License renewed, but a fine to pay

Israel G. Ybanez, a sole proprietor, failed to file a license renewal for KYMI-FM Los Ybanez, TX and continued to operate the station for a year or so without a license. Ybanez blames the foul-up on a change of address, which the FCC says was not properly documented with the Commission, resulting in him not receiving notification that a license renewal was due. Ybanez did eventually file for renewal. The FCC has granted that application, but also fined him 3K for failing to file a required form and 4K for operating without a license, for a total of 7K. The FCC noted that operating KYMI without a license did not deserve the same 10K fine normally handed out to pirate stations, since KYMI had been previously licensed to operate on its assigned frequency. 

RBR/TVBR observation: Did you notice the station owner's name being the same as the city of license? According to the Texas State Historical Society, Israel Ybanez bought the site, a former Civilian Conservation Corps camp, from the federal government in 1980, and established his own town, incorporated in 1983 as Los Ybanez.

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