The Northwest Rock ‘N Roll Preservation Society, a non-profit organization running an Adult Standards radio station in Olympia, Washington, is facing a $20,000 fine from the Federal Communications Commission. The penalty comes after the society was found to have misled the FCC about the status of its construction permit for its FM translator for around seven months.
Al Shuldiner, Chief of the FCC’s Media Bureau Audio Division, determined that the Society engaged in the unauthorized operation of K266BM, violating section 301 of the Communications Act of 1934. Additionally, the Society made false certifications in an earlier application to the Commission.
The issue arose when two for-profit broadcasters, Bustos Media Holdings and Bicoastal Media, filed informal objections to the Society’s 2020 license application. Both companies claimed that K266BM was not operating as authorized and accused the Society of providing false information to the FCC.
These allegations were confirmed by the Commission, which found the Society had operated the FM translator without proper authorization between December 4, 2019, and June 13, 2020.
Although the Society’s FM translator license will not be revoked, the FCC will enforce sanctions for the false certifications. In a related matter, the Commission has also denied the Society’s application for review challenging a Media Bureau decision that granted a construction permit to Bicoastal Media for another FM translator, K267CX, in Centralia, Washington.
