FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, Sept. 29, 2008
contact: Keyanna Graham

Talk Show Host and Community Activist Exits Touch-FM
'Big Morning Thing' host and Touch-FM Creative/Program Director, MC Spice resigns volunteer post at Boston low-power urban radio station.

A station calling itself WHOT plans to set up shop at 97.1 and promises plenty of hot hip-hop action - no doubt interfering with Talk 96.9's many listeners in the inner city. Radio traditionalists, however, hope the FCC has something to say about this, although given how effective the commission has been in getting Touch FM off the air, they probably shouldn't hold their breath.

The FCC has ordered a local man to pay a $17,000 fine for running an unlicensed radio station on Blue Hill Avenue.

The FCC says Charles Clemons continued to run Touch FM at 106.1 FM even after FCC field investigators - acting on a complaint from engineers at licensed stations - told him to knock it off.

When confronted with the station's operation, Clemons did not deny operating the station. The agents advised Clemons that he must discontinue the unlicensed operation immediately and outlined the possible penalties for continued operation of an unlicensed station. When the agents asked to conduct an inspection of the station, Clemons refused. When questioned, he stated that the studio was at a different location, but refused to provide the address.

The order is dated Feb. 29, but the FCC ruled this week that Clemons was now a deadbeat because he had failed to pay the fine.

As of this morning, at least, the station was not streaming on its Web site. UPDATE, 3:20 p.m.: It's back, at least on the Web.

Via BostonRadio.org