Media Contact: 
Will Wiquist, (202) 418-0509
will.wiquist@fcc.gov

For Immediate Release

FCC REACHES $1.13 MILLION SETTLEMENT WITH SCRIPPS ON MONITORING OF TV TOWER LIGHTING 
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WASHINGTON, January 13, 2019—The Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau today announced an agreement with Scripps Broadcasting Holdings to settle an investigation into the monitoring practices of lights on television towers it acquired earlier this year from Cordillera Communications.  Scripps has agreed to resolve the Bureau’s investigation by paying a $1,130,000 penalty and abiding by a compliance plan to prevent further violations.

Consistent monitoring of tower lighting systems is an important aviation safety issue and potentially a life-saving measure, as it ensures that owners quickly learn of—and can correct—malfunctioning obstruction lights.  The Bureau began its investigation when, on August 31, 2018, a small airplane crashed into a Cordillera television tower in Kaplan, Louisiana.  Although the Bureau found no evidence connecting the collision to a violation of the FCC’s rules by Cordillera, the Bureau discovered irregularities related to Cordillera’s compliance with FCC rules pertaining to communications towers.  The Bureau therefore broadened its investigation to cover all of Cordillera’s towers and observed problems with Cordillera’s monitoring of tower lighting systems, maintenance of complete records of lighting failures, and notifications to the Commission of changes of ownership of two towers.  

Today’s settlement, formally known as a Consent Decree, is available at: 
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-20-24A1.pdf. 

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Media Relations: (202) 418-0500 / ASL: (844) 432-2275 / TTY: (888) 835-5322 / Twitter: @FCC / www.fcc.gov 

This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action.  See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).