FCC Has A Fine Day
September 3, 2009: The FCC has hit Real Life Broadcasting with an $18,400 forfeiture order, reduced from $23,000, for a variety of violations at WIFI-AM/Florence, NJ.
Agents from the FCC's office inspected WIFI in April 2007 after complaints were received and and found that it was operating at well over its authorized power. At the WIFI studios, the EAS equipment was found to be incapable of being activated, and no issues/programs lists were in the public inspection file. At WIFI's transmitter site, the FCC agents found that the gates to three of the four structures in the antenna array were open, and the fourth gate was unlocked.
A later reinspection of the EAS equipment showed that the equipment's condition hadn't changed, and another visit to the transmitter site found one gate left unlocked.
Real Life responded to an FCC letter of inquiry by saying it had taken steps to address the issues, but after another complaint in January 2008, agents again found the station operating at excessive power. A main studio inspection again found no issues/programs lists in the public file, but the EAS equipment was tested and was working properly.
The FCC issued a notice of apparent liability for $23,000, to which Real Life responded with a request for reduction or cancellation. The commission rejected most of its arguments, but did drop the fine to $18,400 based on Real Life's history of compliance.
Additionally, Sparta-Tomah Broadcasting has been issued a forfeiture order for $8,800 for excessive power at night and failing to maintain a main studio for WFBZ/Tempeauleau, WI. The fine was reduced from $11,000 based on Sparta-Tomah's history of compliance.
Finally, Pentecostal Temple Development Corp. received a forfeiture order for $5,000 for operating an STL on an unauthorized frequency and other violations at WGBN-AM/New Kensington, PA. The fine was reduced from $15,000 based on PTDC's financial circumstance.
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