Media Bureau Renews License, Issues $4,000 NAL for FM Translator Originating Programming
The FCC Media Bureau Audio Division issued a license renewal and $4,000 notice of apparent liability to an FM translator for originating programming, said a Tuesday order. The programming complaints against Tea-Visz’s translator W272AY Park Falls, Wisconsin, were in a…
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petition to deny the renewal filed by Wisconsin small-market broadcaster Heartland Communications, which the order rejected. Tea admitted the violations, saying they stem from territorial restrictions that bar the translator from rebroadcasting its usual partner WIMI(FM) Ironwood, Michigan, when the station airs Green Bay Packers games. “According to TEA, its engineer wanted the Station to be capable of airing emergency announcements during this time,” and “without the prior knowledge of TEA-VISZ, improperly wired [the Station] to air music rather than be silent,” the order said. The error was quickly corrected, Tea-Visz told the agency. “TEA’s attempt to minimize this mistake by emphasizing the limited occurrences and fact that the licensee was unaware of programming originating on the Station, does not absolve it of this transgression or nullify the rule violation,” the order said. The bureau said the violation wasn’t serious enough to merit a hearing, and isn’t a pattern of breaking rules.