PRESIDENT'S COLUMN
DO NOT IGNORE THE WARNING
Chris Winkle
President/CEO
@kbachris
In a previous eCast, we strongly urged member stations to be proactive in auditing their Online Public Inspection File. Especially given the fact that the Commission was being somewhat benevolent and patient as stations continued to procrastinate with compliance. Dick Zaragoza, General Counsel of NASBA, issued the following strong recommendation earlier this week:

Every radio and television station should take immediate and adequate steps to (i) conduct a compliance review of their online public inspection file (“OPIF”) using the assistance of their communications counsel, an inspector under the State Association’s ABIP Program, or some other third-party who is knowledgeable about the Commission’s OPIF requirements, (ii) come into full, compliance with those requirements; and (iii) establish an OPIF review/compliance program to ensure that the station timely complies with the OPIF requirements going forward.
 
The risks of noncompliance with the OPIF rule are multiple. A noncompliant station could be required to pay a fine in the $10,000 range. Furthermore, a noncompliant station could face a Commission initiated, or a petition to deny initiated, designation of the station’s licenses for evidentiary renewal hearing based on either a Bureau investigation, or a third-party organization complaint or petition to deny, alleging that the station’s OPIF was deficient (as remotely monitored by the FCC or a third-party) and contending that the station lacked the requisite qualifications to remain a licensee because it engaged in misrepresentation or lack of candor when it “certified” in its renewal application that its OPIF was complete and that all required materials were timely placed in its OPIF, even though its OPIF was, at least at a point time and/or remains deficient. The absence of the required quarterly issues programs lists from an OPIF could also raise the separate question whether the station operated in the public interest during the license term, thereby also justifying a renewal of license hearing.
 
The beginning of the multi-year cycle for the filing of applications for renewal of license is only months away. We know how easy it is for anyone to monitor a station’s OPIF at any time from any location. We also know how easy it is to document when required materials are absent from a particular station’s OPIF at a point in time. For these reasons, all radio and television stations should treat the Commission’s recent increase in OPIF compliance education/enforcement efforts and email warnings about FCC monitoring of OPIF deficiencies sent to individual stations, as a genuine , broadcast industry, regulatory emergency alert.

Should you have any questions about OPIF compliance, please do not hesitate to reach out to one of the following:

Dawn Sciarrino, Legal Hotline at dawn@sciarrinolaw.com or 202-256-9551

Scott Cason, ABIP Inspector at  scott.cason@lagrange-com.com

Chris Winkle, KBA President & CEO at chris@kba.org

KBA RENEWS CONTRACT WITH RAB FOR 2019
The Director of Sales for the Radio Advertising Bureau, Kim Johnson was kind enough to put together some yearly preview schedules for the 2019 management and seller webinars. Please note: topics, dates, times and presenters are subject to change and we will keep you posted monthly via our Friday eCasts. Please click below to view the upcoming schedules and mark your calendars.


NEWS & NOTES
MEMBER STAION - WBKO INCLUDED IN BOMB THREAT
Yesterday, 12/13/18 multiple local news stations and schools across the nation received bomb threats including our very own member station, WBKO-TV. A police investigation concluded that all of the threats made yesterday appeared to be a hoax and the KBA is happy to say today that everyone at WBKO is ok.
DATES TO REMEMBER
JANUARY
10th @ 2pm (ET) Member Services Committee Meeting (Elizabethtown)
24th @ 9am (ET) KBA Board of Directors Meeting (KBA Headquarters)

FEBRUARY
13-16 Country Radio Seminar
26-28 Washington DC Annual Fly-In
TRAINING FROM LBS
Today's Three Featured Videos

LBS President, Gary Moore answers LIVE broadcaster questions! In this session:
How often should you follow up with a prospective client?
What if your station owner or manager has bad blood with the person you are trying to sell to?
I have prospects who say “radio is dead”. I can’t sell them, so how can I give them excellent customer service when they won’t even give me the chance?


Paul Weyland explains how to find the way into the key business issues that your customers (and their customers!) hold near and dear.

Stephen Warley helps you plan your Valentine’s Day promotions with tips on finding the right kinds of prospects, how to approach florists, and how to integrate social media into your Valentine’s promotions.
Did you know you can add all team
members at your station to the eCast distribution list?
Simply send a list of all email
addresses that need to be added to  kba@kba.org
The next required monthly test will be Wednesday, December 12 @ 12:07AM (EDT) and will originate from WUKY-FM.
ECAST SPONSORED BY:

This eCast is sponsored by
"Wedding Planning with Pem," a
sweet fit for your advertisers.


KENTUCKY BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION STAFF:
Chris Winkle, President/CEO

Karen Mucci, Director of Member Services

Liza Livers, Administrative Assistant

Lisa Gross, PEP Coordinator
pep@kba.org
Our PEP Sponsors...
Chris Winkle
KBA President/CEO
Marti Hazel
KBA 2018 Chairperson