In another instance of the FCC giving student-run college radio stations a break, Framingham State University radio station WDJM-FM in Framingham, Massachusetts agreed to pay a lesser penalty of $1,200 for public file violations. According to a Consent Decree adopted on December 31, 2014, the university agreed to pay the penalty and set up a compliance plan to prevent future violations.
In the course of WDJM’s license renewal, the station acknowledged that it was missing quarterly issues and programs lists from March 2006 to January 2013. According to the Consent Decree,
…at the time of the violation, the Station was a student-run noncommercial educational (‘NCE’) station licensed to an educational institution. This first-time documentation violation at the Station is within the parameters of our policy concerning violations of documentation requirements of Rules by student-run NCE radio stations. We have negotiated a Consent Decree under this policy, which provides, among other things, that the Licensee will institute and maintain, for three years, a Compliance Plan for the Station and make a One Thousand Two Hundred Dollar ($1,200) civil penalty payment to the United States Treasury. Based upon our review of the record before us, we conclude that the referenced renewal application should be granted, subject to satisfaction of certain conditions set forth in the Consent Decree, but only for a term of four (4) years.”
It’s encouraging to see that the FCC continues to offer reduced fines to student-run college radio stations and is also working with them to help them maintain compliance with FCC rules. Fines for non-student run stations can be much higher, as evidenced by a recent $13,500 penalty for American International College’s public radio station WAIC.
