Earlier this year, according to roanoke.com, Wheeler filed paperwork with the
FCC to buy N/T WLNI 105.9 FM. WLNI is currently owned by Centennial Licensing
LLC, based in Clemmons , N.C
The sale was delayed, however, when the owner of 3 Daughters
Media in Forest filed a challenge with the
FCC.
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| Gary Burns |
Gary Burns, president of 3 Daughters Media, contended in his
Petition to Deny that if Wheeler bought WLNI, the company would exceed the
number of FM stations it can own in the Roanoke-Lynchburg market under FCC
rules. Burns said that if the sale were approved, it would “upset the
competitive balance in the market.”
The FCC denied 3 Daughters Media’s petition in August, but
Burns appealed that decision Friday.
One of Burns’ chief objections to the deal is that he
believes the FCC has erred in its counting of radio stations in the
Roanoke-Lynchburg market. According to FCC rules, if a market has 45 commercial
and noncommercial radio stations, one company can own up to five FM stations in
that market.
The FCC ruled in August that the Roanoke-Lynchburg market
has exactly 45 stations, which would allow Mel Wheeler Inc. to acquire WLNI.
Wheeler already owns four FM stations — K92 (WXLK-FM, 92.3), Star Country
(WYYD-FM, 94.9), Q99 (WSLQ-FM, 99.1) and The Vibe (WVBE-FM, 100.1/97.7, 610
AM).
In his appeal, however, Burns said that the FCC has
miscounted the stations in this market. He said the FCC is including at least
one station that “is off the air and should not be counted.” That station,
WODI-AM, is licensed to Brookneal and owned by a company with an address in the
Virgin Islands .
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| WLNI 105.9 FM 60dBu Coverage |
Burns also contends in his appeal that Mel Wheeler Inc. is
already at its ownership limit of five FM stations. Burns argues that the two
FM frequencies for The Vibe should count as separate stations, which would put
Wheeler at the five-station cap. However, one of those frequencies is licensed
to Montgomery County
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