Fine Against Pacific Spanish Network Upheld; Related to Earlier Border Interference Case

The FCC has confirmed an earlier-announced fine against Pacific Spanish Network. The fine is $20,000 for providing program material via the Internet to a Mexican AM broadcast station “in willful and repeated substantial violation” of its license. The station is apparently XEKTT.
Enforcement personnel had issued the original notice last summer; the FCC said PSN did not subsequently file a response.
Radio World Online reported the original finding against the Chula Vista, Calif., broadcaster here last summer. Three Mexican stations involved were the same stations that had been interfering with U.S. broadcasters for several months, according to the FCC. High-level talks between the U.S. and Mexico then led to an agreement about the interference in June.
PSA’s president is Jaime Bonilla. The FCC said then that Bonilla had an attributable interest in the Mexican stations at issue. The broadcaster earlier had asked for permission to supply programming via the Net to the Mexican border AMs. But it turned out the stations were operating on frequencies not coordinated or approved under the treaty with Mexico, and also reportedly were interfering with AMs in Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco, according to FCC sources.
Bonilla argued then that he didn’t know he was required to verify that the operations had been coordinated. But because he continued supplying programming for a month after he found out XEKTT was not in compliance and was causing interference, the commission fined PSN $20,000.
That’s the fine that now has been confirmed.