Wilhite Takes Plea Deal

[cflradio]

WELE owner Doug Wilhite accepts plea deal in sex cases
www.cflradio.net/What's_News.htm

 

[dancer67]

Would this be in hopes of avoiding a felony charge that would make even more trouble for the renewal of his 6 year pending license with the FCC? Anyone know what happened with National Loan Investors LLC foreclosure against Wings?

 

[cflamfm]

DAYTONA BEACH -- The 14 months since local radio station owner Doug Wilhite last appeared in court have not been easy, a judge was told Wednesday, because of deteriorating health.

Walking slowly with the help of a cane, WELE-AM 1380 owner Wilhite, 58, told Circuit Judge R. Michael Hutcheson that he has suffered a stroke and seizures since last April, when he was sentenced to two years of house arrest and 13 years' probation for child abuse and neglect.

"I'm having trouble getting around," Wilhite said.

http://www.news-journalonline.com/n...arrest-lifted-but-probation-still-stands.html

 

[jmtillery]

Would this be in hopes of avoiding a felony charge that would make even more trouble for the renewal of his 6 year pending license with the FCC? Anyone know what happened with National Loan Investors LLC foreclosure against Wings?

I don't have specific details other than the loan from National Loan Investors, LLC was secured with a mortgage lien against the real estate associated with the station's main building located at 432 South Nova Road, Ormond Beach and not against the broadcast license. I would imagine that Big John either a) brought the loan current; or, b) successfully negotiated a deferred pay-off on the loan; or c) took out another loan to pay off National Loan Investors, LLC enabling WELE to remain operating from it's Ormond Beach transmitter / tower site. There is no lien against the tower site as there is an existing 99-year fully paid lease [with approximately 70-years remaining] where the four towers are situated.

 

[Stormychuck]

Better late then never in answering a thread that's well over a year old huh JMTillery? May 2, 2010 from dancer 67 what happened? Not getting enough sleep? LOL....!

 

[jmtillery]

Better late then never in answering a thread that's well over a year old huh JMTillery? May 2, 2010 from dancer 67 what happened? Not getting enough sleep? LOL....!

I was testing you on your ability to take note of little details. Congratulations - you passed the test!

 

[dancer67]

The license for this station has been PENDING for over 7 years now. Is this a record? Is there a statute of limitations? By now Big John could probably have applied for and been awarded a hassle-free license of his own.

 

[jmtillery]

The license for this station has been PENDING for over 7 years now. Is this a record? Is there a statute of limitations? By now Big John could probably have applied for and been awarded a hassle-free license of his own.

Although rare, this is nothing unusual. The license may remain in the "pending" stage for as long as the FCC decides to leave it in the pending stage. Unfortunately for Big John, the FCC in all probabilty will not approve the license transfer until the license moves from "Pending" to "Renewed".

There is no statute of limitation imposed upon the FCC as to how soon the FCC must make a decision regarding a license renewal (There is, however, a deadline for the licensee to file a license renewal application) as the FCC administers and enforces administrative rules and not laws. And since the delay is within the FCC itself and not with the licensee's control, any such limitations could be challeged as unfair and not consistent with public interest concerns.

The only reason I see where the FCC would cancel the license would be if WELE were to become silent for more than twelve consecutive months in which case the FCC would have no choice but to cancel the license and delete the frequency from Ormond Beach due to a law passed by congress several years ago specifying any station that is silent for more than twelve consecutive months will automatically render its license null and void.