August 14, 2006
FCC cancellation of WBAA licenses 'inadvertent'; renewals reinstated
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Federal Communications Commission has fully reinstated WBAA Radio's broadcasting licenses, which were inadvertently cancelled two months ago, and the agency is now processing the station's license renewal request.Purdue University's public radio station in June received a letter from the FCC stating the agency had never received WBAA's renewal paperwork and, as a result, the station was not authorized to broadcast. The station's attorneys promptly resubmitted the 2004 renewal applications and filed a petition for reconsideration that provided documentation showing the station had properly applied for its renewal in a timely fashion in 2004.
On July 25 the FCC posted a notice on its Web site stating that the commission had "inadvertently" canceled the licenses.
WBAA station manager Dan Skinner said he appreciates the FCC working to resolve the problem.
"The FCC has reinstated the license renewals that we filed back in 2004, which means we were never operating illegally," Skinner said.
WBAA has been operating with a special temporary authorization to broadcast since June 15. Skinner said he expects to receive the station's renewed licenses by no later than October.
"We were always confident that this situation would be resolved in a satisfactory manner," he said. "We at WBAA remain privileged to serve Hoosiers with distinctive, community-minded broadcasting."
WBAA public radio from Purdue serves the northwestern region of Indiana with a variety of news, music and programming including NPR's "Morning Edition," "All Things Considered" and "A Prairie Home Companion" that can be heard on 101.3 FM and AM 920.
Writer: Jim Schenke, (765) 494-6262, jschenke@purdue.edu
Sources: Dan Skinner, (765) 494-3960, deskinner@purdue.edu
Joseph L. Bennett, vice president for University Relations, (765) 494-2082, jlbennett@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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