FCC Tracks Pirates To America’s Last Frontier

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From the largest market to some of the smallest, the FCC is on a full-on pirate hunt. After serving shutdown orders to numerous pirate operators in New York City, the Commission’s San Francisco Office of the Enforcement Bureau is investigating a complaint regarding an unlicensed FM broadcast station operating in Wasilla, Alaska.

Radio signals were confirmed to be emanating from a property, owned by Zinaida Gamza, on frequency 102.5 MHz. The FCC’s records show no license issued for operation on that frequency at that location.

The FCC warned Gamza of their new authority under the PIRATE Act that they can levy a fine of up to $2,149,551 if the broadcasting continues after the response period. The property owner has ten business days to respond, provide evidence of ceasing the pirate radio broadcasting, and identify the individuals involved.

4 COMMENTS

  1. I am one of those “just a kid” people up here in Alaska and have been trying to find a ligit way to broadcast for a small remote village that covers only about 3 miles for years… It is enough to drive one mad! I am a licensed Amateur already so I don’t want to blow my license on it or I almost would start a pirate station my self! And don’t get me wrong, I love radio edict and have very high value for it as well as having done some Pirate reporting of my own when the programming on some of them starts getting out of hand but if it is not inappropriate programming and it is not interfering with anyone why beat to brains out of the few people learning how to broadcast?? Those are the people that are going to start 100KW stations when they grow up unless you squish them as a kid… it is just wrong what they are doing with this stuff! I even tried getting a LPFM broadcast license but they will only “sell” LPFM licenses once every few years… I mean really? I hope an FCC employee reads this…

  2. FCC won’t raid the residence, they’ll have the FBI do it, and waste so much tax money. The government shouldn’t be allowed to own the airwaves. It’s like owning the water flowing down a creek.

  3. The FCC after all had to show Congress that they are out there trying to generate some revenue and doing their congressional mandated job.

    I agree…what a waste of tax dollars. The govt should set aside spectrum for these kids to “play radio” like they do in New Zealand..LPFM did nothing to give these pirate operators a legit avenue to legally broadcast. If anything it only helped escalate the problem.
    But the reality of it all, we’ll never see spectrum set aside for legit open to all, low powered broadcasting (a simple one watt, easy to obtain license type service).
    Why you may be asking? It is all about the money! If the FCC can not generate money from an auction process, license and regulatory fees, then they do not want any part of it. Congress and this country can’t make millions of dollars on a low power broadcast service.
    Let’s not forget the NAB and the many corporate commercial broadcasters that would scream that some one watt radio station is going to take away a 100kw stations thousands of dollars in revenue!
    OMG!

    The reality is, it will never happen because it really IS all about the money!

  4. What a waste. Cannot imagine the FCC loading their vans for a road trip all the way from San Francisco to drive all the way up to Alaska to more then likely bust some kid playing with a 25W ebay purchased FM transmitter. And this happened apparently back in October of 22. Not only is the FCC’s news SLOW about actions, but they sure go out of their way to make a news headline using our tax dollars. Good job Mr Bidenz FCC!

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