Commissioner Michael O’Rielly has been leading the charge against pirate radio stations for years. Following Wednesday’s announcement that two illegal operators had agreed to shut down their stations and face substantial fines the Commissioner had this to say about advertisers and lawmakers that enable these lawbreakers.
O’Rielly said one of the surprising aspects of trying to combat the pirates is the support some of them receive from advertisers and others, including politicians. “Boston has, historically, been a particularly troublesome market in this respect, with pirates operating seemingly unabated, and with the full support of certain patrons. While the consent decrees and accompanying fines that we issue are very low compared to other Commission enforcement actions, I am hopeful that our actions will be effective in ending these problematic broadcasts and deterring future ones, both in the Boston market and across the country.”
O’Rielly added that the PIRATE Act signed into law by President Trump gives the Commission more tools to end these broadcasts. “Future pirate radio operators should expect to face much more extensive penalties.”
