Re: WMFO transfer of license?

[Shawn Mamros <mamros@MIT.EDU>]

>One would expect that we'll see something similar for WBUR fairly soon, 
>perhaps.  Since DeWolfe is no longer the chair of the Trustees of BU, and 
>wasn't Westling a Trustee and the President and now he's neither?   I don't 
>know how many people are BU Trustees so I don't know what the threshold is 
>for requiring a license transfer.

My understanding is that, if the organization in question is incorporated,
then no transfer of license is required just because of a change in the
organization's members.  "Trustees of Boston University" is an incorporated
entity (and also deemed a non-profit by the IRS), so the changes you
described should not require any sort of license transfer.  At WMBR,
we certainly haven't had to do a license transfer anytime the membership
of the Technology Broadcasting Corporation (also an incorporated entity)
has changed.

By contrast, I could not find any sort of corporate entity for the
trustees of Tufts (or at least not one that's listed on the IRS website).
Their organization may be structured in some completely different way
that, for some obscure reason, would cause a change in membership to
necessitate a transfer of the license.  Or... they may be undergoing
some change in the way the trustees of Tufts are structured (or how
WMFO specifically relates to the trustees) that would mandate a license
transfer.  Or... whoever it is WMFO relies on for legal advice in matters
pertaining to the FCC is going by some overly conservative (possibly
outdated?) interpretation of the rules regarding transfer of ownership.

-Shawn Mamros
E-mail to: mamros@mit.edu