Radio Prospective Aspirant Dismissed for Citing Abandoned Property as Station Headquarters
In a recent move to uphold community-oriented broadcasting, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has dismissed the Low Power FM (LPFM) application of Heme Aqui Church. The decision comes after the commission found that Heme failed to meet the localism requirements, similar to the fate that befell Iglesia Ministerios Voz De Jubilo earlier this year.
The FCC's localism rules aim to ensure that LPFM stations serve their local communities and are operated from a location within or near the community they intend to serve. Heme's application, which proposed a transmitting antenna site in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., was found wanting due to several concerns.
Firstly, Heme listed an abandoned site as its headquarters in the application, which failed to demonstrate a genuine local presence as mandated by the FCC for LPFM applicants. The FCC's notice mentions that photographs of the Fontana address show a vacant building with a sign indicating a previous tax preparation service and an electrical meter that is turned off. The commission is currently unclear from Heme's application which address it considers as its headquarters.
Secondly, Heme's board members reside more than 10 miles from the proposed transmitting antenna site, which is a violation of the FCC's localism requirement. This issue was also a key reason for the dismissal of Iglesia Ministerios Voz De Jubilo's application, which was initially selected through the FCC's standard tiebreaking process for MX groups.
MENA Coalition Inc., an organisation that promotes media justice and community empowerment, filed a petition to deny both Iglesia's and Heme's applications, alleging that both failed to meet the localism requirements. MENA claims that the listed address of Heme's headquarters is a vacant building, and asserts that there is a lack of evidence that Heme has been active since its inception.
Following Iglesia's application dismissal, MENA filed a petition to deny the Heme Aqui Church application. The dismissed applicant, Iglesia, had its engineer fail to provide comment on MENA's petition to deny, leading to the ultimate dismissal of its application.
The FCC's dismissal of Heme Aqui Church's application paves the way for MENA to be named the tentative selectee in LPFM MX Group 12. The commission's stance underscores its commitment to maintaining community-oriented broadcasting through LPFM licenses and discourages applicants from submitting proposals that don't authentically represent or serve their localities.
- The FCC's concern with Heme Aqui Church's LPFM application stems from the fact that their proposed transmitting antenna site is not located near their listed headquarters, which is a breach of the FCC's localism rules that mandate LPFM stations to be operated from a location within or near the community they intend to serve, much like the issue with Iglesia Ministerios Voz De Jubilo's application.
- Heme Aqui Church's application was found wanting due to their board members residing more than 10 miles from the proposed transmitting antenna site, similar to the violation that led to the dismissal of Iglesia Ministerios Voz De Jubilo's application, and the use of an abandoned site as their headquarters, as evident by photographs showing a vacant building, which failed to demonstrate a genuine local presence as required by the FCC for LPFM applicants.
