Northshire Communications Inc. Alternative 102.7 WEQX Manchester VT will pay a $5000 penalty as part of a Consent Decree over an improper transfer of control from the Estate of A. Brooks Brown to Melinda Brown. The FCC found that Melinda Brown had acquired 50% of the company without prior FCC authorization and that the company failed to file the involuntary transfer of control application within 30 days of his death as required.
The FCC has entered a Consent Decreee with Durlyn Broadcasting Co’s “Magic 95.9” WPNC-FM Plymouth NC and issued a $500 fine for failing to timely file their 2019 license renewal application over three months late and for not uploading any issues and programs list to their online public file.
Mount Vernon Broadcasting LLC’s 1580 WJXO Chattahoochee FL has entered into a Consent Decree for failing to maintain its online public file.
The FCC has issued a reminder to licensees of commercial and non-commercial full power television, Class A television, low power television, AM radio, and FM radio stations that the window to file their biennial ownership reports will open on October 2 noting, “Reporting such information has long been a fundamental obligation of broadcast licensees. The accurate, and timely, filing of ownership information is critical to ensuring that the public knows who owns, operates, and controls broadcast stations. Additionally, accurate and timely ownership information is crucial to an understanding of the broadcast industry as a whole, including an understanding of the diversity and multiplicity of owners.”
Pirate Actions
The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued warnings to nine property owners and managers in the Miami area for allowing illegal broadcasting from their properties.
The recipients of the warnings were:
- Royal Point Condominium Association, Inc. – 87.9 Lauderdale Lakes
- Promenade Plaza LLC – 89.1 Lauderhill
- Black Marlin Properties, Inc. – 89.5 Fort Lauderdale
- Dion D. Robin and Delbreanna O. Robin – 89.5 North Miami
- Lago Palma MHC, LLC – 90.1 Lake Worth
- DRT Development LLC – 90.1 North Miami
- Marie Esperance – 90.1 North Miami
- Sherria Elliott – 97.7 Miami
- Gusman and Silvana Luberisse – 100.9 Boynton Beach
The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau today issued nine warnings to landowners and property managers in the Miami area for apparently allowing illegal broadcasting from their properties. The FCC may issue a fine exceeding $2 million if it determines that a party continues to permit any individual or entity to engage in pirate radio broadcasting from any property that they own or manage.
“Providing a safe haven for pirate radio operations that can interfere with licensed broadcast signals and fail to provide emergency alert system notifications can have serious consequences for landowners and property managers that allow this conduct to occur on their properties,” said Loyaan A. Egal, Chief of the Enforcement Bureau. “I want to thank our field agents for their continued efforts to ensure compliance with federal law in this area.”
The Notices of Illegal Pirate Radio Broadcasting sent today target properties identified by Enforcement Bureau field agents as sources of pirate radio transmissions. These notices formally notify landowners and property managers of the illegal broadcasting activity occurring on their property; inform landowners and property managers of their potential liability for permitting such activity to occur on their property; demand proof that the illegal broadcasting has ceased on the property; and request identification of the individual(s) engaged in the illegal broadcasting.
The PIRATE Act provides the FCC with additional enforcement authority, including higher penalties against pirate radio broadcasters of up to inflation-adjusted amounts of $115,802 per day with a maximum of $2,316,034. In addition to tougher fines on violators, the law requires the FCC to conduct periodic enforcement sweeps and grants the Commission authority to take enforcement action against landlords and property owners that willfully and knowingly permit pirate radio broadcasting on their properties.
License Cancellations
After going off the air at the end of 2022, due to lack of profitability and auxiliary transmitter failure, Townsquare Media has turned in the license of 1360 WYOS Binghamton NY.
After taking it silent last October after running on low power for a year following the failure of its RF module, Family Life Broadcasting System surrendered the license of 920 KFLB Odessa TX.
Educational Communications of Colorado Springs, Inc.’s 90.9 KRJX Rifle CO had its license expire after going silent on July 1, 2022.
Silent Notifications
- Common Frequency Inc.’s 91.5 KZCF Atwater CA (Preparing license transfer)
- American Hope Communications’ 1480 WPFR Terre Haute IN (Transmitter failure)
- Prayers For Life Inc.’s 89.3 WQPH Shirley MA (Transmitter failure)
- Penfold Communications’ 91.3 KYJC Commerce TX (Building new CP)
- Carlos Lopez’s 1300 KHTW Lumberton TX (Technical problems)
- North Texas Radio Group’s 94.5 KLUV Oakwood TX (Loss of programming)
AM Changes
MGR Media’s Conservative Talk 1260 KPOW Powell WY seeks
This story first appeared on radioinsight.com