FCC Actions
A $14,000 penalty has been proposed against Audacy for failing to conduct a contest in accordance with its announced terms and thus apparently violating FCC contest regulations.
The FCC received a complaint in regard to a “National Cash Contest” held by Audacy from March 11 through April 16, 2021 on 194 stations once per weekday hour between 7am and 6pm local time. People who submitted the correct keyword were to entered into a drawing for one $1000 winner each hour for a total of 297 total winners. Winners were to be selected “on or about the next business day” with winners notified within 72 hours of being selected and prized mailed out within 8-12 weeks of the receipt of all required documents from the winner.
Following the FCC inquiry and an internal review, Audacy admits that human error affected operation of the contest noting that in some instances a part-time employee charged with selecting the winners never did so, their manager had not provided oversight to ensure the winners were selected, and some winners were never notified of their selection. Audacy admitted to 50 out of 297 possible winners were never chosen or notified. The company says it took measures in October and November of 2021 to award replacement winners and that all 297 prizes were awarded.
The FCC has upheld the cancellation of KASA Radio Hogar’s 1540 KASA Phoenix AZ while conditionally restoring the license of its former translator 106.7 K294CW Phoenix.
KASA’s license was deemed expired as it failed to file an extension of its STA in December 2022 meaning it then was silent without authority or operating from unauthorized locations for over a year, while the translator was originating its own programming. The translator’s license was cancelled at that time, but in the petition for reconsideration it was noted that the Operating Condition permanently tying it to KASA was mistakenly placed there by the FCC when it was acquired in 2021 as it was a 250 mile move and had previously fulfilled its condition to rebroadcast KASA for four years.
However, as the investigation into KASA and K294CW was started by an interference complaint by Entravision following its move of 106.9 KDVA (now KFUE) Buckeye to 106.7, the FCC is not immediately restoring the license of K294CW. Instead, KASA Radio Hogar was given 60 days to file a modification application for the translator that will eliminate any interference to KFUE and all other stations as well a a plan identifying the procedures it pledges to follow in response to complaints of actual interference. After a 30 day comment period, the commission will also consider what penalty if any would be appropriate for the prior programming origination of the translator as well.
The FCC has approved Hispanic Target Media’s proposed rulemaking substituting a new allocation for a Class C1 on 104.9 for the current vacant allocation on 94.9 in Canadian TX. The change allowed the grant of the application for Hispanic Target Media to move Regional Mexican “Radio Amigo” 106.1 KPQP Panhandle to 94.9 at a site closer to Amarillo with 25kW/99.8m.
Carolina University has been issued a fine of $4875 for the late filing of its license renewal application for 94.7 W234CZ Chattanooga TN. W234CZ was supposed to file its renewal application by April 1, 2020 ahead of its August 1 expiration. The renewal was then filed on February 16, 2024. After a $6500 penalty was proposed last month, the licensee argued that the penalty should be reduced because it was an “inadvertent mistake” and based on their “long history of compliance with FCC rules”. The commission rejected the first argument as inadvertent errors are still willful violations, but reduced the fine on their previous compliance.
An Order To Pay or Show Cause has been issued to Holmes County Broadcasting Company’s 102.5 WAGR-FM Lexington and 1000 WXTN Benton MS for failure to pay delinquent regulatory fees and associated interest, administrative costs, and penalties. WAGR-FM currently owes $9062.22 in fees from 2013 through 2023, with WXTN owing $9825.07 for the same timeframe.
License Cancellations
The license of James Dalke’s 1460 KARR Kirkland/Seattle WA has been deemed expired as the station exceeded over one calendar year silent. KARR went silent in May 2023 and never resumed operation with its last STA filed in December 2023.
El Dorado Broadcasting has surrendered the license of 910 KMPS Hesperia CA. KMPS had been simulcasting Regional Mexican “La X 103.1” KXVV Victorville.
Silent Notifications
- Christopher Johnson’s 880 WAMI Opp AL (Transmitter failure)
- WGHN Inc.’s 1370 WGHN Grand Haven MI (Transmitter site sold)
- Michigan Technological University’s 91.9 WMTU-FM Houghton MI (Roof repairs)
- Faith Broadcasting’s 1320 KHRT Minot ND (Determining whether to retain license)
- Faith Broadcasting’s 106.9 KHRT-FM Minot ND (Determining whether to retain license)
- VCY America’s 91.7 WJIC Zanesville OH (Transmitter failure)
- Siga Broadcasting Corporation’s 1540 KGBC Galveston TX (Loss of programming & internet connection)
- Alex Media’s 92.9 KPUT Mona UT (Transmitter issue)
