[5] A minority owner was 25-year-old Art Sutton, who also was the general manager and morning host and had saved money from his sales commissions at his previous job at WTIF in Tifton; the new ownership sought to revive the once-"atrocious" station where listeners had once been invited by announcers to donate their records.
[8] After a stock sale in 1990 (not reported to the FCC until the next year) in which Hardy sold all of his stake and new stock was issued to make Sutton a one-third partner with new owners James Elder Sr. and G. Christopher Elder, a dispute occurred that saw Sutton resign as general manager and be removed as an officer;[9] he then sold the remainder of his stake in 1992.
That year, the Elders entered into a time brokerage agreement with Dixie Broadcasting, Inc., which would operate the station until the two parties could agree on a sale price.
The inspector not only found evidence that RMI had completely abdicated control over WMGA's affairs, but the station was in technical disarray: the towers had been left unlit at night and were in need of repainting, the station was not using the appropriate directional array during critical hours, and its Emergency Alert System equipment was not in service, among other violations.
[12] An investigation followed, during which Radio Moultrie failed to respond to two letters of inquiry directed at the firm; as a result of RMI's lack of response and the unauthorized transfers of control, the FCC determined that Radio Moultrie "does not possess the requisite qualifications to be or remain a Commission licensee" and ordered the license revoked on November 4, 2003.