Bogalusa LA Radio: WBOX AM, FM Off Air After Non-Payment of Fees

Best Country WBOX 920 AM and WBOX 92.9 FM have ceased broadcasting operations. 

The shutdown comes in the wake of a notice from the FCC regarding unpaid regulatory fees and the subsequent passed deadline, reports The Bogalusa Daily News.  

The FCC issued an order on October 26, 2023, directed at Best Country Broadcasting, LLC, the licensee of the AM station in Varnado and the FM station in Bogalusa, Louisiana. The order mandated the payment of delinquent fees, including associated interest, penalties, and administrative costs. 

Despite being granted a 60-day period to settle these debts, the stations failed to comply, leading to their current off-air status.  

The FCC’s order highlighted a series of unpaid regulatory fees spanning from fiscal year 2002 to fiscal year 2022, amounting to thousands of dollars. Despite repeated demands for payment and a clear directive for resolution within a specified timeframe, Best Country Broadcasting, LLC, did not fulfill its financial obligations to the Commission.  

Efforts to reach both the FCC and Best Country Broadcasting, LLC, for comments on the future of WBOX-AM and WBOX-FM and their license status have gone unanswered. The situation remains unresolved.

Both WBOX-AM and WBOX-FM have been integral parts of Washington Parish’s media landscape, first airing on March 1, 1954. The deadline for the FCC was December 25, 2023, making this their last air date.