FCC Report 4/14: SBS Hit With $8000 Fine For Los Angeles Contest Penalty

[Colorado Media Newsroom]

From Radio Insight:

FCC Actions

Spanish Broadcasting System’s Spanish CHR “Mega 96.3” KXOL-FM Los Angeles has been issued a proposed forfeiture of $8,000 for violating the FCC’s contest regulations.
A complaint sent to the commission alleged that KXOL-FM failed to award a $396 cash prize tia a winner un a timely manner. The person won a contest in October 24, 2019 and the contest terms stated the winner would be issued their prize within 30 business days of them completing all necessary documents. They completed the documents on January 16, 2020, but did not receive their winnings until May 2021.
SBS admitted in the FCC investigations that there was an “undue delay” in issuing the prizes from the “Mega Bomba” contest that ran from July 18 to October 25 of 2019. SBS stated that the delay was caused by three circumstances: 1) They lost the ability to process payments at the on-set of the COVID-19 pandemic and transition to work-from-home, 2) A ransomware attack that disabled their corporate IT systems from OCtober 2020 to March 2021, and the lack of necessary staff following the ransomware attack.

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The FCC has upheld its proposed $16,500 penalty against against Shelby Broadcast Associates? 98.3 W252BE Tarrant AL following petitions to deny against its license renewal and proposed 2020 sale to Riviera Communications for willfully and repeatedly operating the translator at variance from its license without authorization, willfully failing to timely file for special temporary authorization, and willfully failing to disclose material information regarding such unauthorized operation.
The FCC notds that W252BE has operated with parameters at variance from its authorization since November 8, 2015 which have been unauthorized since its STA expired on November 19, 2016. Another STA was filed for in 2018 with Shelby later admitting that both STAs were filed with ?inaccurate technical information? as it was operating with an incorrect antenna height. Shelby also certified in its renewal application that ?there had been no violations by the licensee? during its previous term.
Shelby then submitted a response where it did not dispute it violated the FCC’s rules but agrued that the fine should be cancelled or reduced based on its inability to pay as the amount is significant in comparison to their gross revenue and expenses submitting tax returms from 2020-2022 in their defense. Thae FCC noted that “substantial economic gain” is a factor that warrants upward adjustment of a penalty stating that Shelby has a pending sale to Riviera Communications for$184,000, which makes the fine only 8.9% of the purchase price
Pirate Actions

Notices of Illegal Pirate Radio Broadcasting have been issued to Donald and Theresa Bell of Beacon NY for a pirate signal on 88.5 Beacon and to Cesar Ascarrunz of San Francisco CA for a pirate signal on 89.7 San Francisco CA.
License Cancellations

Legend Communications has turned in the licenses of News/Talk 1270 KIML and 107.5 K298CT Gillette WY.
After giving 91.9 KONQ Dodge City KS to the Kanza Society last year, Dodge City Community College has surrendered the license of Sports “1550 The Sports Hound” KDCC Dodge City.
AM/FM/Translator Modifications

As we are traveling in Las Vegas for NAB 2024, the modification filings will return next week.
Call Letter Changes

96.9 KQRB Effingham KS -> KOZA (effective 6/10)
101.5 KJHM Watkins CO -> KSRC (effective 4/15)
106.3 WJSE North Cape May NJ -> WKOE (effective 5/20)



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