[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 114 (Thursday, June 13, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27634-27636]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-12479]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[MB Docket No. 19-156; DA 19-506]
Entertainment Media Trust, Dennis J. Watkins, Trustee; Hearing
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This document commences a hearing to determine whether
Entertainment Media Trust, Dennis J. Watkins, Trustee (EMT or the
Trust) has committed violations of the Communications Act of 1934, as
amended and/or the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications
Commission. The hearing will determine whether the applications for
license renewal should be denied and licenses should be cancelled for
four AM radio stations: KFTK-AM (formerly WQQX-AM), Facility ID No.
72815, East St. Louis, Illinois, File No. BR-20120709ACP; WQQW-AM,
Facility ID No. 90598, Highland, Illinois, File No. BR-20120709AC0;
KZQZ-AM, Facility ID No. 72391, St. Louis, Missouri, File No. BR-
20120921AAW; and KQQZ-AM Facility ID No. 5281, DeSoto, Missouri, File
No. BR-20120921ABA. The hearing will also determine whether the
stations' respective assignment of license applications, File Nos. BAL-
20160919ADH, BAL-20160919ADI, BAL-20160919ADJ, and BAL-20160919ADK
should be dismissed, and applications to construct a new FM translator
station W275CS, Highland, Illinois, Facility ID No. 200438, File Nos.
BNPFT-20170726AEF and BNPFT-20180314AAO to retransmit one of the
stations should be dismissed.
DATES: Each party to the proceeding (except for the Chief, Enforcement
Bureau), in person or by counsel, shall file with the Commission, by
June 25, 2019, a written appearance stating that the party will appear
on the date fixed for hearing and present evidence on the issues
specified herein.
ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street SW,
Washington, DC 20554.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Irene Bleiweiss, 202-418-2700.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a synopsis of the Commission's
Hearing Designation Order and Notice of Opportunity for Hearing
(Order), MB Docket No. 19-156, adopted June 5, 2019, and released June
5, 2019. The full text of this Commission decision is available for
inspection and copying during normal business hours in the FCC's
Reference Information Center at Portals II, CY-A257, 445 12th Street,
SW, Washington, DC 20554. The full text is also available online at
http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/. This document is available in alternative
formats (computer diskette, large print, audio record, and Braille).
Persons with disabilities who need documents in these formats may
contact the FCC by email: [email protected] or phone: 202-418-0530 or TTY:
202-418-0432.
Synopsis
1. In the Order, the Commission commences a hearing proceeding
before the Administrative Law Judge to determine whether Entertainment
Media Trust, Dennis J. Watkins, Trustee (EMT or the Trust) has
committed violations of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended
(Act) and/or the rules and regulations (Rules) of the Federal
Communications Commission (Commission) and, as a consequence, whether
EMT's captioned applications for license renewal should be denied,
those station licenses accordingly
[[Page 27635]]
cancelled, and applications to construct a new FM translator station to
retransmit one of the stations should be dismissed.
2. Between 2006 and 2010, EMT purchased four AM radio stations:
KFTK(AM) (formerly WQQX(AM)), WQQW(AM), KZQZ(AM), and KQQZ(AM)
(collectively, Stations) in the St. Louis market. EMT filed renewal
applications for each of these Stations in 2012. On November 1, 2012,
Mark A. Kern (Kern), a local resident and listener of the Stations,
filed a petition to deny EMT's renewal applications, in which he
asserted that EMT ``is a straw party for Robert Romanik, a convicted
felon, who exercises de facto control of the Stations.'' A Commission
investigation confirmed that Robert S. Romanik (Romanik), who has been
convicted of felony offenses (obstruction of justice and bank fraud),
established EMT and provided all of EMT's funds for the acquisition of
the Stations, but was not listed as a party in any of EMT's Commission
applications. The investigation found additional evidence supporting
Kern's claim that Romanik exercises de facto control over the Stations,
including evidence that Romanik identified himself as a radio station
owner on various forms disclosing his political contributions,
purported to assign EMT's beneficial interest in the Stations to his
longtime girlfriend, Katrina M. Sanders, and participated in
negotiations involving a Local Programming and Marketing Agreement with
Emmis Radio, LLC for KFTK in 2016. In addition, the investigation
showed that the document that EMT now identifies as its trust
instrument was executed on December 19, 2012 (after Kern's 2012
Petition to Deny and well after EMT acquired the Stations) and does not
contain provisions insulating Romanik from attribution of EMT's
interests in the Stations under the Commission's ownership attribution
policies.
3. The Commission's investigation was impeded by EMT's failure or
inability to provide responsive information. The Commission's hearing
process provides a more complete set of discovery tools to develop a
fuller factual record.
4. Based on the totality of the evidence before the Commission, we
find there are substantial and material questions of fact as to
whether:
(a) There has been an undisclosed de facto transfer of control of
the Stations to Romanik and thus whether he is a real party-in-interest
to the pending applications;
(b) EMT engaged in misrepresentation and/or lack of candor in its
applications and other communications with the Commission; and
(c) the Trust shields Romanik or the Trust's beneficiaries from
holding attributable interests in the Stations under the Commission's
ownership attribution policies.
5. Accordingly, it is ordered, pursuant to sections 309(d), 309(e),
and 309(k) of the Act, 47 U.S.C. 309(d), 47 U.S.C. 309(e), and 47
U.S.C. 309(k), that the captioned Renewal Applications, Assignment
Applications, and Translator Applications are designated for hearing in
a consolidated proceeding before an FCC Administrative Law Judge, at a
time and place to be specified in a subsequent Order, upon the
following issues:
(a) To determine whether Entertainment Media Trust, Dennis J.
Watkins, Trustee is (and/or has been, during the most recent license
term) exercising affirmative control of Stations KFTK(AM) (formerly
WQQX(AM)), WQQW(AM), KZQZ(AM), and KQQZ(AM).
(b) To determine whether there has been a de facto transfer of
control of Stations KFTK(AM) (formerly WQQX(AM)), WQQW(AM), KZQZ(AM),
and KQQZ(AM) to Robert S. Romanik in violation of section 310(d) of the
Act, either occurring in the most recent license term or continuing
during that license term.
(c) To determine whether Robert S. Romanik is (and/or has been,
during the most recent license term) a real-party-in-interest to the
captioned applications for Stations KFTK(AM) (formerly WQQX(AM)),
WQQW(AM), KZQZ(AM), KQQZ(AM), and W275CS, both before and after Stephen
Romanik's death.
(d) To determine whether Entertainment Media Trust, Dennis J.
Watkins, Trustee or Dennis J. Watkins engaged in misrepresentation and/
or lack of candor in applications and communications with the
Commission or otherwise violated 47 CFR 1.17 during the most recent
license term with respect to matters involving Stations KFTK(AM)
(formerly WQQX(AM)), WQQW(AM), KZQZ(AM), KQQZ(AM), and W275CS.
(e) To determine whether Entertainment Media Trust, Dennis J.
Watkins, Trustee, shields the grantor or the beneficiary from the
ownership attribution requirements under section 73.3555 of the
Commission's rules.
(f) To determine, in light of the evidence adduced pursuant to the
foregoing issues, whether the captioned license renewal applications
should be granted.
(g) To determine, in light of the foregoing issues, whether the
captioned application for consent to assignment of the licenses of
Stations KFTK(AM) (formerly WQQX(AM)), WQQW(AM), KZQZ(AM), and KQQZ(AM)
should be granted, denied or dismissed.
(h) To determine, in light of the foregoing issues, whether the
captioned applications for a permit to construct FM translator Station
W275CS should be granted, denied or dismissed.
6. It is further ordered that, pursuant to sections 309(d), 309(e)
and 309(k) of the Act and section 1.221(c) of the Commission's rules,
47 U.S.C. 309(d), 47 U.S.C. 309(e), U.S.C. 309(k), and 47 CFR 1.221(c),
to avail itself of the opportunity to be heard and to present evidence
at a hearing in this proceeding, Entertainment Media Trust, Dennis J.
Watkins, Trustee, in person or by an attorney, shall file with the
Commission, within 20 calendar days of the release of the Order, a
written appearance stating that it will appear at the hearing and
present evidence on the issues specified above.
7. It is further ordered that, pursuant to section 1.221(c) of the
Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.221(c), if Entertainment Media Trust,
Dennis J. Watkins, Trustee fails to file, within 20 calendar days of
the release of the Order, a written appearance, a petition to dismiss
without prejudice, or a petition to accept for good cause shown an
untimely written appearance, the captioned applications shall be
dismissed with prejudice for failure to prosecute.
8. It is further ordered that the Chief, Enforcement Bureau, shall
be made a party to this proceeding without the need to file a written
appearance.
9. It is further ordered that Mark A. Kern shall be made a party to
this proceeding in his capacity as a petitioner to one or more of the
captioned applications.
10. It is further ordered that, pursuant to section 309(e) of the
Act, 47 U.S.C. 309(e), and section 1.254 of the Commission's rules, 47
CFR 1.254, the burden of proceeding with the introduction of evidence
and the burden of proof shall be upon Entertainment Media Trust, Dennis
J. Watkins, Trustee as to all the issues at Paragraph 5 above.
11. It is further ordered that a copy of each document filed in
this proceeding subsequent to the date of adoption of this document
shall be served on the counsel of record appearing on behalf of the
Chief, Enforcement Bureau. Parties may inquire as to the identity of
such counsel by calling the Investigations & Hearings Division of the
Enforcement Bureau at (202) 418-1420. Such service copy shall be
addressed to the named counsel of record, Investigations &
[[Page 27636]]
Hearings Division, Enforcement Bureau, Federal Communications
Commission, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554.
12. It is further ordered that Entertainment Media Trust, Dennis J.
Watkins, Trustee, pursuant to section 311(a)(2) of the Act, 47 U.S.C.
311(a)(2), and section 73.3594 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR
73.3594, shall give notice of the hearing within the time and in the
manner prescribed in such Rules, and shall advise the Commission of the
publication of such notice as required by section 73.3594(g) of the
Commission's rules, 47 CFR 73.3594(g).
13. It is further ordered that copies of the Hearing Designation
Order and Notice of Opportunity for Hearing shall be sent via Certified
Mail, Return Receipt Requested, and by regular first class mail to the
following: Entertainment Media Trust, Dennis J. Watkins, Trustee, 6500
West Main Street, Suite 315, Belleville, IL 62223; Anthony Lepore,
Esq., P.O. Box 823662, South Florida, FL 33082-3662; Davina S. Sashkin,
Esq., Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, 1300 North 17th Street, 11th Floor,
Arlington, VA 22209; Mark A. Kern, 111 South High Street, Belleville,
IL 62220; Richard A. Helmick, Esq., and Howard M. Liberman, Esq., 1800
M Street NW, Suite 800N, Washington, DC 20036.
14. It is further ordered that a copy of this document, or a
summary thereof, shall be published in the Federal Register.
Federal Communications Commission.
Thomas Horan,
Chief of Staff, Media Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2019-12479 Filed 6-12-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P