Sale approval delay by FCC hinders fundraising efforts at KUSF-FM

The FCC has yet to approve the sale of University of San Francisco's KUSF-FM, which was announced 16 months ago, reports the Bay Citizen. “It’s extremely unusual,” said Michael Couzens, an Oakland, Calif., communications attorney and former FCC staffer. “The mentality of the staff is shaped by the fact that commercial entities lose their financing if they dink and dunk around for months and years.”

And because the deal isn't finalized, federal rules prohibit KDFC from airing pledge drives, "a huge loss as it attempts to remake itself as a nonprofit," Bay Citizen notes.

“The KUSF delay has definitely impacted us, and we hope the FCC will come to a decision soon,” said Brenda Barnes, president of classical music giant KUSC. Licensee University of Southern California spent more than $6 million to purchase two frequencies: KUSF, as well as Christian music outlet KNDL, previously licensed to Howell Mountain Broadcasting Co.(Current, Jan. 24, 2011).