South Dakota Broadcaster Faces Copyright Lawsuit Over Unlicensed Radio Hits

Northeast Radio SD News – Rapid City, SD - A coalition of major music publishers has filed a federal lawsuit against South Dakota-based Haugo Broadcasting, Inc., alleging the company has been spinning chart-topping hits on its radio stations without a license for over two years.

Filed on June 8, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota, the complaint outlines 14 counts of willful copyright infringement against Haugo Broadcasting and its operator, Christian Haugo. The plaintiffs, a group of prominent publishers including W Chappell Music Corp. and Kurstin Music, claim the broadcaster has routinely played their copyrighted songs despite having its performing rights license revoked.

According to the filing, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) terminated Haugo Broadcasting’s license on April 9, 2024, after the company became seriously delinquent on its fee payments. Court documents allege that ASCAP spent over a year attempting to negotiate a payment plan, but Christian Haugo ultimately abandoned communications and refused to sign a finalized agreement.

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The lawsuit targets four commercial radio stations owned and operated by the defendants:

·        KIQK-FM (“New Country” 104.1) in Rapid City

·        KSQY-FM (“Rock” 95.1) in Deadwood

·        KTOQ-AM (Sports Talk 1340) in Rapid City

·        KXMZ-FM (“Today’s Hits” 102.7) in Box Elder

Despite lacking authorization, the stations allegedly continued to broadcast a steady stream of protected music. The complaint cites 14 specific instances of unauthorized broadcasts tracked by a third-party radio taping service in May 2024 and February 2026.

The infringed works include widely recognized, hit songs such as:

·        “Creep” and “Karma Police” (Radiohead)

·        “Fast Car” (Tracy Chapman)

·        “Shut Up And Dance” (Walk The Moon)

·        “Obsessed” (Olivia Rodrigo)

The publishing coalition is asking the federal court for a permanent injunction to prevent Haugo Broadcasting from airing any musical compositions in the ASCAP repertory. Furthermore, the plaintiffs are seeking substantial financial restitution, demanding statutory damages for willful infringement of up to $150,000 for each of the 14 acts. If granted, the penalties could expose the broadcaster to a maximum of $2.1 million in damages, in addition to covering the plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees and court costs.