Border Media says it has received approval from the FCC for it’s foreign ownership petition and can now close on WRGR in Tupper Lake, NY from Radio Lake Placid. Border filed a February 9 petition with the FCC seeking approval to purchase WRGR-FM being that Border owners would exceed the 25 percent foreign ownership rule. Border owners Ricki Shorthose and Hanna Kaleta are citizens of the United Kingdom and Poland. They’ve been living in New York since 2015
They tell The Commission Border Media was founded for the “purpose of investing in one or more U.S. broadcast stations.” The Petitioner maintains that ownership by citizens of the United Kingdom and Poland, “who have been model residents of the United States for the past three years,” would not implicate any national security or other threat to the United States, given that “these countries are among our most steadfast allies and share many of our cultural traditions.”
The filing was unopposed.
The Commission ruled that the purchase of the station would be in the public interest. “Specifically, we find that grant of the Petition is likely to: (1) increase the likelihood of continued service to the station’s community by authorizing the assignment of the station’s license to a company owned by individuals who are ready, willing, and able to operate the station based on their extensive broadcasting experience; (2) facilitate foreign investment in the U.S. broadcast radio market; and (3) potentially encourage reciprocal investment opportunities for U.S. companies in foreign markets.”
Border Media owner Ricki Lee said, “We are beyond excited and would like to take this opportunity to thank the communities of Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake for their growing support and also the FCC for approving our petition. Our efforts now turn to building the transmission site and attempting to get the radio station back on the air before winter.”
Border Media expects to close on this transaction this week.
