FCC Report 1/8: Operating From From Former Site Leads To KYTE’s Cancellation
Deletions
The FCC has dismissed the license renewal and cancelled the license of Yaquina Bay Communications’ 102.7 KYTE Independence OR deeming the license expired as the station did not operate from its licensed facilities for over three years.
Following KYTE’s license renewal application in September 2021, the licensees of 100.7 KPPT-FM Depoe Bay and 102.7 KIEV-LP Camas WA filed objections stating that KYTE was operating from an unauthorized transmitter site that did not provide coverage of Independence and was causing interference to their stations. KYTE had completed a move from Newport OR to Independence in September 2017, but filed an STA in May 2018 stating it was unable to operate from the new site on Bald Mountain “until generator is sent and returned from manufacturer for warranty replacement”. The STA sought to return to its former site on Otter Crest Mountain, which was granted until December 1, 2018. The objectors included spectrum analyzer readings noting that KYTE had continued to operate from Otter Crest beyond the expiration of the STA, which no renewal was ever filed. In a response to a letter of inquiry sent by the FCC, KYTE stated, “due to budget constraints the State of Oregon did not provide power to the site, forcing Licensee to purchase two generators with which to operate its transmitter. However, Licensee mistakenly purchased generators designed as backup and not primary generators, one of which failed and was returned to the manufacturer. The manufacturer advised Licensee that the generator was not designed for primary use, and further advised that it had failed due to the use of bad propane fuel. Licensee’s efforts to rectify the situation with the generator manufacturer, the propane supplier, and its insurer were unsuccessful. Because of the pandemic, Licensee was unable to afford to purchase a new generator, and it further lost its lease to the Bald Mountain Site.” The station claims it has been unable to find another site to provide coverage to Independence and asked for a short-term license renewal so it could find a buyer to reestablish service from Bald Mountain.
As the station’s license was deemed expired for operating with unauthorized facilities for more than 12 months, the FCC has deemed the license of KYTE expired and cancelled. […]
