WMGA License Revoked

The FCC has revoked the license for WMGA(AM), Moultrie, Ga., held by Radio Moultrie, Inc., for lacking “the basic character qualifications” to be a commission licensee. In 2001, a commission field agent inspected the station and found evidence that the Elder family had abdicated control of the station since its last license renewal to several parties. But the agency has no records that Moultire neither filed any agreement to sell the station nor filed an application for transfer of control.
The inspection revealed Moultire did not re-paint its towers, left them unlit at night and failed to report that to the FAA. Moultire’s EAS equipment was not working, the station had no log, left the main studio unattended and failed to designate a chief operator, stated the commission.
Moultire did not answer several letters from the FCC and did not appear at a license revocation hearing, according to the agency.
DBI, one of the parties believed by the FCC to be actually running the station, told the commission it planned to buy the station and had a time brokerage agreement in place so DBI could run the station while the parties agreed on a price. That never happened, and DBI claims that it owns the real estate and the equipment but that Moultire didn’t agree to file license agreement applications with the commission.
The FCC said an LMA is not recognized an authorized transfer of control. Whether or not such an agreement exists, “we look to the whether the licensee continues to have ultimate control over its station,” stated the FCC in its revocation order.
“RMI’s total failure to respond to commission inquires, coupled with its unauthorized transfer of control and multiple other rule violations, warrants the strongest possible commission sanctions.”
The revocation becomes effective in 40 days unless Moultire asks the agency to reconsider its decision before that time.