The FCC’s Media Bureau has issued a $16,500 fine to Shelby Broadcast Associates, previously the licensee of the FM translator W252BE in Birmingham, AL, for violations relating to unauthorized operations.
In November 2015, then-owner Valleydale Broadcasting was granted a Special Temporary Authority to operate W252BE with altered technical specifications due to a severed coaxial cable. This STA, extended once, expired in November 2016.
In April 2017, Shelby purchased the signal and became the licensee. During the sale, alleged interference came to light after complaints from Marble City Media over their station WSGN. These claims went back and forth between Shelby and Marble City for more than a year, while Shelby tried to get the STA terms made permanent in several failed attempts.
In 2020, Shelby Broadcast Associates sold the translator to Rivera Communications.
Audio Division Chief Al Shuldiner concluded that Shelby Broadcast Associates had been operating W252BE without proper authorization since the expiration of the STA in 2016 and falsely certified compliance in its renewal application, leading to the fine. The Media Bureau acknowledged a mistake in granting a renewal application for W252BE while issues remained unresolved.
