The FCC hit a trio of Lazer Licenses radio stations – KSBQ-AM Santa Maria CA, KLMM-FM Morro Bay CA and KLUN-FM Paso Robles CA – with public file fines based on the lack of issues/program lists way back in 2005. The original $12K fine was reduced for prior good behavior, but the FCC isn’t buying arguments to reduce the entire penalty to $0.
The GM at the time admitted to an FCC field agent that although he was relatively new to the job, he was aware of the public file requirements. He made the sensible decision then and there to make their maintenance an official part of the office manager’s job.
Lazer’s initial request for a reduction, after the $12K fine was levied 5/17/07, involved its successful remedial efforts. That trick, as readers of this space are no doubt aware, never works. Compliance is expected, in the FCC’s belief, and is not something to be rewarded. However, the company’s past record of compliance resulted in a reduction to $8K.
In a second attempt to wriggle out of the fine, Lazer revealed that it had the lists all the time – however, they were being stored on a different floor of the studio building and the employee who knew the precise whereabouts wasn’t on hand at the time of the inspection.
Obviously, the files need to be accessible to the public if they are to be of any use to somebody wishing to look at them, so this argument didn’t fly either.
The $8K fine stands.
