An interference complaint filed by Sumarrase Inc.’s Caribbean “Suga 95.7” WSGD-LP Lehigh Acres FL against Fort Myers Broadcasting Company’s W239CL Golden Gate has ended with a $2500 fine against the LPFM being proposed.
WSGD-LP began operations in January 2018 licensed to operate with 22w/62m with a one-bay, Shively model 6812B-1 non-directional antenna. When W239CL filed in early 2020 to upgrade to its currently licensed 250w vertical/-4m facilities, Sumarrase began filing interference complaints against the translator. FMBC countered that the complaints were procedurally defective, but also that WSGD-LP was not constructed with its authorized facilities. After first refuting those claims, Sumarrase later stated it had built the station with a two bay antenna as their consulting engineer was not made aware of the actual order and substitution. In addition to the $2500 penalty, which is being lowered from the base $5000 due to it being a secondary service LPFM, WSGD-LP must also either replace its antenna with the correct model or file a modification proposing to use the two-bay antenna.