It’s a Class A FM radio station serving towns to the far west of metropolitan St. Louis. Its website boasts of how more than 75% of its listeners are women, and touts that advertising on the station is “freakishly affordable.”
Now, this station that claims to enjoy a legacy to a FM that served St. Louis under Bartell Media Corp. ownership in the 1970s, which at the start of 2023 went with an all-podcast format, is in trouble with the FCC.
What will Brad Hildebrand do, considering he owes the Commission thousands of dollars that he must pay or face a license revocation?
“I don’t know what to tell you about this,” Hildebrand said when reached by RBR+TVBR, unaware of coverage of an Order to Pay or To Show Cause issued November 2 by Media Bureau Chief Holly Saurer and Office of Managing Director head Mark Stephens.
The matter involves Hildebrand-led KSLQ-FM 104.5 in Washington, Mo., licensed to Y2K Inc. As is standard procedure for the Media Bureau, it is initiating a proceeding to revoke the license held by Y2K for failure to pay delinquent regulatory fees and associated interest, administrative costs and penalties owed to the Commission.
Hildebrand owes roughly $25,894 in unpaid regulatory fees, and his delinquencies date to 2010. Speaking with RBR+TVBR, Hildebrand acknowledged his delinquency. However, he declined to comment on what he intends to do to resolve the matter, and expressed concerns that radio industry trade journalists would be writing “a hit piece” on Hildebrand.
The Commission’s records show that Brad Hildebrand’s Y2K Inc. currently has unpaid regulatory fee debt of $2,137.41 for FY 2010; $623.37 for FY 2011; $2,007.83 for FY 2012; $1,628.75 for FY 2013; $1,895.39 for FY 2014; $1,784.51 for FY 2015; $1,921.54 for FY 2016; $1,775.48 for FY 2017; $1733.35 for FY 2018; $1,999.30 for FY 2019; $2,061.58 for 2020; $2,059.41 for FY 2021; $2,228.48 for FY 2022, and $2,037.50 for FY 2023, for a grand total of $25,893.90.
The FCC mandates a 25% late penalty each year for uncollected regulatory fees. The sum also factors in administrative costs incurred. Additional charges will continue to accrue on these debts until they are paid in full.
The Commission explained in its Order that it sent Y2K demand letters in accordance with
regulatory requirements demanding payment. Now, Hildebrand has a 60-day window by the Media Bureau either to clear the dues or present a justification for fee waivers or deferrals.
At 104.5 MHz, KSLQ signed on the air in November 1989 under the ownership of Ken Kuenzie. Y2K ownership came in 1998. The station uses call letters that were at 98.1 MHz (today known as KYKY) from 1972-82. Hildebrand was an employee of the original KSLQ, a Top 40 station under Bartell ownership known as “Super Q” and modeled after KCBQ in San Diego.
Speaking to RBR+TVBR on Monday, Hildebrand confirmed that he has never received any communication from the Commission via Certified Mail pertaining to the unpaid regulatory fees. He also notes that the attorney shown in the FCC’s LMS database as Y2K’s legal representative has not been working with Hildebrand’s operation for some time.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on November 6 to reflect the proper ownership history of KSLQ, and a misspelling of Hildebrand’s name.
