As the Federal Communications Commission catches up on pending matters since the U.S. government shutdown, its Enforcement Bureau announced it has agreed to a consent decree with Robert Bellinger, an unlicensed radio operator on Cape Cod. The agreement results in his voluntary contribution of $7,200 payable to the U.S. Department of Treasury.
Bellinger was found to be operating a pirate radio station on 93.1 FM from Cotuit, Mass., a village in the town of Barnstable, about halfway between Falmouth and Hyannis. The signal, known as “Three Bays Radio,” also had an online Facebook presence.
As Radio World reported, the Enforcement Bureau originally issued a notice of apparent liability in April 2024 to Bellinger with a proposed forfeiture of $40,000, which stemmed from a PIRATE Act enforcement sweep. He responded to the commission after the notice was issued, seeking a cancellation of the forfeiture due to his inability to pay the forfeiture.
The commission reviewed Bellinger’s financial information and an agent from the Enforcement Bureau agent also confirmed the 93.1 FM signal is no longer on the air. As a result, the commission opted for the consent decree, resulting in Bellinger’s voluntary contribution.
By entering the decree, the commission said that Bellinger admitted that the facts underlying the Enforcement Bureau’s description of the case are correct.
Should his station come back on the air or if he defaults on payment during the 20-year term of the decree, Bellinger agreed to a voluntary contribution of approximately $32,000, also payable to the U.S. Department of Treasury.
(Read the FCC Enforcement Bureau’s notice on the Cotuit 93.1 FM station.)
