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                           Before the
                Federal Communications Commission
                     Washington, D.C. 20554


In the Matter of                 )
                                )
                                )
Hunt Broadcasting Group, Inc.    )    File No. EB-02-KC-587
Doniphan, Missouri               )    NAL/Acct. No. 200232560026
                                )    FRN 0006-1631-09
                                )



                        FORFEITURE ORDER

     Adopted:  December 17, 2003        Released:  December 19, 
     2003

By the Chief, Enforcement Bureau:

                        I.   INTRODUCTION

     1.   In  this  Forfeiture  Order  (``Order''),  we  issue  a 
monetary forfeiture  in the  amount  of three   thousand  dollars 
($3,000) to Hunt Broadcasting Group, Inc. (``Hunt''), licensee of 
radio  stations  KPWB(AM)  and  KPWB-FM,  located  in   Piedmont, 
Missouri, for willful violation of Sections 73.49, 73.1350(b)(2), 
73.1350(c),   11.35(a),    73.3526(e)(5),   73.3526(e)(6),    and 
73.3526(e)(12) of the Commission's Rules (``Rules'').1  The noted 
violations involve Hunt's failure to provide an effective  locked 
fence enclosing the base  of station KPWB(AM)'s antenna,  failure 
to  provide  transmitter  control  and  monitoring  capabilities, 
failure to maintain operational Emergency Alert System  (``EAS'') 
equipment, and  failure to  maintain all  required items  in  the 
joint public inspection file for KPWB(AM) and KPWB-FM.

                     II.          BACKGROUND

     2.   On September 30,  2002, the  Commission's Kansas  City, 
Missouri Office  (``Kansas City  Office'') released  a Notice  of 
Apparent  Liability  for  Forfeiture  (``NAL'')  to  Hunt  for  a 
forfeiture in the amount of nineteen thousand dollars ($19,000).2  
Specifically, the  NAL  proposed the  following  forfeitures  for 
Hunt's apparently willful violations of the Rules:  Section 73.49  
($7,000 - failure to provide an effective locked fence  enclosing 
the base of  station KPWB's AM  antenna); Sections  73.1350(b)(2) 
and 73.1350(c) ($3,000 -  failure to provide transmitter  control 
and monitoring capabilities for the KPWB-FM transmitter); Section 
11.35(a) ($4,0003  - failure  to maintain  operational  Emergency 
Alert System  (``EAS'') equipment);  and Sections  73.3526(e)(5), 
73.3526(e)(6), and 73.3526(12) ($5,0004 - failure to maintain all 
required items in the station's public inspection file).

     3.   Hunt filed its response to the NAL on October 24, 2002.  
Hunt's response essentially admits the violations.  However, Hunt 
explains  how  it  has   corrected  the  violations,  and   seeks 
cancellation of the forfeiture based upon its inability to pay.  

                      II.       DISCUSSION

     4.   The  proposed  forfeiture  amount  in  this  case   was 
assessed in accordance with Section 503(b) of the  Communications 
Act of 1934, as amended  (``Act''),5 Section 1.80 of the  Rules,6 
and The Commission's Forfeiture Policy Statement and Amendment of 
Section  1.80  of  the   Rules  to  Incorporate  the   Forfeiture 
Guidelines.7 In examining Hunt's response, Section 503(b) of  the 
Act requires that  the Commission take  into account the  nature, 
circumstances, extent  and gravity  of  the violation  and,  with 
respect to the violator, the  degree of culpability, any  history 
of prior  offenses, ability  to pay,  and other  such matters  as 
justice may require.8    

     5.   Based on  the  findings  of the  NAL  regarding  Hunt's 
violation of Sections 73.49, 73.1350(b)(2), 73.1350(c), 11.35(a), 
73.3526(e)(5), 73.3526(e)(6), and 73.3526(e)(12) of the Rules and 
Hunt's response  thereto, we  find  that Hunt's  violations  were 
willful.9  In  support  of  its request  for  cancellation,  Hunt 
points out that it has taken  all necessary steps to correct  the 
violations and submits federal income  tax returns for tax  years 
1999, 2000,  and 2001  to demonstrate  its inability  to pay  the 
monetary forfeiture.   We note  that  remedial actions  taken  to 
correct the  violations, while  commendable, are  not  mitigating 
factors.10  However, after reviewing the financial documentation, 
we conclude that reduction of the $19,000 forfeiture to $3,000 is 
warranted in this case. 

                  IV.          ORDERING CLAUSES

     6.   Accordingly, IT IS  ORDERED that,  pursuant to  Section 
503(b) of the Act,  and Sections 0.111,  0.311 and 1.80(f)(4)  of 
the Rules,11  Hunt  Broadcasting  Group, Inc.  IS  LIABLE  FOR  A 
MONETARY FORFEITURE  in  the  amount of  three  thousand  dollars 
($3,000) for  its  violation of  Sections  73.49,  73.1350(b)(2), 
73.1350(c),   11.35(a),    73.3526(e)(5),   73.3526(e)(6),    and 
73.3526(e)(12) of the Rules.  
     6.   Payment of the forfeiture shall  be made in the  manner 
provided for in Section 1.80 of  the Rules within 30 days of  the 
release of this Order.  If the forfeiture is not paid within  the 
period specified, the case may  be referred to the Department  of 
Justice for collection pursuant to  Section 504(a) of the  Act.12  
Payment may be  made by  mailing a check  or similar  instrument, 
payable to the order of the Federal Communications Commission, to 
the Federal Communications Commission,  P.O. Box 73482,  Chicago, 
Illinois 60673-7482.  The payment should reference NAL/Acct.  No. 
200232560026 and  FRN 0006-1631-09.   Requests for  full  payment 
under an installment plan should  be sent to: Chief, Revenue  and 
Receivables  Group,  445  12th  Street,  S.W.,  Washington,  D.C. 
20554.13  

     7.   IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that  a copy of this Order  shall 
be  sent  by  First  Class  and  Certified  Mail  Return  Receipt 
Requested to Hunt Broadcasting Group, Inc., 204 East  Washington, 
Doniphan, Missouri 63935.  

                              FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                         
                              David H. Solomon
                              Chief, Enforcement Bureau


_________________________

1  47  C.F.R.  §§  73.49,  73.1350(b)(2),  73.1350(c),  11.35(a), 
73.3526(e)(5), 73.3526(e)(6), and 73.3526(e)(12).  
2 See Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, NAL/Acct.  No. 
200232560026 (Enf. Bur. Kansas City Office, September 30, 2002).  
3 The base forfeiture amount  for this violation is $8,000.   The 
District Director  of  the  Kansas  City  Office  applied  a  50% 
downward adjustment  because the  EAS  equipment was  capable  of 
monitoring one of the required two sources.
4 The base forfeiture amount  for his violation is $10,000.   The 
District Director  of  the  Kansas  City  Office  applied  a  50% 
downward adjustment because station KPWB maintained a portion  of 
the required items in the public inspection file.
5 47 U.S.C. § 503(b).
6 47 C.F.R. § 1.80.
7 12 FCC Rcd 17087 (1997),  recon. denied, 15 FCC Rcd 303 (1999).  
8 47 U.S.C. § 503(b)(2)(D).
9 Section  312(f)(1) of  the Act,  47 U.S.C.  § 312(f)(1),  which 
applies to violations  for which forfeitures  are assessed  under 
Section 503(b) of the Act, provides that ``[t]he term  `willful,' 
... means the conscious and deliberate commission or omission  of 
such act, irrespective of any intent to violate any provision  of 
this Act or any rule  or regulation of the Commission  authorized 
by this Act ....''  See  Southern California Broadcasting Co.,  6 
FCC Rcd 4387 (1991).   

10  See, e.g., AT&T  Wireless Services, Inc.,  17 FCC Rcd  21866, 
21871 (2002);  Seawest  Yacht Brokers,  9  FCC Rcd  6099  (1994); 
Station KGVL, Inc., 42 FCC 2d 258, 259 (1973).
11 47 C.F.R. §§ 0.111, 0.311, 1.80(f)(4).
12 47 U.S.C. § 504(a).
13 See 47 C.F.R. § 1.1914.