Status conference for WQZS canceled

By Ken Hawk, PBRTV Media Correspondent

A status conference slated for last week to allow embattled WQZS owner Roger Wahl a chance to defend himself as a broadcast license holder has been canceled.

Wahl was to participate in the conference via an online platform on Thursday of last week.  However, according to Administrative Law Judge Jane Hinckley Halprin, Wahl backed out of the hearing, according to her latest ruling issued one week ago today.

“A week before the conference was to be held, a representative of the FCC’s Office of Administrative Law Judges contacted Roger Wahl at the email address he previously gave the agency to make preliminary arrangements for his participation in the online conference,” wrote Halprin.  “Mr. Wahl did not respond.”

The date for last week’s conference was set back on December 10th, allowing Wahl ample time to prepare a defense against possibly losing the right to hold the license for the classic hits FM station that he founded in southern Somerset County in 1992.  Wahl pleaded guilty to sex-related charges in 2020 that put his character into question as a licensee.

“Another employee of the Office of Administrative Law Judges emailed Mr. Wahl on January 10th,” Halprin continued.  “It was then that Mr. Wahl responded for the first time that he will not be able to attend the January 13th conference due to a medical procedure.”

Halprin made it clear in her ruling that Wahl’s inaction would not be tolerated.

“Dates and deadlines established throughout this proceeding are not suggestions.  While the Commission’s rules include procedures for requesting extensions of time if circumstances warrant, a party who does not make such a request and ignores a deadline is in significant danger of being held in default,” wrote Halprin.  “Mr. Wahl received notice of the January 13th conference over a month ago and in that time has not filed a motion or otherwise submitted anything into the record regarding his inability to appear on the appointed date.  Further, he did not respond when initially contacted by this office.”

Halprin relieved all parties of the obligation to file proposed scheduling and discovery information required for the hearing, and that a decision regarding the ongoing consideration of the hearing proceeding would be issued at a later date.

“He has wasted the time of the Presiding Judge and her staff, the Enforcement Bureau, and the court reporting service that was engaged to prepare a transcript of the conference,” finalized Halprin.