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WI BLED-20041122AAF WMVM 59353 WRVM, INC. License to cover E 90.7 MHZ GOODMAN, WI
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FM STATION APPLICATIONS FOR MINOR AMENDMENT TO A CONSTRUCTION PERMIT AMENDMENT RECEIVED--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NY BMPED-20030829AJU 980713MF 91175 WPKN, INC. Engineering Amendment filed 11/22/2004 E 88.7 MHZ MONTAUK, NY
FM STATION APPLICATIONS FOR MINOR CHANGE TO A LICENSED FACILITY PETITION FOR RECONSIDERATION-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WV BPED-20040608ABF WVPN 70604 WEST VIRGINIA EDUCATIONAL BROADCASTING AUTHORITY Minor change in licensed facilities. E 88.5 MHZ CHARLESTON, WV Informal Objections filed 7/2/2004 Opposition to Informal Objection filed 8/10/2004 (WVEBA) Petition for Reconsideration and Reinstatement Nunc Pro Tunc filed 11/19/04 by (WVEBA)
FM STATION APPLICATIONS FOR RENEWAL ACCEPTED FOR FILING------------------------------------------------------- MN BRED-20041122ACO KRPR 57277 ROCHESTER PUBLIC RADIO Renewal of License E 89.9 MHZ ROCHESTER, MN
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FM STATION APPLICATIONS FOR RENEWAL GRANTED------------------------------------------- OH BRED-20040507ABF WONB 50133 OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY Renewal of License E 94.9 MHZ ADA, OH
OH BRED-20040518ABB WCSB 65553 CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY Renewal of License E 89.3 MHZ CLEVELAND, OH
OH BRED-20040526ACQ WMCO 47111 MUSKINGUM COLLEGE Renewal of License E 90.7 MHZ NEW CONCORD, OH
OH BRED-20040528ANK WOSP 66187 THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY Renewal of License E 91.5 MHZ PORTSMOUTH, OH
OH BRED-20040528AVH WCBE 4325 BD.OF EDUC., CITY SCH.DIST., COLUMBUS Renewal of License E 90.5 MHZ COLUMBUS, OH Letter commending station filed 7/8/04 by David H. Weaver
OH BRED-20040601ADA WHSS 25896 HAMILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT Renewal of License E 89.5 MHZ HAMILTON, OH
Translator OH BRFT-20040528AVI W294AC 4270 BD. OF EDUC. CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT Renewal of License E 106.7 MHZ NEWARK, OH Letter commending station filed 7/8/04 by David H. Weaver ----------------
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Congrats to LOW POWER FM APPLICATIONS FOR LICENSE TO COVER ACCEPTED FOR FILING------------------------------------------------------------------ MI BLL-20041118AAE WKUF-LP 125734 KETTERING UNIVERSITY License to cover E 94.3 MHZ FLINT, MI
WQAM Miami faces 55K indecency fineBeasley's WQAM-AM Miami is the latest radio station to be hit with a proposed indecency fine by the FCC. The Commission wants the station to pay the maximum allowable fine of 55,000 bucks for broadcasts of the "Scott Ferrall Show" in morning drive on September 9th and 10th of 2003. According to a listener's complaint, Ferrall threatened a caller with being sent to prison, where he would be raped and sodomized - - and that while he was in prison Ferrall would "stuff his package into the caller's wife's mouth" and "do her daily." The listener didn't supply a tape or transcript and Beasley didn't have one either, but the FCC stuck by the listener's version of events and said the broadcast was indecent, rejecting Beasley's argument that the Commission's indecency standard is "unconstitutionally vague and overbroad." The vo! te for the fine was unanimous, but two commissioners had more to say on the matter. Michael Copps noted Beasley's argument that it shouldn't be convicted without a tape or transcript as justification for his plan to mandate taping by all broadcasters and Kevin Martin said WQAM should have drawn a bigger fine, with each utterance treated as a separate violation. Ferrall's show no longer airs on WQAM - - he was replaced by Howard Stern.
FCC and broadcasters pondering a Supreme challengeThe Acting Solicitor general has filed for an extension of time on behalf of the FCC as it considers whether or not to challenge the 3rd Circuit ruling on "Prometheus Radio Project v. FCC" in which most of the provisions of the FCC ownership ruling of 6/2/03 were remanded to the Commission for justification or modification. The clock is set to stop 12/2/04; the FCC wants until 1/1/05. Meanwhile, major media companies have also asked for a delay, saying they may challenge the very basis of the spectrum scarcity doctrine that has guided media ownership policies for three and a half decades. RBR observation: The FCC has a few strategic options to weigh here. The court remanded the rules back to the FCC, and while many opponents of the 6/2/03 ruling saw that as a repudiation of them, in fact, it contained no language on way or the other as to how the rules should be rewritten. In fact, they don't even have to be rewritten at all if the FCC comes up with better justification. Now that Republicans are guaranteed another four years of FCC control, they could simply proceed along the path set by the 3rd Circuit. Meanwhile, a Supreme Court challenge could wind up exactly as the 3rd Circuit case did, with the rules simply going back to the FCC for reconsideration. That would just tack more time onto the process. The FCC's recent history in the courts isn't pretty. You'd think they'd do as the 3rd Circuit asked. They may not like it, but at least they'd be in control of the proces s. To say the least, it'll be interesting to see how they decide to play it. More...
Three TV shows beat indecency rapEpisodes of "Keen Eddie," "Coupling" and "Off Centre" which were targets of indecency complaints have been let off the hook, although for two of them, it was by a 3-2 split decision among the five FCC commissioners. The dissenting commissioners were Democrat Michael Copps and Republican Kevin Martin. Republican Kathleen Abernathy and Democrat Jonathan Adelstein reluctantly supported the exoneration. Republican Chairman Michael Powell supported the moves but offered no comment. More...
Democratic FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein cleared the final hurdle Sunday, 11/21/04, and now has a seat on the Commission running to 6/30/08. The five-year term technically began over a year ago, in the summer of 2003. Adelstein's tenure began in December, when after much delay he was finally confirmed to finish a term begun by Gloria Tristani. His confirmation was blocked twice for political reasons unrelated to his own qualifications, once by Trent Lott (R-MS) and later by John McCain (R-AZ). This time, bipartisan calls for his renomination were ignored by the White House, which was apparently using Adelstein as a poker chip in its dealings with minority leader Tom Daschle (D-SD). Adelstein used to work for Daschle. According to the Associated Press, Daschle worked behind the scenes in finally securing Adelstein's new term. Adelstein said it was one of the last benefits that Daschle was able to provide to South Dakota, where Adelstein is also from.
WCAL Closed... Close encounter for Twin Cities twinsWell, only one of them is in the Twin Cities market, but two stations have officially changed hands in Minnesota, according to Greg Guy and Larry Patrick of Patrick Communications. The stations are WCAL-FM Northfield, in Minneapolis-St. Paul, and KMSE-FM Rochester MN. An 11.8M deal is sending the noncoms from St. Olaf College to Minnesota Public Radio. WCAL is MPR's third FM and fifth station in the Twin Cities market.
Viacom/FCC 3.5M deal leavesNipplegate in disputeViacom has followed the trail blazed by Clear Channel and Emmis, making a large payment to the US Treasury in return for a clean bill from the FCC in regards to numerous pending indecency actions. Pointedly, however, the consent decree does not include the 550K NAL regarding the Super Bowl halftime incident which aired on Viacom's CBS Television Network and was produced by its MTV basic cable franchise. As in the other consent decrees, this will bring to an end any indecency actions in the pipeline, as well as several which have been kicking around the Commission going back as far as 3/2/2001. Among them is the 357.5K fine of 10/2/03 resulting from the infamous St. Patrick's Cathedral incident. In addition to the contribution to the general fund, Viacom promised to install and use delay equipment at all of its stations, and to conduct company-wide training on the FCC's indecency regulations. It also admitted that some of th! e broadcasts for which it has been fined were indeed actionably indecent. All five Commissioners supported the move. Michael Copps even eschewed his habitual dissent, but still expressed his concern that the FCC has been down this road before with Infinity, back before it was acquired by Viacom, and now it's on the same path again. "Going forward, I urge my colleagues to accord prompt and vigorous attention to any future listener or viewer complaints against this licensee," he said.RBR observation: The total amount of Viacom's existing indecency vulnerability which had been previously announced amounts to 440K and change, according to the terms of the Decree, so there must be quite a bit as yet under the radar to make this look like a good deal to the powers that be at Viacom. For one thing, the undropped other shoe regarding Howard Stern - - Clear Channel was hit for half a million bucks for a show on just six stations, with nary a peep as to Viacom's bill - - will be whisked away without anyone ever seeing what the pricetag was going to be for Sumner Redstone and all the other Stern stablemates. We just heard Les Moonves tell David Letterman that Viacom was going to fight the Janet Jackson fine about a week ago, and this certainly confirms the veracity of that statement. However, we thought Viacom was going to fight the entire body of indecency regulation. We were very interested in seeing how well the rules would hold up under careful judicial scrutiny. It is certainly not Viacom's job or responsibility to wage that war on its own. Nevertheless, we are disappointed that such review seems likely to have been evaded for now.
From Radio Ink...
Senate Approves Adelstein As FCC CommissionerWASHINGTON-November 23: The U.S. Senate has approved Democrat Jonathan Adelstein to serve a five-year term at the FCC. Adelstein, 42, has been at the agency since December 2002.
Viacom, FCC Reach $3.5 Million DealWASHINGTON-November 24: Viacom agreed yesterday to pay a record $3.5 million to settle dozens of government investigations into allegations of indecency in its radio and television programming.
WQAM Fined Over Now-Defunct ShowMIAMI-November 24: WQAM Sports Radio in Miami faces a $55,000 fine from the FCC for airing graphic material on the Scott Ferrall Show last year.
AWRT Announces 30th Annual Gracie Allen Awards Call for EntriesMcLEAN, VA-November 24: The Foundation of American Women in Radio and Television is inviting entries for the 30th Annual Gracie Allen Awards, the industry award that recognizes exemplary programmin g created by women, for women and about women.
--------------------------- FCC items of note (regular filings and actions will be in a seperate blog - pumpkin pie).
WBDC BROADCASTING, INC. Denied two complaints by Parents Television Council against WBDC Broadcasting, Inc., for airing indecent material on October 3 and 10, 2002, during two episodes of the "Off Centre" program. Action by: the Commission. Adopted: 10/01/2004 by MO&O. (FCC No. 04-234). EB
LOW POWER FM APPLICATIONS FOR ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION PERMIT INFORMAL OBJECTION-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
FL BNPL-20010615AGA NEW 135241 UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA STUDENT GOVERNMENT Low Power FM CP New Stn. E 94.7 MHZ GAINESVILLE, FL PETITION TO DENY FILED 5/13/04 BY FLORIDA MINORITY EDU MEDIA Informal Objection filed 11/15/04 by Calvary Chapel
Radio Talk Show Host Refuses To Back Off Remark About RiceMADISON, WI-November 22: African-American leaders in Madison, WI, on Friday criticized local radio talk host John Sylvester, calling his use of the pejorative "Aunt Jemima" to describe Condoleezza Rice insulting and inappropriate.
Infinity Said To Fire Radio Programmer Over GiftsNEW YORK-November 22: The New York Times reports that Infinity Broadcasting has fired a programmer suspected of accepting gift certificates from an independent record promoter.
Note: The localism NOI raises the issue of payola. NY seems to be making some ingrounds on this issue. If your station accepts payments of any form from indies, you may want to look at your policies. If you are management, you may want to check on your MD's awareness of the legal issues and advise them accordingly.
ACLU weighs in on Ryan, indecencyWhere's the bright line, ACLU wonders, that separates decent and indecent speech? The lack of such a line chills free speech - - broadcasters are wary of taking a major hit, both financially and otherwise, and stay away from anything remotely questionable, becoming self-censors. The decision to stay away from the airing of "Saving Private Ryan" by 60+ ABC affiliates, despite the fact that the movie had been shown uncensored twice before without government sanction, is a chilling example of what indecency enforcement has become. ACLU Legislative Counsel Marvin Johnson said, "The ambiguity by the FCC on what exactly is indecent means an increasingly diminished marketplace of ideas. It's ironic that on Veterans Day, many stations are unwilling to air a movie designed to honor our veterans. One of our most fundamental rights is the freedom of expr ession - - and the FCC's decisions represent an increasingly clear attack on that right." ACLU say the FCC approach, "they know it when they see or hear it," is inadequate, and also called into question the FCC's refusal to give guidance in advance to television stations. Johnson concluded, "A fear among broadcasters to air certain material can only have a chilling effect on the freedom of speech. In some ways, this is worse than censorship - - broadcasters have no idea when the FCC will be coming after them."
With the bloggers gaining notoriety among the "press", perhaps conservative talkers might run with this one, if they haven't already!
I received this today....
In the past few months a band by the name of Skinny Puppy has slandered Bush. At several of their concerts over the Summer they have simulated an assassination of the president. On their current Fall tour they simulated a beheading similar to the ones happening in Iraq. When the vocalist pulls off their hoods he reveals the terrorists to be Bush and Cheney. This is unacceptable and I encourage you not to play their latest record, The Greater Wrong of the Right, that has been indicated by their record label as being played on your station. Conservatives are currently a majority of the populace now and we have voted into power a majority in every level of government. The people of this country have the power as evident by our boycott of the Reagan miniseries, the Superbowl, and the Dixie Chicks. If you still choose to play their music we have the ability to put financial pressure on your station through boycotts. Please remove Skinny Puppy from rotation or we will have no choice but to boycott your station. Currently, your station is listed on the boycott list found here: http://www.pabaah.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=717
If you decide to stop playing Skinny Puppy as well as consider changing the format in order to provide more fair and balance we will consider removing you from the list.
- Daryl Mason Patriotic Americans Boycotting Anti-American Hollywood http://www.pabaah.com
Well it seems that because I am not the MD at the station, I was not included in the original mass e-mail.
The MD's at stations have reacted. You can see their comments at the link provided in the e-mail.
Is this good or bad?
I bet that Skinny Puppy will spike on the CMJ charts for a couple of weeks.
Given that many school administrators are conservative and the stations liberal, this could spark some friction at some stations.
The timing of the threatened boycott is probably in the stations favor, as they will not likely react or interact due to the coming break.
While I and CBI won't tell stations what to do, it might be wise to simply ignore this and go on with business as usual.
Being someone who often writes on the fly and fails to check spelling or employ a spell checker, I won't say anything about the spelling and grammar problems, but if this gets some wide play, expect comments on the education system based on some of the quoted replies. If you opt to comment, consider double checking your e-mail before sending.
