Agency: Alaska radio station faces more than $60K fine

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska radio station is facing a possible fine of $66,000 for violations that include undermining the Emergency Alert System, the Federal Communications Commission said.

The FCC said it called for the fine against an FM station KIBH-FM operated by Kenai Educational Media based in Seward.

KIBH management says the allegations date back nearly five years and have more or less been fixed.

KTUU.com (http://bit.ly/2uE9V5j) reported Wednesday that violations presented in the FCC’s statement include failure to monitor at least two Emergency Alert System sources, maintain required records and respond to several FCC inquiries.

The FCC also accuses the station of programming Emergency Alert System equipment messages for a radio station serving a different geographic area than that served by Kenai, and not keeping Emergency Alert System operation information available for staff as required.

The FCC said broadcasters have important obligations related to the critical system for ensuring the public can receive accurate and expedient alerts and warnings during emergencies.

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Wolfgang Kurtz, general manager of KIBH, said the station has undergone multiple changes of ownership and many of the infractions had gotten “lost in the shuffle” during the transitional periods.

The FCC said KIBH was informed of the violations several times.

The two main issues KIBH now faces are whether its license to broadcast will be revoked, and if it will need to pay the fine of more than $60,000.

“The revocation is something separate,” Kurtz said. “But the fines, in most cases, are reduced.”

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