The FCC will give AM stations that won the 2017 and 2018 auctions for new translators who Construction Permits are set to expire on or before June 30, 2021 the ability to file for up to six month extensions to their CP if they specify how the COVID-19 pandemic or the economic impact of the pandemic has prevented timely construction.
The agency states that any Auction 99 or 100 permittee seeking a waiver of its construction deadline due to the COVID-19 pandemic should submit a waiver request detailing its circumstances no later than 15 days prior to the construction permit’s expiration date, and may request a deadline extension of no more than six months. Waiver requests must be in the form of a letter submitted by e-mail addressed either to Robert Gates (Robert.Gates@fcc.gov) or Larry Hannif-Ali (Larry.Hannif-Ali@fcc.gov) of the Media Bureau, Audio Division. Waiver requests should not be submitted through the Licensing and Management System (LMS), and do not require a filing fee. The showing of proof may include such evidence as financial statements demonstrating the pandemic’s economic impact on the individual permittee; affidavits or other evidence of the unavailability of components or tower crews; or copies of equipment orders.
The FCC has dismissed Discount Legal’s petition for reconsideration seeking the FCC to authorize “secondary grants” in mutually exclusive (MX) FM radio noncommercial educational (NCE) groups, after the initial resolution of the MX applications.
The FCC continues to reach consent decrees with operators over missing documents from their online political files. Each of the groups have agreed to admission of liability and compliance plans:
- Apple City Broadcasting licensee of WACB Taylorsville NC
- Christian Broadcasting System Ltd. licensee of WCVX Florence KY
- Crestview Broadcasting licensee of WJSB and WAAZ-FM Crestview FL
- Eastern Broadcasting Company licensee of WFSR and WTUK Harlan KY
- Hubbard Broadcasting’s 13 holding companies and 61 stations
- Iredell Broadcasting licensee of WSIC Statesville NC
- Magic Broadcasting II LLC licensee of WYOO Springfield FL
- Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa licensee of WFFN Coaling and WTBC Tuscaloosa AL
- WSJM Inc. licensee of WNSN and WSBT South Bend IN
The FCC has also cancelled the consent decrees with Sumter Broadcasting, Liberty In Christ Jesus Ministry, W&V Broadcasting, Thornburg Communications and SummitMedia after the licensees showed they substantially complied with their political file obligations.
Deletions
Ahead of the one year deadline to return to operations, Cornell College has surrendered the license for 89.7 KRNL-FM Mount Vernon IA. KRNL-FM went silent in September 2019 after a power surge damaged the station’s tower, console, EAS, and other equipment.