WQZS: Wahl Answers FCC Interrogatories

The embattled owner of a Somerset County radio station has filed answers to two sets of interrogatories put forth to him by the FCC regarding his future as a licensee.

Roger Wahl, who founded Meyersale-licensed classic hits station WQZS, provided mostly short answers to the 140 questions ranging from the criminal charges filed against him in 2019 to the mystery surrounding the station’s ownership.

Wahl’s troubles began in 2019, when he was charged with planting a trail camera in the residence of a 61-year-old woman known to him, without her knowledge or consent. Images taken from that camera were then used to create a fake dating profile, in which Wahl would solicit strangers to rape the victim.

PBRTV.com is not releasing the victim’s identity, out of respect for her privacy.

When questioned about why he used the call letters of his radio station as a screen name for profiles on two dating websites, Wahl claimed he didn’t understand what a screen name was and simply “used what I always used, WQZS.”

Wahl also answered claims regarding the station’s ownership, namely by an entity known as Target Broadcasting, which was created in 1991, the year before the station went on the air.

“I hold all offices in Target Broadcasting,” Wahl stated in his answer. “Target Broadcasting was created to acquire funds to complete the construction of the (WQZS studio) building,” and that “Target Broadcasting doesn’t actually do any business.” Wahl’s personal residence is co-located in the WQZS building just outside of the Meyersdale borough limits.

Wahl identified a since-deceased Somerset County businessman named Andreas Barth as a 25 percent shareholder in Target Broadcasting, but not in the station itself. Wahl claimed that he himself – and not Target Broadcasting – is the lone shareholder in WQZS, as well as the sole employee for the past twenty years.

Wahl had been previously warned about his initial answer submission, which failed to provide substantive responses to several interrogatories, instead using the statement “see attached documents”. Wahl had also been asked to “identify names, addresses and email addresses from individuals whom he intends to have provide affidavits, declarations, or other written statements to provide that he is qualified to be a Commission licensee and/or that his Commission license should not be revoked.” Wahl provided the names of 31 people in his answer.

Wahl did provide slightly more substantive responses in his second attempt, but did not provide the postal and email addresses for the 31 individuals he identified before.

“I have sent some support letters from persons supporting the station, the petition list was mail via certified mail to the FCC, before I had knowledge to email,” wrote Wahl. “I know I am missing many names from the petition list, the names below are ones I can remember, or that have written letters. I do not have all the email addresses ore (sic) personal mailing addresses of each person.”

Wahl added that the station’s standing in the community speaks for itself.

“We (WQZS) station has never turned down anyone that ever asked for our help,” wrote Wahl. “We are part of many communities here and want to continue to help them anytime the need arises.”

Wahl, 71, faces the loss of his right to hold the WQZS license, as well as a petition in a separate order to deny the renewal of the station’s license, which is set to expire in August.