FCC Administrative Law Judge Jane Hinckley Halprin has dismissed the license hearing against Oldies 93.3 WQZS Meyersdale PA owner Roger Wahl for his failure to participate.
Wahl pled guilty in July 2020 to felony charges of trying to solicit male strangers to rape his female friend facilitated through WQZS, with the FCC designating the station for a hearing on whether he possesses the requisite character qualifications to remain a Commission licensee in October 2021. Wahl chose to not utilize a lawyer and through the course of the proceedings failed to follow orders issued by the Judge or deadlines set.
Judge Halprin noted that due to Wahl’s health issues she gave extra time for Wahl to submit required documents writing in her order, “It appears that Mr. Wahl has recovered sufficiently to resume his radio broadcasts, but has made no filings in response to outstanding discovery requests, motions, and orders.In any event, there is no evidence that medical issues were the cause of Mr. Wahl’s failures in this case or that he would have acquitted himself any better had he been in robust physical health. Mr. Wahl has held the FCC license for WQZS(FM) for 30 years. He is therefore well-acquainted with the responsibilities of a radio licensee and should be cognizant of the gravity of having one’s license designated for a revocation hearing. He has chosen, however, to participate in this hearing only selectively. The Presiding Judge takes no pleasure in causing a Commission license to be revoked without a full airing of substantive issues, but it is her duty to administer hearings ‘as will best conduce to the proper dispatch of business and the ends of justice.’ Given the direction this hearing has taken, as illustrated herein, the only logical course left to her is to find that Mr. Wahl has waived his opportunity to participate and, as a result, to terminate this proceeding.”
The FCC will now be free to determine whether revoke WQZS’s license.
This story first appeared on radioinsight.com