Nicholls’ student-run and funded radio station, KNSU, plans to appeal a $7,000 fine from the Federal Communications Commission. According to the FCC’s Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, the KNSU station manager in 2004 failed to file a license renewal application on time.

The document states the station’s license expired on June 1, 2004, and a renewal application should have been filed four months prior to this but was not filed until Aug. 18, 2004.

In addition to the renewal, KNSU requested a special temporary authorization, or STA, to continue operating the station while the license renewal was pending.

The STA, however, expired in March 2005, and KNSU did not request another until October 2005. This STA also expired before another request was filed.

According to the FCC, KNSU operated for over nine months without a license.

Lance Arnold, KNSU advisor, said the station’s license has been renewed until 2012.

Arnold said he thinks the fine is likely to be reduced because he did research and found that many stations had fines reduced to as low as $1,000.

He also said though the FCC’s reports said KNSU gave no explanation for its “failure to file a timely renewal application” or STA, he has documents that were sent to the FCC and spoke to them on the phone.

“In their documentation, it doesn’t seem like our explanations got to that level,” Arnold said.

Though he does not know how long the appeal process will take, he said the fine does not have to be paid until it is completed.