Best Country Faces License Revocation Over Unpaid Fees

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, October 26, 2023

Federal Communications Commission

The FCC has initiated a proceeding to revoke the licenses of Best Country Broadcasting for WBOX-AM/Bogalusa, LA and WBOX-FM/Varnado, LA for failure to pay delinquent regulatory fees and associated interest, administrative costs and penalties owed to the Commission. The AM/FM combo serves a corner of Louisiana near the Mississippi border. The agency is directing Best Country to pay the overdue regulatory fees or show cause why the payment is inapplicable or should otherwise be waived or deferred.

The Commission's records show that Best Country currently has unpaid regulatory fee debt for WBOX-AM of $493.75 for FY 2002; $1,355,22 for FY 2012; $1,361.69 for FY 2013; $1,314,33 for FY 2014; $1,280.78 for FY 2015; $1,301.41 for FY 2016; $1,177.09 for FY 2017; $1,160.54 for FY 2018; $1,254.08 for FY 2019; and $1,399.28 for FY 2022.

WBOX-FM has upadid fees of $681.25 for FY 2002; $1,011.74 for FY 2012; $1,033.77 for FY 2013; $998.25 for FY 2014; $960.58 for FY 2015; $1,364.89 for FY 2016; $99.82 for FY 2017; $1,273.18 for FY 2019; and $1,483.49 for FY 2022.

Additional charges will continue to accrue on these debts until they are paid in full. The Commission sent Licensee demand letters in accordance with the requirements of the DCIA demanding payment of Licensee's delinquent regulatory fees. When the stations did not pay the fee debts, the Commission transferred all of the foregoing regulatory fee debts to the U.S. Department of Treasury for collection. At the Commission's request, Treasury has returned those regulatory fee debts to the Commission for further collection.

The agency requires Best Country to file with the Media Bureau documented evidence within sixty (60) calendar days that full payment of all outstanding regulatory fee debt or face revocation of its licenses.