The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is slated to substantially increase fines against unauthorized radio operations later this month, following the publication of its final rules in late March.
Under the provisions of the “Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement (PIRATE) Act,” the FCC now has the authority to levy fines against unauthorized radio operations of up to $100,000 per violation per day and $2 million in total. The rules cover not just illegal broadcasters themselves but also property owners and managers that house illegal broadcast operations on their premise or that knowingly facilitate those operations.
The final FCC rules under the PIRATE Act were published in the U.S. Federal Register on March 25th and take effect on April 26th.
Read the FCC’s final rules regarding the PIRATE Act as published in the Federal Register.
