College Publisher Test Site

Issue date: 4/26/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Travis Olivera WPNR's public files

WPNR, the college radio station, has been struggling with their license renewal all year long and are still waiting for an answer from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on what will happen.

The FCC has changed many rules. According to John Johnsen, dean of social sciences and management, in the past with colleges the FCC level was different. Because of these rule changes, some of the records required by the FCC were not available. The station is mandated to keep certain records up-to-date and available to the public.

These files must include the license, applications and related materials filed with the FCC, citizens agreements, a contour map of the broadcasting area, material relating to an FCC investigation or a complaint, ownership reports, lists of contracts filed with the FCC, a political file for requests for broadcast time made by a candidate for public office, annual employment records, copies of the broadcasting manual, letters and e-mails from the public, radio time brokerage agreements, list of donors, local public notice announcements, and the one thing that WPNR's files were missing were the issues/ programs list.

The issues/programs list contains everything that the station airs while broadcasting, as well as a list of times when it does not broadcast anything. WPNR is a non-profit college station and therefore does not broadcast during school vacations. There are no reports before April 10, 2006, however all the correct files and reports are there since that date.

Another problem with the license renewal is that the application was filed three months late. The application was due February 1, 2006 and was not submitted until April 12, 2006. In the public files, located in the Social Sciences and Management Division Office, it stated that as of that date there were no outstanding bills or fines.

The station is stressing that the missing files are a result of who was there in the past, and does not reflect the way things are run now. According to WPNR's new advisor, Douglas Croft, license renewal is always something that's challenging. "Right now we are just doing everything currently to make sure that we're doing all the right things," Croft said.

Continued...

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