The FCC recently admonished Jeannine Mason, licensee of Class C1 station KTZZ(FM), Conrad, Mont., for operating a studio-transmitter link without authorization.
The Enforcement Bureau originally proposed a $10,000 fine in 2013. Mason didn’t deny the charges, but said she couldn’t pay and sent the commission three years’ worth of tax returns to back-up her claim.
During a follow-up inspection, an agent from the Enforcement Bureau confirmed that operation of the STL had ended.
The commission took the documentation into consideration and forgave the fine. Noting Mason’s past good history of compliance with FCC rules, the bureau admonished the licensee and warned her that future violations may result in “substantial” penalties, regardless of her financial situation, according to the decision.
