This past week has seen a lot of moves for translators with Clear Channel making moves to add new programming options in two major markets.
In Minneapolis/St. Paul, Clear Channel is teaming with EMF Broadcasting to bring two translators to the top of the IDS Center in Minneapolis. Northpine.com reports 93.3 W227BF Shoreview, MN will upgrade from 10 to 99 watts and rebroadcast 97.1 KTCZ-HD2, while 102.5 K273BH Fridley, MN will jump from 41 to 250 watts rebroadcasting 101.3 KDWB-HD2.
Clear Channel purchased 103.5 K278BP Cottage Grove, MN from EMF last year. It is used to rebroadcast Sports 1130 KFAN via 100.3 KTLK-HD2.
Clear Channel and EMF are also working in tandem in Detroit. As part of the deal that gave Clear Channel access to 103.5 in Minneapolis last year, EMF gained programming control of 92.3 WMXD-HD2 to feed some translators across Michigan. One of these translators, 106.3 W292DK Southfiled, MI has applied to upgrade from 10 watts to 99 watts, while moving slightly closer to downtown Detroit.
Down in Atlanta, Clear Channel is working with Immanuel Broadcasting to give News/Talk 640 WGST an FM signal. 92.3 W222AF Marietta, GA already has a CP to move halfway between Marietta and Atlanta. The next step is an application to move it to just north of the city with a power boost from 15 to 99 watts.
Way-FM Media’s 102.3 K272EL Portland, OR, which is simulcasting Clear Channel’s News/Talk 1190 KEX has an application to move from the east side of the city to the mountains just west of downtown where it will serve Portland and neighboring Beaverton.
One more for Clear Channel, as 105.1 W286CA Hawbottom, MD has will move to 94.3 and jump from 6 to 45 watts where it will give News/Talk 930 WFMD an FM outlet via 99.9 WFRE-HD2.
Northeast Gospel Broadcasting has sold 105.5 W288BF Troy, NY to Digital Radio Broadcasting. Concurrently, the translator will jump from 50 to 250 watts while moving to 99.1. Digital Radio Broadcasting has also changed the originating station to Townsquare Media’s 105.7 WQSH. Townsquare does not currently program an HD2.
Digital Radio Broadcasting is also making upgrades at two of its translators further down the Hudson River. 95.7 W239BL Poughkeepsie, NY has applied to jump from 10 watts to 250 watts and 94.9 W235BI Middletown, NY is looking to move from 99 to 155 watts. 95.7 currently rebroadcasts the Drive-FX Dance music format from 98.9 WGNY-HD3, while 94.9 carries the programming of 89.3 WLJP Monroe, NY.
Katherine Timmerman Hagler owns three translators in Montgomery, AL that are or will be rebroadcasting stations owned by Bluewater Broadcasting. All three of them have been granted CP’s to upgrade their signals. 104.9 W285AJ rebroadcasts Modern Rock 1170 WACV as “104.9 The Gump“, will upgrade from 80 to 99 watts while moving slightly east. 100.5 W263BX will broadcast with 80 watts, while 107.1 W296AI will jump from 38 to 99 watts. Both of the latter translators will rebroadcast HD subchannels of 96.1 WQKS-FM.
Shifting over to programming changes, 96.5 W243BS and its parent 1350 WYSK Fredericksburg, VA will shift from Sports “The Game” to a mix of Talk and Sports. The ESPN Radio programming heard on the station 24/7 now, will be relegated to 7pm to 9am weekdays, while Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity are added to the daytime lineup. The station will also have a one hour local newscast from 6pm to 7pm daily.
93.1 K226BO Cedar Rapids, IA will launch on Friday, July 1 carrying the programming of 1450 KMRY.
