The Federal Communication Commission\u2019s regulatory fee crackdown has landed on one of the larger targets yet. Encino Broadcasting has been warned that it could lose the licenses for three Austin, TX-area AM stations unless it resolves $166,646.79 in unpaid regulatory fees, penalties, interest and administrative costs that have accumulated over more than a decade. The Commission issued an Order to Pay or Show Cause on Tuesday covering Spanish Christian \u201cLa Palabra 1440\u201d KELG, regional Mexican \u201cPuro Norte\u00f1o\u201d KOKE (1600), and Tejano KTXZ (1560) West Lake Hills.<\/p>\n
The debt stretches back to fiscal year 2013 and includes unpaid regulatory fees for most years since then. The only year that the FCC says the broadcaster paid the fee during the period was in 2014. KELG alone accounts for more than $56,000 of the total, while KOKE and KTXZ each carry tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid obligations. The Commission says the balances include the statutory 25% late-payment penalties required by law, along with interest and administrative charges that continue to accrue until the debt is paid in full.<\/p>\n
The FCC says it previously transferred the delinquent debts to the U.S. Department of Treasury for collection after Encino failed to pay. But Treasury has since returned the debts to the Commission at its request, allowing the agency to pursue collection directly through its licensing authority.<\/p>\n
In the order made public Wednesday<\/a>, the FCC gives Encino Broadcasting 60 days to either pay the outstanding balance or demonstrate why the fees should be waived or deferred. The Commission warns that failure to do so could result in revocation of all three station licenses.<\/p>\n The filing also discloses that the FCC\u2019s Office of Managing Director rejected an Encino request seeking a waiver of its 2023 regulatory fees earlier this year, potentially narrowing the company\u2019s options as it responds to the latest enforcement action.<\/p>\n The action is the latest in a growing string of FCC efforts to collect long-overdue regulatory fees from broadcasters. In recent months the Commission has issued a series of pay-or-show-cause orders to radio operators around the country, warning that licenses can be revoked when regulatory fees remain unpaid.<\/p>\n Several stations lost their licenses last year after failing to resolve similar debts \u2014 including several in Texas. They included country \u201cTexas Thunder Radio\u201d simulcast of KYKM, Yoakum, TX (94.3) and KTXM, Hallettsville, TX (99.9) after owner Kremling Enterprises failed to pay $14,222.60<\/a> in annual regulatory fees.<\/p>\n