The FCC's Media Bureau has proposed fining three TV stations a total of $22,000 and admonishing (warning) a fourth for violations of various FCC children's TV ad limits and programming reporting rules. The violations were self-reported by the station owners in applying for license renewals.
The largest proposed fine is levied on Glendive Broadcasting, owner of KXGN-TV Glendive, Mont., for failing to file quarterly children's TV programming reports in a timely fashion. Glendive admitted in filing its license renewal application that it had not filed them on time for eight quarters. The FCC said its investigation also found that 14 additional reports were late since the station's previous license renewal and concluded that $15,000 was appropriate for its failure to file for multiple quarters—the base fine is $3,000.
Next largest was the proposed $6,000 hit for Lake Superior Community Broadcasting for a pair of Michigan stations for failing to file electronic copies of the kids programming reports. Lake Superior argued that the statute of limitations had expired and its past history of compliance, but the FCC was not persuaded.
Another Montana station was the subject of a proposed fine of $1,000 for failing to properly publicize the existence and location of its children’s TV public files.
Finally, the FCC admonished KWGN-TV Denver for failure to comply with commercial limits in kids programming on two occasions. The violations dated from 2006, were brief, and apparently inadvertent, so the FCC levied no fines, saying they were isolated occurrences, and instead admonished the station, which is an official reprimand.
One of the overages was a familiar one for those following the FCC's kids advertising fines and warnings. It was the Dec. 23, 2006, airing of CW kids show Xiaolin Showdown, which the FCC in 2007 decided constituted a program-length commercial that could draw a fine.
