The FCC’s biggest crusader against unlicensed radio broadcast activity on Wednesday wrote to members of the House of Representatives with districts in and around the New York City area to personally ask them for further efforts designed to give the Commission’s Enforcement Bureau added firepower — and squash pirate FMs for good.
Republican Commissioner Mike O’Rielly extended his appreciation, especially to House E&C Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-New Jersey), for the activities of the House of Representatives to help stop pirate radio operators, including its passage of H.R. 583, the PIRATE Act.
“Legislation on this matter brings us one step closer to expanding the enforcement tools available to take effective action against many of the nation’s pirate radio ‘stations’,” O’Rielly said.
In addition to flagrantly violating federal law, O’Rielly said pirate broadcasts “undermine and even block the ability of licensed, legal broadcasters to provide vital services such as emergency alerts, critical weather updates, political information, and news, thereby harming the listening public in the greater New York City radio market. In addition to these concerns, illegal use of the airwaves inflicts additional economic harm on legal broadcasters who stand to lose listeners and revenue or suffer interference at the hands of pirate broadcasters.”
Throughout his tenure at the FCC, O’Rielly has spoken out strongly in support of increased enforcement efforts against this illegal use of the airwaves. It is why he is encouraged by passage of H.R. 583.
While the Commission has made strides to improve its enforcement activities against pirate operations, statutory reforms are a key part of adding “even more teeth” to its efforts.
Pitching the House Members in the New York Tri-State Area, O’Rielly asked, “Since your Congressional district is located within or near the most prolific market for pirate radio, I wanted to seek your direct assistance on the issue. Specifically, I respectfully request that you discourage any of your constituents in the greater New York City radio market from facilitating pirate radio activities in any way, including participating in pirate operations, advertising with such ‘stations,’ housing or leasing space to pirate operators, or tuning in to these harmful broadcasts.”
He also asked that any information House members or their staff would be willing to share regarding the location of known pirate operations be swiftly directed to the Commission’s Enforcement Bureau for action.
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