Phone Call Leads To Fine For Montana Station

You still can't put phone calls on the air without the other party's prior consent, so KOFI, INC.'s Classic Rock KZMN (THE MONSTER)/KALISPELL, MT gets a $4,000. fine from the FCC for a call between the station's PAUL GRAY and listener LISA SIMMER that GRAY aired live and, later, on tape; SIMMER, through a co-worker, had called to complain about a turkey being dangled from a window at the station and GRAY told her that the station was running a promotion called "Save the Turkey" to raise donations for a food bank and that she should quit complaining and listen to the station. 

The station said GRAY thought she had called in on the on-air donation line; nevertheless, because he replayed the call later after he was ostensibly aware she did not call in to donate, the station fired GRAY and adopted a written policy regarding the airing of calls. The FCC reduced the fine from $6,000. due to the station's previous record of compliance.

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