[BC] Got to keep an eye on things

[Mike McCarthy]

I know the owners and built a few sites for them in the early 2000's. They
own 20 or so stations (Radio and TV) and operate them on very tight ropes.
They're not poor. More frugal and just this side of cheap. They spend
money where is necessary...and not much more.

I'm stunned they let the station drop to this level. I know this station
is part of a cluster which they were constantly fighting a much taller
tower's lighting problems. But they kept that thing operating. When the
lights failed on the station closest to here that I built for them, they
were changed promptly.

I suspect there is much more to this story than the FCC's release.

I will say this, they have seen their fair share of shiester managers over
the years and it's possible the local manager didn't bother to tell them
of the tower lights needing maintenance and was clueless otherwise owing
to keep his bottom line up. While it doesn't excuse the fact the problems
existed and persisted for such a long time, particularly in relation to
Public File matters, the local manager is the one who should be on the
hook as the guys at the top know better...and should have known better
about this operation. Hence the reason they run with very tight ropes. 
But yet again, not tight enough it seemed

MM

> This station must be really poor, in Independence, IA.
>
> A $42k fine knocked down to $10k based on inability to pay.
>
> But, I don't think the FCC will be as accommodating if they
> do not clear this up right away.
>
> And apparently it was all sparked by a complaint about tower lights
> that had been out at least three months....
>
> http://www.theBDR.net/articles/fcc/insp/EW.html
>
>