WQZS: Wahl Released From Hospital, FCC Asks Judge for Status Conference

The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau has filed a motion for a status conference in the license revocation case involving a southern Somerset County radio station, whose owner was reported to have been hospitalized.

According to documents filed with the FCC today, the Bureau requested the conference after learning that Roger Wahl, owner of Meyersdale-licensed WQZS, had been back on the air since at least July 6th.

Wahl’s daughter, Wendy Sipple, had sent email correspondence to Judge Jane Halprin beginning June 3rd, stating that her father had been suffering from dehydration and Stage 4 renal failure, with another email sent later that same day claiming that Wahl had been moved to intensive care. Sipple’s next email was sent June 6th claiming that there was little improvement in her father’s condition. This was the last email that Halprin received.

In the motion, Enforcement Bureau Acting Chief Loyaan Egal restated Wahl’s lack of compliance in providing complete answers to the bureau’s discovery requests.

“As the record in this proceeding bears out, Mr. Wahl has repeatedly failed – without excuse – to comply with the Presiding Judge’s multiple orders or the Commission’s rules and to provide the Bureau with a complete response to its
discovery requests,” wrote Egal. “Indeed, in the case of the Bureau’s most recent document requests, he failed to provide any response at all.”

Egal stated that the Bureau was not properly updated on Wahl’s health, despite promises from Sipple to do so in her email correspondence, and that Wahl himself failed to do so accordingly.

“If that is the case, at a minimum, Mr. Wahl should have informed the Presiding Judge and the Bureau of his release from the hospital.”

Wahl is facing the loss of his right to control the license of WQZS, which he has held since the early 90’s. Wahl is also facing challenges from others to the renewal of the station’s license, which is set to expire in August.