It seems like the frequency of license renewal challenges is picking up. The novelty of some them certainly is, like the informal objection filed by Robert Schore to the renewal or Polnet Communications’ WRKL-AM New City NY. Schore says the station does not serve the residents of New City (a community up the Hudson River from the more famous New York City). That’s because most of the citizens of New City do not speak Polish, which is the predominant language used on the station. Schore said that the need for better local service is paramount due to the town’s proximity to the Indian Point nuclear power plant.
The FCC reiterated its stance that licensees have "broad discretion to choose, in good faith, which issues are of concern to the community and to choose the best way to address those issues."
RBR/TVBR observation: If there are enough Polish-speaking individuals in the vicinity of New City to warrant their own radio station, we’d say they have the right to know if the Indian Point plant has gone China Syndrome on them (if that’s not readily apparent via the use of the normal senses nature has allocated to the human organism). Polnet is in fact honoring the diversity portion of the FCC mantra "localism, competition and diversity." By the way, Schore lives in an area where the rarest thing on the radio is an empty frequency slot. If he cannot find something to listen to just upriver from NYC, he’s not likely to find it anywhere.
