Bipartisan support for a proposal to raise the maximum fine for pirate radio to as much as $2 million emerged in the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology on Thursday. During a discussion into the proposed Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement or “PIRATE” Act, which is being circulated among members, lawmakers agreed the current fines have come up short in the effort to go after pirate radio operators. “It’s high time we pay more attention to the harm being done to consumers and broadcasters alike,” Subcommittee chair Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said.
Federal law presently allows the Federal Communications Commission to impose a maximum fine of $19,246 per day for each violation or each day up to a statutory maximum of $144,344. The proposal would boost that to as much $100,000 per day, per violation with a maximum fine allowed by law of $2 million.
The impact of pirate stations may be well known to anyone in radio, but
Christian broadcaster Education Media Foundation continues its recent buying spree with the purchase of WSHA Raleigh-Durham, NC (88.9) from Shaw University for an undisclosed price.
The sale of the station from Shaw, known as the oldest historically black college in the South, has been met with criticism from alumni, with one group saying their offer to buy the station was met with silence.
When news of the intended sale of the radio station surfaced last December, a petition was formed on change.org, which collected nearly 2,000 signatures, the News & Observer reported. A group called “Friends of Shaw” was formed and claims to have made an offer to purchase the station from the University.
“Once we learned of their intent to sell WSHA, a group of alumni actually offered to purchase the station,” 1995 graduate Kesha Monk told the paper. “However, our efforts were blatantly ignored.” Since graduation, Monk went on to a professional career in the r
LBI Broadcasting regional Mexican “La Ranchera Deportes” KEYH/KNTE (850/101.7) Houston/Bay City, TX will be the new Spanish-language radio home of the World Champion Houston Astros under a new multi-year agreement.
The stations will carry all 162 regular-season games, marking the first time that Astros games will be broadcast in Spanish on both AM and FM. Francisco Romero returns to call play-by-play action with Alex Trevino handling color commentary.
“LBI Media is excited to be the new home and partner of the World Champion Houston Astros on Spanish radio,” COO Winter Horton said in a release. “All of the Astros action will be available to listeners on both AM and FM, ensuring Spanish speaking Astros fans of Houston will hear every game all season long.”
The Spanish broadcasts of Astros games were previously heard on Latino Broadcasting Corp. “La Nueva 94.1,” which broadcasts on the Houston, TX-licensed translator K231CN at 94.1
Hubbard Radio has rebranded country KNUC Seattle as “98.9 The Bull” from “Country 98.9.” It’s the latest change at the new station, which Hubbard flipped from rock in December, after Entercom dropped country on KMPS in favor of soft AC as “The New 94.1 The Sound.”
“Welcome to the next evolution of 98.9, a personality all its own,” PD Lisa Adams said. “More Bull, more music, more fun.”
Adams was named PD of the station in January after serving as marketing director for AC sister “Warm 106.9” KRWM. Her programming experience includes the OM/PD post at Townsquare Media hot AC “Mix 106” KCIX, AC “107.9 Lite FM” KXLT and “WOW Country 104.3” KAWO in Boise, ID.
Since her hire, Adams has been staffing up the new country outlet, adding the morning team of Tim Leary, Claire Beverly and Karen (Red) Daiss in February. The trio came to KNUC from Alpha Media country “Bob 106.9” WUBB Savannah, GA, where they anchored m