The FCC Media Bureau has given Chavez Media until January 21, 2027, to move KRIT(FM) in Bluewater, Ariz., to a new frequency or risk losing the authority that has allowed it to continue operating on its existing channel.
KRIT has been operating on 93.9 MHz under an implied special temporary authority while a channel change first authorized more than 20 years ago has remained uncompleted. The station was supposed to move to 92.7 MHz.
The delay has also affected Estrella Broadcasting’s proposed KZXO(FM), which has been waiting to construct on 93.9 MHz. The Media Bureau has now removed a condition that prevented Estrella from proceeding while KRIT remained on the frequency.
The FCC said Chavez’s continued failure to implement the channel change may constitute a rules violation and warned that it could take enforcement action if the delay continues.
If KRIT has not completed construction and begun program tests on its new frequency by January 21, the FCC says it will cancel the implied STA and require the station to cease operating on 93.9 MHz.
The case provides a significant reminder for station engineers and owners that long-standing temporary operating arrangements can eventually become a regulatory liability, particularly when another licensee has a competing claim to the spectrum. (Radio World)
Source: FCC Media Bureau