What DOES a station have to do to lose their license?

[cm454]

Talk WVNN-A-F/HUNTSVILLE host Dale Jackson created a press release that was posted on his website and was read by him on the air, claiming that because of heavy voter turnout, the voting for an open seat in the Alabama state Senate would continue for an extra two days and Democrats would be voting on the later days--which obviously would mean they show up too late to vote. The press release included the state seal.

Granted, this guy is a small market hack who simply apes Limbaugh and his many clones, but considering how far stations have wandered from operating in the public's interest, it does make you wonder what they actually have to do to lose a license.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Leave the gate open in the fence around your tower, and then not respond to the letter you get from the FCC about the violation.

In reading FCC records it does seem that more people end up loosing their license, or getting a fine so large that they decide to negotiate turning in their license if the FCC will agree not to pursue payment even after the forfeiture. It's not the crime that gets them.... it's failing to respond to Uncle Charlie.

I disagree with Mr. Jackson and I think he and I have clanged swords together in these threads a time or two, but dismissing him as a "small market hack" may not be in order. Is he not working in the market that delivered Mr. Hannity to the nation?

Any bonus Mr. Jackson had hoped to receive this year could end up in the pockets of some lawyers who have to sweet talk the FCC but maybe some state election officials as well.

 

[cm454]

Is he not working in the market that delivered Mr. Hannity to the nation?

Are you serious?

He's in a SMALL market. There are lots of small market stations filled with hacks. Whoever managed to come out of there in a different era is not relevant. And what delivered Hannity to the nation was low ratings in Atlanta, where he routinely got his rear kicked by Neil Boortz, yet caught the eye of the born-again master of local radio disaster, Phil Boyce at WABC. Remeber WABC? A once great station with tons of local programming. It had better numbers when run in that fashion vs. the turn-key syndication base that it's turned into.

By the way, that moronic abuse of the airwaves as perpetrated by Mr. Jackson is exactly what I'd expect from Hacksville, USA.

Do any of these type hosts ever have an original stance? How can you wake up everyday knowing you're carrying the water for a party, any party? How can you have any pride in your work when you know all you do is find different ways to say the same crap said by 1,000 other clones?

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

By the way, that moronic abuse of the airwaves as perpetrated by Mr. Jackson is exactly what I'd expect from Hacksville, USA.

I am NOT a defender of Dale Jackson for pulling this stunt. I think over time he will come to realize that maybe it was not the smart thing to do. I indicated in my earlier posting that I disagree with Mr. Jackson on some issues. I am not his apologist or his shill.

That being said: Just because somebody works in a top 20 market, does the guarantee that they are a more worthwhile human being than someone working in a lesser market. We don't know if Mr. Jackson is working in "Hacksville" because he is an inferior human being with crippled mental ability, or whether he is a genuine genius on the rise who may be working "Hacksville" because he has elderly parents living nearby or maybe he has a child that needs to attend a specialized school that is there. What if he has a spouse that is in the military and stationed at "Hacksville"?

Maybe you grew up with Dale Jackson and know everything there is to know about him, and you may be the most qualified person on earth to analyze him and his behavior. But so far all we have from you is that you know he is only capable of saying things as worthless as 1,000 other clones would say because they too are in Hacksville equivalents.

By the way. Do you know Huntsville? Ever been there? Do you have any concept of what life is like in Huntsville? What the mental capacity of the population is? A lot of the people who were smart enough to figure out how to put "man on the moon" live there. Maybe they have helped nurture some one who will someday be a great national Talk Show guy.

I have no way of knowing. Do you?

 

[cm454]

I have no way of knowing. Do you?

Yes, of course.

 

[nmoore6676]

If the station in Sacramento that did the "Hold Your Wee For A Wii" promotion which resulted in the death of a contestant didn't lose their license I doubt that WVNN is worried about that. However he may be in some trouble regarding interfering with an election. That could bite them in the behind and will likely result in some action involving fines. It all comes down to the fact that it was a stupid thing to do and someone should have seen that but they didn't. As to Mr. Jackson's talents as a host I can't say not having heard him but that may be moot after the dust settles on this incident.

As to the market size, remember that the late Ted Baxter said that it all started at a 500 watt station near Fresno. They all have to start somewhere, though with Satellite, and Automation those launching pads are getting scarce.

 

[listener-in]

On one point, and one only, I agree with GRC and disagree with cm454 - market size has nothing to do with it. The rest of GRC's contribution makes no sense at all.

Maybe you grew up with Dale Jackson and know everything there is to know about him, and you may be the most qualified person on earth to analyze him and his behavior. But so far all we have from you is that you know he is only capable of saying things as worthless as 1,000 other clones would say because they too are in Hacksville equivalents.

I don't care how well people know or don't know him, whether he was orphaned, abandoned or abused as a kid, whether he is an active member of every philanthropic organization in town or whether he attends a house of worship daily. What Dale Jackson allegedly did is a crime, and he should be prosecuted accordingly. I don't know the degree of the station's involvement in this affair, but an explanation is clearly in order, and if there are no probationary sanctions available when warranted, there should be. As with so many stations that act as enablers to toxic talkers, I wonder how their managers/owners can look at themselves in the mirror.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

On one point, and one only, I agree with GRC and disagree with cm454 - market size has nothing to do with it. The rest of GRC's contribution makes no sense at all.

Huntsville shows up as Radio Market #118 nationally. Not a major market, but not exactly Hacksville, USA as the earlier writer expressed it. Huntsville and Decatur are quite close together so The Commerce Department has set up statistics for "Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area which under that description makes it the nations 65th market with a population of 510,000 living souls. Not a major market, but not exactly Hacksville, USA. :

I don't care how well people know or don't know him, whether he was orphaned, abandoned or abused as a kid, whether he is an active member of every philanthropic organization in town or whether he attends a house of worship daily. What Dale Jackson allegedly did is a crime, and he should be prosecuted accordingly. I don't know the degree of the station's involvement in this affair, but an explanation is clearly in order, and if there are no probationary sanctions available when warranted, there should be. As with so many stations that act as enablers to toxic talkers, I wonder how their managers/owners can look at themselves in the mirror.

Here is what the Goat was trying to say but obviously didn't get the job done. If he has any of the traits I listed in the earlier message about where he wants to live and family circumstances , you are right. What he did is a bit inexcusable, possibly illegal, and likely to result in legal expenses.

The point I was trying to make was: The fact that someone is living and working in a Hacksville, USA does not automatically prove that the person is lacking in skills as a person of the broadcasting profession. The writer of the original post asked us to accept the logic that: "since he is working in a Hacksville market that proves he has no skills, has no sense, has no moral values." I was simply saying that before we jump to that conclusion, maybe we need to learn what the facts are before we hang the guy for lack of skills.

By the way, I do not live in Alabama and never have. I live in a neighboring state where we routinely make Alabama the "butt of our jokes". I have visited Huntsville a number of times since 1965 because my wife has a brother living there. And yes, he IS a rocket scientist. Yes, he helped make it possible for men to walk on the moon.

Huntsville is not exactly Hacksville, USA. ;D

 

[cm454]

Boy are you guys anal.

The point, obviously, is that if you are in a small market (and Huntsville IS a small market), you more likely than not are a hack. That's not to say everybody in tiny places suck, and that's also not to say everybody in the big leagues is great----but I was talking about the norm, not the exception.

And that move by Jackson has "hack" written all over it. ANYBODY without a brain can EASILY abuse the trust that has been built by this medium over the last 80 years. It takes little effort or intelligence. Go on the air tomorrow and make crap up. It's easy. Then again, come to think of it, maybe this is just a conservative talkradio thing. They have in recent years really ramped up the *invented fact* machine. Maybe this is just the manifestation of the dishonesty trickle down theory.

Regardless, welcome to Hacksville.

 

[nmoore6676]

Boy are you guys anal.

The point, obviously, is that if you are in a small market (and Huntsville IS a small market), you more likely than not are a hack. That's not to say everybody in tiny places suck, and that's also not to say everybody in the big leagues is great----but I was talking about the norm, not the exception.

And that move by Jackson has "hack" written all over it. ANYBODY without a brain can EASILY abuse the trust that has been built by this medium over the last 80 years. It takes little effort or intelligence. Go on the air tomorrow and make crap up. It's easy. Then again, come to think of it, maybe this is just a conservative talkradio thing. They have in recent years really ramped up the *invented fact* machine. Maybe this is just the manifestation of the dishonesty trickle down theory.

Regardless, welcome to Hacksville.

While hacks are more likely to be found in small markets, not all people at small markets are hacks, there is no ipso facto here. As to the anal tendencies of other posters without knowing and observing them I can not speak to that, as to myself, definitely yes.

 

[cm454]

Boy are you guys anal.

The point, obviously, is that if you are in a small market (and Huntsville IS a small market), you more likely than not are a hack. That's not to say everybody in tiny places suck, and that's also not to say everybody in the big leagues is great----but I was talking about the norm, not the exception.

And that move by Jackson has "hack" written all over it. ANYBODY without a brain can EASILY abuse the trust that has been built by this medium over the last 80 years. It takes little effort or intelligence. Go on the air tomorrow and make crap up. It's easy. Then again, come to think of it, maybe this is just a conservative talkradio thing. They have in recent years really ramped up the *invented fact* machine. Maybe this is just the manifestation of the dishonesty trickle down theory.

Regardless, welcome to Hacksville.

While hacks are more likely to be found in small markets, not all people at small markets are hacks

Isn't that what I just said?

 

[One Who Knows]

Well, now that you guys have gotten this thread completely off topic with your political rantings, let's try and pull it back on topic, shall we?

Show me where the FCC has EVER...EVER yanked a license for any reason (other than when an owner has voluntarily surrendered it because they couldn't pay the fine)?

I can think of more than a few who should have their licenses yanked...and not for reasons of politics. For reasons that they don't serve public "interest, convenience and necessity" in my view.

 

[Prais]

With all due respect kiddies,
Mr Who Knows" apparently could know some MORE.

Mr "who knows said, " I can think of more than a few who should have their licenses yanked." BAD or biased PROGRAMMING will NEVER cost a license. Free speech issues. Mr. One, Are you impersonating a commissioner?

Just a few lost licenses off the top of my old fart head;

Around 1960 wclm, Chicago LOST THEIR LICENSE for broadcasting horse race results on their subcarrier (an inspector hapened to walk in and catch them.

1380 KWK in St. Louis lost ther license over some shady contest stuff. WIFE in Indianapolis lost their license. Preacher/broadcaster Billy James Hargis lost his am license (East coast city forgotten) and wound up broadcasting in international waters.

There are many others. Whose an ill informed hack, now? Don't ASSume anything. This is the internet Google age, Use those tools and learn something.

There are a few tv examples, too. WHDH, Boston, comes to mind.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

In responding to the question which included reference to not paying fines.... It has only been in recent years that the FCC was given the authority to assess a fine. During the earlier years the only penalty available was cancellation of license and that was serious enough that they were hesitant to use the "capital punishment" route. That was also complicated by the fact that a licensee in danger would cozy up with senators and congressman to pressure the FCC not to do it. I have a colorful story about the dinky little station that used to exist in my hometown and the letter I found in the FCC file on a trip to Washington. Political power is mighty!

Yes, WIFE in Indy lost it's license and I think Don Burden also had two other licenses taken at the same time. (And WIFE was a double whammy- both AM and FM).

I don't remember Billy James Hargis having a station on the East Coast... or elsewhere. I wonder if you are thinking of the Carl McIntyre station at Red Lion, PA. McIntyre was a generation older than Hargis and had a habit of taking a defiant stand not only with the FCC but with church denominational authority also. (Hargis I knew. In comparing notes I found that he had pastored a church in my hometown for a short time before I adopted the town as my own. If he owned any station(s) that came later after I quit keeping up with him.)

In the last two to five years didn't Bishop Willis end up turning in the licenses he couldn't sell when the FCC did relent and offer to let him try and dispose of them?

My memory is that there were some other licenses lost in the 1960s and 1970s.

 

[KeithE4]

Show me where the FCC has EVER...EVER yanked a license for any reason (other than when an owner has voluntarily surrendered it because they couldn't pay the fine)?

RKO General (CKLW, WOR, many others)
Don Burden (WIFE AM-FM Indianapolis, others)
John Walton Jr. (KIKX Tucson)
Mike Rice (WBOW Terre Haute, others)
Boston Herald-Traveler (WHDH)

Probably many others that I can't think of right now.

 

[gr8oldies]

WDRK in Greenville OH

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

The guy in Terre Haute was the one convicted of some nasty crimes. From my friend Blaine Thompson's Indiana Radio Archive (http://www.well.com/~irw/stations/wbow1.html):

In 1998, the FCC revoked the stations license as President Michael Rice was convicted of twelve felonies involving sexual assault of children and subsequently jailed.

Whatever you think of this stunt by Mr. Jackson, I'm pretty sure it doesn't rise to the level of license trouble for WVNN. Trouble from the Alabama Secretary of State's election division? That may be another matter.

By the way, Hannity not only worked in the market, he worked at the same station. I"m pretty sure WVNN was his first commercial radio job out of UC Santa Barbara's student station.

WVNN's had quite a pipeline "up to the majors" for a station in a market that size.

 

[FreddyE1977]

well, leaving your transmitter up at full-power after local sundown apparently won't do it, as WVNN appears to do that frequently

 

[FilioScotia]

I'm not an expert in these things, but I think we can all agree that it would take a pretty serious and egregious violation or chain of violations to get the FCC to yank a broadcaster's license. Something more serious than leaving a transmitter on after hours or even an idiot announcer knowingly reading a false story over the air. Those things will draw stiff fines, but not complete revokation of license. IMO.

There's a story happening right now in a small-town Texas market where it's been shown that the licensee lied 7 ways from Sunday about his own past when he applied for and got a license to run a station in the town of Shamrock. The FCC later learned the guy operated several unlicensed stations in several states, and he even did time in prison for stealing advertising revenue from his own station.

The FCC revoked his license just a few weeks ago. Unanswered is the question of how this clown ever got a license with a background like that.

Here's a link to the story on a website we all respect: http://www.rbr.com/media-news/washington-beat/15315.html

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

The FCC later learned the guy operated several unlicensed stations in several states, and he even did time in prison for stealing advertising revenue from his own station.

The FCC revoked his license just a few weeks ago. Unanswered is the question of how this clown ever got a license with a background like that.

Here's a link to the story on a website we all respect: http://www.rbr.com/media-news/washington-beat/15315.html

I've never met Mr. Hammond. I have read a number of his posts on another discussion site. I notice that a number of reputable broadcast people seem to accept him as a peer in those discussions.

Nowhere in your post or in the link that you gave was there any discussion of Mr. Hammonds feud with the local prosecutor and others in the court house at Shamrock, TX. No where did you mention in your post about the locals who were upset that Mr. Hammond was allowed to take over the station rather than themselves.

Maybe they are all crooks, Mr. Hammond included, but the lagoon is much deeper and has a lot more odor-producing fecal material in it than you included in your post, or included in the link.

I hope someday the entire story comes out and allows us all who have watched this fiasco for several years now sleep well at night knowing who the good guys are and who the bad guys are.

I am not taking sides in defense of Mr. Hammond. It scares me that I might go into a small market, acquire a station, and wake up some morning with all the nightmares comparable to Shamrock TX hanging around my neck. And to never have the full story authentically laid out in public.