EAS and Studio Violations Add Up to $12,000 Fine

Playa del Sol, which runs KRCK(FM) in Mecca, Calif., has racked up $12,000 in fines for not having working EAS equipment, not conducting the required EAS tests and failing to maintain a main studio.
The case stems from late 2002 when an FCC agent couldn’t find the main studio. Eventually the agent learned from the station’s attorney that the studio was running at the transmitter site until construction could be completed at a new site.
On Dec. 2 of that year, two agents from the San Diego office went to the new studio site but found no staff. Later that day, owner Edward Stolz met with the agents and said the EAS equipment was still at the old studio. He and the agents returned to the transmitter site, but found no public access to the building, no phone, desks or other evidence people worked there. The FCC said Stolz then “acknowledged that no main studio” existed at the transmitter.
The agents found EAS equipment but no formal log of EAS tests. Automatic printouts from the EAS unit served as the log and indicated the station did not retransmit any required monthly tests during 2002, transmitted only seven required weekly tests and received only one required monthly test that year.
The broadcaster believes its EAS equipment was not out of service during 2002 but told the FCC it couldn’t demonstrate this because of problems with the equipment.
The original fine was $15,000. The commission knocked off $3,000 because of the licensee’s past compliance record.