RadioInsight - FCC Report 10/20: Billings Upgrade Removed To Allow New Allotment

FCC Actions

The FCC approved SSR Communications petition to amend the FM Table of Allotments to add a new Class A allocation on 104.7 in Huntley MT. To grant to allocation, Benedetti Media Group Rock “105.1 The Bone” KYSX Billings was issued an Order To Show Cause as to why it shouldn’t be reclassified as a Class A on 105.1 after being reallocated a a Class C1 on 104.5 in 2006, although the station hasn’t had an active application to make that move since 2012. After two inquiries were returned by mail undelivered, owner Pete Benedetti told FCC staff by phone he consented to keeping KYSX as a Class A on 105.1 and approving the grant of the 104.7 petition.

The commission has resolved two of the remaining MX from the non-commercial filing window following informal objections as it grants Construction Permits to Remanente Broadcasting Network for a Class B on 91.1 in Boron CA over applications from Cedar Broadcasting and Nevada Public Radio and q Class C1 on 88.5 in Moroni UT over an application from the University of Utah.

The grants followed an objection from Triangle Access Broadcasting as two of Remanente’s directors, Dr. Edith Gonzalez Werner and Delia Gloria Gonzalez previously served on the boards of two LPFM licenses simultaneously against LPFM rules and alleging that the licensees filed inaccurate information with the
FCC to conceal such interests. Remanente states that both were not aware that they could serve as directors of two LPFMs simultaneously until after they resigned in August 2021 in order to apply for the non-commercial stations. As they resigned from the LPFM boards before applying for the stations, the FCC found no violation of having interest in an LPFM and full-power license simultaneously, but did enter into a Consent Decree with Cadena Radial Remanente, the licensee of one of the the LPFMs in question over their violation between 2018 and 2021.