The Federal Communications Commission is fining the following stations for failure to comply with EEO hiring requirements stating that that the following stations in Chicago did not comply with hiring requirements over the last couple of years by notifying various agencies of the openings. The stations named in the fines are: WNUA(FM), Chicago, IL, WGCI-FM, Chicago, IL, WKSC-FM, Chicago, IL, WGRB(AM), Chicago, IL, WLIT-FM, Chicago, IL, WVAZ(FM), Oak Park, IL. The FCC specifies:NOTICE OF APPARENT LIABILITY FOR FORFEITUREAdopted: December 5, 2013 Released: December 5, 2013By the Chief, Media BureauIn this Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (“NAL”), we find that AMFM Broadcasting Licenses, LLC (“the Licensee”), licensee of Illinois Stations WNUA(FM), Chicago; WGCI-FM, Chicago; WKSC-FM, Chicago; WGRB(AM), Chicago; WLIT-FM, Chicago; and WVAZ(FM), Oak Park (“the Stations”), apparently willfully and repeatedly violated the Commission’s equal employment opportunity (“EEO”) Rulesby failing to comply with the requirement to notify job referral sources about vacancies and to self-assess EEO performance.
Based upon our review of the facts and circumstances before us, we conclude that the Licensee is apparently liable for a monetary forfeiture in the amount of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000). To prevent future violations of these requirements, we also impose reporting conditions on the Licensee and any successor licensee of any of the Stations, as well as on the licensee of any stations that become a part of the above Stations’ employment unit during the reporting conditions periods listed below. Our review shows that, during the reporting period at issue (August 1, 2009, through July 31, 2011), the Licensee filled 36 full-time vacancies at its Stations and failed to provide notification of 33 of its vacancies to all organizations that had requested vacancy notification, as required by Section 73.2080(c)(1)(ii).
For one vacancy, the Licensee failed to provide notification to three organizations that requested vacancy notification. For two vacancies, the Licensee failed to provide notification to 20 organizations that had requested vacancy notification. For two vacancies, the Licensee failed to provide notification to six organizations that requested vacancy notification.
For four vacancies, the Licensee failed to provide notification to two organizations that requested vacancy notification. For six vacancies, the Licensee failed to provide notification to four organizations that requested vacancy notification. For 18 vacancies, the Licensee failed to provide notification to 21 organizations that had requested vacancy notification. 5.
In addition, the Licensee violated our recruitment requirements repeatedly over a two-year reporting period. We thus find that the Licensee also failed adequately to “analyze the recruitment program for the licensee’s unit on an ongoing basis to ensure that it is effective in achieving broad outreach to potential applicants, and address any problems found as a result of its analysis,” in violation of Section 73.2080(c)(3). 6. This NAL is issued pursuant to Section 503(b)(1)(B) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the “Act”).
