There’s a new twist in the ongoing license revocation hearing involving Roger Wahl, a convicted felon in Central Pennsylvania who is defending himself against the FCC Enforcement and Media Bureaus in a matter that has seen Wahl confirm his role as an instigator in actions tied to voyeurism and unwanted sexual advances leading to rape.
Wahl is reportedly seriously ill and is presently in the Intensive Care Unit of a regional hospital. News of his hospitalization surfaced after the main daily newspaper serving Somerset County, Pa., offered a detailed account of Wahl’s Commission predicament.
The Gannett-owned Daily American on Friday (6/3) offered a detailed account of the latest developments pertaining to the Hearing Designation Order and license revocation proceedings presently underway with the FCC’s Administrative Law Judge.
It noted how Wahl, who did not hire a lawyer and is defending himself, failed to adhere to document filing deadlines, leading Enforcement Bureau acting chief Loyaan Egal to conclude the proceedings and yank Wahl of his license for WQZS-FM 93.3 in Meyersdale, located in Somerset County, Pa.
The Daily American article also explained how the 93.3 MHz signal could suddenly turn to static, with the FCC one day opening the frequency up to auction for the construction of a new, replacement FM.
Additionally, the article offered a synopsis of the lurid details that led to Wahl’s felony conviction, which have been extensively reported by RBR+TVBR.
Two days later, Sam Coughenour, who hosts a Sunday morning religious program on WQZS, took to the airwaves to offer an update on Wahl, who had been noticeably absent from the station’s morning show of late.
“He is in the hospital, down in Connemaugh, right now,” said “Pastor Sam” to WQZS listeners, referring to the community medical center in Meyersdale. “If you are wondering why you haven’t heard him, that’s because he has been very, very, very sick. He is very sick, folks.”
A source close to the matter tells RBR+TVBR that Wahl is believed to be suffering from kidney failure.
Coughenour said he had seen Wahl on Friday, and he had difficulty communicating via a cell phone. Nurses needed to assist him while using the bathroom; he’s not eating. “He’s in bad shape right now,” the pastor said, adding that, “he’s under a lot of pressure as well.”
That’s a reference to the ongoing license revocation hearing.
Coughenour continued, “I know there are those that have vendettas but there’s a lot of people in Somerset County that love Roger Wahl. This radio station has done so much for this community and for the Tri-State area. Roger has always been there to advertise the events the small towns that surround us have.”
The pastor also noted how “gracious” Wahl was for “giving us this program,” as donated air time for the religious program. Coughenour even offered a run-down of his 51-year radio history, and how he hosts the Sunday morning show to spread the word of Christ and “not for celebrity, or myself. I am nothing.”
He concluded his thoughts as the 8am hour approached by remarking that Wahl “has paid the price, and yet there’s the lynch mob. They want to put him out of business. But thank god the FCC is a fair organization and I have all of the faith in the world in that group, and we need the FCC … We all make mistakes, and Roger has paid for his.”
WQZS’s coverage area extends into a portion of Cumberland, Md., and far northeastern West Virginia.
