FCC Designates Licenses Of 4 St. Louis-Area AMs Associated With Bob Romanik For Hearing

Hearing

The licenses of four AM stations in the ST. LOUIS area held by ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA TRUST (DENNIS J. WATKINS, trustee) have been designated for hearing by the FCC to determine whether the licensee is a "straw party" for controversial host BOB ROMANIK, whose INSANE BROADCASTING CO. operates the stations under LMAs, and whether the licensee lacked candor in its dealings with the Commission. The stations include News-Talk-Classic Country KQQZ-A/DESOTO, MO, News-Talk-Oldies KZQZ-A/ST. LOUIS, News-Talk WQQW-A/HIGHLAND, IL, and News-Talk KFTK-A/EAST ST. LOUIS, IL (LMAd to ENTERCOM as a simulcast of KFTK-F), as well as an application for a construction permit for W275CS/HIGHLAND, IL.

A Petition to Deny filed in 2012 by MARK A. KERN alleged that ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA TRUST is operating as a front for ROMANIK, a convicted felon who cannot hold FCC licenses but who, an FCC investigation determined, established and financed EMT and paid for the stations' acquisition. ROMANIK's son STEPHEN ROMANIK II, who died in 2015, was the sole beneficiary of EMT and was listed as President and Secretary of INSANE; EMT's beneficial interest in the stations was then assigned to BOB ROMANIK's girlfriend, KATRINA M. SANDERS. KERN filed a second Petition to Deny in 2016; meanwhile, the FCC Media Bureau investigation of the LMA negotiations between EMT and EMMIS (then-owner of KFTK-F) for KFTK-A (then WQQX-A) indicated that BOB ROMANIK was involved in those dealings with EMMIS SVP/GM JOHN BECK (who described him as "our new friend" in an e-mail about ROMANIK wanting to buy a translator).

The FCC says that its investigation was "impeded by EMT’s failure or inability to provide responsive information" and that there are "substantial and material questions of fact as to whether: (a) there has been an undisclosed de facto transfer of control of the Stations to ROMANIK and thus whether he is a real party-in-interest to the pending applications; (b) EMT engaged in misrepresentation and/or lack of candor in its applications and other communications with the Commission; and (c) the Trust shields ROMANIK or the Trust’s beneficiaries from holding attributable interests in the Stations under the Commission’s ownership attribution policies."

BOB ROMANIK hosts a show on KQQZ, "ON THE DARK SIDE," which combines extreme right-wing politics and support for President TRUMP with racist and homophobic comments, drawing considerable criticism.

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