Licensee qualifications

[Sidney Schweiger]

"There are no such restrictions..."

There most certainly are.  The grant of a license involves a number of criteria, including what are commonly referred to as "character" qualifications.  Where such qualifications for services other than LPFM may not necessarily be explicitly spelled out in the regulations, they exist, and being convicted of violating the law carries at least some weight in determining whether or not an applicant gets a license.  Throughout the history of broadcast regulation, quite a few applicants as well as existing licensees have been denied licenses and, in some cases and upon conviction of felonies, have had licenses revoked or placed on the selling block under orders from the FCC.  One of the best known cases around these parts is that of the RKO-General broadcast group, which was forced to sell off all their licenses after the parent corporation, General Tire & Rubber, was found guilty of bribery.