Josh Campbell-Special to the Sun

KVLI-FM was fined $7,000 by the FCC for failing to renew their commercial broadcasting license in a timely manner, according to a memorandum order released on Sept. 25. Issued by Peter H. Doyle, the audio division chief of the FCC’s media bureau, the order states the station’s license expired on Dec. 1, 2005. The licensees named in the order, Robert and Katherine Bohn, the owners of KVLI, did not file the license renewal application until Oct. 27, 2006.

FCC rules indicate that commercial radio stations must apply for license renewals 'not later than the first day of the fourth full calendar month prior to expiration date of the license.' KVLI’s license had been expired for more than 10 months before a renewal application was filed and the radio station continued to operate without seeking a Special Temporary Authorization. FCC rules establish a base fine of $3,000 for the failure to file the required form and a base fine of $10,000 for operating the station without the license.

QAB Media offices in Kernville.

Since the radio station had previously been licensed to operate and the FCC did not deem the violation as 'comparable to pirate wireless operation', the base fine for unauthorized operation was reduced to $4,000. No one from the KVLI-FM or QAB media was available for comment for this story, but according to the memorandum order, the owners of the station allowed their license to expire through administrative error. They explain in the notice that 'because of misunderstanding of [the Commission’s electronic filing] system,' the application was not submitted on time.

The memorandum clearly states that these transgressions do not constitute serious violations. The commission found no evidence that any of these violations could be considered a pattern of abuse and they concluded that KVLI-FM had 'served the public interest, convenience and necessity during its subject license term', and a license renewal application has been granted to the station.