FCC Fines Sun Signals, Clears Way for W230CP Renewal

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, December 2, 2025 | 4:23pm CT

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

The FCC's Audio Division has adopted a Consent Decree resolving multiple rule violations involving FM translator W230CP in Pittsfield, MA, licensed to Sun Signals LLC. The action clears the way for renewal of the station's license once the company meets several conditions, including payment of fines and corrections to its filings.

The case stems from a petition to deny filed by Townsquare License, LLC, licensee of WBEC-AM, alleging that W230CP rebroadcast WBEC without authorization, operated for months with "dead air," failed to provide required station IDs, and submitted inaccurate information in its 2021 license renewal application.

According to the FCC, Sun Signals continued to rebroadcast WBEC even after Townsquare notified the company -- starting February 2021 -- that it no longer had permission to do so. The Commission found this violated Section 325(a) of the Communications Act, which bars retransmitting another station's programming without consent.

Sun Signals argued it believed it still had permission from WBEC's former owner, but the FCC concluded the translator operator must stop rebroadcasting once the current licensee revokes consent.

Monitoring by Townsquare in 2021 and 2022 found the translator running without any audio input, a condition the FCC says violates multiple technical rules. The station also failed to transmit its required Morse code or relay-based station identification.

Sun Signals later acknowledged a failure in the translator's audio input circuitry caused loss of both program audio and CW ID.

Under the Consent Decree adopted December 2, the FCC will terminate its investigation once Sun Signals pays a $6,000 Voluntary Contribution to the U.S. Treasury, pays the overdue filing fee and penalty, and files an amendment correcting its fee-exemption certifications and confirming that proper online public notice has now been given.

Sun Signals formally admitted violating multiple FCC rules, including those governing unauthorized retransmission, false statements, translator operations, and notice obligations.

The FCC denied Townsquare's petition to deny the license renewal, concluding the violations -- while numerous -- did not rise to the level of "serious violations" or a "pattern of abuse" under Section 309(k) of the Communications Act.

Once Sun Signals completes all required payments and amendments, the FCC will grant the renewal application for W230CP by separate action.