The Acting Chief of the FCC’s Media Bureau has been joined by the FCC’s newly minted Managing Director in sending a pair of “Order to Pay or Show Cause” letters to a radio station owner who is very delinquent in meeting his regulatory fee obligations with the Commission.
Nonpayment could result in a license revocation, as proceedings for each of the properties owned by noted African American radio industry figure Steve Hegwood has commenced.
The first of the two potential license stripping situations involves WMRG-FM in Morgan, Ga., a Class C3 FM licensed to Core Communications South LLC. It reaches Albany, Ga., from the northwest.
The Commission’s records show that Core Communications South currently has unpaid regulatory fee debt of $960.58 for FY 2015; $1,373.69 for FY 2020; $1,372.94 for FY 2021; $1,483.49 for FY 2022; and $1,347.97 for FY 2024, for a total of $6,538.67 as it applies to WMRG. Treasury Department collection of the debts was not successful.
Core Communications South is also facing a license revocation hearing for its WIPK-FM in Calhoun, Ga., serving the northern suburbs of greater Atlanta with a Class A signal.
The Commission’s records show that WIPL currently has unpaid regulatory fee debt of $2,604.15 for FY 2015; $2,625.20 for FY 2016; $2,078.14 for FY 2017; $1,916.40 for FY 2018; $2,130.22 for FY 2019; $2,061.98 for FY 2020; $2,253.11 for FY 2021; $2,260.70 for FY 2022; $2,025.25 for FY 2024; and $1,875.00 for FY 2025 for a total of $21,830.15.
It is not known why the roughly $28,000 in regulatory fees have not been paid.
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