The full commission has upheld a decision by the Enforcement Bureau that found Mt. Rushmore Broadcasting owes $17,000 for violations of the EAS and public file rules.
Mt. Rushmore Broadcasting is the licensee of KRAL(AM), KIQZ(FM), and STL link WHB734, in Rawlins, Wyo.
Earlier, the bureau denied Mt. Rushmore’s 2011 petition to reconsider the fine levied for failing to ensure the operational readiness of the station’s EAS gear, failing to maintain a complete public inspection file for stations and failing to operate the STL, from its licensed location.
The commission says the bureau found that Mt. Rushmore did not dispute the facts or the violations and that the broadcaster “substantially reiterated all of the arguments previously considered and rejected.”
Mt. Rushmore also didn’t demonstrate the bureau made an error or present new facts, and has provided no financial documentation to support its repeated request that the fine be reduced or eliminated.
The full commission upheld the Enforcement Bureau’s original order and said payment is due within 15 days. In the meantime, the government filed a complaint in federal district court against Mt. Rushmore to recover the money. That case will be dismissed if the licensee makes the payment, according to the agency.
