AGO to ‘review’ KKMP’s alleged free access to EMO tower

The Office of the Attorney General is “reviewing” KKMP Radio’s alleged free access to the Emergency Management Office’s tower while other radio stations pay between $2,500 and $4,000 a month for the same access, responding to Rep. Joseph Palacios’ (R-Saipan) request for an investigation into the matter.

Palacios, in an interview yesterday, said he finds it “disturbing” that EMO is giving special treatment to KKMP, if it is indeed true that KKMP is not paying anything to the government for access to the EMO tower.

Attorney General Ed Buckingham also asked Public Auditor Mike Pai whether the Office of the Public Auditor would like to proceed on this matter “jointly” or if he would prefer that OAG and OPA proceed separately in a review of these matters.

Palacios wrote a Sept. 20 letter to EMO director Joaquin P. Omar, inquiring about the arrangement between KKMP and EMO.

“I find this disturbing most especially during the time when the CNMI government is struggling for funding. It’s nearly a year now since KKMP has been on air and pays nothing to the CNMI government, while radio stations Magic 100, KCNM AM and KZMI FM, Power 99 and The KAT had to pay monthly fees anywhere from $2,500 and $4,000, not to mention other expense that they incurred to maintain the surrounding of their tower and its operation via diesel fuel, etc.,” Palacios told Omar, who couldn’t be reached for comment yesterday.

KKMP owners Rosemond Santos and Garry Sword did not return calls for comment.

The Fitial administration also has yet to confirm whether the allegations are true.

In Palacios’ letter to Omar, copies of which were also furnished to Buckingham, Pai and acting governor Eloy S. Inos, the lawmaker suggests that if the EMO director is giving “freebies” to only one company, then he has to extend the same courtesy to others.

“They too are struggling and are in dire need of assistance from us. But if you are not, then I strongly recommend that you cease this kind of practice because we are sending the wrong kind of signals to the business community. KKMP must pay the CNMI government from the time they went on air to include diesel and other cost of maintaining the EMO tower and its surrounding,” he added.

KKMP is an AM station simulcasting on FM and airs mainly island music. It broadcasts on 92.1FM on Saipan and Tinian, and on 1440AM on Rota and the Northern Islands.

Palacios also asked about an alleged EMO and KZMI agreement.

“Other matter was raised reference to KZMI FM who also owe EMO a good chunk of dollars and yet EMO and KZMI are proposing to offset via radio commercial while the rest of the radio companies have to pay. Again, this I find disturbing and unfair for the mere fact that the CNMI government is broke,” he added.