WASO (AM)

Infobox Radio station
name = WASO


city = Covington, Louisiana
area = New Orleans metropolitan area
branding = "WASO AM 730"
slogan =
airdate =
frequency = 730 kHz
format = News/Talk
power = 250 watts (day) 25 watts (night)
class = D
facility_id = 1312
coordinates = coord|30|29|37|N|90|08|37|W
callsign_meaning = Where America Speaks Out
former_callsigns = WARB
owner = MDCJ, LLC
licensee =
sister_stations =
webcast =
website = [http://www.hottalkradio.com/ hottalkradio.com]
affiliations =

WASO (730 AM) is an American radio station that serves the New Orleans, Louisiana, area. The station was assigned the WASO call letters by the Federal Communications Commission on August 18, 1992.cite web |title=Call Sign History |url=http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=1312&Callsign=WASO |work=FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database]

History

WASO, whose call letters stand for "Where America Speaks Out", was founded in the mid-1990s by [http://www.robertnamer.com/ Robert Namer] , a conservative talk show host who launched the station after he left WTIX AM.

In 2005, the FCC transferred control of the license to the receiver liquidating the assets of America First Communications to satisfy a court judgement [http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/app_det.pl?Application_id=1071264] [http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/pubacc/Auth_Files/1071264.pdf] and the station went silent pending its possible sale. [http://www.worldofradio.com/dxld5109.txt]

The judgement was the result of non-payment of a $3 million award from a lawsuit brought and won by the Federal Trade Commission in 1991. The FTC brought the action and won at trial claiming "Namer and NBC [National Business Consultants] made numerous material misrepresentations to potential franchisees, made unsupported earnings claims, failed to provide required supporting documentation, and failed to make required disclosures.". That judgment was appealed and affirmed by the Fifth Circuit US Appeals Court in 2004. [http://www.romingerlegal.com/fifthcircuit/opinions/03-30282-CV0.wpd.html]

On September 2, 2005 WASO was bought back on the air through executive emergency powers by the president of St. Tammany Parish, Kevin Davis, to assist in getting information and relaying messages to its residents and services in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. [http://www.stpgov.org/news/2005/09012005-StTammanyParishUpdate_9pm.html] [http://www.rwonline.com/dailynews/show_issue.cgi?year=2005&month=9&week=36]

On September 1, 2006, the FCC granted permission to the receiver for the station to resume broadcasting under the terms of the existing license. [http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101146889&formid=910&fac_num=1312]

As of October 25, 2007, the license for the station was transferred to MCDJ, LLC, a limited liability corporation with 4 individuals each owning a 25% share. [http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1209350&Service=AM&Form_id=323&Facility_id=1312] The owners of MDJC, LLC also own a 40% stake in radio station WGSO in New Orleans. The purchase price was $578,100. [http://www.mediaservicesgroup.com/press.cfm?id=1313]

As of August 2008, the station remains licensed and silent under a special temporary authority granted by the FCC.

References

External links

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* [http://tenwatts.blogspot.com/2005/10/short-sad-story-of-waso.html Arcane Radio Trivia history of WASO]