FCC, Cumulus Reach $540,000 Consent Decree Over Radio Ad Sponsorship ID

The FCC Enforcement Bureau signed a $540,000 consent decree with Cumulus Media for the latter's failure to properly identify the sponsor of a radio ad, the commission said in a news release Thursday. WOZQ Dover, New Hampshire, broadcast 178 ads in 2011 supporting a $1 billion hydroelectric energy project without identifying the sponsor, which was Northern Pass Transmission, a company with a financial interest in the project, the FCC said. “This is the largest payment in FCC history for a single-station violation of the Commission’s sponsorship identification laws,” the release said. “While failure to disclose these identities generally misleads the public, it is particularly concerning when consumers are duped into supporting controversial environmental projects,” said Enforcement Bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc in the release. Under the settlement terms, Cumulus Media Inc. subsidiaries Cumulus Radio Corporation and Radio License Holding CBC will pay the penalty and enter into “a robust compliance plan governing 195 stations across the country,” the release said. The plan includes a compliance officer, enhanced operating procedures, employee training on sponsorship identification, and a hotline for reporting violations, the release said.