FCC Investigating Minnesota Talk Host's Paid Relationship With Congressman's Campaign

Investigation Underway

The issue of LINDER RADIO GROUP/SUBARCTIC MEDIA News-Talk KTOE-A-K274AL/MANKATO, MN afternoon host AL TRAVIS' consultancy of Rep. JIM HAGEDORN (R-MN) (NET NEWS 10/1) has led to an investigation by the FCC of whether the station violated Commission laws by failing to disclose the relationship, reports the MINNESOTA REFORMER.

The REFORMER broke the story last SEPTEMBER by reporting that TRAVIS (real name AL TRAVIS THIELFOLDT), through his  INNOVATIVE MARKETING TECHNIQUES firm, had been paid $872,930 since 2017 for ad work for the HAGEDORN campaign yet did not disclose that relationship during several interview segments with the Congressman. TRAVIS denied the allegations, but was taken off the air for the duration of the 2020 campaign, then did not return after the election.

The REFORMER is now reporting, based on documents released via a Freedom of Information request, that the Commission sent a letter dated OCTOBER 2, 2020 to the licensee, asking three pages' worth of questions. A response was filed by the licensee's attorney on OCTOBER 28th but that document has not been released due to the ongoing investigation. None of the parties involved chose to comment about the report.

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