FCC Warns Property of Pirate Radio but May Lack Enforcement Authority
The FCC Enforcement Bureau’s Region One office in Maryland sent a warning to a business in Hartford, Connecticut, about pirate radio broadcasts from its property, said an agency notice of illegal pirate radio broadcasting issued Friday. EB agents in Boston found unauthorized radio broadcasts coming from the property owned by 30 Arbor Street LLC on three different days last year, the notice said. The property appears to include house apartments and a distillery called the Hartford Flavor Co., according to an online search.
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The notice warned that the landowners could face up to a $2.4 million penalty for hosting pirate broadcasts. However, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled against the constitutionality of FCC monetary forfeitures (see 2504180021). FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington said last week that due process “demands” that the agency reform its enforcement framework.