its regular facility of 17.5kW/164m. The Country-formatted station, owned by Bliss Communications, normally has a rimshot signal to Milwaukee. (4/12/2011)

ILLINOIS/MISSOURI/IOWA:
DirecTV has announced plans to add locals in another 15 markets, including Quincy-Hannibal-Keokuk. The locals will launch in HD this summer. DISH Network already serves the market with HD locals. (4/11/2011)

MICHIGAN:
The FCC has deleted W207BR/89.3 (Ironwood) at the request of the owner, Northwestern College. It had relayed KDNW/97.3 (Duluth, MN). (4/11/2011)

MINNESOTA:
The Love Station is selling the construction permit for a new station on 89.5 in Franklin to South Central Oklahoma Christian Broadcasting for $5,000. The CP is due to expire in May and the buyer is seeking an 18-month extension. Franklin is near Redwood Falls, but the current CP calls for a transmitter about 25 miles northeast of town with a directional signal, giving the 23kW/128m station strong coverage of Hutchinson and Litchfield. The buyer owns five stations in Oklahoma and Texas, has a CP for another station in Oklahoma, and is also buying one station in Iowa and two in Nebraska in separate deals. (4/11/2011)

WISCONSIN:
Crossfire Inc. is donating the construction permits for two new stations in southwestern Wisconsin to the Salvation Poem Foundation. The stations are WTPN/103.9 (Westby) and WEQS/88.3 (Sparta), along with translator W250AX/97.9 (La Crosse). The CP for WTPN expires in May and the transfer may allow the new owners to seek an 18-month extension. WEQS' CP doesn't expire until next year. (4/11/2011)

NEBRASKA:
New station KBPY/107.7 (Hay Springs-Chadron) signed on March 17 carrying a mainstream Rock format. The station is owned by Kathleen R. Brown's Chadrad Communications, which also owns KCSR/610 (Chadron). (4/9/2011)

WISCONSIN:
The FCC has approved LIN TV's purchase of CW affiliate WCWF/14.1 (Suring Green Bay), creating a duopoly with FOX 11 (WLUK-TV Green Bay). WLUK has already been operating WCWF, formerly WIWB, through a joint sales agreement and shared services agreement. FCC rules don't normally allow duopolies in markets the size of Green Bay, but the FCC granted a waiver in this case, determining WCWF met criteria to be declared a "failing station." The commission rejected arguments from Time Warner Cable that the combination would unfairly allow LIN to seek higher retransmission rates for WCWF. (4/8/2011)

WISCONSIN/MICHIGAN:
Nexstar Broadcasting is buying CBS affiliates WFRV-TV/5.1 (Green Bay) and WJMN-TV/3.1 (Escanaba-Marquette) from Liberty Media for $20 million. Liberty bought the stations from CBS in 2007 in a stock trade. WJMN acts as a satellite of WFRV, though Marquette is a separate market. Nexstar owns stations in 34 markets, including some in Illinois and Indiana. (4/7/2011)

MINNESOTA:
There are more changes coming to Twin Cities sports radio: WCCO/830 and KFAN/1130 are swapping pro teams. WCCO announced Tuesday it'll be the home of the Minnesota Timberwolves next season, while KFAN announced it'll be the new home of the Minnesota Wild. The announcement comes shortly after the University of Minnesota moved the Gophers from WCCO to KSTP/1500. (4/5/2011)

IOWA/MINNESOTA/NEBRASKA/WISCONSIN:
The "Me-TV" classic TV network is coming to several more Upper Midwest markets under a set of deals announced Monday. The Chicago-based subchannel network, which went national a few months ago, is currently seen in only about a half-dozen markets but will reach 45 percent of households nationwide under deals with 14 ownership groups. No exact dates for launch were given in Me-TV's press release, but its website is listing the following new affiliates: