United Church of Christ (UCC) Communications Office filed new cha...
United Church of Christ (UCC) Communications Office filed new challenge at FCC on WorldCom’s transfer of licenses from its prebankruptcy entity to its debtor-in-possession unit. Last year UCC urged FCC to block WorldCom’s request to transfer those licenses and…
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authorizations, saying it wasn’t qualified to hold them because of false reports to SEC, which ran counter to character standards of Communications Act. Wireless Bureau denied informal objection last month, saying assignment of licenses simply marked change of status in which licensee held licenses. UCC filed petition for partial request and reconsideration with Bureau last week. It asked that FCC reconsider and clarify in supplemental order “the disqualifying character issues raised against WorldCom and determine whether WorldCom is fit to remain a Commission licensee at the next procedurally available opportunity” when WorldCom has another application for review before agency. “WorldCom’s corporate fraud clearly demonstrates that WorldCom lacks sufficient character qualifications to remain a licensee of the Commission,” UCC said. It said Wireless Bureau hadn’t ruled on merits of its informal objection because WorldCom’s assignment applications were deemed “ministerial,” which didn’t give FCC appropriate procedural venue to consider character issues. “According to long-standing Commission policy, disqualifying allegations such as those raised by UCC against WorldCom, however, do not simply vanish,” UCC said. Before FCC takes action in future on substantive applications or authorization requests filed by WorldCom, it “must deal with the disqualifying character issues raised against WorldCom,” UCC said.