05-15-3 Florida radio stations to broadcast Trump speeches


3 Florida radio stations to broadcast Trump speeches every hour until 2020 election
BY JUSTIN WISE - 05/14/19 07:48 PM EDT
A media company that operates multiple radio stations in Florida has vowed to broadcast portions of President Trump’s speeches every hour of every day until the 2020 election.
Gulf Coast Media Inc., the owner of the stations "Classic Rock WRBA-FM 95.9," "Country WKNK-FM 'Hank FM'” and "Adult Hits WASJ-FM 'BOB FM,'” announced in a press release that it would air Trump's speeches for the next 18 months. 
Samuel Rogatinsky, the owner of the radio station operator based in Bay County, Fla., told The Orlando Sentinel that the stations would broadcast two-minute snippets of Trump's speeches every hour of every day.
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“We ran it by a bunch of listeners and people in the area, and nobody’s upset about it. It’s Republican territory,” Rogatinsky said, adding that the stations may sometimes run Trump's speeches twice an hour. “Nobody’s offended by it. It’s not an issue.”
Rogatinsky did not immediately respond to a request for further comment from The Hill. 
Gulf Coast Media acknowledged in the news release that continually airing Trump's speeches did not conform to "conventional commercial FM radio." But the organization said that the move was made to "show the community’s sincere appreciation for President Donald Trump’s work in Panama City and Bay County."
Rogatinksy told The Wrap that he would offer similar air time to other 2020 candidates in order to comply with Federal Communication Commission equal time guidelines. 
"If anybody requests it, it won't be an issue," he said, adding that he'd dole out airtime to candidate such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) if they request it. 
The Sentinel noted that Rogatinsky bought the three radio stations from Powell Broadcasting Company in 2018. 
Trump won Florida in the 2016 election, defeating Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by fewer than 113,000 votes. He has returned to Florida for rallies multiple times since taking office. 
At a campaign rally in Panama City earlier this month, Trump pledged $448 million in new funding to help the state recover from Hurricane Michael. 
“The money is coming immediately. No games, no gimmicks, no delays,” he said. “We will never, ever leave your side.”
Rogatinsky told the Sentinel that residents have felt forgotten in the months since the storm, and that they were encouraged by Trump's speech. 


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