The FCC's Media Bureau has revoked the license held by Cox Broadcast Group, for Talk WCGA-AM/Woodbine, GA -- which is currently off the air -- for failure to pay delinquent regulatory fees owed to the Commission. The agency also dismissed the pending applications for renewal of the station's license. The Commission sent demand More

U.S. Senate Passes the PIRATE Act Boosting Fines to $100K

U.S. Congress

The U.S. Senate has passed the PIRATE Act. The act was introduced in the Senate by Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Gary Peters (D-MI) and unanimously passed the House in February, 2019. Under the Act, any person operating a pirate radio station will be subject to a fine of not more than $100,000 per day of operations and not more than More

FCC Order Reinstates 2016 Quadrennial Media Ownership Rules

FCC

Following the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Prometheus Radio Project v. FCC vacating and remanding the Commission's 2018 Incubator Order and its 2017 Order on Reconsideration, the agency has issued an order reinstating the Newspaper/Broadcast Cross-Ownership Rule, Radio/Television Cross-Ownership Rule, More

FCC Proposes Highest Fine Ever for Pirate Operator in Boston

FCC

The FCC proposed a $453,015 fine against Gerlens Cesar, the operator of an enterprise identifying itself as "Radio TeleBoston," for apparent unlicensed broadcasting. The action marks the largest fine ever proposed by the FCC against a pirate radio operation. The agency says Cesar used three separate transmitters for his unlawful More

Mainstay Station Trust Closes on Sale of WNUQ-FM/Albany GA

Cumulus Media

The Mainstay Station Trust LLC has closed on the sale of Country WNUQ-FM (102.1 Nash Icon)/Albany, GA to Joe Harris Morgan III's Pretoria Fields Collective Media for $90,000. The station will change call letters to WPFQ as "Q102, The Queen Bee" on January 2 under a new undisclosed format. The Mainstay More

FCC Adopts NPRM Allowing AMs to Air All-Digital Signals

FCC

The FCC has adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), allowing AM broadcasters to air an all-digital signal using HD Radio in-band on-channel (IBOC) mode known as MA3. The agency concluded that a voluntary transition to all-digital broadcasting has the potential to benefit AM More

Petition Requests 3rd Circuit Rehearing on Ownership Rules

FCC

NAB along with other radio and TV broadcasters have filed a petition requesting a rehearing by the full Third Circuit Court of Appeals of a challenge to the Commission's 2016 quadrennial review order on broadcast ownership rules. In September, a three-judge panel of the Court vacated More

FCC Commissioner Starks Announces New Legal Advisor

FCC

FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks appoints Austin Bonner as Legal Advisor covering wireline and public safety issues. Bonner most recently served as an associate with the law firm of Harris, Wiltshire, & Grannis LLP, where she practiced with the Communications and Appellate More

FCC Proposes to Revise 74-Year-Old Antenna Site Rules

FCC

The FCC has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), seeking comment on whether it should eliminate or revise the requirements of the Commission's rules, regarding access to FM and TV broadcast antenna sites. Currently the 74-year-old rules prohibit the grant, or renewal, of a More

NABOB Proposes Concentrated Broadcast Industry Initiative

NABOB

Last week, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals vacated and remanded the FCC's 2017 decision, which had relaxed some of its broadcast ownership rules. In doing so the Court said, "We do conclude, however, that the Commission has not shown yet that it adequately considered the effect More

The FCC Proposes Notifying Public of Applications Online

FCC

The FCC is moving to notify the public of applications through the Internet, in conjunction with broadcast announcements, while considering simplifying the rule. In October, 2017, the Commission issued the NPRM to seek comment on whether to update or even eliminate the requirement. More

Court Orders FCC to Better Justify Media Deregulation

The U.S. the Third Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered the FCC to redo and better justify any changes to its media ownership rules in its ruling regarding Prometheus Radio Project vs. FCC. The decision vacated and remanded FCC action relaxing media consolidation limits because of More

FCC Issues Notice of Violation to WAZY-FM/Lafayette IN

FCC

The FCC has hit Star City Broadcasting's WAZY-FM/Lafayette, IN, with a Notice of Violation after Enforcement Bureau's Chicago Office inspected WAZY and found was operating at 88.2% of its authorized transmitter power. The agency says that FM stations authorized for an output power More

FCC Postpones Open of 2019 Biennial Filing Window to Nov. 1

FCC

The Media Bureau has postponed the opening of the 2019 biennial filing window for the submission of broadcast ownership reports on FCC Form 323 and 323-E from October 1 to November 1, 2019, and extends the filing deadline from December 1 to January 31. All licensees of More

Saga Petition Seeks to Deny Five Virginia LPFM Renewals

FCC

In a filing with the FCC, Saga Communications is alleging that five low power FMs in Charlottesville, VA, are breaking number of the Commission's rules and is asking the agency to deny their license renewals. Saga claims that four LPFMs in Charlottesville and one in Ruckersville are More

FCC Proposes All Filings Should be Made Electronically

FCC

This FCC has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that continues to builds on its modernization efforts. The Commission has made significant strides in recent years toward modernizing its legacy filing, communications, and information retention systems by improving More