There are dozens if not hundreds of illegal radio stations
operating without a government license in the state, according to theverge.com.
They’re especially easy to find in New
York City , where licensed stations often complain that
bootleggers are hijacking their frequencies.
Twist the dial in Brooklyn and you’ll hear reggae, dance
hall, and the news from St. Thomas
coming in over the airwaves, broken up by commercials for barbeque at
Frankie’s. Occasionally, you’ll pick up a signal on your cell phone and hear
DJs bantering faintly in Spanish or Yiddish in the background.
But lately in Brooklyn , the
underground airwaves have been much quieter than usual. Earlier this month, The
Fire Station 104.7, a prominent Caribbean pirate
radio station, was shut down after its owners inadvertently sold a $500 ad to
undercover police. The police arrested Solomon Malka, the owner, and DJ Fresh
Kid, whose real name is Seon Bruce. The pair face up to a year in jail.
In the past, getting busted meant pirate station owners
merely had to pay a fine. Frequently, the same station would pop right back up
again, which is partly why New York
has more Federal Communications Commission enforcement actions than any other
state. But in 2011, New York
passed a law that made unlicensed broadcasting a class A misdemeanor.
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