FCC Actions

At its March Open Meeting, the FCC intends to vote on the removal of a number “outdated procedures” and to codify current practices.

Among the rules that will be brought up to vote for the commissioners are rules that limit initial technical STA filings to be for 90 day periods as opposed to 180 days and requiring a minimum of a 20% increase in power for AM facility modifications. The majority of the additional changes are done to update or remove rules no longer in use such as updating AM station classifications to match current international agreements, define “authorized stations” for LPFM applications to include both licensed stations and unbuilt CPs, removing any CDBS references with LMS, removing the rule that limited applications at ten for the 2021 non-commercial filing window, codify the rules for non-comm FM, TV and LPFM applications regarding how to give local public notice of their applications, and consolidate rules for filing petitions to deny against license renewals.

The FCC is requesting an amendment to iHeartMedia’s application to change the COL on 96.3 WROV-FM Martinsville VA to New Market VA.

The application stated that the proposed modification of an intra-urbanized area move within the Roanoke urbanized area would be a preferential arrangement of allotments as it would increase the population within the proposed 60 dBu (74,208 persons) and 70 dBu (10,518 persons) contours. The FCC found that their analysis found that the population gain was based on the allotment coordinates, which is inconsistent with its Rural Radio policy as it should be calculated using the transmitter coordinates for both the existing and proposed facilities. Their analysis found that the modification would provide additional service to 9,942 within the 70 dBu contour, but a loss of 137,657 in the 60 dBu. iHeartMedia was requested to amend their application within 30 days to correct all deficiencies otherwise the application will be dismissed.

The FCC granted the transfer of 50% of Legend Communications from Susan Patrick to her ex-husband Larry Patrick following her conviction and sentencing to 15 months in prison for filing a false tax return.

During the criminal investigation, Larry Patrick testified that Susan Patrick had moved out of their home in January 2023 with a note stating she was dealing “unstated issues that required all her attention in the near future”. Legend owns 4 AMs, 13 FMs, and 6 translators across Northern Wyoming. Following her guilty plea in August 2023, he first learned of the plea agreement on September 1 leading to him starting a divorce proceeding and being granted a temporary restraining order against her in regards to any operations with Legend. As part of the divorce settlement, he acquired her share of the stations for $1.

The commission determined that Legend qualified for an exemption to its regular policies that prohibits the assignment or transfer of control of a station license or licenses when character qualification issues are pending against the licensee, in this case Susan Patrick becoming a convicted felon, as she will not financially profit from the transfer, Larry Patrick was considered to be found to be not involved in the tax fraud, and the transfer would be in the public interest.

The FCC entered into a consent decree with Multicultural Association of Southern Oregon’s 89.5 KSKQ Ashland OR including a $5000 civil penalty to renew the license for the station following allegations of multiple commercial advertisements airing on the station.

While the commission found the two complaints were procedurally defective as petition’s to deny and as informal objections failed to contain adequate and specific factual allegations
sufficient to warrant the cancellation of the license, one of the objections provided eleven recordings of which nine violated the underwriting laws.

License Cancellations

As part of the completion of their upgrade of Spanish Christian 1490 KBRO Bremerton/Seattle WA seeks to move to 1480 with an upgrade from 1kW to 5kW day/12 watts night, Iglesia Pentecostal Vispera del Fin has turned in the license of 1480 KNTB Lakewood/Tacoma.

Dockins Broadcast Group turned in the licenses of Rock “106.7 The Zone” KDKN Ellington MO and “92.1 The Zone” WPRY-FM Perry FL

Just three months after closing on its purchase of 590 KLIS Wood River IL/St. Louis MO, Big Toe Media has surrendered the license.

Cumulus Media turned in the licenses for 920 WYMB Manning SC, 1450 KIKR Beaumont and 1510 KBED Nederland TX as each were set to reach one year of silence.

The FCC cancelled the CP for Peebles Broadcasting Group’s 105.1 KHHE-FM Haynesville LA after its tolling expired.

Silent Notifications

• Crawford Broadcasting’s 1260 WYDE Birmingham AL (Seeking viable sales/programming options)
• Crawford Broadcasting’s 92.5 WYDE-FM Cullman AL (Seeking viable sales/programming options
• El Dorado Broadcasting’s 560 KBLU Yuma AZ (Financial reasons)
• Moreno Equities’ 1210 KQEO Fowler CA (Loss of power at transmitter site)
• Gold Coast Broadcasting’s 1520 KVEN Port Hueneme CA (Pattern/power switch malfunction)
• Dockins Broadcast Group’s 96.5 WJTK Columbia City FL (Tower issues)
• Sutton Radiocasting’s 96.3 WTOC-FM Clayton GA (Complete move to 95.7 Toccoa)
• Community Service Broadcasting Foundation’s 88.1 KCQA Anaholi HI (Pending license transfer and relocation)
• Horizon Christian Fellowship’s 90.1 WRYP Wellfleet MA (Antenna system damaged in blizzard)
• Pioneer Public Broadcasting Company’s 89.1 KNNZ Hawley MN (Silent since September 2025 following death of owner in July)
• Dick Broadcasting’s 101.1 WQZL Belhaven NC (Financial constraints)
• The College of Staten Island’s 88.9 WSIA Staten Island NY (Phone lines to transmitter damaged in snowstorm)
• Iglesia Casa de Milagros’s 88.3 KBDM Boardman OR (Loss of power to transmitter)
• WTRB Inc.’s 1570 WTRB Ripley TN (Financial reasons)
• Mud Radio LLC’s 1490 WFAD Middlebury VT (Loss of tower site)
• Intelli LLC’s 1550 KKOV Vancouver WA (Financial reasons)
• Disruptor Radio’s 102.7 WGYE Mannington WV (storm damage)

FM Changes

Broadcast Communications’ 92.3 WKTQ Oakland MD applies to move to Chalkhill PA