The FCC last week issued an order fining a broadcast tower owner $2000 for failure to monitor the lights on its tower. The FCC requires that a tower owner either monitor the tower by visual inspection or by a properly installed automatic monitoring system, at least once every 24 hours. In this case, the tower owner
FCC tower rules
FCC Allows Automated Monitoring System to Substitute For Visual Tower Inspection
The FCC recently released a decision granting two waivers of its requirement that any communications tower which has lighting requirements and is registered with the FCC be visually inspected at least quarterly to insure that all of the required lights are working. The waivers were granted to American Tower Corporation and Global Signal, Inc., both operators of…
Fines for Tower Violations Remind Broadcasters to Mind FCC Rules
The FCC last week considered two requests for reconsideration of fines issued to broadcasters for violations of FCC rules relating to their broadcast towers. While the FCC reduced one fine because of the licensee’s inability to pay the amount originally specified, both broadcasters will have to make payments to the Commission because of their failures to meet the FCC’s rules regarding the ownership of broadcast towers. These cases remind broadcasters of their obligations to meet the Commission’s tower rules, and should cause all broadcasters to check their compliance.
In the first case, the FCC reduced the fine of a licensee who had failed to fence its AM station’s tower, but only because the licensee proved that it could not pay a higher fine. But a $500 fine was still imposed as the owner had no fence around a series-fed AM tower. The FCC pointed out that its rules require that any AM tower that has the potential for an RF radiation hazard at the base of the tower must be fenced. This station had violated that rule.Continue Reading Fines for Tower Violations Remind Broadcasters to Mind FCC Rules