FCC Imposes Hefty Fines On Two Pirates

The FCC has imposed hefty fines on two unlicensed radio operators in separate cases, intensifying its enforcement under the PIRATE Act.

In Massachusetts, the FCC proposed a $60,000 fine against Radio Energy, Inc. and its president, Pelege Marcellin, for running unauthorized AM stations in Mattapan and Brockton under the name Radio Energy Boston. FCC agents from the Boston Field Office traced signals on 1620 kHz and 1640 kHz to commercial buildings with antennas and transmission lines exceeding legal limits for unlicensed operation. 

The signals matched Radio Energy Boston’s online stream, which Marcellin, the sole officer of the company, promoted as a Haitian music hub. The FCC deemed their actions "willful and knowing" pirate radio broadcasting, with the fine increased due to the operation of two unauthorized stations, risking interference with licensed broadcasts and public safety alerts.

Separately, the FCC finalized a $920,000 fine against Masner Beauplan of Middletown, NY, for operating Radio Leve Kanpe on 91.7 MHz in Irvington, NJ, over 46 days from November 16, 2023, to January 8, 2024. Beauplan failed to respond to the FCC’s Notice of Apparent Liability, resulting in the full penalty.

Unpaid fines may be referred to the U.S. Department of Justice for collection.The FCC stressed that pirate radio undermines spectrum integrity and can disrupt authorized broadcasts and Emergency Alert System transmissions. These actions align with the PIRATE Act, which allows fines up to $100,000 per day and $2 million total for unlicensed broadcasting.