MS Communications, LLC held low-power television licenses and construction permits in several U.S. states during the 2000s. At one point MS Communications held the second-highest number of LPTV allocations in the United States, but nearly all of the stations remained unbuilt or dark.[1]
Company president Mark Silberman said that he has intended to start a wireless cable service over LPTV, and had begun acquiring stations as early as 1992. Most of the licenses were acquired in 2000, though direct-broadcast satellite television made the company's original plans obsolete. By 2005, over 200 LPTV station licenses or construction permits were transferred to MS Communications, and MS Communications had the second-highest number of LPTV licenses in the United States, but no stations had operated with more than a test pattern.[1]
After receiving information that stations were not operating and may not have even been constructed, the Federal Communications Commission demanded information on the status of MS Communications stations. When no information was received, the FCC cancelled the licenses of 178 of the stations on October 28, 2010.[2] There were also 60 station licenses or construction permits that were transferred to Silberman but expired by 2018, and many of the MS Communications construction permits and licenses were set to expire in 2018.[3]
MS Communications transferred the following licenses and construction permits to others:[4]
Ch.
State
Buyer
Date
Notes
69
California
39516
P. Mbaba
January 6, 2005
from M.H. Feldman in 2000; sold per File No. BALTTL-20041117ADU; deleted 2012
53
Wisconsin
56213
was W55CG at Ludington, Michigan; moved to W53CC at Milwaukee; sold per File No. BAPLTTL-20060320AFE (see also line for W38DT, possibly same station)
The following stations were sold and later went on the air under other owners:
Ch.
State
Buyer
Date
Notes
22
Maine
15287
Rockfleet
2003
bought by MS in 2001
38
Wisconsin
56213
June 9, 2006
bought by MS in 2000 as W55MS at Ludington, Michigan; changed to W53CC at Milwaukee, then W38DT. License still on air and active as WTSJ-LD and owned by INNOVATE Corp.
64
Idaho
31388
Cocola
September 24, 2004
from Joe Maples 2000; sold per File No. BALTTL-20020805ABJ
56
Idaho
6754
P. Lozano
September 4, 2004
sold per File No. BALTTL-20030707ADU to Lozano; from Lozano to Cocola
17
California
56149
March 9, 2004
File No. BALTTL-20040109ADW; later KEMY-LP then KUVU-LP
60
Idaho
56814
Cocola
June 21, 2004
from R. & R. Detelle in 2000; sold per File No. BALTTL-20040401APR
30
Idaho
74409
Cocola
April 21, 2005
was K68EJ; File No. BALTTL-20050309ABT
These 178 stations had their licenses or permits cancelled, and MS Communications was notified that they were deleted by the FCC on October 28, 2010, among other times, after MS Communications did not respond to FCC requests about the stations' operations:[2]
Ch.
State
K20EX
20
Arkansas
56993
K22ES
22
Arkansas
6718
K30EC
30
Arkansas
3999
K35EA
35
Arkansas
16003
K40DS
40
Arkansas
24652
K46EM
46
Arkansas
6758
K53FM
53
Arkansas
10962
K57FV
57
Arkansas
17205
K59FB
59
Arkansas
33997
K61FP
61
Arkansas
10523
K65FN
65
Arkansas
31018
K67GR
67
Arkansas
26261
K69GT
69
Arkansas
31490
K27FF
27
Arkansas
66233
K29DC
29
Arkansas
17457
K36DR
36
Arkansas
56177
K40EF
40
Arkansas
15293
K46DT
46
Arkansas
49045
K48EP
48
Arkansas
39705
K50EK
50
Arkansas
60445
K53FB
53
Arkansas
39704
K57GF
57
Arkansas
15351
K59FJ
59
Arkansas
15352
K63FX
63
Arkansas
40273
K66EX
66
Arkansas
15334
K69HO
69
Arkansas
32239
K27FX
27
California
3937
K41FD
41
California
32302
K48GP
48
California
18564
K50EQ
50
California
32226
K57HB
57
California
60446
K59FW
59
California
41551
K63GK
63
California
32218
W08DM
8
Georgia
19713
W22BV
22
Georgia
28030
W26BM
26
Georgia
18565
K51FJ
51
Iowa
15336
K53FC
53
Iowa
10377
K55GS
55
Iowa
40269
K58ER
58
Iowa
7943
K65GA
65
Iowa
39706
K67GH
67
Iowa
32252
K40GO
40
Iowa
60447
W48CU
48
Illinois
32301
W15CT
15
Illinois
32238
W17DD
17
Illinois
32219
W19DI
19
Illinois
30250
W20CU
20
Illinois
40274
W36BS
36
Illinois
40270
W45BM
45
Illinois
27649
W49BS
49
Illinois
36162
W51EI
51
Illinois
19712
W16BI
16
Kentucky
70677
W20BO
20
Kentucky
869
W24BT
24
Kentucky
37071
W26BK
26
Kentucky
5034
W31BU
31
Kentucky
32259
W51CK
51
Kentucky
31505
W53BQ
53
Kentucky
36101
W54CI
54
Kentucky
40272
W64CM
64
Kentucky
55230
W66DA
66
Kentucky
32854
W69ED
69
Kentucky
74411
W39CC
39
Maine
60448
W42BZ
42
Maine
15288
W50BX
50
Maine
16293
W54CG
54
Maine
72483
W58CM
58
Maine
30249
W66CL
66
Maine
32255
W36BZ
19
Michigan
26195
W18CB
18
Michigan
36745
W21BS
21
Michigan
40087
W24CG
24
Michigan
30203
W31BN
31
Michigan
57411
W36CE
36
Michigan
57412
W50CD
50
Michigan
30204
W52CO
52
Michigan
65274
W55CH
55
Michigan
65275
W57CQ
57
Michigan
30865
W59DC
59
Michigan
30866
W61CS
61
Michigan
30864
W63CH
63
Michigan
30863
W65DJ
65
Michigan
15346
W67DN
67
Michigan
26295
W34BZ
34
Michigan
30862
W48BY
48
Michigan
57408
W18BX
18
Michigan
16002
W20BQ
20
Michigan
57413
W23BM
23
Michigan
36759
W25CD
25
Michigan
30867
W31BI
31
Michigan
3918
W36CD
36
Michigan
15344
W39CB
39
Michigan
15345
W51CR
51
Michigan
57410
W53BN
53
Michigan
59391
W55CL
55
Michigan
59390
W57CP
57
Michigan
961
W62CR
62
Michigan
26260
W64CK
64
Michigan
30029
W66CY
66
Michigan
31506
W68DH
68
Michigan
39303
W52CB
52
Michigan
15995
W21BN
21
Michigan
15343
W32BN
32
Michigan
16588
W36BV
36
Michigan
40112
W39BY
39
Michigan
40113
W48BZ
48
Michigan
15992
W50CA
50
Michigan
15993
W56DI
56
Michigan
15996
W58CO
58
Michigan
15994
W15BM
15
Michigan
63307
W23BL
23
Michigan
26193
W34CE
34
Michigan
26196
W48CC
48
Michigan
3219
W52CP
52
Michigan
3220
W56DF
56
Michigan
3218
W58CN
58
Michigan
36760
W62CQ
62
Michigan
36761
W66CX
66
Michigan
57379
W68DD
68
Michigan
57380
K52HH
52
Minnesota
38509
K33EQ
33
Missouri
17405
K47FB
47
Missouri
31578
K55HL
55
Missouri
19445
K58FD
58
Missouri
57008
K65GP
65
Missouri
6757
K67HF
67
Missouri
24098
K69HT
69
Missouri
57009
K04OV
4
Missouri
26154
K52FC
52
Missouri
64406
K55HU
55
Missouri
30586
W12CR
12
Mississippi
32300
W28BP
28
Mississippi
57007
W36BT
36
Mississippi
15379
W41BV
41
Mississippi
72545
W46CK
46
Mississippi
55274
W53CE
53
Mississippi
39328
W20BS
20
Mississippi
22429
W26BR
26
Mississippi
26293
W27DD
27
Mississippi
39327
W35CQ
35
Mississippi
31525
W36BY
36
Mississippi
31526
W46CL
46
Mississippi
31523
W52CS
52
Mississippi
31524
W54CD
54
Mississippi
31527
W59DE
59
Mississippi
39330
W65DE
65
Mississippi
57542
W69DJ
69
Mississippi
57544
W49BK
49
Mississippi
74412
K57IP
57
Oklahoma
27647
W14BW
14
Tennessee
24304
W20BJ
20
Tennessee
37493
W27CL
27
Tennessee
37069
W32BG
32
Tennessee
70874
W34BU
34
Tennessee
37070
W43BH
43
Tennessee
5033
W46CE
46
Tennessee
72556
W56DA
56
Tennessee
18154
W62CK
62
Tennessee
15333
W66CG
66
Tennessee
33441
W69DB
69
Tennessee
849
W26CJ
26
Tennessee
74410
W22BR
22
Tennessee
30268
W25BY
25
Tennessee
38506
W38BY
38
Tennessee
24729
W46CG
46
Tennessee
38507
W52CZ
52
Tennessee
5047
W54BU
54
Tennessee
28642
W62CJ
62
Tennessee
26259
W64BZ
64
Tennessee
32253
W06BU
6
Wisconsin
57860
W16AY
16
Wisconsin
56194
W18CS
18
Wisconsin
63274
W24BV
24
Wisconsin
15759
W31CI
31
Wisconsin
36099
W40BC
40
Wisconsin
22382
W60CI
60
Wisconsin
8019
W62DA
62
Wisconsin
24730
