Opus Broadcasting Monroe thinks there are too many Holladay’s operating in the Monroe LA market, and that’s a good reason to turn down a proposed sale to one of them by a third party. Clay Holladay’s Radio Monroe has applied to acquire KONE-FM from Noe Radio Enterprises. Opus’s concern is that Clay’s brother Robert Holladay already has a maxed-out 2-AM/4-FM cluster under licensee name Holladay Broadcasting Louisiana. Opus does not expect that Clay will effectively compete with Robert, and as further evidence, notes that Clay sold a Monroe station to Robert for one dollar back in 1998. The ownership rules, however, are based on ownership, not familial relationships. Despite this unavoidable fact, the FCC does have a seven-pronged family-relationship test that it applied to Clay’s plan to operate in the same market as his brother. The bottom line was that Opus could not prove any collusive activity, neither planned nor executed, nor could the FCC find any evidence. Meanwhile, the Holladays testified that there would be no collusion. FCC said if it ever discovers such activity it will act, but in its current absence, the deal from Noe to Clay Holladay is approved.
