FCC License Suspension

FCC Suspends Licenses

The FCC has suspended two Amateur Radio licenses because the holders had failed to maintain correct mailing addresses in the Commission's licensee database. Special Counsel in the FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division Riley Hollingsworth wrote Larry L. Smith, KC7LJR, of Middleton, Idaho, and Larry J. Maniag, KD7JTG, of Payson, Arizona, on June 28 to inform them the FCC was suspending their Technician tickets for the remainder of their license terms or until each licensee provides a valid mailing address.

In his letter to Smith, Hollingsworth noted that on three occasions in late 2005, the FCC had been unable to deliver warning notices alleging deliberate interference to a 2-meter repeater system.

He told Maniag that the US Postal Service earlier this year returned as undeliverable two warning notices alleging deliberate interference with several repeaters.

Hollingsworth cited §97.23 of the Commission's Amateur Radio Service rules that requires each license grant to show the licensee's correct name and mailing address. The rule provides that "revocation of the station license or suspension of the operator license may result when correspondence from the FCC is returned as undeliverable because the grantee failed to provide the correct mailing address."

Hollingsworth cited the same rule to an Ohio licensee apparently tempting a similar fate. On June 26 Hollingsworth afforded Robert D. Reckner, W8IQJ, more time to respond to complaints involving his service as MIDCARS net control. The complaint alleges deliberate interference as a result of his starting the net on top of existing communications on 7.258 MHz in April.

A June 1 letter enclosing the complaint came back to the FCC as undeliverable, he said.

In another failure-to-reply case, Hollingsworth notified William E. Kuth, KB2SGQ, of Utica, New York, on June 27 that his license renewal application has been designated for dismissal. That action effectively eliminates Kuth's Amateur Radio privileges, and Hollingsworth reminded him of that fact.

In May, the FCC notified Kuth that his renewal application "could not be routinely granted" and had been referred to the Enforcement Bureau for review. That came in the wake of a Warning Notice for allegedly operating on 26.815 MHz without a license and causing interference on 10 meters. Additional complaints alleged that Kuth operated on 26.945 MHz.

Hollingsworth said postal records indicate that Kuth received the FCC inquiry on May 5 but did not respond. The letter to Kuth noted that the address on his renewal application differed from his actual mailing address. Kuth's Technician license expired in November 2004.

The FCC dismissed the upgrade application of Andrew O. Ojwang, KI4LTH, of Roswell, Georgia, based on the licensee's response to "numerous complaints about the operation of your station since the grant of your General class license," Hollingsworth wrote. Following the complaints, the FCC last October set aside Ojwang's General license and his renewal application, which reverted to pending status.

"Pursuant to your response dated May 31, 2006, your General class application is being forwarded to the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau for dismissal," Hollingsworth informed Ojwang on June 28. Complaints regarding Ojwang's on-air operation would have to be resolved before the Commission would consider an upgrade application, Hollingsworth advised. The FCC appears to have renewed Ojwang's Technician ticket for a full 10-year term, however.

Meanwhile, a Texas man, Billy J. Benefiel, W5BJB, turned in his amateur license rather than respond to complaints alleging that he was operating on frequencies not authorized to him as a Technician, and for causing interference.