Size is not a factor when it comes to following the most basic FCC rules. With platoons of employees listing centuries worth of cumulative broadcast experience on their resumes, the biggest radio company in the history of the world has nonetheless been caught with its public files down. Well, not down so much as incomplete. And it wasn't all small, out of the way stations, either. Six stations were caught in the FCC's dragnet, all with various file omissions. Three were hit with 10K fines, including WHJY-FM Providence, WZKF-FM Louisville (Salem IN) and WKCI-FM New Haven (Hamden CT). Getting off a bit easier, at 4K a pop, were WKLB-FM Detroit, WJMN-FM Boston and KABQ-FM Albuquerque (Santa Fe NM). For those of you keeping score at home, that adds up to a total of 42K.
SmartMedia observation: For all we know, 42K is what the Lowry Mays' outfit spends each month on non-dairy creamer. But we have no doubt that Clear Channel can think of many uses for the cash other than helping to defray the national debt. We again remind everybody to have at least two or more people at each station who know what goes into the file and are responsible for making sure it remains up to date. 42K may not be a major setback to CCU, but it sure might be to a little mom and pop station in a town with one traffic light, which is every bit as susceptible to this kind of assessment as Clear Channel is.
