Cumulus Broadcasting owns an FM station license in Crystal Beach, Texas (KSTB-FM 101.5).
Crystal Beach was a direct hit by Hurricane Ike on September 13th, 2008 and destroyed most of what was on the land there. The eye hit Galveston, TX and went on to Houston, but the strong-side winds and storm surge clobbered the area to the East of the Houston Shipping Channel . Cumulus was renting tower space on someone else’s tower (common with FM stations), and that tower was completely destroyed. pictures
So it’s now February 2011. The station is still off the air. When you build a radio station (or a house) right on the ocean where hurricanes are common, you accept the financial risks that go with that.
Cumulus isn’t too poor to rebuild the station, even if it means building their own tower. Cumulus has $2.4 billion to try to take over Citadel radio.
Perhaps they should start by living up to their obligation to serve the community of Crystal Beach by getting the station back on the air soon, before the next hurricane season starts, or applying to move the station a few miles inland. Perhaps the FCC should remind Cumulus of that obligation.
