Rocking M Media must pay FCC for the same thing that’s frustrated its radio listeners

Rocking M Media’s inability to keep its Wichita-area radio stations on the air full time has frustrated listeners, and the FCC apparently doesn’t like it either.

The company must pay a $7,000 civil penalty by Jan. 1 for failure to meet the FCC’s minimum operating requirements.

Rocking M sought renewal of six stations and one FM translator and applied for consent to assign the license of KKGQ, FM-92.3-FM, to Pinnacle Media. As part of the renewal process, Rocking M had to answer questions about its operating status and rule violations.

In 2020, the FCC learned some of the stations were silent and contacted Rocking M, which then requested and received permission for some stations to remain silent.

Rocking M told the FCC the silence was a result of financial problems, an eviction and a failed sale of a number of its stations among other things.

In 2019, The Eagle reported that a deal for Wichita’s new Allied Media Partners to acquire Rocking M Media’s six Wichita-area radio stations fell apart and the stations went off the air.

They included KKGQ, KIBB, 97.1-FM, KVWF, 100.5-FM, KWME, 92.7-FM, Wellington’s KLEY, 100.3-FM and 1130-AM, and Winfield’s KKLE, 1550-AM.

In 2020, Rocking M did receive special temporary authority for some stations to remain silent for certain periods, but other periods were not approved.

In a Dec. 23 consent decree, the FCC found that granting the KKGQ license to Pinnacle Media serves the public good. However, the stations that had significant records of silence — KKLE, KLEY, KVWF, KWME and the FM translator K262CQ — will be renewed for only one year instead of full renewal terms.

Rocking M CEO Monte Miller did not return a call for comment.