FCC Actions

The FCC has issued a proposed rulemaking to revise various regulations “to update our rules to better reflect current application processing requirements, clarify and harmonize provisions, and remove references to outdated procedures and legacy filing systems”.

The biggest change would eliminate the requirement that AM stations request at least a 20% increase in nominal power when proposing a power upgrade. Most of the other proposed changes are designed to clean up language in the rules such as replacing references to CDBS with LMS, updating form names, removing obsolete application processing language, revise the renewal application petition to deny rule, and revise the informal objection rule to require that pleasings be served upon the relevant applicant and objector.

The full rulemaking can be read here.

Pirate Actions

In November 2023, nine property owners in the Boston area were issued Notices of Illegal Pirate Radio Broadcasting due to they or tenants of theirs engaging in unauthorized broadcasts. In April, fines were proposed against six of them for violation of the PIRATE Act. Now the FCC is issuing Forfeiture Orders against three of the pirates in Brockton.

A $120,000 fine was issued to Renaldo David’s “Lotnivo FM” on 101.9 in Brockton. FCC agents first visited the site in July 2023 when David agreed to cease operation, but the station was then visited as operating in December 2023. $40,000 fines went to Djovany Pierre and Mario Turner’s “Radio Tele Brockton” and “Brockton Heat” 96.5 Brockton and Joao Vieira’s “Brockton FM” on 102.1 in Brockton. None of the operators responded to the FCC’s previous notices.

License Cancellations

Sherman Broadcasting Corporation’s 1030 WOSO San Juan PR has been cancelled following an FCC investigation into its operational status as part of its pending license renewal application.

FCC representatives visited the station’s studio and transmitter site in June noting it was off the air and the station’s phone line was no longer in service. In a response to an FCC letter, owner Sherman Wildman noted that the station’s studios were vandalized by the owner of the building in July 2020 and then ceased operations in August 2021 due to ongoing damage from natural disasters, lack of restored utilities, and his health conditions. The FCC noted that the station also made misrepresentations regarding its operating status in six STA extensions filed since July 2020, but since they are cancelling the license they will not pursue the matter, rather just requiring Sherman Broadcasting Corporation and its principals to alert the FCC of the matter in any application it files with for the next five years.

Notradio Spanish News/Talk 1300 WTIL Mayaguez has quickly applied for the WOSO call letters.

Montana State University – Billings has surrendered its Construction Permit for a Class C3 on 91.1 in West Glendive MT.

Silent Notifications

• Shields-Adkins Broadcasting’s 93.5 KBKG Corning AR (Financial considerations)
• Emerald Wave Media’s 1600 KTAP Santa Maria CA (Loss of tower site)
• Polnet Communications’ 1300 WRDZ La Grange IL (Transmitter inoperable)
• Alpha Media’s 1480 KLMS Lincoln NE (Loss of tower site)
• Reno Media Group’s 1270 KBZZ Sparks NV (Mouse infestation damaged transmitter power supply)
• Iglesia Pentecostal Vispera Del Fin’s 1060 KDYL South Salt Lake UT (Tower wiring & light replacement needed)

AM Changes

iHeartMedia’s “Fox Sports 940” WINZ Miami proposes to eliminate five of the six towers utilized in its nighttime array. The one remaining tower will be utilized to retain the station’s current 50kW non-directional daytime array, but night power will drop from 10kW directional to 16 watts non-directional.

FM Changes

Ellensburg Radio Broadcasting’s 95.3 KXLE-FM Ellensburg WA applies to move into Yakima with an upgrade from a Class C3 to C1 from the tower of EMF’s 103.1 KYKV and Townsquare Media’s 107.3 KFFM with 40kW/432m.

Ahead of its pending acquisition, East Carolina Radio Inc. has proposed to relocate 92.3 WZPR Nags Head and 104.1 WCXL Kill Devil Hills NC. WZPR will downgrade from a Class C3 to a Class A with 3kW/96m. WCXL will drop from a Class C1 to C3 with 9kW/124.5m.

Contemporary Communications’ 101.5 KZYQ Eudora AR applies to upgrade from a Class A to C3 increasing power from 6kW to 15kW/100m.

Growing Christian Foundation’s 89.3 KOPL Omak WA also applies to upgrade from a Class A to C3 with 200w/781m.

Chehalis Valley Educational Foundation’s 90.5 KACS Chehalis WA proposes to modify its CP to upgrade from a Class A to C2 to change towers on the same mountaintop with 700w/697m.

West Central Michigan Media Ministries’ CP for 89.7 WSHG South Haven MI seeks to move to 91.7 with 150w/45m.

Translator Changes

Primary Station Changes

With KLMS going silent, Alpha Media AC “Mix 103.3” K277CA Lincoln NE is now being fed by 106.3 KFRX-HD2 Lincoln.

With the closing of their purchase of 94.7 K234CE Sedalia and 96.9 K245BO Warrensburg MO, Townsquare Media has filed to change the parent station to News/Talk 1050 KSIS Sedalia. Both translators have gone silent until the relocation to a new transmitter site is completed.

Educational Media Foundation’s 90.9 W215CH Grand Ledge/Lansing MI has changed parent signal to 107.3 WKFV-HD4 Clinton NC as the translator begins running Gateway Creative Broadcasting’s Christian Hip Hop “Boost Radio” programming.

Hope Media Group’s 96.7 W244BD Stuart FL changes parent from 88.1 WAYF West Palm Beach to its HD2 running Spanish Christian “Vida Unida“.

Call Letter Changes

88.9 NEW Pinedale WY -> KJUW (effective 12/17)
89.1 NEW Shelby MI -> WDRZ (effective 12/12)
89.9 KLUI Unalakleet AK -> KLIU (effective 12/19)
89.9 NEW Coloma CA -> KFOS (effective 12/19)
89.9 NEW Tonopah NV -> KHIQ (effective 12/18)
90.1 WLSW Scottdale PA -> WLWS (effective 12/15)
90.1 NEW Goldfield NV -> KXXS (effective 12/18)
90.5 NEW Bishop CA -> KQMB (effective 12/18)
90.5 NEW Matewan WV -> WXRP (effective 12/19)
90.9 NEW Rocky Mount VA -> WJIJ (effective 12/15)
91.3 NEW Kermit WV -> WVTP (effective 12/19)
91.7 NEW Olive Hill KY -> WNYX (effective 12/19)
94.3 NEW Wilkerson CA -> KAZB (effective 12/18)
94.3 WZOC Plymouth IN -> WYRX-FM (effective 12/17)
103.9 WKHB-FM Uniontown PA -> WLSW (effective 12/15)
1300 WTIL Mayaguez PR -> WOSO (effective 12/17)