Re: [IRCA] Status of WOOW-1340-NC

["Russ Johnson" <radiok3pi@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Scott,

Maybe I am naive (not in the business).

But how in the world can a station fail / not remember to renew their
license.??  I am guessing the license has a term and you know years in
advance when it will expire...

Seems incomprehensible to me.  Seems like I have read about several of these
in recent years.

Russ

On Mon, Mar 10, 2008 at 2:34 AM, Scott Fybush <scott@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Mike Hardester wrote:
>
> >    In short, the station has ignored the FCC's rule about having a
> > license to operate, for some time.
>
> It's not always that simple these days. While there are indeed some
> stations that don't bother to file for renewal, have their licenses
> cancelled, and keep operating anyway, there are others that run into
> paperwork glitches and receive FCC permission to resume operation under
> special temporary authority.
>
> WOOW appears to fall into the latter camp. Here's what they said in
> their license renewal application filed last September:
>
> "THE LICENSEE FAILED TO FILE A RENEWAL APPLICATION WHEN DUE ON AUGUST 1,
> 2003, AND AS A RESULT, THE COMMISSION CANCELLED THE LICENSE FOR WOOW.
> AFTER A VISIT BY THE FCC'S FIELD OFFICE, ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2007, WOOW
> WENT OFF THE AIR AND CURRENTLY REMAINS OFF THE AIR. THE LICENSEE HAS
> RECENTLY ENGAGED COUNSEL TO ASSIST WITH THIS MATTER AND HAS TAKEN STEPS
> TO ASSURE THAT THIS OVERSIGHT DOES NOT OCCUR AGAIN.
>
> THE INSTANT RENEWAL APPLICATION IS BEING FILED CONTEMPORANEOUSLY WITH A
> REQUEST FOR SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY TO RESUME OPERATION OF WOOW
> PENDING THE COMMISSION'S CONSIDERATION OF THIS APPLICATION.
> NOTWITHSTANDING THE LICENSEE'S FAILURE TO FILE A TIMELY RENEWAL
> APPLICATION, THE LICENSEE RESPECTFULLY REQUESTS RENEWAL OF WOOW'S
> LICENSE. AS A MINORITY OWNED AND OPERATED STATION, WOOW HAS HISTORICALLY
> PROVIDED A UNIQUE VOICE FOR THE MINORITY COMMUNITY AND OTHER RESIDENTS
> OF GREENVILLE, NC. ACCORDINGLY, THE PUBLIC INTEREST WARRANTS RENEWAL OF
> WOOW'S LICENSE."
>
> WOOW did indeed file for special temporary authority on 9/25/07, which
> was granted, so while they're operating without a license, they're on
> the air legally under STA. (The application for STA explains that a
> renewal application and STA app were filed back in 2004, then dismissed
> for failure to pay the proper filing fees; another STA was in effect in
> 2005-2006, then expired.)
>
> They'll probably end up being fined, probably $7000, for failure to file
> a renewal application and for subsequent unauthorized operation, after
> which their renewal application will be granted and the WOOW calls will
> be restored to the database.
>
> The FCC is really, really reluctant to pull a license for good, and will
> usually try very hard to keep that from happening.
>
> s
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