Cumulus Poughkeepsie radio station WFAF-FM operates on 106.3 MHz, and its engineer promptly complained to the FCC when detecting another station operating on the same frequency. FCC field agents, on 3/10/07, tracked the offending signal down to an apartment in the Bronx, where a "visitor" answered the door, claimed to know nothing about a radio station in operation, but did know about radio equipment on the premises that he turned off. Eventually, the building owner summoned his lessee and introduced him to the agents, but the resident, Craig Watkins, refused to allow an inspection of the equipment. Measurable broadcasts from the same location on 3/13/07 and 3/14/07 led to a hefty 17K notice of apparent liability for operating a station without a license and refusing the inspection request. Watkins responded to the NAL again stating that he had the equipment but was unaware of its use to broadcast in 106.3. He did not explain his inspection refusal. The FCC explained that the NAL is now a forfeiture order.
RBR/TVBR observation: So it wasn’t operating. Like most apartment dwellers, Watkins just happened to have an FM transmitter in his pad. Who wouldn’t want such a fine decorative item to spruce up the place? But we wonder what that FM broadcast antenna the FCC agents found was doing on the roof of building. Maybe to hang wet laundry? Hmmm….
