Eric Rhoads' Blog
FCC Orders Oregon Station To Shut Down
November 18, 2009: The FCC has ordered Oldies KRAT-FM/Altamont, OR, off the air, saying it has no authority to operate and hasn't since a license-renewal application was dismissed in 2007. The application was dismissed under FCC rules that block the granting of applications when an applicant owes the commission money.
That application was purportedly filed by George Wade, but Wade testified in a court case that he was never the licensee and had no idea a license had been issued in his name until IRS investigators told him so. That court case established that Sandra Soho was always the owner and operator of KRAT and had used Wade's name fraudulently to hide income and assets while she was receiving public assistance and food stamps from the state of Oregon.
Soho was ultimately convicted on an number of felony counts and sentenced to 38 months in prison and ordered to pay fines and restitution adding up to about half a million dollars.
The FCC has now informed Soho that that station's license expired on February 1, 2006. KRAT's call letters have been deleted, and the station has been ordered to cease broadcasting immediately.
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