Let's make a deal. FCC agrees to trade amateur's licence for big fine

The FCC has agreed to write off a $12,000 fine it levied against an Iowa man in exchange for his giving up his Amateur Radio license for five years.

The FCC last year affirmed a $12,000 fine against Technician licensee Scott E. Kamm, N0UGN, of Sioux City. Kamm later filed a Petition for Reconsideration that proposed the license-for-fine quid pro quo. The Commission formally granted his petition in a September 7 Memorandum and Order (M&O).

"In support of his petition, Mr. Kamm offers to immediately withdraw his pending application for renewal of his license for amateur radio station N0UGN, and to refrain from applying for any other license for a period of five years," the M&O said. "Accordingly, we conclude that cancellation of
the $12,000 forfeiture is warranted."

The FCC said its Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) would process the withdrawal of Kamm's license renewal application concurrently with its order.
FCC Enforcement Chief David Solomon signed the M&O, which was released September 9.

Following up on Amateur Radio complaints in the fall of 2002, agents from the FCC's Kansas City field office tracked interfering signals to Kamm's station--which was in Waterbury, Nebraska, at the time.

Several months earlier, however, the FCC had granted Kamm's application to change his mailing address to a location in Sioux City. In January 2003, the FCC issued a Notice of Apparent Liability to Kamm alleging willful and repeated interference to ongoing amateur communications, broadcasting of music, and failure to identify by call sign while operating on a 2-meter repeater.

During 2002, Kamm was the target of several letters and an FCC Warning Notice from FCC Special Counsel for Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth. In the fall of that year, the WTB set aside Kamm's renewal application based upon complaints about the operation of his station and questions regarding his qualifications to be a licensee.

Kamm's license expired September 29, 2002, and his renewal application reverted to pending status while the matter was referred to the Enforcement Bureau

Source: ARRL Letter - courtesy of The American Radio Relay League

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