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                            Before the
                Federal Communications Commission
                      Washington, D.C. 20554

In the Matter of                )
                                )
Amendment of Section 73.202(b), )       MM Docket No. 98-187
Table of Allotments,            )       RM-9371
FM Broadcast Stations.          )
(Des Moines, Iowa and Bennington, )
Nebraska)                       )

                        REPORT AND ORDER
                     (Proceeding Terminated)

   Adopted: April 14, 1999              Released: April 22, 1999 

By the Chief, Allocations Branch:

     1.  At the joint request of Triathlon Broadcasting of Omaha Licensee, Inc., licensee of Station
KTNP, Bennington, Nebraska, and Saga Communications of Iowa, Inc., licensee of Station KIOA-
FM, Des Moines, Iowa, the Commission has before it the Notice of Proposed Rule Making, 13 FCC
Rcd 20288 (1998).  The Notice proposed the substitution of Channel 227C3 for Channel 227A at
Bennington and the substitution of Channel 227C1 for Channel 227C at Des Moines, and the
modification of their station's license to specify Channel 227C3 and 227C1, respectively.  Petitioners
filed comments reiterating their intention to apply for their respective channels, if allotted.  No other
comments were received.

     2.  We believe the public interest would be served by allotting Channel 227C3 to Bennington
and Channel 227C1 to Des Moines.  As pointed out in the Notice, the allotment of Channel 227C3
at Bennington will enable Station KTNP to increase the population it serves by 89,095 people, with
the majority of this increase occurring outside of the Omaha Urbanized Area, since the Urbanized
Area already lies within the station's 60 dBu contour.  Further, while the substitution of Channel
227C1 for Channel 227C at Des Moines will result in a loss of service to 6,550 people, the entire loss
area will remain within the service contours of at least five fulltime aural services and thus the people
are considered to be well-served.  As proposed, we will also modify the licenses of Stations KTNP,
Bennington, and KIOA-FM, Des Moines, to specify operation on the new channels.

     3.  Channel 227C1 can be allotted to Des Moines in compliance with the Commission's
minimum distance separation requirements and utilized at Station KIOA-FM's licensed site.  Channel
227C3 can be allotted to Bennington with a site restriction of 15.2 kilometers (9.4 miles) east to
accommodate petitioner's desired transmitter site.

     4.  Accordingly, pursuant to the authority contained in Sections 4(i), 5(c)(1), 303(g) and (r)
and 307(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and Sections 0.61, 0.204(b) and 0.283
of the Commission's Rules, IT IS ORDERED, That effective June 7, 1999, the FM Table of
Allotments, Section 73.202(b) of the Commission's Rules, IS AMENDED, with respect to the
communities listed below, to read as follows:

               City                     Channel No.

               Des Moines, Iowa              227C1, 235C, 247C1,
                                        262C, 273C, 298C1

               Bennington, Nebraska          227C3

     5.  IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, pursuant to Section 316(a) of the Communications Act of
1934, as amended, that the license of Saga Communications of Iowa, Inc., for Station KIOA-FM, Des
Moines, Iowa, IS MODIFIED to specify operation on Channel 227C1, in lieu of Channel 227C, and
Triathlon Broadcasting of Omaha Licensee, Inc., for Station KTNP(FM), Bennington, Nebraska, IS
MODIFIED to specify operation on Channel 227C3 in lieu of Channel 227A, subject to the following
conditions:
 
          (a) Within 90 days of the effective date of this Order, the licensee shall submit to the
     Commission a minor change application for a construction permit (Form 301).

          (b) Upon grant of the construction permit, program tests may be conducted in accordance
     with Section 73.1620.

          (c) Nothing contained herein shall be construed to authorize a change in transmitter location
     or to avoid the necessity of filing an environmental assessment pursuant to Section 1.1307 of
     the Commission's Rules.

     6.  Pursuant to Commission Rule Section 1.1104(1)(k) and (2)(k), any party seeking a change
of community of license of an FM or television allotment or an upgrade of an existing FM allotment,
if the request is granted, must submit a rule making fee when filing its application to implement the
change in community of license and/or upgrade.  As a result of this proceeding, Triathlon
Broadcasting of Omaha Licensee, Inc., licensee of Station KTNP(FM), required to submit a rule
making fee in addition to the fee required for the applications to effect the change in community of
license and/or upgrade.

     7.  IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, That this proceeding IS TERMINATED.

     6.  For further information concerning this proceeding, contact Leslie K. Shapiro, Mass Media
Bureau, (202) 418-2180.

                              FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION




                              John A. Karousos 
                              Chief, Allocations Branch
                              Policy and Rules Division
                              Mass Media Bureau