Two noncomms settle with the FCC

Noncommercial licensees are just as subject to fines as commercial ones if they violate FCC rules. So, two noncomm FMs are going to be writing checks to the US Treasury.

In both cases, the licensees have reached consent decrees with the Commission which will end formal proceedings into whether they violated the rules. But, thy must institute and maintain a compliance plan to prevent future violations. And they must mak a “voluntary” contribution to the US Treasury.

The more eggregious case of the two deals with WSPS-FM concord, NH, owned by St. Paul’s School. In the consent decree related to its license renewal, the licensee has stipulated that it violated the Public File Rule in the maintenance of the station’s public file and also violated the Ownership Report Rule. It has agreed to make a voluntary contribution of $10,000 to the US Treasury and to implement and maintain the compliance plan for three years.

For WQRI-FM Bristol, RI , owned by Roger Williams University, the voluntary contribution to the Treasury is $1,700. Its consent decree stipulates that the licensee violated the Public File Rule. It has also agreed to a three year compliance plan to prevent future violations.