The Federal Communications Commission continues its aggressive enforcement actions against pirate broadcasters across the US. Their sweep of the eastern seaboard led to two new Notices of Illegal Pirate Radio Broadcasting in New Jersey and South Carolina.
In Greenville, South Carolina, the FCC’s Atlanta field office responded to a complaint about illegal broadcasting on 87.9 MHz. Using direction-finding techniques, investigators traced the unauthorized transmissions to a property owned by Charles H. Wyatt. Wyatt now faces a warning from the FCC that could lead to financial penalties amounting to as much as $2,391,097.
He has been given a 10-business-day window to provide evidence that the pirate broadcasting has ceased on his property and to identify the individuals responsible for the illegal operation.
Similarly, in Maplewood, New Jersey, the FCC’s New York field office identified a pirate radio operation broadcasting on 91.7 MHz from a property associated with Somerset Maplewood LLC. This investigation, completed in August 2023, linked the illicit radio broadcasts to a residential location adjacent to a tire and auto repair shop.
Like Wyatt, Somerset Maplewood LLC faces potential financial penalties up to $2,391,097 for their involvement in pirate radio broadcasting.
