FCC Report 1/16: Wahl Wastes The FCC's Time

FCC Seal 2020 Federal Communications CommissionThe proceedings around the license revocation hearings against 93.3 WQZS Meyersdale PA owner Roger Wahl have taken another turn.

A hearing was scheduled for January 13 to determine whether Wahl remains qualified to hold a station license and whether WQZS should be revoked. Wahl failed to respond to any inquiries by the FCC until January 10 when he stated for the first time that he would be unable to attend the virtual conference due to a medical procedure. Wahl failed to request an extension or submitted any records since the hearing was first scheduled in December with the FCC’s Administrative Law Judge Jane Hinckley Halprin writing, “In so doing, he has wasted the time of the Presiding Judge and her staff, the Enforcement Bureau, and the court reporting service that was engaged to prepare a transcript of the conference.” The FCC states a decision regarding the ongoing consideration of this hearing proceeding will be issued at a later date.

Wahl pled guilty in June 2020 to charges of trying to solicit male strangers to rape his female friend facilitated through the radio station.


International Broadcasting Corporation’s 106.5 W293DE Guayama PR has been issued a Notice of Apparent Liability For Forfeiture proposing a $3500 fine. W293DE’s construction permit was set to expire on January 10, 2021 and a license to cover was not filed by that date. On November 10, IBC filed a Petition For Reconsideration showing proof the translator was built prior to the expiration of the CP which was granted reinstating the CP and the license to cover was filed on November 22.

A Notice of Violation has been sent to Dream Ahead the Empowerment Initiative’s 95.5 KLDI-LP Lodi CA for failing to monitor the correct EAS primary station. KLDI was only monitoring 740 KCBS San Francisco, when it was required to be monitoring 1530 KFBK Sacramento as its LP1 and 1420 KSTN Stockton and 92.9 KOSO Patterson as their LP2.

Excel Media’s 105.3 KXXF Winnie and The King’s Musician Educational Foundation’s 88.1 KLBT Beaumont TX have agreed to Consent Decrees for failing to maintain their online public files.

FM Changes

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This story first appeared on radioinsight.com