KSKD-FM license canceled

[Frequency1]

The FCC has just canceled the license of KSKD-FM, Livingston, CA.

Dear Licensee:
Our records indicate that Station KSKD (FM), Livingston, California (Station), licensed to KSKD, Inc. (KSKD), may have been operating from an unauthorized site since August 7, 2017.

Pursuant to Section 73.1740 of the Commission’s Rules, KSKD is required to clarify this matter in writing within thirty days of the date of this letter.

On January 30, 2017, August 9, 2019, KSKD filed a request for Special Temporary Authority (STA) to operate at variance from its license with an exhibit stating:
The licensee is in the process of building out BPH-20141031ADX. The old licensed tower is being demolished. The licensee wishes to operate at the location specified in this STA pending
completion of construction in the next two months. Our records show that the STA granted above expired on August 7, 2017 and no extensions were requested. In addition, no notice
was filed indicating that the Station was operating pursuant to licensed parameters following the STA’s expiration. On November 7, 2019, KSKD filed a request for STA to remain silent
stating that the Station went silent on October 17, 2019. In the Silent STA request, KSKD stated, “this station is silent pending a license change to Dos Palos. No application is on file
requesting a change of community of license for KSKD. Based on our review of this information, it appears that the Station may have been silent (or failed to operate with authorized
facilities) for more than one year. Pursuant to Section 312(g) of the Act, if a broadcast station fails to transmit broadcast signals with its authorized facilities for any consecutive
12-month period, then the station license granted for the operation of that broadcast station expires at the end of that period, unless extended or reinstated by Commission action.
Please provide evidence documenting the Station’s operational status since August 7, 2017. This evidence must indicate the location, effective radiated power and antenna height
above ground level for all periods of operation from August 7, 2017, to the present. Also include copies of all leases, personnel records (including payroll records appropriately
redacted to protect the privacy of individual employees), engineering records, and station logs (including EAS logs) for that period of time. In addition, you must provide copies
of all invoices, bills, checks written or received, credit card charges, wire transfers or deposits of funds relating to the Station’s operation. You must also include pictures of the Station’s
studio facilities and transmission facilities during this timeframe and provide exact Station coordinates.

Failure to respond to this letter within the specified time will result in adverse actions jeopardizing both the Station’s license and call letters.

 

[beej65]

If my Spanish is any good, the former "La Favorita" triple cast on KSKD (now cancelled), KBYN/City of Angels (which also covers Modesto on 95.9), and KCFA/Arnold (106.1) is also no more. KSKD used to reach down to Chowchilla. I have been hearing Spanish Christian on 106.1 for a while now...

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

If my Spanish is any good, the former "La Favorita" triple cast on KSKD (now cancelled), KBYN/City of Angels (which also covers Modesto on 95.9), and KCFA/Arnold (106.1) is also no more. KSKD used to reach down to Chowchilla. I have been hearing Spanish Christian on 106.1 for a while now...

Is that these people? http://lafavoritaradionetwork.com/

Their AM, KCFY 1100 Bakersfield is listed as running La FAvorita in a few online databases, but I heard it on night-time skip here in Wyoming and it's doing something that sounds like "La Nueva Mega".

 

[beej65]

Can't pull up that website on my current browser for some reason...
Wouldn't surprise me though if it was the same. Using the three signals together here in the northern San Joaquin Valley used to cover north of Sacramento all the way down to almost Fresno...

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Can't pull up that website on my current browser for some reason...
Wouldn't surprise me though if it was the same. Using the three signals together here in the northern San Joaquin Valley used to cover north of Sacramento all the way down to almost Fresno...

Ah ok All of a sudden last week i started hearing brief blurbs of spanish music one day.. it took me on and off all mornign and night one day to track down it was AM 110 by hearing a translator ID that mentioned "California".

EDIT: I double checked and it is the same people

 

[Frequency1]

Ah ok All of a sudden last week i started hearing brief blurbs of spanish music one day.. it took me on and off all mornign and night one day to track down it was AM 110 by hearing a translator ID that mentioned "California".

EDIT: I double checked and it is the same people

It looks like they have other issues with the State of California as well.
C4084640 LA FAVORITA RADIO NETWORK

Registration Date:11/27/2017
Jurisdiction:CALIFORNIA
Entity TypeOMESTIC STOCK
Status:FTB SUSPENDED
Agent for Service of Process:AXEL B GOMEZ
600 E MAIN ST
TURLOCK CA 95380
Entity Address:4043 GEER RD
HUGHSON CA 95326


Last summer the FCC issued them a Notice of Violation for:
2. On June 5, 2019, an Agent of the Enforcement Bureaus San Francisco Office conducted an inspection and observed the following violations:

a. 47 CFR 73.1201(a)(2): Station identification. When regularly required. Broadcast station identification announcements shall be made: Hourly, as close to the hour as feasible, . At the time of inspection, the Agent observed on more than one occasion that there was no station identification announcement at the hour for KLOC, 1390 kHz.

b. 47 CFR 17.21(c): Antenna structures shall be painted and lighted when: An antenna installation is of such a nature that its painting and lighting specifications in accordance with the FAA airspace recommendation are confusing, or endanger rather than assist airmen, or are otherwise inadequate. In these cases, the Commission will specify the type of painting and lighting or other marking to be used for the particular structure. La Favorita is required by the KLOC station authorization to paint and light the towers in accordance with FCC Form 715 paragraphs 1, 3, 11, and 21. The Form 715 paragraphs require that the tower be painted for visibility and that top flashing red obstruction lights, along with midpoint sidelights, are operating at night. On more than one occasion, the Agent observed that the tower lights were not lit at night and that the paint was extremely faded.

c. 47 CFR 17.23 Specifications for painting and lighting antenna structures. [E]ach antenna structure must be painted and lighted in accordance with any painting and lighting requirements prescribed on the antenna structure's registration, or in accordance with any other specifications provided by the Commission. La Favorita is required by the KLOC station authorization to paint and light the towers in accordance with FCC Form 715 paragraphs with specifications 1, 3, 11, and 21. The Form 715 paragraphs require that the tower be painted for visibility during daytime and that top flashing red obstruction lights, along with midpoint sidelights, are operating at night. At the time of inspection, the stations towers were not marked and lit in accordance with the conditions on the stations license.

d. 47 CFR 17.48(a) Notification of extinguishment or improper functioning of lights. The owner of any antenna structure which is registered with the Commission and has been assigned lighting specifications referenced in this part Shall report immediately to the FAA, by means acceptable to the FAA, any observed or otherwise known extinguishment or improper functioning of any top steady burning light or any flashing obstruction light, regardless of its position on the antenna structure, not corrected within 30 minutes. If the lights cannot be repaired within the FAA's Notices to Airmen (NOTAM) period, the owner shall notify the FAA to extend the outage date and report a return-to-service date. The owner shall repeat this process until the lights are repaired. At the time of inspection, no NOTAM had been submitted to the FAA by the licensee.

e. 47 CFR 17.50 Cleaning and repainting. Antenna structures requiring painting under this part shall be cleaned or repainted as often as necessary to maintain good visibility. Evaluation of the current paint status shall be made by using the FAA's In-Service Aviation Orange Tolerance Chart. This chart is based upon the color requirements contained in the National Bureau of Standards Report NBSIR 75-663, Color Requirements for the Marking of Obstructions. At the time of inspection, the Agent observed that the painting of the towers was extremely faded.

 

[RF101]

As of 7/21 La Favorita Networks still embeds "KSKD 95.9 Merced-Madera" ID at the top of the hour... Isn't that false advertising?

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

As of 7/21 La Favorita Networks still embeds "KSKD 95.9 Merced-Madera" ID at the top of the hour... Isn't that false advertising?

No not really... they arent really advertising anything... theyre simply fulfilling a legal requirement, back when it was on air at least

Ive caught many a station running old legal ids before

 

[beej65]

Also you might have to listen as much as 15' before the top of the hour to catch the legal ID, the previous violation notwithstanding. I can't recall whether it was La Favorita or another station I monitored occasionally in the past, but at least one broadcaster around here definitely used to bury their set of legal IDs way off the top of the hour.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Also you might have to listen as much as 15' before the top of the hour to catch the legal ID, the previous violation notwithstanding. I can't recall whether it was La Favorita or another station I monitored occasionally in the past, but at least one broadcaster around here definitely used to bury their set of legal IDs way off the top of the hour.

which is legal to do

 

[RF101]

Related - Station IDs in the valley

Also you might have to listen as much as 15' before the top of the hour to catch the legal ID, the previous violation notwithstanding. I can't recall whether it was La Favorita or another station I monitored occasionally in the past, but at least one broadcaster around here definitely used to bury their set of legal IDs way off the top of the hour.

The Radio Lazer stations can be interesting... "K M Q A Cien Punto Cinco Porterville Tulare Visalia Hanford. Aqui puro Radio Lazer Cien Punto Cinco Aqui puro Radio Lazer ... una radio a otro nivel . Aqui puro Radio Lazer" . That's all crammed into 15 seconds at the ToH. Missing of course is the "East" prefix as KMQA's official community of license is actually "East Porterville."

My favorite top-of-the-hours come from the Spanish-language "cadenas" heard throughout the West that IDs all the stations in a single swath. You'll hear their numerous full-power stations and even translators.

Try these (w/ audio URLs):


* Radio Bilingüe (KSJV Fresno)

http://50.245.174.62:7070/broadwave.m3u?src=1&rate=1​

* Hispanic Target Media - West (KUKY, Wellton AZ)

http://64.202.98.33:2710/listen.pls​

* Hispanic Target Media - NM/TX (KALN Dexter NM)

https://62.171.148.111:7130/listen.pls?sid=1​

The KUKY stream feeds several Hispanic Target Media stations in the Central Valley such as KHMU in Buttonwillow.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

The Radio Lazer stations can be interesting... "K M Q A Cien Punto Cinco Porterville Tulare Visalia Hanford. Aqui puro Radio Lazer Cien Punto Cinco Aqui puro Radio Lazer ... una radio a otro nivel . Aqui puro Radio Lazer" . That's all crammed into 15 seconds at the ToH. Missing of course is the "East" prefix as KMQA's official community of license is actually "East Porterville."

My favorite top-of-the-hours come from the Spanish-language "cadenas" heard throughout the West that IDs all the stations in a single swath. You'll hear their numerous full-power stations and even translators.

Try these (w/ audio URLs):


* Radio Bilingüe (KSJV Fresno)

http://50.245.174.62:7070/broadwave.m3u?src=1&rate=1​

* Hispanic Target Media - West (KUKY, Wellton AZ)

http://64.202.98.33:2710/listen.pls​

* Hispanic Target Media - NM/TX (KALN Dexter NM)

https://62.171.148.111:7130/listen.pls?sid=1​

The KUKY stream feeds several Hispanic Target Media stations in the Central Valley such as KHMU in Buttonwillow.

I've heard Hispanic target Media's 92.7 KUTM out here , WY, and i cant find my notes.. but heard another HTM station from CA with a commercial for an ISP in Yuma! )(Where HQ is)

Heres KUTM audio:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BMjuf7i3lljo8GpcjjhBbBxwqqbppRxe/view?usp=sharing

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

My favorite top-of-the-hours come from the Spanish-language "cadenas" heard throughout the West that IDs all the stations in a single swath. You'll hear their numerous full-power stations and even translators.

Try these (w/ audio URLs):


* Radio Bilingüe (KSJV Fresno)

http://50.245.174.62:7070/broadwave.m3u?src=1&rate=1​

* Hispanic Target Media - West (KUKY, Wellton AZ)

http://64.202.98.33:2710/listen.pls​

* Hispanic Target Media - NM/TX (KALN Dexter NM)

https://62.171.148.111:7130/listen.pls?sid=1​

The KUKY stream feeds several Hispanic Target Media stations in the Central Valley such as KHMU in Buttonwillow.

Took me a minute to find it, but here's Hispanic Target Media's KPQW 106.3 Willows, CA as I heard it in Laramie, WY back in May The commercial that starts about 9 seconds is for an ISP in Yuma AZ where HTM's HQ is:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qFhlJX1bRw-3lTbI_SmSTbfSczAmWFJ2/view?usp=sharing

 

[RF101]

Took me a minute to find it, but here's Hispanic Target Media's KPQW 106.3 Willows, CA as I heard it in Laramie, WY back in May The commercial that starts about 9 seconds is for an ISP in Yuma AZ where HTM's HQ is:

Nice DX catch, especially given this lower-powered Class A station and the crowded FM dial today. Yes, Hispanic Target Media stations can be bizarre; while driving down Virginia's Eastern Shore listening to WFAJ Nassawadox you'll hear an advert for an auto mechanic in New Mexico. Yes, many of these HTM stations do run local blocks with listener dedications. WFAJ does that at times.

Listening to the "Puro Radio Amigo" KUKY stream this afternoon I am treated to an announcement for a Yuma area car dealership followed by a meat market in Hamilton City, near Chico. Interesting ad strategy....

 

[Frequency1]

§ 73.1201 Station identification.
(a) When regularly required. Broadcast station identification announcements shall be made:

(1) At the beginning and ending of each time of operation, and

(2) Hourly, as close to the hour as feasible, at a natural break in program offerings. Television and Class A television broadcast stations may make these announcements visually or aurally.

(b) Content.

(1) Official station identification shall consist of the station's call letters immediately followed by the community or communities specified in its license as the station's location;

This happened in 2013:
Released: February 27, 2013

By the Acting District Director, Los Angeles Office, Western Region,
Enforcement Bureau:

1. This is a Notice of Violation (Notice) issued pursuant to Section 1.89
of the Commission's rules (Rules),^ to AMFM Broadcasting Licenses,
LLC, licensee of radio station KBIG-FM, Los Angeles, California.
Pursuant to Section 1.89(a) of the Rules, issuance of this Notice does
not preclude the Enforcement Bureau from further action if warranted,
including issuing a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture for
the violations noted herein.^

2. On January 23, 2013, in response to a complaint, an agent from the
Enforcement Bureau's Los Angeles Office monitored KBIG-FM's broadcast
transmission on 104.3 MHz. The monitoring revealed that the
transmission failed to identify the station properly by announcing the
station's call letters immediately followed by its community of
license. The station simply identified itself as 104.3 FM. The
following violation was observed:

a. 47 C.F.R. S 73.1201(b)(1): "Official station identification shall
consist of the station's call letters immediately followed by the
community or communities specified in its license as the station's
location." During the time period that the station's transmissions
were being monitored, the station failed to identify itself properly
with call letters followed by community of license.

 

[Tiger Cox]

§ 73.1201 Station identification.
(a) When regularly required. Broadcast station identification announcements shall be made:

(1) At the beginning and ending of each time of operation, and

(2) Hourly, as close to the hour as feasible, at a natural break in program offerings. Television and Class A television broadcast stations may make these announcements visually or aurally.

(b) Content.

(1) Official station identification shall consist of the station's call letters immediately followed by the community or communities specified in its license as the station's location;

This happened in 2013:
Released: February 27, 2013

By the Acting District Director, Los Angeles Office, Western Region,
Enforcement Bureau:

1. This is a Notice of Violation (Notice) issued pursuant to Section 1.89
of the Commission's rules (Rules),^ to AMFM Broadcasting Licenses,
LLC, licensee of radio station KBIG-FM, Los Angeles, California.
Pursuant to Section 1.89(a) of the Rules, issuance of this Notice does
not preclude the Enforcement Bureau from further action if warranted,
including issuing a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture for
the violations noted herein.^

2. On January 23, 2013, in response to a complaint, an agent from the
Enforcement Bureau's Los Angeles Office monitored KBIG-FM's broadcast
transmission on 104.3 MHz. The monitoring revealed that the
transmission failed to identify the station properly by announcing the
station's call letters immediately followed by its community of
license. The station simply identified itself as 104.3 FM. The
following violation was observed:

a. 47 C.F.R. S 73.1201(b)(1): "Official station identification shall
consist of the station's call letters immediately followed by the
community or communities specified in its license as the station's
location." During the time period that the station's transmissions
were being monitored, the station failed to identify itself properly
with call letters followed by community of license.

I always thought the ID had to have Call Letters, Freq., and city of license 7 minutes before or after the top of the hour.

 

[davideduardo]

I always thought the ID had to have Call Letters, Freq., and city of license 7 minutes before or after the top of the hour.

I don't ever recall a 7-7 minute window. Long ago, the window was plus or minus 2 minutes. Then it became less restricted with the "near the top of the hour in a natural break" which many took to mean before or after a music sweep. Of course, at sign on and sign off it is required, too.

Here is part of a synopsis of the rule:

Between the call letters and its community, the station may insert the name of the licensee, the station’s channel number, and/or its frequency. It may also include any additional community or communities, as long as it first names the community to which it is licensed by the FCC. TV stations also may identify their digital multicast programming streams separately if they want, and, if so, must follow the format described in the FCC’s rules.

My first on-air blooper, around 1960, was ID'ing as "This is WCUY, ninty-poo point pee, Cleveland Heights". That was, were the syllables right, a correct legal ID. Saying "This is WCUY, Jazz 92.2, Cleveland Heights" would not have been legal.

 

[Frequency1]

Natural break would not be a selection of different songs but if you are running a baseball game it would be at the break in action.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Natural break would not be a selection of different songs but if you are running a baseball game it would be at the break in action.

YEs it is.. because if youre running classical music you could have your ID at 45 after before a long piece or say 12 after, after the selection

 

[RF101]

... and note that the FCC does not impose a language requirement on the ID ; that's why you'll hear all-Spanish, (code-switched) Spanglish, or perhaps even other languages used at the top of the hour. The Valley is very multilingual - even home to KBES in Ceres , the all-Assyrian station. Others include Hmong, Portuguese, Armenian, Farsi, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, etc. So even if La Favorita does their IDs all in Spanish then I think that's legal... (How's that for looping back to the original thread title?)