Remember around the spring NAB when FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly proposed empowering station personnel and others to go after pirate radio operators?
Well now he’s fleshed out that idea.
He references the “streamlined” Enforcement Bureau field offices that were reduced this summer, and in his latest blog, reiterates the commission’s position that unauthorized operations in the AM and FM bands are prohibited.
“Further, the commission makes clear that it intends to enact a vigorous campaign of enforcement activities to disrupt and permanently terminate all pirate radio stations that are in operation today and prevent those that may attempt to come online in the future,” he writes, as well as cooperate with local law enforcement in these cases.
He also proposes an education effort for entities who either knowingly or unknowingly assist pirate operators, such as building owners and managers, political campaigns, media advertisers, radio programming suppliers, concert promoters and venue operators, and equipment manufacturers and importers.
O’Rielly makes it clear this is not the only path he would support, and that he’s open to hearing other options; he wrote this to get a ball rolling.
What do you think? Write me at: [email protected].
