Hefty fine for 12 Watt FM stands

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MoneyLast October, the $22K assessed to WHPR-FM Highland Park MI for various infractions was a Notice of Apparent Liability. It has now graduated to Forfeiture Order status.


The station, which is in the Detroit market and is licensed to R.J.’s Late Night Entertainment Corporation, was initially investigated for operating from a transmitter location that was about a half mile from its licensed location.

As often happens, that investigation led to the discovery of additional infractions – in this case, the lack of EAS equipment and the lack of a public file.

We have to say that if we were devising a menu of fines, we’d set the price structure a little differently than it is now. We believe that the file infraction, serious though it may be, is the least serious of this particular trio. Yet it is the most expensive, at $10K. The EAS failure weighs in at $8K and the unauthorized transmitter location cost a mere $4K.

The file story is worth a mention. The station said it was kept at a local library – an inappropriate location, since the file is supposed to be available at the station itself. However, it failed even as a failed location — the local library in question was closed.

The station is a Class D on 88.1 MHz with 12 Watts at 105’. If you’re keeping score at home, the fine works out to $1,833.33 per Watt. The station did not respond to the NAL, allowing it to move to a forfeiture order uncontested.