Tom Neckel complained to FCC over equal time for Commissioner election
By PAULA PARISOT
3/16/2005

A south Florida mortgage broker who ran against a radio talk show host for a City Commissioner post wound up dragging the FCC into the race.

Miramar resident Tom Neckel is one of four candidates that ran for the Commission Seat 3. He said he felt it was unfair to him and the other candidates that his opponent was given free airtime that could be used as a platform during his candidacy to be reelected. Neckel demanded that the FCC enforce its equal airtime policy by requiring radio station WAVS 1170 AM to give him equal access to the airwaves that have been given to incumbent and radio talk show host, Winston Barnes.

After contacting the radio station twice with no response, Neckel wrote the FCC -- which responded the next day. "The FCC said they aren't supposed to be on the air without offering free time to the rest of us," Neckel explained.

Ultimately, Neckel said the station offered him a total of four hours of airtime, running in one-hour increments during the hours of 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. He noted it was not an equal time slot and that his opponent had already accumulated 60 hours of airtime.

He told MortgageDaily.com that the FCC was investigating the situation and he believes that the radio station will likely be fined for its actions.

Neckel, who has been a broker for Miramar-based Cruzan Financial since July 1991 said all of his originations, with the exception of two, have been derived from the South Beach area and consist mainly of financing for the new trend of "condo-hotels."

"They are difficult to finance so we use specialized lenders," Neckel said. "They (the purchaser) can use it or they can rent it out on a daily basis and it is managed by a hotel environment."

Neckel said the average condo-hotel is about 1000 square-feet and the cost is about $900 per square-foot.

The company reported 2003 volume of $100 million.

Despite Neckel's efforts, Miramar residents reelected Barnes, the radio host, the Miami Herald reported.

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