FCC Report 1/25: FCC Sends Three El Paso Stations To Revocation Hearing Over Potential Unauthorized Transfer Of Control

The FCC is sending 97.5 Licensee TX LLC’s Regional Mexican “Ke Buena 97.5” KBNA-FM, Spanish Talk 750 KAMA and Silent 920 KQBU El Paso TX to a license revocation hearing for a supposed unauthorized transfer of control from Luz Maria Rygaard to Lorena Margarita Peréz Toscano and misrepresentations and/or lack of candor in dealing with the commission.

The FCC says that Rygaard closed on the purchase of the LLC in May 2022 for $10,000 with the agreement making no mention of any outstanding debt, loan agreements, debt instruments, or
acknowledgement of indebtedness. A petition with the FCC filed in August 2023 sought to permit an increase in foreign ownership to 100% with Toscano acquiring the company. She, along with her father and sisters, own Grupo Audiorama Comunicaciones with six stations across the border in Juarez MX and were acquiring the stations to resolve $2.45 million in debt owed to them.

Additionally, the FCC points out that Toscano is first cousin to Rygaard. The commission says that when Rygaard acquired the stations, Toscano acquired the right to collect the repayment of debt owned by 97.5 Holdings to Grupo Radio Centro that originated in 2017 when GRC owned 25% of the group. The 2021 sale of the stations saw Toscano pay Grupo Radio Centro $1,987,500 to acquire the right to be repaid the debt, but that was not included in the sale filings.

Further communication between the FCC and Rygaard left the commission with the belief an unauthorized transfer of control took place with Pro Radio, a company owned by Toscano and her sisters, controlling the programming and advertising sales for several years now with no written evidence that Rygaard implemented contractual arrangements to retain control of the stations with Rygaard employed by Pro Radio until January 2024 as Chief Financial Officer.

A Notice of Violation has been issued to Vasquez Broadcasting Corporation’s 1480 WSDS Salem Township/Detroit MI for multiple issues including no locked fences around its four towers and a portion of one having fallen, tower painting that was severely faded and flaking exposing bare metal violating FAA standards, extinguished tower lighting, operating outside licensed parameters, no equipment performance measurements or directional antenna field strength measurements, or no EAS log.

The commission released its quarterly station count list, which for the end of the year shows continuing trends including the drop in licensed AMs, commercial FMs and translators, while non-commercial FMs and LPFMs rise.

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Pirate Actions

The FCC has issued Notice of Apparent Liability For Forfeiture proposing $20,000 fines against four property owners for pirate signals operating on their properties:

• Robert Bekune for “Powerhouse Radio” on 98.5 Irvington NJ
• Henderson Lennox Elcock for “Wild FM” on 106.3 Brooklyn NY
• Etzer Toussaint for “Radio Tele Model” on 88.9 Spring Valley NY
• Jean Boncoeur for “Radio Gold Stars” on 90.5 Spring Valley NY

License Cancellations

After being silent since December 2024, Great Eastern Radio’s 1400 WTSL/97.5 W248DA Hanover NH have been cancelled.

Dockins Broadcast Group surrendered the license of 103.9 KTNX Arcadia MO. KTNX had been simulcasting Rock “107.1 The Zone” KLMZ Leadwood.

United Houma Nation turned in the license of 88.9 KUHN Golden Meadow LA.

Midwest Communications surrendered the license for 1230 WIBQ Terre Haute IN.

Silent Notifications

• Christopher Johnson’s 880 WAPC Clanton AL (Transmitter failure)
• Post Rock Communications’ 93.7 KZFX Ridgecrest CA (Sale of station)
• Colorado State University’s 89.5 KTSC-FM Pueblo CO (Transmitter replacement)
• State Radio’s 1330 WMLT Dublin GA (Power issue)
• KM Radio of Independence’s 1220 KQMG Independence IA (Lack of power to site)
• KM Radio of Independence’s 95.3 KQMG-FM Independence IA (Lack of power to site)
• Duncan Media’s 1580 WLPK Connersville IN (Tower collapse following wind storm)
• University of Massachusetts’ 91.7 WUMT Marshfield MA (Sale of tower site)
• CSN International’s 90.3 KJFT Arlee MT (Technical reasons)
• Wolf Radio Inc’s 103.9 WSEN Mexico NY (Tower collapse following wind/ice storm)
• Coos Bay School District #9’s 1420 KMHS Coos Bay OR (Transmitter failure)
• Potomac Radio Group’s 1190 WTSD Leesburg VA (Loss of programming)
• Breck Media Group’s 104.5 KWBB Upton WY (Antenna failure)

Booster Applications

Audacy seeks to build multiple boosters for two of its New York stations.

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