Low-power FMs are not immune to EAS requirements.
Iglesia Cristiana Ebenezer recently found that out as the FCC proposed a $5,000 fine for failure to install Emergency Alert System equipment and maintain EAS logs.
That figure is lower than the original $9,000 proposed penalty last May for the Spanish-language religious formatted KYLP(FM), in Greenville, Texas.
Iglesia told the commission the station ordered EAS equipment after it became aware of the requirements and installed the gear in April, 2012. The licensee asked for a break on the amount due to financial hardship and provided supporting documentation.
The agency determined there was a “sufficient basis” to reduce the fine, but cautioned the licensee that the ability to pay is only one factor the commission looks at when assessing how much of a penalty to impose. Similar future violations, “may result in significantly higher forfeitures,” the agency cautioned Iglesia in its decision.
Iglesia has 30 days to pay.
