The FCC says two Cumulus stations in Detroit, two in Ann Arbor, MI, two in Flint, MI, and one in Macon, GA, violated the Commission’s sponsorship ID rules. Here’s what they did.
In a January of 2018, Cumulus notified the Commission that one non-compliant spot sponsored by Relevant Sports LLC aired 13 times on six stations in Michigan in 2017. The six stations apparently broadcast the spot without the appropriate sponsorship identifications. The Commission says Cumulus reported the violations eight months after the spots aired (the consent decree called for them to be reported 15 days after). The Commission also says that Cumulus claimed that immediate steps were taken to prevent any further airing of the sponsored material on stations without appropriate sponsorship identification.
In a May filing with the Bureau, Cumulus reported that a non-compliant ad concerning a gubernatorial candidate ran nine times on a station in Macon on May 14, 2018, and four times on May 15, 2018, for a total of 13 times in May 2018.
The stations being accused are:
WDVD-FM in Detroit
WDRQ-FM in Detroit
WTKA-AM in Ann Arbor
WWWW-FM in Ann Arbor
WFBE-FM in Flint
WTRX-AM in Flint
WMAC-AM in Macon
FCC Commissioner Michael Starks dissented with the decision to levy the fine at $233,000. He wanted the consent decree violation to be higher. “The $25,000 proposed forfeiture for the consent decree violation does not follow well-established Commission precedent and is not, in my mind, commensurate with the misconduct and violations at issue.”
Read the NAL HERE.
