FCC Nixes Challenge To KFWB/Los Angeles Trust Assignment

Says No To Mt. Wilson

The FCC has denied MT. WILSON FM BROADCASTERS, INC.'s petition to deny the assignment of the license of News-Talk KFWB-A/LOS ANGELES from CBS RADIO to the KFWB LICENSE TRUST.

MT. WILSON, headed by SAUL LEVINE, contended that the clause in the trust agreement preventing the assignee from making format changes meant that CBS, which had to spin off KFWB in order to buy independent KCAL-TV/LOS ANGELES, had retained control over the station and thus was in violation of the radio-television cross-ownership ban.  The Commission disagreed, characterizing the clause as preserving assets, keeping the trustee from making changes that could affect the ability to sell the station at the highest price.

FCC Denies Challenges To 2 Noncommercial FM Grants

The Commission also denied the MARY V. HARRIS FOUNDATION's petition for reconsideration of the grant of HOLY FAMILY COMMUNICATIONS' application for a new noncommercial FM at LANCASTER, NY and the dismissal of HARRIS' mutually exclusive application at WILLIAMSVILLE, NY.  The FCC said that HARRIS was revisiting arguments that failed on the previous round, including that HOLY FAMILY should have been denied a permit because it was not incorporated at the time of the appliation, that HARRIS should have gotten a preference because it proposed to serve with first or second noncommercial educational service  almsost 10% of the population in the proposed service area, and that HOLY FAMILY was not an "established local entity" for preference purposes.

The FCC also affirmed its selection of CULTURAL ENERGY for a new noncommercial FM at RANCHOS DE TAOS, NM over a Petition to Deny by the Board of Regents of NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY, a competing applicant.

20 Vacant FM Channels Set For Deletion

And the Commission proposed the deletion of 20 vacant FM allotments at COVE and DAISY, AR; ALAMO, GA; GRAYVILLE, IL; CLAYTON, LA; HARRISON, MI; ALTON, MO; ENNIS, MT; BUFFALO, ERICK, HAWORTH, LEEDEY, REYDON, TALOGA, THOMAS, AND WRIGHT CITY, OK; WEINERT, TX; and BOSCOBEL, OWEN, AND TIGERTON, WI.

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