FCC Cracking Down On Radio Pirates

FCC Chairman Thomas Wheeler told the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Tuesday that 91 actions have been taken so far this year against pirate radio stations. That, Wheeler says, compares to 130 actions taken all of last year.

According to RadioInk, what he didn’t say was how that 91 compares to how many pirate radio stations the Commission believes are in operation across the United States.

The New York State Broadcasters Association Tuesday released a report that says there are 76 known pirate radio stations in the New York metropolitan area alone, and there could be more than 100. Donavan believes FCC enforcement against pirate radio operators is down. Wheeler told the committee that going after pirate radio stations now takes up to 20% of the FCC’s field-force time.

In his written testimony, Wheeler stated the Commission is trying to combat pirate radio stations smarter:

The Commission would also like Congress to pass legislation making it illegal to aid or abet pirate radio operations.