IOWA:
Iowa Public Radio says it’ll return Classical music to Ames this winter with the sign-on of KICG/91.7 (Perry). Ames listeners without HD radios haven’t been able to receive Classical music over the air since IPR flipped WOI-FM/90.1 (Ames-Des Moines) to its News and Adult Alternative service in September. (IPR Classical is available on several smaller signals in the Des Moines area and WOI-FM’s HD2 signal.) IPR is posting updates on KICG’s construction on its website, saying the tower site has been secured, equipment has been purchased, and the structural analysis has been completed. The new station will use 10kW/110m (class C3) from a tower near Boone, delivering a good signal to Ames and possible fringe coverage of Fort Dodge. The FCC first granted a construction permit to build KICG in 2007 and while CP’s are normally only valid for three years, the FCC tolled the deadline in this case. (12/28/2012)


IOWA:
KOKZ/105.7 (Waterloo) has lost its “Cool.” The Classic Hits station has dropped the “Cool” slogan it had used for more than a decade, originally as an Oldies outlet, and is now simply “KOKZ.” KOKZ was sold to Woodward Communications earlier this year. (12/27/2012)


IOWA:
ABC affiliate KCRG-TV/9 (Cedar Rapids) has been off DISH Network since Dec. 18 amid a retransmission consent dispute. The station says the dispute centers around money and carriage of KCRG/9.2, which carries local programming, syndicated fare, and My Network TV in late-nights. DISH says KCRG, owned by Iowa SourceMedia Group, is seeking a six-fold increase in the amount of money it receives, while KCRG says the amount it’s asking is only one-fifth of what DISH pays an unnamed less popular program provider. (12/26/2012)


IOWA:
After a month of Christmas music, Three Eagles’ KTLB/105.9 (Twin Lakes-Fort Dodge) is now stunting with a loop of the 17-minute and 9-minute versions of Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.” 105.9’s previous Oldies/Classic Hits format, called “The Beach,” lasted just eight months. The format was a revival of what 105.9 carried prior to switching to Classic Rock as “The Eagle,” which Three Eagles moved to KZLB/92.1 (Fort Dodge) this year. (12/26/2012)


IOWA:
Family Radio’s pair of translators in Cedar Rapids and Williamsburg is off the air due to the sign-on of another station in the area. K209BQ/89.7 (Amana-Williamsburg) was bumped off the air by the sign-on of KRNF/89.7 (Montezuma) and is awaiting FCC approval to return to the air on 88.7. K209BQ receives Family Radio/KEAR-FM programming via satellite and acts as the feeder translator for K236AA/95.1 (Cedar Rapids). The arrangement is necessary since translators in the non-reserved portion of the band (92-108 MHz) can only receive their feeds over the air unless they are located within the main station’s primary contour. K209BQ originally signed on in 1995 and had a construction permit to move to 88.7, but it was never implemented. (12/18/2012)
IOWA:

It appears New Moon Communications’ plans to bring low-power NBC-TV affiliates four small markets, including Ottumwa-Kirksville, have fallen through. New Moon bought KUMK-LP/42 (Ottumwa) and three other stations outside the Upper Midwest last year and announced plans to launch them as NBC affiliates. Now, all four are up for sale, with KUMK-LP the latest to be listed. New Moon bought the stations from the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, which received them as a donation from the Trinity Broadcasting Network. (12/9/2012)

IOWA:
Iowa Public Radio is selling off one of its two construction permits for new FM stations in the Sioux City area. Iowa State University, one of the license holders for IPR, is selling KHGM/88.9 (Sioux City) to Little Priest Tribal College for $9,000. The station must go on the air by March 30, 2013 or the CP will expire. KHGM’s CP is for 15kW/106m (class C3) from a tower near Homer, NE, using a directional antenna limiting the signal towards the northeast. It’s possible that the new owner could seek a downgrade for KHGM to get it on the air more quickly and then apply for a future upgrade, which is a common practice for unbuilt stations facing expiration. IPR also has a CP for KNSX/97.1 (Moville), which it’s applied to upgrade from 5.2kW/109m to 11.8kW/149m. KNSX’s CP doesn’t expire until 2015. (12/5/2012)

IOWA:
There could be more change coming to the Fort Dodge radio market after Christmas. KTLB/105.9 (Twin Lakes-Fort Dodge) has switched to an all-Christmas format as “Christmas 105.9,” dropping “The Beach” branding that went with its Oldies format. The station’s website has dropped all references to the Oldies format, including staff listings. The format had relaunched just eight months ago after Three Eagles Communications moved 105.9’s former format, Classic Rock “The Eagle,” to KZLB/92.1 (Fort Dodge). Oldies had also run on the station prior to the Classic Rock format. (12/3/2012)


ILLINOIS/IOWA:
A group of three radio stations in Illinois, including one with a rimshot signal to the Quad Cities, announced Friday that they’re being sold. Randall Miller is selling WKEI/1450 (Kewanee, IL), WYEC/93.9 (Cambridge-Moline), and WJRE/102.5 (Galva, IL) to Fletcher Ford of Bluegrass, Iowa, who is the group’s sales manager, for $800,000, according to documents filed with the FCC. The deal also includes two translators in Kewanee. WYEC upgraded its signal and added a studio in Moline four years ago. (12/3/2012)


IOWA:
Truth Broadcasting’s KTIA-FM/99.3 (Boone) is making another attempt to move closer to Des Moines, but the newly proposed facility would not deliver a city-grade signal to the capital city. The FCC rejected a previous proposal to change KTIA’s community of license to Johnston with a transmitter in Saylorville, saying it conflicted with rules intended to prevent station moves from rural areas to urbanized areas.

The new application seeks to change KTIA’s community of license to Huxley, a community of about 3,300 between Ames and Des Moines, with the transmitter at the existing KNWM/96.1 (Madrid) tower southwest of Sheldahl. KTIA would use 5.3kW/95m with a city-grade coverage area nestled between Des Moines and Ames. The new facility would provide city-grade service (70 dbu) to just 2.7 percent of the Des Moines Urbanized Area, far below the 78.5 percent that caused problems for the previous application.

The move would more than triple the number of people in KTIA’s primary coverage area (60 dbu) to 351,890.  KTIA’s move would require KPUL-FM/99.5 (Winterset) to move to 101.7 which, in turn, would displace Iowa Public Radio translator K269EJ/101.7 (Des Moines). The translator already has a construction permit to move to 97.7.  KTIA would be the first station licensed to Huxley while three stations, two AM and one FM, would remain licensed to Boone. The station currently carries a Christian Talk format. (11/21/2012)


IOWA:
After just eight months with a Classic Country format, KWSL/1470 (Sioux City) has flipped to all-Comedy. RadioInsight and All Access report the change came Monday (10/29) as part of a national rollout of the 24/7 Comedy format by KWSL owner Clear Channel. KWSL was also part of Clear Channel’s rollout of spanish-language formats when it switched to Regional Mexican in 2005. That format lasted until 2009 when Oldies debuted, followed by Classic Country this past February. (10/29/2012)


ILLINOIS/IOWA:
The Trinity Christian Center of Santa Ana, parent of the Trinity Broadcasting Network, is buying new TV station WMWC/53.1 (Galesburg-Quad Cities) from Northwest Television for $1.125 million. WMWC signed on this summer carrying TBN. It broadcasts on channel 8, remapping to 53.1, from the Orion tower farm, providing coverage similar to other Quad Cities market stations. (10/23/2012)


IOWA:
Longtime KCRG-TV/9 (ABC, Cedar Rapids) Sports Director John Campbell has announced his retirement. Campbell, an Oskaloosa native, started at WBAY-TV/2 (Green Bay) in 1970 and moved to KCRG in 1979. His last newscast will be Dec. 14 but Campbell will continue part-time work at the station. Scott Saville, KCRG’s weekend sports anchor, will take over as sports director. (10/15/2012)


IOWA:
The FCC has denied an application to move an FM station into the Des Moines market. Truth Broadcasting had proposed moving KTIA-FM/99.3 (Boone) to the suburb of Johnston with a 6kW transmitter in Saylorville. The proposed facility would have provided a strong signal to 78.5 percent of the Des Moines Urbanized Area and the FCC said in January that the application appeared to be in conflict with rules intended to prevent moves from rural areas to urbanized areas. KTIA then responded that the move should be considered a move from one urbanized area to another because the station could theoretically be moved into the Ames Urbanized Area without changing its community of license. In its decision issued Thursday, the FCC said there is no “would or could” standard for potential moves and therefore dismissed the application. The FCC’s letter appeared to leave open the possibility that KTIA could first move to the Ames Urbanized Area, while remaining licensed to Boone, and then apply for the move into the Des Moines Urbanized Area. KTIA is owned by Truth Broadcasting and carries a Christian Talk format. (10/11/2012)


IOWA:
The Catholic format of KWKY/1150 (Des Moines) is now being simulcast on KIHS/88.5 (Adel) and translator K233BT/94.5 (Des Moines). KWKY owner St. Gabriel Communications bought KIHS and K233BT from Calvary Radio Network for $600,000 earlier this year. (10/11/2012)


IOWA/ILLINOIS:
David Burke of the Quad City Times reports that NBC affiliate KWQC/6.1 (Davenport) is expanding its reach in new deals with FOX 18 (KLJB Davenport) and Clear Channel’s radio group. KWQC will begin producing FOX 18’s 9 p.m. newscast on Dec. 31, replacing ABC affiliate WQAD/8.1 (Moline), which itself replaced the Independent News Network in producing the FOX newscast a few years ago. Meanwhile, KWQC has already begun supplying news and weather updates to Clear Channel’s six stations, while Clear Channel personalities will provide entertainment reports to KWQC. KWQC is adding three newsroom positions as part of the expansion. (10/3/2012)


IOWA:
A belated note that translator K298BM/107.5 (Cedar Rapids) is on the air relaying the programming of ESPN affiliate KGYM/1600, ID’ing as KZIA-HD4. KGYM is already relayed on KZIA-HD3 (102.9), which is rebroadcast on a translator in Iowa City. Having separate HD3 and HD4 feeds will allow the translators to air different games. KGYM/KZIA owner KZIA, Inc. bought the translator from Extreme Grace Media, which moved it in from Williamsburg. (9/24/2012)
IOWA:
Iowa State University, one of the parent organizations of Iowa Public Radio, is seeking a waiver of FCC rules to upgrade future station KNSX/97.1 (Moville) to provide a stronger signal to Sioux City. The current construction permit calls for 5.2kW/109m (class A) and the application is to upgrade to 11.8kW/149m (class C3) from a site 8.5km closer to Sioux City. ISU says the proposed facility is compliant with minimum distance separations, but needs a waiver to be approved since the FCC selected ISU for the original CP, in part, because more than ten percent of people in the new station’s coverage area have access to only one other non-commercial station. Though the proposed facility would still reach everyone reached under the current CP, the addition of more population to the west pushes the number of people who have access to only one other non-commercial station below ten percent. ISU says a waiver would be in the public interest. It also has a construction permit for new station KHGM/88.9 (Sioux City).
(9/14/2012)

IOWA:
Pardon still more coverage of Iowa Public Radio’s changes this week: IPR has changed the callsigns of seven News & Studio One (Adult Alternative) stations. KTPR/91.1 (Fort Dodge) is now KNSH, KWOI/90.1 (Carroll) is now KNSC, KOWI/97.9 (Lamoni) is now KNSL, KUNY/91.5 (Mason City) is now KNSM, KDUB/89.7 (Dubuque) is now KNSY, KDWI/89.1 (Ottumwa) is now KNSZ, and KWNJ/91.1 (Bettendorf) is now KNSB. The changes came as WOI-FM/90.1 (Ames-Des Moines) switched from News/Classical to News & Studio One, keeping its historic callsign. Meanwhile, WOI-FM’s HD2 signal is now carrying IPR’s Classical service (see below for earlier coverage). (9/11/2012, added more changes 9/12)


IOWA:
Updating the story from last week about Iowa Public Radio’s station switches in central Iowa (see below), the network has confirmed in a press release about the switch that future station KICG/91.7 (Perry) will carry IPR’s Classical network when it signs on. KICG will fill in a gap in Classical network coverage in the Ames and Boone areas after WOI-FM/90.1 (Ames) switched from News/Classical to News/Adult Alternative. There’s no indication when KICG will sign on; its construction permit was already due to have expired but the FCC has tolled the expiration.
(9/10/2012)

IOWA:
Iowa Public Radio plans to make changes to several Des Moines-area stations on Monday (Sept. 10), sending Classical music to weaker signals and upgrading IPR’s News & Studio One service, which carries News/Talk programming by day and Adult Alternative music in the evening and overnight. WOI-FM/90.1 (Ames-Des Moines) will begin carrying News & Studio One, dropping its decades-old News/Classical format, while KICJ/88.9 (Mitchellville) and translator K269EJ/101.7 (Des Moines) will carry IPR’s 24-hour Classical network. The Classical service is also heard on KICP/105.9 (Patterson-Des Moines) and KICL/96.3 (Pleasantville). The four combined signals do not reach all parts of WOI-FM’s 100kW coverage area, most notably Ames. IPR has a construction permit for new station KICG/91.7 (Perry), which could serve Ames, and its callsign suggests it may also carry the Classical service. However, it is not mentioned in IPR’s announcement. IPR’s third service, News, is carried full-time on WOI/640 (Ames) and simulcasts with the News & Studio One network from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. (9/7/2012)


NEW SPORTS RADIO NETWORKS:
CBS and NBC launched duelling sports radio networks on Tuesday, and NBC Sports Radio has more affiliates in the Upper Midwest at the outset. NBC Sports Radio’s initial offerings are be live programming from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. Central time and updates at the top and bottom of the hour around the clock. No Upper Midwest station is listed as carrying the entire NBC Sports Radio lineup, but stations that are carrying some of the updates include Minneapolis’ 100.3 “The Fan” (KFXN-FM) and Milwaukee’s 920 “The Wolf” (WOKY). Meanwhile, CBS Sports Radio isn’t due to begin long-form programming until January, but one-minute updates are being offered during the daytime for now. KBGG/1700 (Des Moines) is the only announced CBS Sports Radio affiliate in the Upper Midwest. CBS and NBC compete with ESPN, FOX, Yahoo!, and Sports Byline USA in the crowded sports radio field, not to mention sportscasts offered by news networks such as ABC and AP. (9/7/2012)


IOWA:
Community radio station KHOI/89.1 (Story City-Ames) has signed on. The new station uses 2.75kW/77m from a tower along I-35 south of Story City, providing a strong signal to Ames. The station’s website says its programming is largely automated for now but more local programming is planned for the future. Community radio experts from several other stations came to assist with the construction of KHOI. The new station’s sign-on forced Family Radio translator K206AW/89.1 (Ames) to leave the air; Family Radio says in an FCC filing that it’s looking for a new frequency.
(9/4/2012)


IOWA:
Powell Broadcastings’s KQNU/102.3 (Onawa-Sioux City) has dropped the “New” branding in favor of “Q102,” but the format continues largely unchanged as Hot Adult Contemporary. “New” launched three years ago after a brief Christmas stunt, which replaced “Jack FM.” (9/3/2012)


IOWA/MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
The Cool TV has disappeared from several Upper Midwest markets after Sinclair Broadcasting dropped the digital subchannel Friday (8/31). It had been carried on WUCW/23.2 (Minneapolis), WMSN/47.2 (Madison), KGAN/2.2 (Cedar Rapids), and KDSM/17.2 (Des Moines). With Sinclair’s move and a decision by Journal Broadcasting to drop The Cool TV last year, the network no longer has any affiliates in the Upper Midwest. Sinclair stations continue to carry The Country Network, which is not associated with The Cool TV. (9/1/2012)


IOWA:
17 years after the application was first filed, a new TV station has signed on on the Quad Cities TV market carrying the Trinity Broadcasting Network. WMWC (Galesburg, IL), owned by Northwest Television, broadcasts on channel 8 and remaps to 53.1, representing the channel the station was originally slated to occupy before the FCC discontinued channels 52-69. It broadcasts from the Orion tower farm south of the Quad Cities with 23kW/330m, providing coverage of the Quad Cities, Galesburg, Clinton, Burlington, and Muscatine. The president of Northwest Television is Bruce E. Fox of Sarasota, FL, who owns 44% of Prime Cities Broadcasting, the owner of the FOX affiliates in Bismarck, ND. TBN had previously been seen on K61HD (Davenport), which is off the air after being sold to Digital Networks-Midwest, LLC. (8/29/2012)


IOWA:
“The Jock” Sports format is back on KXLQ/1490 (Indianola-Des Moines). The lineup includes local morning and afternoon shows with Marty Tirrell, Yahoo! Sports Radio, and Yankees baseball.
(8/28/2012)


IOWA:
St. Gabriel Communications of Sioux City is buying the construction permit for a new non-commercial station in Storm Lake from South Central Oklahoma Broadcasting for $19,000. The CP for KOIA/88.1 calls for 1.4kW/142m but faces a Nov. 5 deadline to go on the air. St. Gabriel Communications, a Catholic broadcaster, also owns KFHC/88.1 (Ponca, NE-Sioux City). (8/23/2012)


IOWA:
New station KSOI/91.9 (Murray) has been heard on the air with a mix of musical genres. The new 19kW/148m (class C2) station serves south-central Iowa and is owned by Grand River Valley Radio. The Osceola Sentinel-Tribune reports that the group feels the area has been underserved since Iowa Public Radio bought KIIC/97.9 (Lamoni) and converted it to non-commercial KOWI. (8/5/2012)


IOWA:
KDMI/19 (Des Moines) recently signed on at its permanent home. The This TV/My Network TV station was originally on channel 56 but was forced to leave that channel in 2009 as part of the digital transition; its programming had temporarily been remapped to 19.1 from a subchannel on sister Pappas Telecasting station KCWI-TV/23 (Ames). KDMI uses 839kW/610 on channel 19, which was WHO-DT’s home before that station converted channel 13 from analog to digital in 2009. (7/24/2012)


IOWA:
Iowa Public Television is celebrating a ratings victory. The network says according to Nielsen Media Research and TRAC Media Services, IPTV flagship KDIN/11 (Des Moines) was the most-watched public TV station in the country during the February ratings period. The station ranked first among public TV stations nationwide in diary whole-week cumes. IPTV does not buy ratings data for other markets due to budget constraints. (7/10/2012)


IOWA:
KWLO/1330 (Waterloo) has dropped Oldies for ESPN Radio following the station’s sale to Woodward Communications. KWLO was already the flagship of the University of Northern Iowa Panther Sports Network. ESPN had previously been heard in the region on KQMG/1220 (Independence), which is now carrying Country. The market still has an Oldies outlet since Fife Communications’ KCFI/1250 (Cedar Falls) recently picked up the format, dropping a Latin mix. KCFI’s sister station, KCNZ/1650 (Cedar Falls), carries FOX Sports Radio, while KWLO sister KXEL/1540 (Waterloo) carries a News/Talk format. (7/5/2012)


IOWA:
Rigoberto Lopez Sanchez is buying out his partner in the company that owns KZAT/95.5 (Belle Plaine). Lopez will pay Manuel Villagrana Robles $175,000 for his 50 percent stake in Grupo Roble, LLC. The deal includes a non-compete clause for Villagrana which expires in 2019 or when Lopez finishes paying off his purchase, whichever comes first. Neither person has any other broadcast interests. (7/2/2012)


IOWA:
The group which operates KWKY/1150 (Des Moines) is buying a central Iowa non-commercial radio station and its Des Moines translator from a national broadcater. Norwalk-based St. Gabriel Communications will pay Calvary Radio Network $600,000 for KIHS/88.5 (Adel) and translator K233BT/94.5 (Des Moines). St. Gabriel Communications says in paperwork filed with the FCC that it intends to simulcast KWKY’s Catholic format on KIHS. (6/26/2012)


IOWA:
KBGG/1700 (Des Moines) is the only announced Upper Midwest affiliate of the CBS Sports Network, which is slated to start offering sports updates in September and go on the air full-time in January. CBS will carry the network on 22 of its owned-and-operated stations (none in Minneapolis are on the list) and Cumulus Media, which will distribute the network, will carry it on an additional 67 stations, including KBGG. The initial announcement did not list which Cumulus stations outside the top 100 markets would carry the network. CBS Sports Radio may be the sixth 24-hour Sports network. (6/22/2012)


IOWA:
KDNZ/1250 (Cedar Falls-Waterloo) has changed back to its heritage callsign, KCFI. The move follows the station’s recent format change to Oldies. (6/5/2012)











IOWA/NEBRASKA:
There’s a new attempt to bring a station on 107.7 into the Omaha market. Victor Michael’s KIMI/107.7 has applied to use 50kW/124m (class C2) from a tower a few miles south of Pacific Junction, which would deliver a rimshot signal to Omaha and Council Bluffs.The move comes a few years after Connoisseur Media’s failed attempts to build KGGG/107.7 (Pacific Junction, IA), which was blocked from going on the air by complaints about interference to navigation equipment at Eppley Airfield and Offutt Air Force Base. The FCC took the rare step of deleting the allotment and refunding Connoisseur the money it spent at auction for the frequency. In deleting the allotment, the FCC implied it would never be possible to put a station on 107.7 with a city-grade signal to Pacific Junction because of the FAA complaints. The proposed KIMI facility would deliver a city-grade signal to Pacific Junction, but it’s not clear whether the FCC was wrong in its implication or if something else has changed. KIMI does not reference KGGG’s previous troubles in its application. KIMI is currently licensed to Humboldt, NE, on 107.9 and has a construction permit to change its community of license to Sidney, IA, on 107.7 with 3.8kW/134m (class C3); the latest application would modify the Sidney CP. Filings indicate the station has never been on the air for more than a few days. (5/16/2012)


IOWA/MINNESOTA/NEBRASKA:
A company headed by George Cooney, the CEO of TV and film producer EUE/Screen Gems, is buying three dozen low-power TV stations from Trinity Broadcasting Network, including five in the Upper Midwest. Regal Media will pay TBN $1,275,000 for the stations, which include K17ET (Cedar Rapids), K58CM (Duluth), K25IA-D (Minneapolis), K56HW (Rochester), and K29GL (Lincoln). It was not immediately clear what Regal has planned for the stations, but the application to transfer the licenses indicated Regal had permission to continue carrying TBN programming. The Duluth and Rochester stations are currently off the air but both have construction permits to return on new channels. The deal includes a 500-foot tower in Duluth’s antenna farm, though a land lease agreement with the owner of KDLH/3.1 (Duluth) is being terminated. Last year, TBN donated dozens of other LPTV stations to the Minority Media Telecommunications Council, which sold most off to commercial broadcasters. (5/15/2012)


IOWA:
A new radio station in the Waterloo market is getting its third owner without ever having begun regular programming. Magnolia Radio Corp. is selling KCOO/103.9 (Dunkerton) to Matinee Media as part of a deal also including stations in California and Mississippi. The purchase price is relief of a $542,900 debt Magnolia owes to Matinee, which Magnolia assumed when it bought the stations from Ace Radio Corp. The FCC issued KCOO its license in March 2011 but it’s filed subsequent applications for special temporary authority to remain silent, citing a lack of a programming source. KCOO is licensed for 6kW/95m (class A) from a tower near Readlyn, with a rimshot signal to Waterloo and Cedar Falls. Matinee Media, based in Nevada, is controlled by Bernay Box and Bonanza Capital Ltd. as joint receivers. (5/14/2012)


IOWA/MINNESOTA/NEBRASKA/KANSAS:
LIN TV has announced a deal to buy all of New Vision Television’s stations for $330.4 million plus the assumption of debt. New Vision’s stations include CBS/My Network TV affiliate KIMT/3.1 (Mason City, IA-Rochester, MN) and NBC affiliate KSNK/8.1 (McCook, NE), which transmits from Kansas and relays KSNW/3.1 (Wichita). New Vision has a total of seventeen stations in eight markets. LIN currently has 32 stations in 15 markets, including the FOX and CW affiliates in Green Bay. (5/7/2012)


IOWA:

Fife Communications’ KDNZ/1250 (Cedar Falls-Waterloo) has switched to Oldies as “Cruisin’ 1250, The Real Oldies Channel” with CBS News and updates from FOX Sports. “Cruisin’ 1250” replaces “Radio Buena,” which launched six years ago. “Cruisin’ 1250” goes head-to-head with Woodward Communications’ “Oldies 1330” (KWLO Waterloo).
KDNZ was originally slated to go silent after KCNZ/1650 signed on. It was one of dozens of AM stations the FCC selected to move to the expanded band (1620-1700) in the 1990’s with the plan of taking the old frequencies silent to reduce interference. Due to concerns about reaching listeners with older radios, the FCC initially said the old frequencies could remain on the air for up to five years. However, the FCC has allowed KDNZ and some other stations, including KOIL/1180 (Bellevue-Omaha) and WLMV/1480 (Madison), to remain on the air. It was initially thought that the old frequencies would have to serve minority audiences to stay active, but KDNZ and KOIL are now targetting general audiences. Licensees returned other old frequencies in cities including Iowa City, Des Moines, Sussex-Milwaukee, and West Fargo. (4/23/2012)


IOWA:


L4 Media Group, the owner of WBXF-CA/4 (Des Moines), has made a number of filings with the FCC in the wake of commission concerns about the company’s stations. Last month, the FCC asked why L4 Media Group’s thirten low-power TV stations should keep their class A statuses and questioned whether they were even on the air. In a new filing for WBXF-CA, the company says the station has been off the air since April 24, 2011, for financial reasons but that it inadvertendly failed to ask for special temporary authority to remain silent. It said it will return the station to the air by April 24 to avoid license cancellation for being silent more than a year. However, there’s no requirement that the station remain on the air for any significant amount of time. (4/19/2012)


IOWA:

“Mix 93.5” (KCVM Hudson-Cedar Falls-Waterloo), which moved from 96.1 in 2010, has now applied to move its transmitter to the northeast and upgrade. KCVM would change its community of license to Evansdale and increase from its present 6kW/99m to 24.5kW/81m from a tower near Dunkerton, upgrading from class A to C3. The move would add Waverly, Oelwein, and Independence to KCVM’s main coverage area. Though Hudson has no other broadcast licenses and the FCC generally disapproves of changes that leave a community without a license, KCVM says the move should be allowed because both Hudson and Evansdale are within the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Urbanized Area. KCVM is owned by Fife Communications. (4/18/2012)


IOWA/MINNESOTA:
Two Upper Midwest stations are among the ten winners of Crystal Awards from the National Association of Broadcasters this year: Hubbard Broadcasting’s “My Talk 107.1” (KTMY Coon Rapids-St. Paul-Minneapolis) and Fife Communications’ “Mix 93.5” (KCVM Hudson-Cedar Falls-Waterloo). The awards recognize stations for their outstanding year-round commitment to community service. Two Hubbard stations in Cincinnati also won Crystal Awards. The complete list is here. (4/18/2012)


IOWA:
Longtime WOI-DT/5 (Ames-Des Moines) sports director John Walters is leaving the station in June for a job with Iowa State University. He’s been with ABC5 since 1996 and will oversee ISU’s new cyclones.tv website. Walters was among the ABC5 personalities who received national exposure during a series of segments on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” earlier this year. Dave Zawilinski, who’s been with ABC5 for ten years, will take over as sports director. (4/17/2012)


IOWA/NEBRASKA:
Pappas Telecasting and DirecTV have patched up their retransmission consent dispute. Pappas stations returned to DirecTV last Friday afternoon (April 13). KCWI-CW (Ames-Des Moines), KFXL-FOX (Lincoln), KHGI-ABC (Kearney), and KAZO-LP-Azteca (Omaha) were off the satellite provider for about two weeks. (4/17/2012)


IOWA:
Clear Channel’s KWMG/95.7 (Anamosa-Cedar Rapids), the FM simulcast partner of News/Talker WMT/600, has applied to move to the WMT tower north of Marion. KWMG currently uses 6kW/100m from a tower near Stone City and has applied to use 18kW/118m directional from the WMT tower, upgrading from class A to C3 and greatly increasing its signal to Cedar Rapids. The directional antenna would limit KWMG’s signal to the southwest to prevent interference to KZAT/95.5 (Belle Plaine). Also, a vacant allotment for a future non-commercial station on 95.5 in Asbury would move to 98.7. The new proposal replaces an earlier application that would have moved KWMG to a tower five miles closer to Cedar Rapids than the present site but remain class A. The new application apparently could not be filed until the FCC formally dismissed an application from KQMG-FM/95.3 (Independence) to move to 95.1, licensed to Solon. (4/10/2012)


IOWA/WISCONSIN:
The FCC has denied a petition for reconsideration of its earlier dismissal of an application to move KQMG-FM/95.3 (Independence) into the Cedar Rapids market. It has now also thrown out a series of allotment changes proposed as part of the application. KQMG-FM had applied to change its community of license to Solon and move to 95.1, but the FCC said owner KM Communications didn’t provide required environmental paperwork. KM had also proposed a series of allotment changes, with KMAQ-FM/95.1 (Maquoketa) to have moved to 95.3, a vacant allotment at Asbury moved from 95.5 to 98.7, and a new allotment for 95.5 added at Mineral Point, Wis., but the FCC dismissed the proposals as moot since they were tied to the unsuccessful KQMG-FM application.(4/3/2012)


RADIO NEWS REALIGNMENT:
At least 17 Upper Midwest radio stations switched to NBC News Radio over the weekend as CNN exited the radio business and NBC relaunched its network. New NBC affiliates include KTNF/950 (St. Louis Park-Minneapolis), KNSI/1450 (St. Cloud), and KOIL/1180 (Bellevue-Omaha). Meanwhile, at least two former CNN affiliates switched to CBS, two went to FOX, one went to ABC, one went to IRN-USA, and one went to SRN. (4/2/2012)


IOWA:
CW affiliate KCWI-TV/23 (Ames-Des Moines) has announced a new morning show hosted by longtime radio team Lou and Heather. The duo worked at KGGO/94.9 for years. “Great Day with Lou & Heather” will air from 6 to 9 a.m. starting April 16 and include existing KCWI host Caryn Lee along with meteorologist Jason Parkin. KCWI, owned by Pappas Telecasting, does not have a news department, but the station’s announcement did promise some news along with weather, sports, traffic, guests, animals, comedians, and music. (3/27/2012)


IOWA:
Truth Broadcasting has filed a response to the FCC’s concerns over its plan to move KTIA-FM/99.3 (Boone) into the Des Moines market. KTIA-FM would move to 99.1, transmit from Saylorville with 6kW/88m, and change its community of license to Johnston. The proposed facility would provide a strong signal to 78.5 percent of the Des Moines Urbanized Area, and the FCC said that made the proposal in conflict with new rules intended to preserve rural radio service. Truth Broadcasting’s amended application presents new evidence that KTIA-FM could, theoretically, move its transmitter site to the east to serve more than half of the Ames Urbanized Area while keeping Boone as its community of license. Therefore, Truth Broadcasting states that the move should not be considered a move from a rural area to an urbanized area, but rather a move from one urbanized area to another which would be allowed under FCC rules. Meanwhile, Truth Broadcasting proposes that KFMG-LP/99.1 (Des Moines), which has complained about being bumped off the air, be moved to 103.7. (3/27/2012)


IOWA:
The FCC has dismissed Iowa Public Television’s application for a new translator on channel 18 in Dubuque. The commission said the application was not allowed under a ban, in place since 2009, on new translator/low-power TV stations within 121 km of the top 100 markets. Cedar Rapids, Davenport, and Madison are all within 121 km of the proposed translator’s transmitter site. The Iowa Public Broadcasting Board had said the Dubuque translator was needed to serve households that could no longer receive KRIN/32.1 (Waterloo) after the digital transition. In 2010, the FCC granted a Dubuque translator for NBC affiliate KWWL/7 (Waterloo), but that translator will operate on the same channel as KWWL with synchronous transmission. (3/20/2012)


IOWA:
A new application seeks to move a translator into Cedar Rapids to relay “1600 ESPN” (KGYM). KGYM owner KZIA, Inc. recently bought K245AE/96.9 from Extreme Grace Media for $11,000. The translator is currently licensed for a transmitter site between Walford and East Amana but has applied to move to the KZIA building in southwest Cedar Rapids with 250 Watts. The application lists KGYM as the station to be rebroadcast. KGYM is also heard on a translator in Iowa City via the HD3 simulcast on KZIA/102.9. (3/14/2012)


IOWA:
The FCC is asking L4 Media Group, LLC to show why its thirteen low-power TV stations, including WBXF-CA/4 (Des Moines), should keep their Class A statuses. Class A status gives LPTV stations protection from being bumped off the air by full-power stations and, possibly, the right to sell spectrum in a potential future auction. This inquiry is the latest in a series as the commission makes sure Class A stations are compliant ahead of the possible auction. The FCC says L4 Media’s stations have apparently failed to maintain main studios, broadcast a minimum of three hours per week of local programming, and file children’s programming reports, and says they may not even be on the air. The FCC gave L4 Media until April 16 to respond. WBXF-CA at one time carried the now-defunt “Box” video request channel and later switched to MTV2. (3/12/2012)


IOWA:
As first reported by DX-midAMerica, KSOU/1090 (Sioux Center) has flipped from Contemporary Christian to Oldies as “Classic KSOU.” With the new format, the station added a webcast at classicksou.com. KSOU is a 500-Watt daytimer with fringe coverage of Sioux Falls and Sioux City. Community First Broadcasting owns KSOU along with Adult Contemporary KSOU-FM/93.9 and “Hawk Country 107” (KIHK/106.9 Rock Rapids). (3/12/2012)


IOWA:
 Iowa State University, part of Iowa Public Radio, has applied for changes to the construction permit for KICG/91.7 (Perry) that would improve the future station’s signal to Ames. KICG’s current permit calls for 23.5kW/111m from just north of Perry, and it’s applied for 10kW/110m from a tower near Boone. The move would add part of Ames to KICG’s main coverage area. KICG’s new callsign and proposed coverage area fit with KICP/105.9 (Patterson-Des Moines) and KICL/96.3 (Pleasantville), which carry IPR’s 24-hour Classical service. Classical programming is also heard part of the day on core 100kW station WOI-FM/90.1 (Ames-Des Moines), but IPR has stated it would consider increasing the amount of News/Talk and Adult Alternative programming on WOI-FM since its purchase of KICP/KICL. IPR’s KDMR/88.9 (Mitchellville), which carries News/Talk and Adult Alternative programming for an area northeast of Des Moines, recently changed its callsign to KICJ. (3/7/2012)


IOWA:
 Three Eagles Communications has dropped one format and moved another in Fort Dodge. Classic Rock format “The Eagle” moved from KTLB/105.9 (Twin Lakes-Fort Dodge) to the stronger signal of KZLB/92.1 (Fort Dodge), while KTLB reverted to its previous Oldies format as “The Beach.” The formats stream through yourfortdodge.com. The changes mean the end to the Active Rock “Blaze” format at KZLB; Three Eagles also dropped the format recently in Mason City and Mankato, Minn. Three Eagles owns all seven commercial radio stations in Fort Dodge. (3/4/2012)


NATIONAL:
The sound of top-of-the-hour radio news is one month away from big changes. NBC Radio News is making a comeback in a new partnership with radio programming distributor Dial Global, but the
press release is only half the story. All Access and other outlets report Dial Global is also ending its distribution of CNN Radio with the April 1 re-launch of NBC, and CNN will end its radio network. CNN Radio has been around for decades and has dozens of affiliates in the Upper Midwest, many of which will presumably switch to NBC since both networks come down using the same equipment. In fact, many current CNN affiliates carried NBC until Dial Global’s predecessor ended five-minute NBC newscasts in the late 1990’s. NBC, of course, was the first major radio network but has had virtually no radio presence for the past decade. ABC and CBS never left radio news, and FOX News launched a radio network six years ago. (3/1/2012)


IOWA:
Clear Channel’s KWSL/1470 (Sioux City) has dropped Oldies for Classic Country as “The Whistle.” The switch, first reported by
Radio/DX Information from Wisconsin, happened on Feb. 20 and the format streams at 1470kwsl.com. It’s Clear Channel’s only Country format in the market; Powell Broadcasting operates two Country-formatted FM stations. The Oldies format had launched in 2009, replacing Regional Mexican. The switch again leaves Sioux City without any station in the Oldies/Classic Hits genre. (2/28/2012)

IOWA/ILLINOIS:
 The Quad City Times reports that Clear Channel’s KUUL/101.3 (East Moline) flipped from its longtime Oldies/Classic Hits format to Contemporary Hits as “Kiss FM” at 5 a.m. Monday, Feb. 20. The switch came the same morning longtime “Kool 101.3” morning team Mark Manuel and Steve Ketelaar moved to sister News/Talker WOC/1420. The format change puts Clear Channel in competition with Cumulus Media’s “B100” (KBEA/99.7 Muscatine); Clear Channel had previously operated heritage Top 40 outlet WHTS/98.9 (Rock Island) until the station’s sale to the Educational Media Foundation in 2006. The “Kool” format originally launched on what’s now WLLR-FM/103.7 (Davenport) in 1989 and the two stations swapped formats in 1998. (2/20/2012)

IOWA/MICHIGAN/MINNESOTA/NORTH DAKOTA/WISCONSIN:
Several more Upper Midwest TV markets could get HD locals from DirecTV this year. A list on the provider’s website says Duluth, Fargo-Grand Forks, and Rochester-Austin-Mason City are slated to get HD locals this year. DISH Network already offers HD locals in all three markets. (2/16/2012)

IOWA:
 The FCC has
proposed a $10,000 fine against KM Radio of Independence for several alleged violations at KQMG/1220 and KQMG-FM/95.3 (Independence). The investigation began when someone reported a tower light outage in January 2011. According to the FCC, an agent contacted the FAA and found they had not been notified, and an Independence police officer observed the tower for several nights and confirmed that only one light was functioning. Agents then visited the stations, and the FCC says they found that the stations failed to maintain operational Emergency Alert System equipment, tower lighting, and public inspection files, and that KQMG-FM was operating at higher-than-licensed power. Company officials told the FCC they were unaware of the issues until they received a letter from the commission. The FCC says the proposed fine might have been higher but was reduced due to KM’s limited financial resources. KM has thirty days to pay the fine or seek a reduction or cancellation. Earlier this year, the FCC dismissed an application to move KQMG-FM into the Cedar Rapids market, saying it hadn’t submitted required environmental paperwork. (2/7/2012)

IOWA/WISCONSIN:
Iowa Public Television has now turned off translator K38LE-D (Lansing) and is seeking
special temporary authority to move it to channel 39 immediately. As reported here last week, K38LE applied to permanently move to 39 after receiving interference complaints from WEAU-TV/13.1 (Eau Claire), which recently moved to digital channel 38. K38LE’s transmitter is located near the Mississippi River and its signal was shooting up the river valley towards La Crosse, interfering with WEAU. The Lansing translator uses 15kW and relays KYIN/24.1 (Mason City). (2/7/2012)

IOWA:
KZIA, Inc. is buying a second FM translator: It’ll
pay Extreme Grace Media $11,000 for K245AE/96.9. Though K245AE will be licensed to Cedar Rapids (after a community of license change from Williamsburg, still pending FCC finalization), its transmitter is actually between Walford and East Amana and has only a deep fringe signal to Cedar Rapids. Documents list KZIA/102.9 (Cedar Rapids) as the station to be rebroadcast on K245AE; it could possibly carry the HD subchannel relaying sister station “1600 ESPN” (KGYM Cedar Rapids), which is the case with KZIA’s other translator in Iowa City. Extreme Grace Media is the former owner of KXGM-FM/89.1 (Hiawatha-Cedar Rapids) and will have no remaining stations once this deal closes. (2/7/2012)

IOWA:
The owner of the AM-FM combos in Knoxville and Washington is buying a group of three stations west of Des Moines. M&M Broadcasting
will pay Coon Valley Communications $500,000 for KDLS/1310 (Perry), KGRA/98.9 (Jefferson), and KKRF/107.9 (Stuart). The buyer will take over operation of the stations through a local marketing agreement. M&M is a subsidiary of M and H Broadcasting, owned by Mel and Holly Suhr of Knoxville. Coon Valley Communications is owned by Patrick Delaney of Perry. (2/6/2012)

IOWA (UPDATED):
Three Eagles Communications flipped the formats of two stations in Mason City over the weekend. KYTC/102.7 (Northwood-Mason City) switched from Active Rock “The Blaze” to “Super Hits” from the `60s to `80s while KRIB/1490 (Mason City) switched from Oldies to Nostalgia from the Music of Your Life network. The switches mark a return to formats heard on both stations up until the mid-2000’s. The
Mason City Globe Gazette reports the changes occurred at Midnight Friday/Saturday with financial reasons cited for the decision. KYTC’s the old format continues to stream at theblazefm.com. The switch sparked some online backlash, with a Facebook group protesting the change. Local radio choices are limited in Mason City, which has four other commercial FM’s: an Adult Contemporary format run by Three Eagles, a Classic Rock format by Coloff Media, and Country formats by both companies. (2/6/2012)

IOWA:
The
Quad City Times reports that Clear Channel plans to simulcast a morning show on its News/Talk stations in the Davenport and Cedar Rapids markets beginning later this month. The morning team of Mark Manuel and Steve Ketelaar will move from Classic Hits KUUL/101.3 (East Moline, IL) to WOC/1420 (Davenport) on Feb. 20, with a simulcast on WMT/600 (Cedar Rapids) beginning a week later. The paper reports WOC’s current morning host will stay on to read headlines, with a similar situation in Cedar Rapids. WMT recently launched a simulcast on KWMG/95.7 (Anamosa-Cedar Rapids), but it’s not immediately clear whether the AM and FM stations will both carry the Davenport-based show; the stations carry separate programming later in the morning. (2/1/2012)


WISCONSIN/IOWA:
An Iowa Public Television translator is causing some problems for NBC affiliate WEAU-TV/13.1 (Eau Claire, WI) now that it’s moved to digital channel 38. The channel change was part of a reconstruction of WEAU’s tower. IPT has a translator on channel 38 in northeastern Iowa (K38LE-D Lansing) and tells the FCC it’s received complaints from WEAU about interference within WEAU’s protected contour. Indeed, a topographical map posted at TVFool.com shows K38LE’s signal shooting straight up the Mississippi River valley towards La Crosse, the largest city in WEAU’s market. The IPT translator has applied to move to channel 39, where it would continue to use 15kW and relay KYIN/24.1 (Mason City). (1/30/2012)

IOWA:
KJAS-LP (Ames) has made its anticipated move from 94.1 to 101.7. The low-power Christian station, which uses 94 Watts, told the FCC it wanted the move because of interference from low-power FM stations on 94.1 in Des Moines. (1/30/2012)

IOWA:
The FCC has now listed in their database for Cedar Rapids, Iowa 96.5 Kiss Country, KKSY instead of WMT-FM. Which leaves open the possibility that Clear Channel will apply the now vacated WMT-FM callsign to 95.7 Anamosa, Iowa, now listed as KWMG. (01/29/2012)

IOWA:
250-Watt translator K266AN/101.1 (Atlantic) is now on the air relaying KJAN/1220 (Atlantic), which carries an information-intensive Adult Contemporary format. KJAN owner Wireless Communications bought the translator and moved it in from Audubon. The station’s former FM counterpart (103.7) moved into the Omaha market decades ago. (1/27/2012)

IOWA:
It appears the FCC will dismiss an application from KTIA-FM/99.3 (Boone) to essentially move into the Des Moines market unless the station can provide additional evidence to make the commission change its mind. KTIA-FM, owned by Truth Broadcasting, proposes moving its transmitter to Saylorville with 6kW/88m and changing its community of license to Johnston, providing a strong signal to 78.5 percent of the Des Moines Urbanized Area. In a
recent letter, the FCC says KTIA-FM’s application is in conflict with rules intended to preserve rural radio service. It found fault with KTIA’s assertion that Johnston is independent from the Des Moines Urbanized Area but gave the station thirty days to come up with new evidence. (1/26/2012)

NATIONAL/IOWA/MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
The FCC has dismissed an unusual proposal to split the licenses of ION Media stations in two. The ION stations include KPXM/41.1 (St. Cloud-Minneapolis), WPXE/55.1 (Kenosha-Milwaukee), KFPX/39.1 (Newton-Des Moines), and KPXR/48.1 (Cedar Rapids). ION and Urban Television LLC had proposed converting 41 ION stations into shared-time licenses, with Urban Television getting a subchannel on the ION stations. The move would have essentially required cable and satellite providers to carry two channels for each station instead of one. In a brief letter explaining its decision, the FCC said shared-time arrangements can apply only to stations that split up the broadcast day, with only one station broadcasting at a time, not stations that share the same digital spectrum. (1/24/2012)

IOWA:
Clear Channel’s KKSY/95.7 (Anamosa-Cedar Rapids) has changed its callsign to KWMG following its flip to a simulcast of WMT/600. The station had been
ID’ing as WMT-FM at the top of the hour in the days following the flip, but FCC records indicate that WMT-FM was never 95.7’s official callsign. 96.5, which adopted KKSY’s former “Kiss Country” format, is still WMT-FM despite putting the KKSY callsign on the air earlier this month. (1/24/2012)

Omaha, NEBRASKA:
Clear Channel’s KTWI/93.3 (Bennington-Omaha) has changed its callsign to KFFF following its flip to Classic Country as “The Wolf” earlier this month. Meanwhile, the station’s former “Twister” New Country format is now being heard on the HD2 channel of KXKT/103.7 (Glenwood-Omaha). (1/24/2012)

IOWA:

In a followup to a story posted earlier, the FCC has approved a frequency change for a Cedar Rapids-area translator that specified KZIA/102.9 as the station to be rebroadcast. K246BE/97.1 (Williamsburg) will move to 96.9 as K245AE and change its community of license. It’ll upgrade to 165 Watts but keep its current transmitter location between East Amana and Walford, with its main coverage area not reaching Cedar Rapids. (1/16/2012)

IOWA/ILLINOIS/WISCONSIN/MINNESOTA:

Classic TV network Me-TV is adding several more Upper Midwest affiiates: KGCW (Burlington-Quad Cities), WLAX (La Crosse), and WEUX (Chippewa Falls-Eau Claire). [La Crosse and Eau Claire are one market but have separate sets of transmitters.] Me-TV’s website indicates KGCW will begin carrying the network on Jan. 16 or later. It’s already on WLAX/25.2, replacing a simulcast of NBC affiliate WEAU which had been carried while its tower was reconstructed. KGCW also carries CW and ThisTV, while WLAX/WEUX is a FOX affiliate. Me-TV, based in Chicago, launched nationally a year ago and already has carriage in 14 of 24 Upper Midwest markets. (1/11/2012)

IOWA:
Clear Channel’s KKSY/95.7 (Anamosa-Cedar Rapids) is now simulcasting the News/Talk format of WMT/600, with the exception of Glenn Beck airing from 9 a.m. to Noon on the FM side. The switch took place early Monday, Jan. 2. KKSY’s previous “Kiss Country” format got an upgrade with a move to WMT-FM/96.5 on Dec. 26, and 95.7 and 96.5 had simulcast since then. 95.7 is ID’ing as WMT-FM but the FCC database does not yet reflect the change. 95.7 is a rimshot signal, using 6kW from a site near Springville and has applied to move five miles closer to Cedar Rapids. It first signed on in 2008. WMT/600’s 5kW signal has coverage of most of Iowa and parts of surrounding states. (1/2/2012)


Omaha, NEBRASKA:

Clear Channel’s KTWI/93.3 (Bennington-Omaha) has reverted to Classic Country as “The Wolf.” The station had been stunting with a Country-heavy Christmas mix for several weeks and ended the stunt at Midnight the morning of Jan 2. 93.3 is Clear Channel’s flanker for its larger Omaha-market Country format, 103.7 “The Kat” (KXKT Glenwood, IA-Omaha), and first went Country in 2004. It was originally Classic Country as “US93-3” and then switched to new Country as “Twister 93-3” in 2008. (1/2/2012)