Re: NorthEast Radio Watch 8/6: Dynacom, Forever Sell Groups

["A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@world.std.com>]

On 7 Aug 99,  Scott D Fybush wrote:

There's also an explanation,
> at last, of why the Capital District Business Review thinks WMHQ (Channel
> 45) is changing calls to "WLVI" -- seems the new WB affiliate, which will
> actually be WEWB, will have its master control at the real WLVI studios in
> Boston.  Albany will get a sales office and a local production crew, but
> no actual studio to speak of. We'd mutter something about "service to the
> community" here, but if nobody else cares anymore...

Does that mean the Boston-area 10:00 news will be aired in Albany?  What 
will the local production crew do without a local studio?
 
> Norfolk talker WDIS (1170) is fighting to convince the FCC it still
> exists; meanwhile, someone filed a petition to deny against WDIS'
> application to have its license cancellation rescinded.  We think this was
> just a paperwork issue, but we can also imagine Radio Disney salivating
> over a chance to grab those calls...and we're eager to hear from folks in
> the Norfolk-Franklin-Foxboro area about whether WDIS is in fact on the
> air.
 
What happened?  How did the license get cancelled?  It's rather alarming 
if a station can be forced off the air just because the FCC's records are 
screwed up.  

In fact, I've been wondering whether that story a week or so ago about the 
college station in Maine really was a failure on their part to complete 
paperwork or whether it was the FCC that screwed up.  

Reminds me of when some landlords used to find that the Boston Rent Board 
had no record of rent increases or vacancy decontrol certificates they had 
granted, and insisted that they had to charge the 1972 rents.  Some of 
them were fortunate enough to have their own copies of the relevant 
decisions.  Others had a lot of trouble.

Of course, when some small station's disappearance turns out to be 
terribly convenient for some big station, one always wonders whether the 
screwup is really accidental.

Another thought:  Does a station really have to shut down if the FCC 
screws up and deletes it without cause?  I would think a station might, 
under appropriate circumstances, be able to get a court order allowing 
them to keep operating.


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 A.Joseph Ross, J.D.                                 617.367.0468
 15 Court Square                             lawyer@world.std.com
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