October 2005

MINNESOTA:
"Mighty 1220" (WMGT Stillwater-Twin Cities) has added Clark Howard from 1-4 p.m., replacing Ruth Koscielak, whose regionally syndicated show left the air last Friday (10/28). Ruth had also aired on KRWC/1360 (Buffalo) and KDWA/1460 (Hastings). (10/31/2005)

NEBRASKA:
NRG Media is cutting back the number of stations it manages in the Tri-Cities to meet a condition of the FCC's approval of NRG's purchase of KSYZ/107.7 (Grand Island). NRG is required to end its joint sales agreement with KROR/101.5 (Hastings). NRG will terminate the JSA and buy KROR from Eternal Broadcasting. In exchange, Eternal gets $270,000 and NRG's KLIQ/94.5 (Hastings), which Eternal then plans to sell to Platte River Radio for $700,000. After the deal is completed, NRG will have five stations in the Tri-Cities, and Platte will have three. (Another three groups own a total of seven other commercial stations in the area.) (10/30/2005)

WISCONSIN:
Josh Blake has taken over mornings at Q102 (WVRQ-FM Viroqua). Former morning host Jim Saunders lost his voice and is still working behind the scenes. (10/30/2005)

NORTH DAKOTA:
Big changes on the Jamestown radio dial, as the Ingstad family signs on one new station and swaps the formats of two others:

  • KRVX/103.1 (Wimbledon) signs on with a Rock format as "The Raven."
  • The "Big Dog" Country format that had aired on KYNU/98.3 (Carrington) moves to KXGT/95.5 (Jamestown), which also picks up the KYNU callsign.
  • The KXGT Oldies format and callsign moves to 98.3.
    95.5 and 103.1 are broadcasting with 100kW from a new tower midway between Jamestown and Valley City, with 95.5's antenna at 197m above average terrain and 103.1 at 144m. 98.3 continues to broadcast from a site 20 miles northwest of Jamestown with 100kW at 264m, and has a weaker signal to Valley City. (10/27/2005)

    MINNESOTA/NORTH DAKOTA:
    Clear Channel has launched a Country station in the Grand Forks market, flipping KSNR/100.3 (Thief River Falls, MN) from its longtime Oldies format. "Cat Country" goes up against Leighton's two Country stations in the market, KNOX-FM/94.7 and KYCK/97.1, with "Today's Country and Your All-Time Favorites." (10/23/2005)

    IOWA/NEBRASKA/NORTH DAKOTA:
    World Radio Link is selling fourteen construction permits for new stations it won in last fall's auction to Horizon Christian Fellowship, an affiliate of the Calvary Chapel. In the Upper Midwest, the CP's being sold are:

  • 100.9 Newell, IA (6kW/89m, class A)
  • 99.3 Overton, NE (100kW/229m, C1)
  • 92.1 Sargent, NE (100kW/104m, C1)
  • 95.7 New England, ND (100kW/194m, C1)
  • 105.9 Sarles, ND (100kW/140m, C1)
    The stations will be operated non-commercially. Horizon operates the Horizon Broadcast Network, which for now is KSRD/91.9 (St. Joseph, MO). For each station, Horizon will pay about $10,000 more than each of WRL's winning auction bids, for a total purchase price of $1.3 million. Incidentally, World Radio Link is run by three people involved in Edgewater Broadcasting and Radio Assist Ministry, which applied for thousands of translators across the country and have received hundreds of CP's. (10/23/2005)

    MINNESOTA:
    KSTP-TV/5 says it will resume its 6:30 p.m. newscast on Monday, November 14, anchored by Joe Schmit. The station had launched a newscast in that time slot in the early 1990's and dropped it in 2001. (10/21/2005)

    IOWA:
    The Ottumwa Courier reports that three of the city's TV translators have left the air due to tower problems. K23EI, K25DE, and K27CV had rebroadcast KCCI-CBS, KYOU-FOX, and WHO-NBC. The non-profit group that has operated the translators since 1962 apparently told the Courier that it had applied to move to a new tower, but the FCC does not list any active applications for the translators. (10/20/2005)

    NORTH DAKOTA/MINNESOTA:
    After five months as "My FM," the Classic Hits/Hot AC format of KFAB-FM/92.7 (Kindred-Fargo) is over. The Clear Channel station reverted to its previous "Outlaw Country" format on Tuesday (10/18). (10/19/2005)

    WISCONSIN:
    Midwest Communications has brought its Green Bay strategy to Wausau, flipping WOFM/94.7 (Mosinee-Wausau) to Rhythmic CHR as "Wild 94.7." The flip occurred at Midnight Monday/Tuesday, according to WisconsinBroadcasting.com. Midwest also owns adult-leaning CHR WIFC/95.5 (Wausau), a setup similar to that of Midwest's "Wild 99.7" and WIXX/101.1 in the Green Bay market. WOFM had been running WestwoodOne's Oldies format since dropping a simulcast with WIZD/99.9 (Rudolph-Stevens Point) in August. It's the first-ever format change for WOFM, which had run Oldies since signing on in the early 1990's. (10/18/2005)

    WISCONSIN:
    WTLX/100.5 (Columbus) has a plan to improve its signal to Madison, its target market, but it'll have to wait until the FCC approves another station's move. Good Karma Broadcasting wants to change WTLX's community of license to Monona, which borders on Madison. The change could allow WTLX to move its tower closer to Madison. However, WTLX is currently the only station licensed to Columbus, and the FCC typically does not approve allotment changes that leave a community without a license, regardless of whether the station actually targets its programming at that community. To get the WTLX change approved, Good Karma has proposed moving its WTTN/1580 from Watertown to Columbus. The FCC says it will not consider a proposal to change WTLX's community of license until the WTTN move is approved. (10/16/2005)

    CONSTRUCTION PERMITS FOR NEW FM STATIONS:

  • Cascade, IA: 88.9, 2.25kW/100m (A), Cascade Community Radio. Good signal to Dubuque.
  • Allen, NE: 100.9, 5.6kW/209m (C3), College Creek Broadcasting. Good signal to Sioux City and Vermillion.
  • Minatare, NE: 106.9, 50kW/145m (C2), College Creek Broadcasting. Scottsbluff market, shared site with 99.3 Mitchell.
  • Mitchell, NE: 99.3, 50kW/145m (C2), College Creek Broadcasting. Scottsbluff market, shared site with 106.9 Minatare.
  • Overton, NE: 99.3, 100kW/229m (C1), World Radio Link. Strong signal to Lexington and a good signal to Kearney.
  • Platteville, WI: 89.1, 60W/171m (A), WI Educational Comm. Board. Will likely carry Wisconsin Public Radio's music network. (10/16/2005)

    MORE LOCALS ON SATELLITE TV:
    DirecTV has announced plans to add local-into-local service for the Mankato (MN) and Rochester (MN)-Austin (MN)-Mason City (IA) markets by the end of the year. DISH Network does not offer locals in either market. The Mankato market has only one station (KEYC/12, CBS), so DirecTV says it will carry affiliates of other major networks from an adjacent market, most likely Minneapolis. (10/14/2005)

    MINNESOTA:
    The Twin Cities have another late afternoon news option starting Monday (10/17), when FOX9 launches its 5-6 p.m. newscast. The second half hour will be the only local news in that time slot. (10/14/2005)

    WISCONSIN:
    Bustos Media, which provides the "La Gran D" format heard on WDDW/104.7 (Sturtevant-Milwaukee), is buying the station from NextMedia for $10.2 million. Bustos does not own any other stations in the region. NextMedia expects the deal to close around the end of the year. (10/14/2005)

    IOWA:
    KAYL/990 (Storm Lake) will drop its longtime Adult Standards format on Friday afternoon (10/14) for ESPN Radio as "The Ticket." It's the first major format change for the station since it signed on in 1948. The local news blocks that had been simulcast on KAYL and KAYL-FM/101.7 will continue on FM, and 990 will continue to air church services Sunday from 9 a.m. to Noon. The Sunday spanish-language show that had aired on KAYL moves to KAYL-FM Sundays from 4-7 p.m. (10/13/2005)

    WISCONSIN:
    New station WYZM/106.7 (Mt. Horeb) signed on last weekend and is stunting. WYZM delivers a fair to weak signal to Madison, a market where owner Mid-West Management has seven existing stations. The class A station uses 2.9kW at 146m from a tower near Barneveld. (10/11/2005)

    MINNESOTA:
    KOPJ/89.3 (Sebeka) has signed on carrying Christian programming from the LifeTalk Radio Network. The new 100kW station delivers a good signal to Brainerd, Wadena, and Park Rapids from a tower north of Motley. (10/10/2005)

    IOWA:
    100W KUBH-LP/99.9 (Urbana) is on the air carrying traveler's information from the Iowa Department of Transportation. (10/10/2005)

    SOUTH DAKOTA:
    Feller Broadcasting's KSQB/1520 (Sioux Falls) will drop Soft Oldies for Sports next Monday (10/10), according to the Argus Leader. The daytime-only station will carry Clear Channel's FAN Radio Network from 6-11a, Jim Rome, and FOX Sports Radio. (10/6/2005)

    IOWA:
    KHPP/1160 (Waukon) has dropped ESPN Radio for ABC's True Oldies format. The Wennes Communications station recently moved from 1140 to 1160 and changed its callsign from KNEI, and Wennes station KVIK/104.7 (Decorah) recently moved from Oldies to Classic Hits. (10/1/2005)

    MINNESOTA:
    Herbert M. Hoppe has received a construction permit for a new station on 1010 AM in Sauk Rapids. The station will provide a strong signal to St. Cloud, using 1.7kW day and 240W night, with different directional patterns day and night. Hoppe also owns Sauk Rapids-based WBHR/660, WVAL/800, and WHMH/101.7, and has applied for another station on 540. (10/1/2005)

    NEBRASKA:
    Greater Nebraska Television is selling NBC affliates KHAS-TV/5 (Hastings) and KNOP/2 (North Platte), plus translators and low-power FOX affiliate K11TW (North Platte), to Hoak Media, LLC for $9.5 million. Hoak also owns stations in Colorado and Texas. James Hoak of Dallas owns 86.6% of the company. (9/2/2005)


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