There’s something unusual about this Notice of Unlicensed Operation sent out by the Enforcement Bureau. It’s a station allegedly operating without a license on the AM band.
In June, agents in the Chicago Office of the Federal Communications Commission Enforcement Bureau responded to a complaint that an AM station was operating without a license in Carthage, Ill.
The agent conducted an inspection along with Robin R. Dunham, owner of Ralla Broadcasting Inc., and found that signals were being transmitted on frequency 990 kHz via a Harris SX-1A transmitter from antenna structure number 1009006.
The bureau said that Ralla Broadcasting previously held a license for WCAZ, but that the renewal application submitted for the station was dismissed in April 2017 due to Ralla allegedly failing to pay a delinquent debt to the commission. The commission subsequently deleted the station’s call letters.
During that June inspection, the enforcement agent asked Dunham to case operation. Dunham refused.
In a notice sent to Dunham on Dec. 8, the bureau said that continued operation of the station was illegal and warned Dunham that operation of radio transmitting equipment without a valid radio license could result in monetary fines and confiscation of radio equipment. Dunham was given 10 days to respond.
