NEWS


Omaha/Council Bluffs:
New low-power FM station KXNB-LP/101.3 (Omaha) has signed on as "Mind and Soul 101.3," serving the African-American community with talk, news, and a playlist including Classic Hip-Hop, R&B, Funk, and Jazz. The 11-Watt station is owned by the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation and will share time and transmitter facilities with KJSO-LP, owned by the North Omaha Loves Jazz Cultural Arts and Humanities Complex. (12/18/2016)
Ottumwa:
Translator K274CV/102.7 (Ottumwa) is on the air relaying the News/Talk format of KBIZ/1240. The format includes more than five hours of daily local programming, Clark Howard, Dave Ramsey, and political talk at night. The translator was moved down from Eagle Grove under the FCC's AM revitalization window. KBIZ is part of the six-station O-Town Communications group, doing business as Ottumwa Radio. (12/18/2016)
Coggon/Cedar Rapids:
The permittee of a new non-commercial FM station in eastern Iowa is seeking a waiver to add Cedar Rapids to its main coverage area. The current construction permit for Plus Charities' KMMK/88.7 (Coggon) calls for a 5kW/95m (class A) facility serving an area north of Cedar Rapids. KMMK is now seeking a "Raleigh waiver" to upgrade to 25kW/94m (class C3), adding most of Cedar Rapids to its 60 dbu contour. The upgrade would increase the population of KMMK's 60 dbu contour by 750 percent to 194,927 people. The waiver would be needed because KMMK is too close to KCCK-FM/88.3 (Cedar Rapids) and KXGM-FM/89.1 (Hiawatha-Cedar Rapids) to upgrade under normal circumstances. A "Raleigh waiver" allows such an upgrade for non-commercial FM stations when the actual interference to other non-commercial stations would be minimal. KMMK is not yet on the air and has a March 2018 construction deadline. (12/11/2016)
Omaha/Council Bluffs
The FCC's Audio Division has rescinded its earlier grant of a new FM signal in Omaha. The new 99-Watt translator on 95.3 was to have relayed Scripps' KXSP/590. It was being moved from Schuyler, where it is currently licensed as K276FB, under the AM revitalization window. The translator originally applied to move to 96.5 on Omaha but changed its proposed frequency to 95.3 after an informal objection from the owner of KSOM/96.5 (Audubon, IA). After the construction permit was issued for 95.3, Hawkeye Communications --- owner of KCSI/95.3 (Villisca-Red Oak) -- filed a petition for reconsideration, presenting evidence that it had existing listeners within the translator's planned coverage area. The FCC granted KCSI's petition for reconsideration and rescinded the grant of the 95.3 translator in a letter last week. Flood Communications, the owner of the translator, had already received FCC approval to sell it to Scripps, but it's not clear if that deal will be consummated now that the translator can't make a one-step move to Omaha. The AM revitalization filing window is closed. (12/4/2016)

Many more new FM translator signals have signed on in the Upper Midwest, most of which were moved to their current location under the FCC's AM revitalization window. Some may have been on the air for a few months already (Iowa Locations Only):

Burlington, IA: K257GC/99.3, 250W, News/Talk from KBUR/1490.

Sioux Center, IA: K268CZ/101.5, 250W, Oldies from KSOU/1090. (12/4/2016)


Mason City/Clear Lake

KRIB/1490 & 96.7 have begun KRIB's "Old Fashioned Christmas" as expected Thanksgiving Morning. Christmas music can be heard locally on 1490 & 96.7 amd streaming online @kribam.com. (11/24/2016)


Oelwein/Waterloo/Cedar Falls/Grundy Center:
After years of legal wrangling, the FCC says Townsquare Media can become the licensee of 3 FM stations in the Waterloo market. KKHQ-FM/92.3 (Oelwein-Waterloo), KCRR/97.7 (Grundy Center-Waterloo), and KOEL-FM/98.5 (Cedar Falls-Waterloo) were placed into the Cedar Rapids Divestiture Trust when Townsquare bought the former Cumulus groups in the Waterloo and Cedar Rapids markets a few years ago. That's because the stations had been moved, on paper, to the Cedar Rapids market in 2012. Nielsen Audio later reassigned the stations to the Waterloo market, but the FCC said last year that the stations couldn't be sold back to Townsquare until May 2016 due to a rule that requires a two-year waiting period when market boundaries are changed. The applications to transfer the licenses were reinstated earlier this year, and approved last week. (11/20/2016)

Mason City/Clear Lake

Another new FM signal is on the air in the Mason City Area as K244FA/96.7, relaying Soft Oldies from KRIB/1490. KRIB/1490 & 96.7 are set to begin KRIB'S "Old Fashioned Christmas" on Thanksgiving Day, November 24.
(11/17 & updated 11/19/2016)
 


Cedar Rapids/Quad Cities:
iHeartMedia's "Classic Country 1360" (KMJM Cedar Rapids) is apparently the first station in the Upper Midwest to go all-Christmas this year, at least partially. Since at least Tuesday (11/1), the station has been playing nothing but Christmas music except for three hours in morning drive. KMJM last went all-Christmas in 2013. Across town, Townsquare Media's KDAT/104.5 has gone all-Christmas every year since at least 2002 and has flipped on the Friday or Monday before Christmas every year since 2009.

Elsewhere in Iowa, iHeartMedia's "Mix 96" (KMXG/96.1 Clinton-Quad Cities) says on Facebook that it will be flipping to Christmas before Thanksgiving, and iHeartMedia's "KG95" (KGLI/95.5 Sioux City) has a Facebook post suggesting its flip will happen on Nov. 18. (11/2/2016)


Decorah:
The FCC has declined two commercial broadcasters' request to rescind the construction permit for new low-power FM station KCOD-LP/104.1 (Decorah) but has directed its Media Bureau to conduct "further investigative and enforcement proceedings" against the permittee, Community Radio of Decorah, Postville and Northeast Iowa. In a memorandum opinion and order, the Commission said it was concerned about the issues raised. The point of contention is that Community Radio's James Glesne was still listed as a member of the board of directors of the Postville Chamber of Commerce, the licensee of KPVL/89.1 (Postville), when the application for the Decorah LPFM station was filed, but Community Radio's application indicated that Glesne had no other broadcast interests. Glesne later indicated that he had resigned from the Chamber's board. The FCC now says that while it sees no reason to revoke the permit, the Media Bureau's admonishment of Community Radio for its handling of the situation was inadequate and that the Bureau should begin a "further letter of inquiry, designed to determine the appropriate enforcement proceedings." The FCC also directed the Media Bureau to end its unofficial practice of allowing construction permit deadlines for LPFM stations to be extended even when the original deadline has passed. (11/2/2016)


Fort Dodge(UPDATED):
Educational Media Foundation's KLFG/89.5 (Fort Dodge) has received a construction permit for an upgrade to cover more of north-central Iowa. Currently using 17kW/111m (class C3), the station will move to the KTIN-TV tower near Bradgate and transmit with 30kW/287m (class C1). KLFG carries EMF's "K-Love" Contemporary Christian network. (9/20/2016, updated with approval 10/23)
Omaha/Council Bluffs:
Scripps Broadcasting has received a construction permit to move an FM translator from Schuyler to Omaha under the AM revitalization filing window to relay KXSP/590. The application was originally filed for 96.5, but changed to 95.3 after an informal objection from KSOM/96.5 (Audubon, IA). The new signal on 95.3 will transmit with 99 Watts from the Crown Point antenna farm but will use a directional antenna limiting the signal towards the southeast to protect KCSI/95.3 (Hawkeye, IA), leaving parts of Omaha and Council Bluffs outside of the translator's main coverage area. Two other AM-on-FM translators have already signed on this year in Omaha, and a third has been granted. One of them, K281CJ/104.1 relaying KOMJ/1490, recently upgraded from 99 to 250 Watts. (10/16/2016)
Pleasantville/Des Moines:
Iowa Public Radio's KICL/96.3 (Pleasantville), which has been operating at reduced power since earlier this year, has applied to move its transmitter farther to the east. The Classical station currently transmits from a tower just southeast of Pleasantville and is licensed for 6kW/78m (class A) but has been operating at about half-power since last spring due to an antenna problem, according to requests for special temporary authority. KICL has now applied to move to a tower in Knoxville, where it would use 6kW/96m, improving reception in Pella. Areas southeast of Des Moines where KICL's signal would be weaker are also served by Classical IPR station KICP/105.9 (Patterson). (10/8/2016)
Quad Cities:
The parent company of the USA Radio Network is buying a future FM translator in the Quad Cities. Arizona-based Liftable Media will pay Edgewater Broadcasting $35,000 for K296GZ/107.1, which will be licensed to Muscatine but has a construction permit to transmit from Bettendorf with 250 Watts. The application to transfer the license states that K296GZ will relay iHeartMedia's WLLR-FM/103.7 (Davenport), though such statements are not buying. (10/5/2016)
Omaha/Council Bluffs:
Salem Media has signed on K293CJ/106.5 (Omaha), relaying Christian Talk KCRO/660 (Omaha). KCRO had previously been rebroadcast on K233CO/94.5, which switched to a relay of Salem's KOTK/1420 when KOTK debuted a Conservative Talk format earlier this year. K293CJ uses 60 Watts and was moved in from Kansas under the AM revitalization filing window. (10/2/2016)
Des Moines:
In a first for regional applications among the AM revitalization filing windows this year, the FCC has denied iHeartMedia's request to move an FM translator to Des Moines to relay KXNO/1460. It's the culmination of a series of filings this year: First, the translator construction permit was moved from Portland, Iowa, to Iowa City, Iowa, where it became K221GH/92.1 with plans of relaying KXIC/800. The permit had been due to expire on Feb. 18 but the FCC granted a six-month extension due to the AM revitalization effort. Shortly before the August deadline, iHeart asked for another extension, saying it had learned the Iowa City tower was too weak to immediately support the translator's antenna. It then applied to move the permit to Des Moines on 96.9 to relay KXNO. However, the FCC deleted K221GH's callsign on Aug. 18 and denied the application to move to Des Moines on Sept. 26. (It's among a half-dozen iHeart applications nationwide denied simultaneously.) iHeartMedia has already found another possible use for 96.9 in Des Moines, applying to move its K243CA/96.5 (Millman-Des Moines) to 96.9. The change would allow the Country-formatted translator (originating on KDRB-HD2) to upgrade from 102 to 250 Watts. (9/27/2016)

NEW FM TRANSLATORS:

Catching up on developments in the world of FM translators, the following construction permits were granted last week under the current filing window for long-distance moves:

Des Moines, IA: KRNT/1350, 102.1, 99W

The following translators are now on the air:

Waverly, IA: KWAY/1470, 96.3, 250W

See the 2016 AM Revitalization Translators, Round 1 and Round 2 pages for a full rundown of all of the translator filings under the windows for 250-mile moves this year. (9/25/2016)


Fort Dodge:
Educational Media Foundation's KLFG/89.5 (Fort Dodge) has applied for an upgrade to cover more of north-central Iowa. Currently using 17kW/111m (class C3), the station would move to the KTIN-TV tower near Bradgate and transmit with 30kW/287m (class C1). KLFG carries EMF's "K-Love" Contemporary Christian network. (9/20/2016)
Omaha/Council Bluffs:

Gray's WOWT (Omaha) has added Cozi TV on channel 6.2, replacing AccuWeather and news repeats. WOWT carries NBC on 6.1 and Antenna TV on 6.3. (9/12/2016)

Cedar Rapids/Waterloo/Iowa City:
 Quincy NBC affiliate KWWL (Waterloo) will add the CW on 7.2. The channel will apparently replace current CW affiliate KWKB/20.1 (Iowa City) on DISH Network channel 20 but will be carried on DirecTV channel 8, according to listings on the station's website. Syndicated programming on CW 7.2 will include TMZ, Jerry Springer, and Steve Harvey. ThisTV, which is being dropped from KWWL-DT2, is being picked up as KWKB's new primary affiliation. (9/11/2016)


Des Moines/Central Iowa:
There have been two additional applications for FM translators in Des Moines since the original report last month about the second window opening for FM translator moves. iHeartMedia wants a 250-Watt translator for its KXNO/1460 on 96.9, while Saga Communications is seeking a 99-Watt translator for its KRNT/1350 on 102.1. Both stations currently carry Sports formats. (9/10/2016)


Omaha/Council Bluffs:

Michael Flood is continuing to expand his broadcast holdings with the purchase of a low-power TV station in Omaha. Flood Communications of Omaha, LLC is buying KOHA-LD/48 (Omaha) from Word of God Fellowship/Daystar for $250,000. The agreement includes a provision allowing Daystar to continue running its programming on channel 48.3 at a rate of $1,000 per year. Flood Communications of Omaha also owns Spanish-language "Lobo 97.7" (KBBX-FM Nebraska City-Omaha). Flood's other companies own several low-power TV station running news and local events under the "News Channel Nebraska" name and radio stations in several other Nebraska markets. (9/9/2016)
TV MARKET RANKINGS:
Des Moines is the Upper Midwest's big star of the new Nielsen Media TV market rankings, rising three spots to number 69 for the 2016-2017 season. The market gained more than 7,000 households, an increase of nearly two percent. Madison and Sioux Falls were the only other Upper Midwest TV markets to rise in the rankings, each moving up one spot. Meanwhile, the once-rising western North Dakota market, including the oil patch city of Williston, fell one spot. Other markets falling one spot include Fargo, La Crosse-Eau Claire, Duluth, Rapid City, and Cheyenne-Scottsbluff. Other Upper Midwest markets were unchanged. One bright spot for the TV business is that Nielsen says the decline in TV households has ended, with a national increase of just over one percent since last year. North Platte and Ottumwa-Kirksville are the only Upper Midwest markets to see a decline in TV households over the year. (9/7/2016)

Cedar Rapids:
Iowa's last locally-owned commercial TV station is getting out-of-state owners as Gray TV buys KCRG-TV/9 (Cedar Rapids) for $100 million. The sellers retain The Gazette newspaper, which will continue a news partnership with KCRG.

Gray has already closed on its purchase of most of KCRG's non-license assets and is operating the station while it awaits FCC approval of the license transfer. KCRG is Gray's first station in Iowa; the company has been on a buying spree in recent years and now owns stations in all of the markets in Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota, as well as stations in three of Wisconsin's five markets.

KCRG had been locally-owned since it signed on in 1953, but it's become increasingly difficult for standalone TV stations to operate in an industry where group ownership has become the standard. In a press release, Gazette President and CEO Chuck Peters said, "We realized that we have done all we can do as a single television station with the business and for the people of KCRG TV9."

Gazette sold the former KCRG radio, now KGYM/1600, to KZIA, Inc. about a decade ago.

KCRG is a primary ABC affiliate and also carries syndicated programming and AntennaTV on its subchannels. It is the top-rated station in the mid-sized market, which also includes Waterloo, Iowa City, and Dubuque, and competes with a Quincy NBC affiliate and a Sinclair CBS/FOX virtual duopoly. (9/1/2015)


Davenport(Quad Cities):

iHeartMedia has debuted an Alternative format on its first HD2/translator combo in the Quad Cities. "Alt 104.5" launched on Friday afternoon on K283BV/104.5 (Davenport) and the HD2 signal of WLLR/103.7 (Davenport). The 250-Watt translator signal is enough to reach most of the population of the Quad Cities. (8/21/2015)
Sioux City

KMEG/14.2 (Sioux City) is now carrying Decades, replacing Grit TV, which moved to KPTH/44.3 (Sioux City). Both channels had earlier carried Azteca America. KMEG and KPTH are operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group and carry CBS and FOX on their primary channels, along with a mix of This TV and MyNetworkTV on 44.2. (8/12/2015)
ALPHA MEDIA BUYS DIGITY:

Alpha Media announced Tuesday that its buying 116 radio stations in 26 markets from Digity, LLC, including more than 50 stations in the Upper Midwest. The purchase price was not mentioned in the press release but may be revealed when the sale is filed with the FCC for approval. Digity's local markets include former Three Eagles, GoodRadio.TV, and NextMedia groups in Fairfield, Fort Dodge, Grinnell/Newton, and Mason City, Iowa; Albert Lea/Austin, Luverne, Mankato, and Redwood Falls, Minnesota; Columbus and Lincoln, Nebraska; Brookings, Madison, and Watertown, South Dakota; and Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Complete listings of the Digity stations are available in the radio market and radio station listings under "regional resources.") Alpha will own 251 stations in 47 markets once the deal is complete, making it one of the largest radio group owners by number of stations. (8/4/2015)
Ames:

The FCC has reinstated the license of translator K238AN/95.5 (Ames) after granting the station's petition for reconsideration. The license had been deleted earlier this year after a mitake on a 2012 license renewal application that said K238AN was off the air. Owner Fourthstream Media says the station was never actually off the air when it was licensed. The translator had previously relayed Contemporary Christian "Pulse 99.5" (KPUL-FM Winterset-Des Moines); a notice posted its website indicates K238AN is off the air because of "technical and filing issues" following KPUL-FM's move to 101.7 earlier this year. (8/4/2015)

NEW LOW-POWER FM'S ON THE AIR:

  • Carroll, IA: KFIM-LP/102.1, owned by Carroll Impact Educational Association and carrying Christian programming as "Real 102.1"
  • (8/3/2015)
    IOWA/MINNESOTA/NEBRASKA/WISCONSIN:

    DTV America is picking up a handful of low-power TV stations in the Upper Midwest from Three Angels Broadcasting Network as part of an 32-station, $3 million deal. The regional stations included are K20KF-D Davenport; W39DD-D Dodge Center, MN; K48NP-D Duluth; K25NK-D Rochester; K26JQ-D Lincoln; K25MM-D Omaha; and W30BU Green Bay. The Dodge Center and Duluth stations are not yet on the air, and the Green Bay station has not yet been converted to digital. DTV America operates the Minneapolis Telemundo affiliate and hold dozens of CP's for new LPTV stations in the Upper Midwest. (8/3/2015)

    Asbury/Dubuque
    Des Moines
    Iowa City
    The FCC recently granted construction permits for several new FM stations in Iowa:

    Asbury/Dubuque: Canton (Illinois) Seventh-Day Adventist Church received a CP for a new non-commercial station on 98.7 in Asbury after being tentatively selected earlier this year. The new class A station will use 3.5kW/133m from southeast of Dubuque. Three other groups had also applied for the frequency, but the FCC said they all failed to meet a requirement that the frequency provide the first or second non-commercial service to at least 10 percent of the population in its coverage area. The permittee operates an existing station near Peoria.

    Des Moines: The University of Northwestern-St. Paul received a CP for a translator on 100.7. K264BD will transmit from the KCCI-TV building in downtown Des Moines with 99 Watts. It will rebroadcast the Contemporary Christian format of "Life 107.1" (KNWI Osceola), which is also relayed by KNWM/96.1 (Madrid).

    Iowa City: Extend the Dream Foundation received a CP for a 100-Watt low-power FM station on 105.3. (8/1/2015)


    Cherokee:
    Ownership of KCHE/1440 and KCHE-FM/92.1 (Cherokee) is transferring from father to son. After more than three years of operating the stations through a local marketing agreement, Simon Fuller's Better Broadcasting Corp. is buying the stations from Jeff Fuller's J&J Radio Corp. for $1.35 million. Jeff Fuller is also the majority owner of Five Star Communications, which owns two stations in Vermillion, SD. (7/31/2015)


    Mason City(Rochester/Austin, MN)
    Davenport(Quad Cities)
    South Dakota & SW Minnesota

    Media General stations returned to Mediacom cable systems late Wednesday night (7/29) after a retransmission consent dispute that lasted 15 days. The stations affected the most were NBC affiliate KWQC/6 (Davenport) and CBS affiliate KIMT/3 (Mason City), which are in areas where Mediacom is the core city cable provider. CBS affiliate KELO-TV/11 (Sioux Falls) was also affected with cable outages in the Brookings area and southwestern Minnesota, though Sioux Falls itself is served by a different provider. The stations' subchannels were also affected. (7/30/2015)


    Cedar Rapids:

    iHeartMedia's "Y95-7" (KOSY Anamosa-Cedar Rapids) has completed an upgrade improving coverage of Cedar Rapids. The station previously used 6kW/100m (class A) from a site west of Anamosa and is now using 18kW/118m (C3) from the longtime WMT/600 tower site north of Marion. A directional antenna is used to limit interference to KZAT/95.5 (Belle Plaine). "Y95-7" is in a three way Contemporary Hits competition with locally-owned KZIA/102.9 (Cedar Rapids) and Townsquare Media's "i107-1" (KRQN Vinton-Cedar Rapids), not to mention additional CHR outlets from the Quad Cities and Waterloo that can also be heard in Cedar Rapids. (7/27/2015)
    Fort Dodge/Ames:

    The operator of Family Radio is selling one FM station and one FM translator in Iowa to the operator of the "K-Love" and "Air-1" networks. The Educational Media Foundation will pay Family Stations $553,750 for two stations and four translators in three states, including KIFR/89.5 (Fort Dodge) and K208FV/89.5 (Ames). A main studio waiver request says KIFR will carry "K-Love." (7/24/2015)

    FCC CRACKDOWN ON SILENT RADIO STATIONS:
    The FCC's Audio Division has begun an apparent crackdown on the practice of new radio stations going silent immediately after their license is granted.

    As first reported by the CommLawBlog, radio licenses issued since July 2 contain this condition: "Grant of this license application is conditioned on continuous operations of the licensed facility for the twelve-month period following grant. Failure to do so will result in the rescission of this grant, dismissal of the license application and the forfeiture of the associated construction permit pursuant to 47 C.F.R. § 73.3598(c) unless licensee rebuts presumption that authorized facilities were temporarily constructed."

    The condition has appeared on full-power radio station licenses, both commercial and non-commercial, but not on FM translator, low-power FM, or low-power TV licenses. There have not been any full-power TV licenses issued since last year, so it's not clear if the condition might apply to TV.

    The condition means a station can't apply for special temporary authority to remain silent within one year of the license being granted, unless it can prove the facilities were intended to be on the air permanently. For the past decade or so, it has been a regular occurrence for new stations to apply for a license to cover and then immediately apply for authority to remain silent once the license is granted. The move gave station owners more than the three years specified in construction permit deadlines to get the new station on the air.

    In one extreme case, Radioactive LLC had two FM stations in rural Iowa which were licensed for seven years but were never on the air for more than one day per year during that time, according to the stations' filings with the FCC. Earlier this year, Radioactive surrendered the licenses, saying they did not return to the air for the February 2015 broadcasts required to keep the licenses. Federal law automatically cancels licenses when stations are silent for one year.

    The FCC has not made a formal announcement of this new condition. (7/23/2015)


    Perry:

    Perry again has a voice on the FM dial now that M&M Broadcasting has signed on K259AT/99.7, relaying the Oldies/Classic Hits format of KDLS/1310 (Perry). The translator broadcasts with 250 Watts from KDLS' tower site east of Perry and was moved in from Boone, where it remains licensed. KDLS' former FM partner, KDLS-FM/105.5 (Perry), was sold to another group and moved into the Des Moines market seven years ago. (7/21/2015)
    Ottumwa:

    FOX 15 (KYOU-TV Ottumwa) is apparently planning to add a newscast in the near future, with job postings for a news reporter/anchor and executive producer. The station did not respond to an inquiry seeking additional information. KYOU is owned by American Spirit Media and is one of only two stations in the small market, which also includes Kirksville, MO. Its competitor, Sinclair ABC/CBS affiliate KTVO/3.1 (Kirksville, MO), has a long-established news department. (7/15/2015)

    Mason City(Rochester/Austin, MN)
    Davenport(Quad Cities)
    South Dakota & SW Minnesota

    A retransmission consent dispute has taken several Media General affiliates in the Upper Midwest off Mediacom cable systems. The stations affected the most are NBC affiliate KWQC/6 (Davenport) and CBS affiliate KIMT/3 (Mason City), which are in areas where Mediacom is the core city cable provider. CBS affiliate KELO-TV/11 (Sioux Falls) is also affected with cable outages in the Brookings area and southwestern Minnesota, though Sioux Falls itself is served by a different provider. The outage began Wednesday afternoon (7/14) and also includes the stations' subchannels. Both sides have pulled out the usual retransmission consent dispute arguments, blaming each other for the impasse. Mediacom has substituted national cable channels on the local channel positions. (7/15/2015)
     Bloomfield:

    Horizon Broadcasting is selling KOJY/106.9 (Bloomfield) to Tri-Rivers Broadcasting for $190,000. The buyer owns KMEM/100.5 (Memphis, MO), and this deal restores a co-ownership of the two stations that had been in place from 2005 to 2009. KOJY currently carries a Southern Gospel format along with American Radio Missions Foundation's KRNF/88.7 (Montezuma), which is being sold to VCY America. Both Horizon Broadcasting and American Radio Missions Foundation are headed by Doug Smiley of Pella. (7/13/2015)
    Montezuma:

    Milwaukee-based Christian broadcaster VCY America is buying a station in rural central Iowa, its first in the state. The deal calls for VCY to pay American Radio Missions Foundation $251,100 for KRNF/89.7 (Montezuma), which signed on in 2009 and uses a 3.1kW/103m facility with coverage of Grinnell. KRNF at one time reportedly carried VCY programming in the overnight hours but currently simulcasts a Southern Gospel "God's Country" format with Horizon Broadcasting's KOJY/106.9 (Bloomfield); KOJY is not included in the sale. (6/30/2015)
    Waterloo/Cedar Falls:

    NRG Media launched its new AM-on-FM translator in Waterloo over the weekend with a "Party." K297BS/107.3 (Waterloo) is now "107-3 The Party" with a Contemporary Hits format originating on KWLO/1330 (Waterloo), directly taking on established CHR outlet "Q92.3" (KKHQ Oelwein-Waterloo). KWLO, which is the second-oldest station in Waterloo, had previously carried ESPN Radio. K297BS uses 250 Watts from a tower on the southern edge of Waterloo. Besides KWLO, NRG owns two full-power FM's and one AM in the market. (6/28/2015)
    Boone/Huxley/Des Moines:

    After years of regulatory battles, Truth Broadcasting's KTIA-FM/99.3 (Boone) has moved its transmitter closer to Des Moines. The Christian Talk station is now broadcasting from a tower near Sheldahl and will eventually use 5.3kW/95m (class A), though an announcement on the station's Facebook page Sunday night said it was not yet at full power. KTIA-FM is also changing its community of license to Huxley. The move gives KTIA-FM a strong signal to much of Des Moines, and the original application ran afoul of FCC rules intended to preserve rural radio service. The second application was first rejected, then approved. In order to make way for the move, Positive Impact Media Contemporary Christian outlet KPUL-FM/99.5 (Winterset) moved to 101.7, in turn forcing Iowa Public Radio Classical translator K269EJ/101.7 (Des Moines) to move to 97.7. (6/22/2015)
    Des Moines/Central Iowa:

    iHeartMedia and Educational Media Foundation appear to be starting a partnership in the Des Moines market. iHeartMedia's KKDM/107.5 (Des Moines) recently began carrying EMF's "K-Love" Contemporary Christian network on its HD3 channel, a move that has preceded EMF-iHeart translator deals in other markets, including Minneapolis. iHeartMedia already owns and operates one HD2-fed translator in the market, "96.5 Country" (K243CA Millman-Des Moines). EMF has three construction permits for new translators in Des Moines, including two which said they would rebroadcast iHeartMedia stations on their applications. EMF also has one CP in Ames, and existing EMF "K-Love" translator K290AJ/105.9 (Gilbert-Ames) recently changed frequency to 106.5 with the new callsign K293CG. It had to downgrade from 250 to 37 Watts in the process, weakening its signal to Ames; such frequency changes sometimes mark the start of a series of facility changes. (6/20/2015)
    Creston:

    KSIB/1520 and KSIB-FM/101.3 (Creston), which serve a rural area southwest of Des Moines, are being transferred between family members. David and Kathy Rieck are selling the stations to Chad and Amy Rieck for $1.4 million. Chad, who is David and Kathy's son, has been the general manager since 2006. The FM station carries an information-heavy Country format, while the AM side carries a Sports format. (6/19/2015)
    Quad Cities/Burlington:

    Nextar has made some changes to the DTV channel lineup in the Quad Cities. WHBF (Rock island), which carries CBS on 4.1, is now rebroadcasting CW affiliate KGCW/26.1 (Burlington) on 4.2. Channel 4.2 had been off the air since dropping the Live Well Network last year. The KGCW simulcast had previously seen on channel 18.2 of KLJB (Davenport), which is now owned by Marshall Broadcasting Group but operated by Nexstar. KLJB, a primary FOX affiliate, moved MeTV from 18.3 to 18.2, while KGCW continues to carry ThisTV on 26.2 but dropped a simulcast of MeTV on 26.3. KGCW's signal to the Quad Cities is slightly weaker than the market's other channels since it transmits from a site midway between the Quad Cities and Burlington. (6/3/2015)
    Des Moines/Ames:
    Longtime KCCI/8 (Des Moines) anchor Kevin Cooney announced his retirement during Tuesday's 6 p.m. newscast. Cooney started on the floor crew at KRNT-TV, now KCCI, in 1969 while he was in high school and has worked at the CBS affiliate for most of the time since then, except for a few years in California in the early 1980's. His last newscast will be Nov. 24, and KCCI 5 p.m. anchor Steve Karlin will then add 6 and 10 p.m. duties. Mollie Cooney, who is Kevin's wife, will continue to anchor KCCI's Noon newscast. The Cooneys were given Silver Circle Awards at the 2014 Upper Midwest Regional Emmy Gala in Minneapolis. (5/19/2015)

    Waterloo/Cedar Falls/Oelwein:
    Townsquare Media is making another attempt to pull three Waterloo-market stations out of trust. It's filed a petition for reconsideration of the FCC's denial of a waiver, saying the Audio Division incorrectly interpreted the rules.

    To recap the long story: KKHQ-FM/92.3 (Oelwein-Waterloo), KCRR/97.7 (Grundy Center-Waterloo), and KOEL-FM/98.5 (Cedar Falls-Waterloo) were assigned to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls market until 2012, when the market was dissolved. The stations were reassigned on paper to the nearby Cedar Rapids market, but continued to target Waterloo. When Townsquare wanted to buy the former Cumulus groups in the two cities, it placed the three Waterloo FM's into the Cedar Rapids Divestiture Trust.

    Though Nielsen Audio has now re-established the Waterloo-Cedar Falls market and re-assigned KKHQ-FM, KCRR, and KOEL-FM to that market, the FCC said in March that they can't be sold back to Townsquare until May 2016 due to a rule that requires a two-year waiting period when market boundaries are changed. However, the Trust faces a Nov. 14, 2015 deadline to sell the stations under a two-year limit imposed by the FCC when it granted the assignment of the stations to the Trust.

    Townsquare now argues that it meets the requirements for a waiver specified in a February court filing in a separate case. That filing suggested that the FCC would grant such waivers if a station's "community of license is located within the Metro or such station has been considered home to that Metro for at least two years." The stations had been considered home to the Waterloo market for more than a decade prior to 2012.

    The petition asks the FCC to either grant the application to transfer the licenses, or at least return the application to pending status. (5/5/2015)


     Sioux City

    iHeartMedia has told the FCC it doesn't plan to rebuild two towers at KWSL/1470 (Sioux City) damaged by a storm last year and is instead proposing to operate permanently at reduced power. Prior to the August 31 storm, KWSL had used 5kW with different day and night directional patterns from a four-tower array in Dakota City, NE. The storm destroyed two towers and damaged feedline on a third, and KWSL has been operating nondirectionally from the remaining tower under special temporary authority for 1.45kW day and 1.25kW night. It's now proposing to continue using the one remaining tower with 2.3kW daytime and 69 Watts nighttime, nondirectional. The change would lower KWSL's class from B to D since it would be operating with less than 250 Watts at night. KWSL carries a Regional Mexican format. (5/4/2015)

    Rockford(Mason City)/Sac City

    The FCC has cancelled the licenses of two Iowa radio stations that were apparently never on the air for more than seven days during the seven years they were licensed. Randy Michaels' Radioactive, LLC had won KYME/92.9 (Rockford) and KEWS/104.7 (Sac City) in a 2005 auction with bids of $482,000 and $134,000, respectively. KYME had potential to serve Mason City if built to full power and KEWS could've reached Storm Lake or Carroll. The stations received their licenses in 2008 but filed repeated requests for special temporary authority to remain silent, each time stating that the stations had returned to the air for one broadcast day before going silent again due to "inadequate long-term staffing and programming resources." The licensee's attorney recently confirmed to the FCC that the stations had not been on the air since Feb. 4, 2014, meaning their licenses had expired due to a federal law that automatically cancels licenses when stations are silent for one year. (4/29/2015)
    Milman/Des Moines

    iHeartMedia has launched "96.5 Country" on K243CA/96.5 (Millman-Des Moines) and the HD2 signal of KDRB/100.3 (Des Moines), challenging Cumulus Media's longtime Country duo of "Nash FM 97.3" (KHKI Des Moines) and "92.5 Nash Icon" (KJJY West Des Moines). "96.5 Country" is the first new Country station to launch in the Des Moines area since KHKI adopted the format in 1993. K243CA transmits with 102 Watts from a tower at the WHO-TV building, a few blocks from the iHeartMedia building in downtown Des Moines. The translator is licensed to Millman, which is apparently a forgotten place on the edge of the Des Moines International Airport in the Southwestern Hills neighborhood. (4/27/2015)
    ANALOG LPTV DEADLINE DROPPED:
    The FCC has dropped a Sept. 1 deadline for low-power TV and translator stations to convert to digital broadcasting. While full-power stations were required to go digital-only in 2009, LPTV/translator stations have been allowed to stay in analog -- though many have switched to digital voluntarily. The FCC said Friday it is dropping the deadline because the impending spectrum auction could force some LPTV/translator stations to make more technical changes or leave the air completely. (Class A stations, which transmit with the same power levels as LPTV but get extra protections in exchange for compliance with many of the same rules as full-power stations, will still have to meet the Sept. 1 deadline.) FCC records indicate there are still about five dozen LPTV/translator stations broadcasting in analog in the Upper Midwest, including many translators carrying big-four networks in rural areas. There are also a few analog LPTV stations in core cities such as a MundoFOX affiliate in Milwaukee and an independent station in Sioux Falls. (4/24/2015)
    IOWA/MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN:
    DirecTV customers in ten Midwest markets unexpectedly lost one or more of their local network affiliates Tuesday due to a brief retransmission consent dispute with Quincy Newspapers. The outage began at midnight and ended in mid-afternoon when the two sides reached a new deal, according to posts on Quincy's Facebook page. The brief outage affected ABC affiliates in Madison, La Crosse, Eau Claire, and Wausau, NBC affiliates in Quincy, Rochester, Rockford, Sioux City, and Waterloo-Cedar Rapids, and FOX affiliates in Quincy, Rochester, and South Bend. Unlike most disputes of this nature, there was no saber-rattling in advance to warn viewers of the impending outage. An article on the Sioux City station's website says even that station's regional vice president was surprised. (4/21/2015)
    Cedar Rapids/Waterloo

    ABC affiliate KCRG-DT/9 (Cedar Rapids) has returned to DirecTV following a retransmission consent dispute that lasted more than three months. Terms of the new agreement were not released. KCRG had previously said that DirecTV was demanding contract language that would've violated its agreements with ABC and other program providers regarding online streaming. (4/20/2015)
    Des Moines
    A four-station FM facility shift in the Des Moines area got underway Tuesday (4/14) as "Pulse" Contemporary Christian station KPUL-FM/99.5 (Winterset) moved to 101.7. The move had to be delayed from the original April 7 date due to bad weather that prevented a crew from climbing a tower. Iowa Public Radio Classical translator K269EJ/101.7 (Des Moines) is off the air and is expected to resurface Wednesday on 97.7 as K249EJ. KPUL-FM's move off 99.5 clears the way for Christian Talker KTIA-FM/99.3 (Boone), owned by Truth Broadcasting, to move its transmitter to a tower near Sheldahl with 5.3kW/95m, improving its signal to Des Moines and changing its community of license to Huxley in the process. In a late addition to the shuffle, the FCC has approved a move of KFMG-LP/99.1 (Des Moines) to 98.9 to avoid interference from KTIA-FM. KFMG-LP is owned by the Des Moines Community Radio Foundation and carries an eclectic Adult Alternative format. (4/14/2015)
    IOWA/WISCONSIN:

    Wisconsin Public Radio's news director, Michael Leland, is crossing the Mississippi River to take the same position at Iowa Public Radio. IPR announced Monday that Leland will start his new job on July 1. The news release quoted Leland as saying he looks forward to building on IPR's current news coverage to be "the best news source it can be for Iowa." IPR is a young network, having been formed a decade ago as a merger of public radio groups that had previously operated separately at the state's three universities. (4/13/2015)
    Coggon/Cedar Rapids
    After one group stepped aside, the FCC has granted a new non-commercial FM station in eastern Iowa to a different group. Plus Charities, a Cedar Rapids-based Catholic group, has received a construction permit for a new station on 88.7 licensed to Coggon, which will use 5kW/95m (class A). The new station will have a city-grade signal in the Manchester area and possible fringe coverage of Cedar Rapids. New Bohemia Group had originally been granted the frequency, but returned its CP earlier this year. (4/5/2015)

    Boone/Des Moines:

    Tuesday, April 7, is the scheduled date for a frequency shift of two FM stations in Des Moines. Iowa Public Radio Classical translator K269EJ/101.7 (Des Moines) will move to 97.7 as K249EJ, remaining 250 Watts. Then, "Pulse" Contemporary Christian station KPUL-FM/99.5 (Winterset) will move to 101.7, retaining its 6kW/100m facility. The moves make way for Truth Broadcasting's KTIA-FM/99.3 (Boone) to move its transmitter from Boone to a tower near Sheldahl with 5.3kW/95m, improving its signal to Des Moines and changing its community of license to Huxley in the process. KTIA-FM says it will make the move "shortly after" the IPR and KPUL moves. (3/31/2015)

    Waterloo/Cedar Falls/Cedar Rapids
    The FCC has nixed Townsquare Media's proposal to pull three Waterloo-market radio stations out of trust, at least for now. Audio Division Chief Peter H. Doyle says Townsquare does not qualify for a waiver of a two-year waiting period required when a market's boundaries change.

    KKHQ/92.3 (Oelwein-Waterloo), KCRR/97.7 (Grundy Center-Waterloo), and KOEL-FM/98.5 (Cedar Falls-Waterloo) were assigned to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls market until 2012, when the market was dissolved due to a lack of Arbitron subscribers. The stations were reassigned, at least on paper, to the nearby Cedar Rapids market, creating a problem when Townsquare wanted to buy the former Cumulus groups in the two cities. The Waterloo FM's were placed into the Cedar Rapids Divestiture Trust, headed by Allen Blum, while Townsquare asked Arbitron (now Nielsen Audio) to re-establish the Waterloo-Cedar Falls market.

    Though the three stations were reassigned back to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls market in early 2014, the FCC says they'll have to remain in trust until at least early 2016.

    It's worth noting that the three stations are all licensed outside of the Cedar Rapids market, target their programming to Waterloo, and don't deliver city-grade signals to Cedar Rapids (though KKHQ is listenable on car radios there). (3/27/2015)


    Des Moines
    Grand View University has returned the license for KGVC-LP/94.1 (Des Moines). The station had gone off the air last fall, saying in an FCC filing that the private university was experiencing "major budget problems." KGVC-LP had shared 94.1 with Drake University's KDRA-LP, which can now use the frequency full-time. Grand View still has a radio outlet, since its students provide evening and weekend programming on Des Moines Public Schools' KDPS/88.1. (3/24/2015)
    Dubuque
    Low-power FM station KCRD-LP/98.3 (Dubuque) is on the air carrying Catholic programming. A report from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque states that KCRD-LP signed on Feb. 24 and is carrying Relevant Radio and EWTN Radio, with plans for some local programming in the future. The 98-Watt station is licensed to St. Columbkille Church and operated by Aquinas Communications. (3/12/2015)

         Dubuque

    The FCC has tentatively selected Canton (Illinois) Seventh-Day Adventist Church for a new non-commercial station in the Dubuque area. The new class A station on 98.7 will be licensed to Asbury, and the tentative selectee proposes a 3.5kW/133m station transmitting from southeast of Dubuque. In reserving the frequency for non-commercial use, the FCC required that whatever station uses the frequency provide the first or second non-commercial service to at least 10 percent of the population in its coverage area. The FCC said three other applicants -- Aquinas Communications, Family Life Broadcasting, and Grace Community Church of Amarillo -- failed to meet the 10 percent threshold. The losing applicants have 30 days to submit petitions to deny the construction permit to Canton Seventh-Day Adventist Church. The tentative selectee operates an existing station near Peoria.

    Meanwhile, in southeastern Iowa, the FCC recently granted a CP to Fairfield Youth Advocacy for a new non-commercial station on 102.1 licensed to Keosauqua. It'll use 25kW/100m (class C3) from a tower between Keosauqua and Fairfield. The grant comes after St. Mary Radio dba Radio Apostolate for the Heartland withdrew its application for the frequency. St. Mary Radio recently signed on KHFR-LP/103.5 (Keosauqua). (3/10/2015)


    Cedar Falls/Waterloo

    The "Cruisin" Oldies format of KCFI/1250 (Cedar Falls-Waterloo) is now being relayed on K286CI/105.1, which recently began transmitting from a tower near Hudson. The 250-Watt FM signal remains licensed to Waverly provides rimshot coverage of Waterloo. (3/10/2015)


    Sioux City
    The owner of KZOI/1250 (Dakota City, NE-Sioux City) is buying an FM translator to use for the `80s Hits station. Cup O'Dirt Communications, LLC will pay First Ventures Capital Partners $50,000 for K248AY/97.5 (Sioux City). K248AY is currently licensed for 17 Watts from a tower in northwestern Sioux City and has applied to upgrade to 145 Watts from that site, rebroadcasting KZOI. (3/9/2015)

    Cedar Rapids
    Onetime plans for a new non-commercial radio station to serve Cedar Rapids' New Bohemia neighborhood have been dropped. New Bohemia Group has returned the construction permit for KNBO/88.7 (Coggon), saying, "NBG's board has decided to direct time and resources elsewhere." KNBO would've actually only had a fringe signal to the neighborhood, with its city-grade coverage area ending north of Cedar Rapids.

    The move could open the way for Plus Charities, a Cedar Rapids-based Catholic group, to be granted a construction permit for a new station. Plus Charities also applied for 88.7 in 2007 but its application was dismissed due to a typo; the FCC decided to reinstate the application late last year. Plus Charities proposes a 5kW/95m (class A) station licensed to Coggon, providing a city-grade signal to the Manchester area and possible fringe coverage of Cedar Rapids. (3/4/2015)


         Sioux City
    Powell Broadcasting News/Talker KSCJ/1360 (Sioux City) has signed on FM translator K235CA/94.9 (Sioux City). The translator's 250-Watt signal is enough to cover the immediate metro area. KSCJ's lineup includes local programming from 6 to 11 a.m. and syndicated talkers including Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. (2/25/2015)

          Sioux City
    Iowa State University, one of the parent groups of Iowa Public Radio, has surrendered the permit for a new station in the Sioux City area. KNSX/97.1 (Moville) had faced a Jan. 31 construction deadline and was to have used 5.2kW/109m, which would have provided a rimshot signal to eastern Sioux City. The FCC denied an upgrade for the would-be station in 2013 over a legal technicality of how the frequency was reserved for non-commercial use. IPR also once had a CP for KHGM/88.9 (Sioux City), which it sold to a group that didn't get it on the air by the CP deadline. The network's only coverage of far western Iowa is the fringe daytime signal of WOI/640 (Ames). Sioux City has one existing public radio station, Western Iowa Tech Community College's KWIT/90.3. (2/18/2015)
    Rochester/Austin, MINNESOTA & Mason City, IOWA:

    NBC affiliate KTTC (Rochester) is promoting a March 1 launch for Heroes & Icons network on channel 10.3. The relatively new network from Weigel Broadcasting carries mostly classic westerns and crime dramas and has also found affiliates in Minneapolis, Des Moines, Milwaukee, and Wausau. KTTC also carries CW+ on channel 10.2. (2/16/2015)
    Ames/Des Moines

    In an unusual situation, the owner of now-deleted translator K238AN/95.5 (Ames) is asking the FCC to give back its license. The FCC sent K238AN licensee Fourthstream Media a letter in November indicating that the translator's license would be deleted since records indicated it had been off the air since 2012. After the formal cancellation last month, Fourthstream filed a petition for reconsideration, stating that K238AN had never actually been off the air and the misinformation resulted from an error on a 2012 application. Fourthstream is also separately seeking special temporary authority to keep the translator on the air. K238AN was last known to rebroadcast the "Pulse 99.5" Christian Hits format of KPUL (Winterset-Des Moines). (2/11/2015)

    Waterloo/Cedar Falls
    NRG Media is buying an FM translator to relay ESPN Radio affiliate KWLO/1330 (Waterloo). NRG will pay E-String Wireless, Ltd. $50,635 for the construction permit for K295CF/106.9 (Waterloo). The current CP calls for 250 Watts from a tower just outside the eastern Waterloo city limits. (2/11/2015)


    Council Bluffs/Omaha (NEBRASKA)
    University of Nebraska Cornhuskers broadcasts in the Omaha market are moving from iHeartMedia's KFAB/1110 to Journal Broadcasting's KXSP/590 this summer, the team and distributor IMG announced Tuesday. KXSP, an ESPN affiliate, will carry Huskers football, men's and women's basketball, volleyball, and baseball games, in addition to the Monday-Friday "Sports Nightly" program. Journal's "Z92" (KEZO/92.3) will simulcast football games, and "CD105.9" (KKCD) will carry any women's basketball, volleyball, or baseball games that conflict with other games on KXSP. KXSP is currently an affiliate of the Iowa Hawkeyes network and it's not immediately clear what will become of that deal. KFAB and KXSP have similar daytime coverage areas, but KFAB also enjoys extensive nighttime skywave service across the Upper Midwest. (2/10/2015)


    Ames/Des Moines
    The FCC has deleted the license of K238AN/95.5 (Ames), which at one time rebroadcast the "Pulse 99.5" Christian Hits format of KPUL (Winterset-Des Moines). A website set up for the translator indicated it would go off the air in 2012 unless fundraising goals were met, and FCC records indicate K238AN went off the air that year. (2/3/2015)

    MINNESOTA:(Mason City, Iowa)
    ABC affiliate KAAL/6.1 (Austin-Rochester) will air the last newscast from its longtime Austin home on Friday night, followed by a new era of newscasts from Rochester starting Saturday. The Hubbard Broadcasting station is moving its studio and main newsroom to TJ Maxx Plaza, 1300 16th St SW, in Rochester, but the station's master control, office operations, and a news bureau will remain in Austin. The station is upgrading to HD with the move. It previously had a news bureau in Rochester, the largest city in the market created when 1950's regulators cobbled together three small-town stations to form one set of network affiliates. NBC affiliate KTTC/10 and FOX affiliate KXLT/47 are located in Rochester, while CBS affiliate KIMT/3 is in Mason City, Iowa. Many Twin Cities stations are also available on cable in Rochester, further adding to the competition. (1/30/2015)


    Quad Cities
    A belated note that WDLM/960 (East Moline-Quad Cities) switched to Spanish-language Christian programming from Radio Moody on Jan. 5. Sister station WDLM-FM/89.3 continues to carry English-language Christian programming from Moody Radio, which made a similar move with its AM station in Chicago three years ago. (1/26/2015)


    Ottumwa
    FOX affiliate KYOU-TV/15 (Ottumwa) has added Grit on channel 15.2, with a slide saying sister subchannel network Escape is coming soon to 15.3. (1/20/2014)


    Cedar Rapids/Waterloo/Iowa City

    KWKB (Iowa City-Cedar Rapids) has dropped channel 20.2 after the market's Antenna TV affiliation moved to KCRG-DT/9.3 (Cedar Rapids). KWKB carries CW on its main channel. (1/20/2014)


    Cedar Rapids/Waterloo

    A retransmission consent dispute has taken ABC affiliate KCRG-TV/9 (Cedar Rapids) off DirecTV. The station says the original agreement expired Dec. 31, and the outage began on Thursday afternoon (1/15) after two extensions. (1/15/2015)
    Sioux City:
    It turns out Sioux City will lose a channel due to the national end to Live Well Network. Former LWN affiliate KCAU writes on its Facebook page, "KCAU, at this current time, has no plans to put new programming on our 9.2 channel." 9.2 had carried LWN prior to November, when it began a simulcast if competing NBC affiliate KTIV/4 due to KTIV's transmission problems. The Nexstar station carries ABC on 9.1 and had carried weather programming on 9.2 prior to switching to LWN in 2012. (1/13/2015)
    Council Bluffs/Omaha (UPDATED):
    Gray TV NBC affiliate WOWT/6 (Omaha) has returned to Cox Cable after a retransmission consent dispute took the station off Cox for about four days. Cox is the major cable provider for Omaha, Council Bluffs, and suburban areas. The dispute also affected Gray stations in Topeka and Wichita. (1/7/2015, updated 1/12)
    Sioux City
    NBC affiliate KTIV/4 (Sioux City) says it's back at full power after a November transmission line failure. KTIV had been transmitting from a temporary antenna at a lower spot on its tower while new transmission line was installed. KTIV's main NBC channel has also been simulcast on channel 9.2 of competitor KCAU, which will end Monday. (9.2 had previously carried Live Well Network, which is leaving the air nationally -- there's no word yet what will appear next on 9.2.) KTIV also carries CW+ on 4.2 and MeTV on 4.3. (1/10/2015)
    Council Bluffs/Omaha

    A retransmission consent dispute has taken Gray TV NBC affiliate WOWT/6 (Omaha) off Cox Cable. Cox is the major cable provider for Omaha, Council Bluffs, and suburban areas. The dispute also affects Gray stations in Topeka and Wichita. (1/7/2015)

    DTV SUBCHANNEL CHANGES

      A number of stations added or switched subchannels around the start of the year, many as part of a deal for Sinclair Broadcast Group stations to add Grit TV. The following changes are noted via reception reports or listings:
    • KFXA (Cedar Rapids) switched 28.2 from ZUUS Country to Grit TV.
    • KDSM (Des Moines) switched 17.3 from ZUUS Country to Grit TV.
    • KMEG (Sioux City) switched 14.2 from Azteca to Grit TV. Azteca had been the only spanish-language channel in the market.
    • KMTV (Omaha) switched 3.2 from Live Well to Antenna TV.
    • KXVO (Omaha) added 15.3 carrying Grit TV.
    • (1/2/2015)

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