ENTERCOM FILES TO RELINQUISH SACRAMENTO KDND LICENSE
Public Interest Victory Cites CBS RADIO Merger Issues, Not Petition to Deny Trial
February 3, 2017 - Entercom today filed with the FCC to
relinquish the broadcast license of KDND, saying that because of its pending
merger with CBS Radio, the radio giant would need to spin off four stations in
the Sacramento market to meet with FCC ownership guidelines. The corporation
made no mention of Media Action Center's pending legal case at the FCC to deny
the renewal of that license based on the 2007 killing of Jennifer Strange in a
water drinking stunt which defiantly disregarded danger to Mrs. Strange and to
other contestants. The normal way to achieve ownership compliance is by
selling, or promising to sell stations. Only the continuing hearing can explain
the outright relinquishment of a license.
Says MAC Director Sue
Wilson, "This is a huge victory for the Public Interest, and I am grateful
that due to the loss of this key station, FCC compliance issues will be on the
minds of this and every broadcaster moving forward. But to conclude that
Entercom is the good guy here ignores the fact that rather than surrendering
their license upon the FCC Hearing Designation Order, they have instead
litigated this issue with a huge team of expensive attorneys. Only now that the
FCC must approve the company's pending merger with CBS Radio is this mega
corporation doing the "right thing."
"However, the Judge has not ruled on MAC's proposed
enlargement of issues, including character, reporting, and cluster wide misconduct.
These issues may reflect not only on KDND, but on Entercom Sacramento's cluster
of licenses, and indeed on all of Entercom's licenses. We await the judge's
decision."
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