The FCC has levied another hefty fine, this time against a pirate radio operator in Irvington, N.J. In a forfeiture order released on Sept. 8, it was announced that Masner Beauplan must pay a $920,000 penalty for operating an unauthorized radio station on 91.7 MHz.
In the order, the commission affirms that Beauplan illegally operated “Radio Leve Kanpe” from November 2023 to January 2024 — a total of 46 days.
Radio World first reported on Beauplan’s near-million dollar fine in September of 2024. At the time, the proposed fine was issued as part of a much larger pirate radio crackdown in Miami and the NYC metro area. Other pirate operators fined in the NYC metro area sweep included “DJ AJ 305,” who has since been arrested on a felony charge; Raul Alcantara of “Sabor FM”; and Wilner Baptiste of “M-One Radio Live.”
Under the 2020 Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act, or PIRATE Act, the FCC was granted additional authority to enact higher penalties against pirate radio broadcasters. In 2024, the inflation-adjusted maximum penalties for pirate broadcasting increased to $119,555 per day, with a statutory maximum of approximately $2.4 million.
The FCC says pirate radio operations pose a danger to the public because “they interfere with licensed stations that inform their listeners of important public safety messages, including Emergency Alert System transmissions that provide vital information regarding weather and other dangers to the public.”
According to the FCC, Beauplan never responded to the commission’s Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL). Now, per FCC rules, Beauplan has 30 days in which to pay the forfeiture. If the forfeiture is not paid within that period, the case may be referred to the U.S. Department of Justice for enforcement.
