FCC Report 8/20: ESPN 1000 Chicago On The Move

AM Changes

Good Karma Broadcasting Sports “ESPN 1000” WMVP Chicago has applies to move off its heritage Downers Grove IL site (still adorned with its historic WCFL calls) to diplex approximately 20 miles south at the night site of Newsweb Corporation’s 820 WCPT Willow Springs. WMVP proposes to operate with a directional 50kW day from two towers and 38kW night using four of the six towers outside of Joliet. WMVP’s 18 acre property was not included in the sale of the station to Good Karma from Disney in 2021.

Orlando Radio Marketing amends its application to move 1520 WNDO Apopka FL to the site of Star Over Orlando’s 810 WRSO Orlovista. WNDO will utilize two of WRSO’s four towers to operate with 4kW day, 3.8kW critical hours, and 8 watts night with a COL change to Fairview Shores adding the critical hours operation.

Relevant Radio’s 1390 WEGP Presque Isle ME applies to lower power from 25kW day/10kW night to 5kW day/night from its current site.

FCC Actions

97.5 Licensee TX, LLC has filed a petition for declaratory ruling to increase its foreign ownership from 25% to 100% and allow Mexican citizen Lorena Margarita Perez Toscano to acquire the company and its three stations in El Paso TX. En Frecuencia reported in June that Toscano, who along with her father and sisters own Grupo Audiorama Comunicaciones across the border in Juarez MX, will acquire the stations to resolve $2.45 million in debt owed. The company owns Regional Mexican “Ke Buena 97.5” KBNA-FM and Silent 750 KAMA and 920 KQBU El Paso.

The FCC has rejected an “Emergency Petition for Extraordinary Relief” filed by the Albuquerque Board of Education seeking to have the FCC overturn the license cancellation of Gillian Sutton’s 1490 KRSN/107.1 K296GI Los Alamos NM. The Albuquerque Board of Education, which owns a network of stations based at 89.1 KANW Albuquerque running a mix of Public News/Talk and Spanish music, asked to be the temporary trustee of these licenses, so that the facilities can resume operating on an emergency basis. The FCC rejected the request as untimely as the license cancellation notice was published on May 4 giving any petition for reconsideration a deadline of June 5 and this was not filed until August 2, but also in that as a third-party they lacked standing to seek reinstatement of a surrendered authorization. Sutton ceased operations of KRSN on May 1, 2022 and notified the FCC on May 1, 2023 that it would not be resuming operations and turned in its license.

The FCC is opening a license revocation proceeding against Jones Communications Ltd.’s R&B Oldies/Gospel 107.5 WVFG Uniontown AL for failure to pay delinquent regulatory fees and associated interest, administrative costs, and penalties owed. Jones is required to pay the $2,851.28 in fees owed for 2021 and 2022 or show cause why the payment demanded is inapplicable or should otherwise be waived or deferred.

The FCC has entered a Consent Decree and agreed to a $5000 penalty with Oklahoma Catholic Broadcasting’s 104.9 KEUC Ringwood OK for two violations. KEUC was silent from February 22, 2018 to January 22, 2019 and never filed an STA application with the FCC, nor did it maintain its online public file.

Two applications by Central Florida Educational Association to change cities of license to a larger community in their urbanized area have been rejected with the FCC asking to correct all deficiencies. CFEA sought to change 99.5 WHGV La Crosse FL to Gainesville and 99.7 WCYZ Silver Spring Shore to Ocala. With similar explanations for both, the FCC contends, “Moreover, CFEF’s position is self-contradictory. It argues that removing the sole local transmission service from Silver Springs Shore is allowed, because under Rural Radio WCYZ is presumed to serve the entire Ocala UA and thus the community change from Silver Springs Shore to Ocala is an “intra-urban” move. Having correctly stated this principle, however, CFEF then attempts to flip the coin to contend that re-labeling WCYZ as an Ocala station is preferred because Ocala is the larger community. CFEF cannot have it both ways: either WCYZ serves the entire Ocala UA, no matter what the community of license, or it serves an individual community within the UA, in which case Commission policy favors retention of the sole local transmission service at Silver Springs Shore.10 In neither case can it be said that a move to Ocala represents a preferential arrangement of allotments based solely on the relative sizes of two communities in the same Urbanized Area being served.”

License Cancellations

Buena Park School District has surrendered the license of 90.1 KBPK Buena Park CA. While owned by the school district, the station was operated by Fullerton College which released the following statement, “We truly appreciate all the messages and support from our beloved listeners and Alumni. KBPK has a legacy of training students to be world-class members of the Radio family. KBPK will continue to provide a streamed broadcast in addition to video and social content along our media channels. You can always keep up to date with KBPK’s content on our Instagram, YouTube and Facebook pages.”

Silent Notifications

• Southern Torch Inc.’s 1400 WFPA Fort Payne AL (Conserve economic resources)
• Deportes y Musica Comunicaciones’ 99.5 KRPH Morristown AZ (Technical repairs)
• Walco Enterprises’ 1390 WAVP Avon Park FL (Loss of tower site)
• Walco Enterprises’ 1490 WSIR Winter Haven FL (Loss of tower site)
• Estuardo Valdemar Rodriguez’s 910 WSRP Jacksonville NC (Storm damage)
• WPJL Inc’s 1240 WPJL Raleigh NC (Tower site sold)
• Cedar Cove Broadcasting’s 91.1 KEZF Grants NM (Loss of tower site)
• Cheyenne Broadcasting Foundation’s 88.7 KOTY San Mateo NM (Loss of tower site)
• Foothills Public Radio, Inc.’s 90.1 WPUT North Salem NY (Lightning damage)
• High Plains Radio Network’s 107.9 KEYB Altus OK (Loss of tower site)
• High Plains Radio Network’s 102.7 KJOK Hollis OK (Loss of tower site)
• High Plains Radio Network’s 95.7 KYBE Frederick OK (Loss of tower site)
• High Plains Radio Network’s 94.7 KGRW Friona TX (Loss of tower site)
• Debra Witcher’s 1450 KCYL Lampasas TX (Electrical surge)
• High Plains Radio Network’s 95.9 KCKL Malakoff TX (Loss of tower site)
• High Plains Radio Network’s 103.9 KRIA Plainview TX (Loss of tower site)
• High Plains Radio Network’s 106.9 KKYN-FM Plainview TX (Loss of tower site)
• High Plains Radio Network’s 1490 KVWC Vernon TX (Loss of tower site)
• High Plains Radio Network’s 103.1 KVWC-FM Vernon TX (Loss of tower site)

FM Changes

North Country Radio’s Classic Hits “Lake-FM” 93.3 WSLP Ray Brook NY seeks to increase from a Class A to C3 with 7.1kW/-52m from its current site.

Fuchs Radio’s “The Sports Animal” 100.3 KJCM Snyder OK applies to upgrade from a Class C3 to C2 with 5kW/230.7m.

After its previous CP expired unbuilt, North Texas Radio Group’s 95.1 KEBE-FM Jacksonville TX reapplies to operate with 2.45kW/160.6m.

Mount San Antonio Community College District’s “Mt. Rock Radio” 90.1 KSAK Walnut CA proposes a move to a new site with 10w/23m.

American Educational Foundation’s 88.5 WMNK Minooka IL applies to move to Sheridan with 475 watts/45.2m.

Light of Life Ministries’ “Worship Radio Network” 89.3 WRPB Benedicta ME proposes to move to 89.1 with 5.6kW/163m.

Christian Family Media Ministries’ applies to increase 90.7 WCVK Bowling Green KY from a Class C3 to C2 with 40kW/137m.

Translator Changes

Call Letter Changes

88.5 WPMW Bayview MA -> WRRS (effective 8/15)
88.5 WRRS Middleborough Center MA -> WPMW (effective 8/15)
88.7 NEW Indian Creek IL -> WCHQ (effective 8/21)
88.7 KLYA Yankton SD -> KLRK-FM (effective 8/30)
88.9 NEW Houma LA -> KTER (effective 8/21)
89.1 NEW Ixonia WI -> WIXW (effective 8/21)
89.3 WCOM-FM Silver Creek NY -> WCGP (effective 8/31)
89.7 NEW Challis ID -> KBXC (effective 8/13)
90.3 NEW Imlay City MI -> WDRQ (effective 8/18
90.9 WCOT Tidioute PA -> WCGN (effective 8/31)
91.5 NEW El Paso TX -> KLPS (effective 8/21)
91.5 NEW Aberdeen WA -> KWFV (effective 8/14)
91.7 WCGN Troupsburg NY -> WCOT (effective 8/31)
92.9 NEW Rockford IA -> KVPJ (effective 8/23)
97.7 KORJ Butte Falls OR -> KKWL (effective 8/24)
100.1 WWFN-FM Lake City SC -> WQPD (effective 8/28)
100.5 WQPD Marion SC -> WWFN-FM (effective 8/28)
103.9 NEW Dunkerton IA -> KVPG (effective 8/23)
105.3 KEDB Chariton IA -> KIHC-FM (effective 8/15)
106.3 WUBU South Bend IN -> WVSB (effective 11/10)
106.5 WXXJ Ponte Vedra Beach FL -> WHJX (effective 8/31)

This story first appeared on radioinsight.com