The Federal Communications Commission has affirmed two Forfeiture Orders against individuals operating illegal FM radio stations. The orders, the first to be issued under the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act, aka the PIRATE Act, come with record fines for a couple in Queens, NY.
César Ayora and Luis Angel Ayora have been slapped with the maximum penalty allowed under the act: $2,316,034. Despite previous FCC fines, orders, and having their equipment seized by US Marshals in 2016, the Ayoras have been operating an unauthorized radio station, Radio Impacto 2, for more than a decade.
In the second case, Thomas Barnes has been fined $80,000 for operating an unlicensed radio station on the grounds of a church in La Grande, OR. The station ceased operations in April 2022 after the church was warned about potential landlord liability under the PIRATE Act.
Both parties failed to respond to the Notices of Apparent Liability issued in March 2023.
The pirate hunt is only ramping up, according to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. During her first budget presentation to the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee, she stated the intention of using $5 million of the $20.7 million increase to find and punish unlicensed operators and hold landlords accountable.
