CEDAR FALLS - KUNI is broadcasting at low power after a burned-out transmission line knocked the public radio station off air for more than a week.

Listeners in the Cedar Valley, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque and parts of Iowa City now can receive a signal, while the Quad Cities and parts of Des Moines are still without the station.

When weather finally allowed out-of-state crews to scale the 1,700-foot line and install a temporary auxiliary antenna, crews found more extensive damage than expected, said Wayne Jarvis, Iowa Public Radio's director of network operations.

IPR hopes to ramp up to full power by early March, he said. Crews will need seven days of good weather conditions to make repairs, and new parts need to be manufactured.

The likely source of the damage is either parts failure or improper installation, though the 125-foot antenna at the top of the line appears undamaged, he said.

The problems are a particularly disappointing blow to IPR because it installed a new $200,000 transmission line last summer that was expected to last at least a decade. The station experienced a series of burnouts following an ice storm last winter.

"The sadness for us is we got an industry leader to do the design, manufacturing and installation. We felt we got the best replacement line that we could," Jarvis said.

IPR stations affected include KUNI 90.9 FM, and repeater frequencies at KDMR 88.9 FM and KUNI 101.7 FM in Des Moines, KDUB 89.7 FM and KUNI 98.7 FM in Dubuque and KUNI 94.5 FM and KUNI 102.1 FM in the Quad Cities.

Contact Jens Manuel Krogstad

at (319) 291-1580 or

jens.krogstad@wcfcourier.com.