The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has imposed a $2,391,097 fine on Fabrice Polynice, alias DJ Paz, for illegally operating "Radio Touche Douce" on 90.1 MHz in North Miami, Florida. The FCC documented 22 days of unauthorized broadcasts from February 5 to March 5, 2023, marking Polynice’s latest violation in a decade-long pattern of pirate radio activity.
The FCC emphasized that unlicensed operations violate the Communications Act, disrupt licensed stations, and jeopardize public safety by interfering with critical communications, including Emergency Alert System messages. Despite prior fines in 2013 and 2018—both unpaid—and a U.S. Marshals’ seizure of his equipment, Polynice continued broadcasting.
He admitted the violations but requested a reduced penalty, citing financial hardship, which the FCC rejected due to his repeated and deliberate infractions.
Authorized by the PIRATE Act, which strengthened penalties for pirate radio, the fine was capped at $2,391,097, though the FCC initially calculated a higher penalty of over $2.6 million. Polynice has 30 days from the January 25, 2024, order to pay or face further action from the U.S. Department of Justice.
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