W14CK Newport VT used to be a Class A television station, but after failing to respond to a series of FCC inquiries, it is now a standard low power television station, with fewer responsibilities but also fewer protections.
The station is licensed to SMC Communications Inc.
The path to the downgrade is the same traversed by numerous former Class As. The station failed to file Form 398 reports on children’s programming. The FCC asked about the whereabouts of the reports on two separate occasions, and on two separate occasions received no reply.
The FCC then asked the station’s licensee to show cause why it should not receive the downgrade, and again received no response.
It is now officially an LPTV.
Class As are expected to have greater rights than LPTVs prior to the upcoming incentive auction program. Some have speculated that the FCC’s inquiries into Class A adherence to the rules may be tied to clearing some space in the TV band prior to channel repacking.
