From Tom Taylor Now's newsletter:
Cumulus earns a rare $20,000 EEO fine at its Myrtle Beach cluster.
What makes it hurt even more is the extra $4,000 the FCC tacks on for Cumulus Media’s “history of violations relating to the EEO rules.” Note that these are record-keeping and rule-following violations, not actual claims of discrimination. For instance, you’re supposed to recruit in the appropriate manner for every full-time vacancy, and the FCC says Cumulus failed to do that for six of 11 full-time openings, circa 2009-2010. You’re also supposed to “retain records of the number or source of interviewees,” and Cumulus failed to do that, for ten of those 11 vacancies. And since the normal records weren’t kept, Cumulus had a hard time with its EEO report. The Commission proposes a $20,000 forfeiture – starting with a $16,000 total for the violations, and adjusted upwards for the company’s history. Even worse, there will be reporting conditions going forward – annual EEO reports for the next three years. See the Notice of Apparent Liability here. The Myrtle Beach cluster includes sports “100.3 the Team” WSEA and country WLFF/106.5, licensed to Georgetown. Attorney David Oxenford posts that “This proposed fine shows that the FCC has not forgotten about the EEO rules, even if it has changed them to allow for online recruiting.” David also wonders about the timing – Why did the proposed fine take five years in gestation? He says Cumulus “may well take issue with that delay.”
Remember, they are in bankruptcy, too.
Cumulus earns a rare $20,000 EEO fine at its Myrtle Beach cluster.
What makes it hurt even more is the extra $4,000 the FCC tacks on for Cumulus Media’s “history of violations relating to the EEO rules.” Note that these are record-keeping and rule-following violations, not actual claims of discrimination. For instance, you’re supposed to recruit in the appropriate manner for every full-time vacancy, and the FCC says Cumulus failed to do that for six of 11 full-time openings, circa 2009-2010. You’re also supposed to “retain records of the number or source of interviewees,” and Cumulus failed to do that, for ten of those 11 vacancies. And since the normal records weren’t kept, Cumulus had a hard time with its EEO report. The Commission proposes a $20,000 forfeiture – starting with a $16,000 total for the violations, and adjusted upwards for the company’s history. Even worse, there will be reporting conditions going forward – annual EEO reports for the next three years. See the Notice of Apparent Liability here. The Myrtle Beach cluster includes sports “100.3 the Team” WSEA and country WLFF/106.5, licensed to Georgetown. Attorney David Oxenford posts that “This proposed fine shows that the FCC has not forgotten about the EEO rules, even if it has changed them to allow for online recruiting.” David also wonders about the timing – Why did the proposed fine take five years in gestation? He says Cumulus “may well take issue with that delay.”
Remember, they are in bankruptcy, too.