Among the full power television responsibilities that come with an LPTV’s upgrade to Class A status is the requirement to report to the FCC on children’s programming carried on the station on a quarterly basis. Failure to meet this requirement has been causing a number of Class As to revert back to LPTV this year.
The latest station to have its Class A status put in jeopardy is W28AJ Allingtown CT, licensed to Paging Associates Inc.
It failed to get its Form 398 Children’s Television Programming Report into the FCC for seven out of eight quarters in 2010 and 2011.
This year, the FCC twice sent the station letters of inquiry on the matter, neither of which were answered. Further, the FCC said the station is continuing its pattern of not filing its Form 398.
It is now ordered to show cause why it should not be downgraded to LPTV status.
Such a downgrade will cost the station certain regulatory protections enjoyed by Class As and not by LPTVs, and could have severe consequences at a time when the FCC is preparing to repack channels in advance of incentive auctions.
