The FCC has proposed approximately $385,000 in total fines against two alleged FM pirate radio operators after enforcement sweeps in the Miami area.
The fines were proposed under the PIRATE Act. In addition to tougher fines on violators, the law requires the FCC to conduct periodic enforcement sweeps of areas that are known or suspected to have pirate radio activity, such as south Florida.
In a release, Chairman Brendan Carr said the commission has no tolerance for unlicensed broadcasting, citing the time and money licensed broadcasters invest into their stations. “Pirate operations break the law and get in the way of these important services,” Carr said.
The commission proposed the following fines in NALs issued to the pirate operators, with Commissioner Nathan Simington dissenting for each:
“Unique FM” has been operating in Miami since 2018
The following summary is according to the FCC’s account of the case.
An upwardly adjusted fine of approximately $325,000 was proposed against Abdias Datis, known as “DJ AJ” or “DJ 305,” for his operation of 91.7 “Unique FM” in Miami.
(Read the notice of apparent liability for forfeiture issued to Datis.)
In the NAL issued to Datis, the commission said he has been operating the station since 2018. Miami FCC field office agents found the station operating eight times from five different locations between 2018 and 2023. On five of those dates from 2022 onward, agents traced the source of the station to Datis’ home on NW 147th St.
The commission originally proposed a $120,000 fine against Datis last January. He did not respond. The commission then imposed the higher forfeiture in September.
[Related: “FCC Escalates Enforcement of Pirate Radio in Miami, NYC Metro Area”]
In March and November 2024 and again in January 2025, agents from the FCC’s Miami field office observed the signal broadcasting from Datis’ residence. The station positioned itself as “Unique FM” and the on-air operator identified themselves as “DJ AJ.”
Agents were able to link Datis’ Facebook and Instagram pages to the alias, as well as a comparison of photos on the social media pages to his Florida driver’s license photo.
In the NAL, the commission said that upward adjustment of the fine proposed against Datis was warranted based on his past history.
“Datis chose to continue operating without authorization despite the commission issuing the 2024 forfeiture order against him for engaging in pirate radio broadcasting,” the commission said.
A moving “pound” in Miami Gardens
The following summary is according to the FCC’s account of the case.
A fine of $60,000 was proposed against Aaron Streeter for his operation of 89.1 “Da Pound FM” in Miami Gardens.
(Read the notice of apparent liability for forfeiture issued to Streeter.)
In March 2024, Miami field office agents traced an unauthorized signal to a residence on NW 158th St. There, they observed and photographed an FM broadcast antenna in the rear of the property with a coaxial cable running from it to a separate structure agents said resembled a shed.
On a second visit that month, the agents again observed the signal and spoke with Streeter’s wife. She provided the agents with his phone number. The field agents spoke with Streeter that afternoon who they said agreed to stop broadcasting. They confirmed the station remained off the air in a November sweep.
But on Jan. 8, agents observed an unlicensed signal on 89.1 FM from a different location in Miami Gardens. The broadcast originated on NW 22nd Ave. from a “dominator-type” antenna mounted on a mast behind two-story commercial or mixed-use building. The station identified as “Da Pound FM.” On Streeter’s Facebook page, he referenced the moniker numerous times.
The commission noted a video posted on the Facebook page shows Streeter broadcasting from a studio, with accompanying text stating, “Family and Friends I’m back with the hottest old school jams right here on 89.1 fm.”
“Evidence collected by the agents, including Streeter admitting that he owns the station, shows that Streeter is the operator of the station,” the commission wrote in the NAL.
Datis and Streeter each has 30 days either to pay the full amounts or file written statements seeking reduction or cancellation.
