FARGO - Federal regulators say KFGO radio talk show host Joel Heitkamp should not have broadcast a voicemail message from former North Dakota workers compensation director Sandy Blunt. Heitkamp says Blunt threatened his job and he doesn't regret airing the comments.

The Federal Communications Commission fined the Fargo station's former owner $12,000 for airing the sound clip several times without Blunt's permission. Blunt filed a complaint against Capstar, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications, in January 2007.

"I'm pleased with the FCC ruling," Blunt said Wednesday. "It shows that the FCC stands strongly by its belief that you cannot take private information and publish it on the air."

Heitkamp, who is a Democratic state senator, has been a frequent critic of Blunt, who was fired last December as head of Workforce Safety and Insurance. Blunt left the phone message in early 2006, when he was still the agency's director.

Heitkamp said his attorney told him it was OK to use the clip and none of his managers complained about it.

"I think it showed exactly what I've been telling people that Sandy Blunt is all about," Heitkamp said. "Any manager who isn't smart enough to know that you shouldn't leave a voice message like that probably is a poor manager."

The FCC documents did not provide a transcript of what KFGO aired. Neither Blunt nor Heitkamp gave complete details.

Blunt said he left the message after calling to complain because Heitkamp referred to dividend credits as "kickbacks." Heitkamp said the message was "quick and to the point," and Blunt threatened to have him fired.

"He was mad as all get-out at me," Heitkamp said.

Blunt said he was angry when he heard the clip. "Especially when he played it without my permission and parsed it down to make it sound like I threatened him," Blunt said.

Heitkamp said he was disappointed that Clear Channel did not ask him to help defend the complaint. Clear Channel told the FCC it shouldn't be held liable because it no longer holds the license for KFGO, which was sold to Radio Fargo-Moorhead Inc. in late 2006.