DA 18-760 Released: July 26, 2018 Edwin Wray Managing Member KTBS, LLC 312 E. Kings Highway Shreveport LA 71104 Frank Jazzo, Esq. Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth 1300 North 17th St., 11th Floor Arlington VA 22209 Re: KTBS-TV, Shreveport, LA (Fac. ID #35652) KPXJ(DT), Minden, LA (Fac. ID #81507) FRN: 0020203246 Dear Mr. Wray: This letter concerns the response Letter and documentation from Frank Jazzo, Esq. Counsel to KTBS, LLC, to Lewis Pulley, Assistant Chief, Policy Division (April 12, 2018). of KTBS, LLC (Licensee), licensee of the above-noted stations, to the February 26, 2018 audit letter sent to it pursuant to Section 73.2080(f)(4) of the Commission’s Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Rules. 47 CFR § 73.2080(f)(4). Based on its EEO audit response, we admonish the Licensee for its failure to provide notification of each full-time vacancy to an organization that had requested such notice, in violation of Section 73.2080(c)(1)(ii) of the EEO Rules. 47 CFR § 73.2080(c)(1)(ii). Section 73.2080(c)(1)(ii) requires a broadcast licensee to provide notification of each full-time vacancy in its operation “to any organization that distributes information about employment opportunities to job seekers or refers job seekers to employers, upon request by such organization.” Id. The Licensee self-reported in its EEO audit response that it had inadvertently failed to provide notification of each full-time vacancy to one organization, the local NAACP unit, that had requested such notice. Letter and documentation from Frank Jazzo, Esq. Counsel to KTBS, LLC, to Lewis Pulley, Assistant Chief, Policy Division (April 12, 2018). Specifically, the Licensee failed to notify the NAACP of four out of 26 vacancies in 2017 and four out of 14 vacancies in 2018. The Licensee further reported that it notified the NAACP of the majority of full-time vacancies during the audit reporting period and that the NAACP had not referred any applicants in the 13 years since its initial request for notification. Id. at p. 2. Although we conclude that the Licensee violated Section 73.2080(c)(1)(ii) of the EEO Rules, we find that admonishment, rather than a monetary forfeiture, is the appropriate sanction at this time. The Licensee self-reported its violation, notified the NAACP of 80% of its full-time vacancies during the audit reporting period, used numerous other sources to provide notice of all of its full-time vacancies during the reporting period, received numerous referrals for its vacancies, and otherwise demonstrated compliance with the EEO Rules. In addition, the Licensee notified the NAACP of 100% of its full-time vacancies in 2014, 2015, and 2016. The EEO performance for 2014-2016 was not included in the audit response. The Licensee’s prior EEO public file reports filed under the stations’ current license term show that the Licensee had notified the NAACP of all full-time vacancies. We do not rule out more severe sanctions for violations of a similar nature in the future. We also remind the Licensee that the Commission expects all licensees to comply with its EEO Rules. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to Section 4(i) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. § 154(i). and Sections 0.61 and 0.283 of the Commission’s Rules, 47 CFR §§ 0.61, 0.283. that KTBS, LLC IS ADMONISHED for violating Section 73.2080(c)(1)(ii) of the EEO Rules. 47 CFR § 73.2080(c)(1)(ii). IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that pursuant to Section 73.3526(e)(10) of the Commission’s rules for commercial broadcast stations, the Licensee shall place copies of this letter, our audit letter, and its audit response in the online public inspection file of each station. 47 CFR § 73.3526(e)(10). The Licensee shall maintain these materials in the files until the next grant of the renewal application, by final order, of the license for the station to which the file pertains. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that a copy of this Letter shall be sent by First Class and Certified Mail, to the Licensee and its counsel at the addresses listed above. Sincerely, Martha Heller Chief, Policy Division Media Bureau