The FCC has once again proposed a $10,000 fine against a college radio station missing quarterly issues/program lists in the public inpsection file. This time, the culprit is Rollins College, a small liberal arts college in Florida with 1700 students.
We know that $10,000 is the "base forfeiture" for failure to maintain a complete public inspection file, and this is not the first time the FCC has proposed this fine for a college radio station. But we have questioned before whether a $10,000 fine is appropriate for this type of violation and the amount seems even more egregious when it is levied against a small noncommercial educational college radio station. It is the same fine that would be levied against a major commercial television network station located in New York City for the same violation.
Yes, rules are rules and they should be followed by all FCC licensed broadcast stations. But as Dave Seyler notes in a thoughtful piece written for Radio Business Report, it may not be in the best interests of the federal government to "siphon money out of our educational system." In this case, as in other similar cases, the college received no warning following an FCC inspection…just the fine. Continue Reading Does $10,000 Fine Make Sense for Small College Radio Station Missing Public File Documents?