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FCC Eyeing Alleged Pirates in New Jersey

Commission continues to search for illegal operations in the Garden State

The Federal Communications Commission has made it clear that stamping out illegal radio operations is a priority, particularly in those areas of the country that have the largest concentration of pirate activity.

New Jersey in particular is a hotspot, according to the FCC. The FCC has sent out 241 notices to alleged pirate operations in the Garden State since the commission began tracking its efforts in 2003, behind only New York (with 511) and Florida (with 454), according to the FCC’s new page dedicated to pirate radio enforcement actions.

With that in mind, the FCC is targeting New Jersey in earnest, most recently the city of East Orange, a city with a population of 64,000.

[Read: Stormy Seas Ahead for Pirate Operators]

In early May, agents from the New York Office of the Enforcement Bureau handed out two letters at one stop. After allegedly confirming via direction-finding techniques that radio signals on were emanating from a commercial property at 55 Washington St., agents delivered notices of unlicensed operation to two individuals — Jean Charles and Matt Twersky — who the FCC said have allegedly been operating an unlicensed radio station at from a commercial property at that location. In Charles’ case, the notice was sent to him directly; in Twersky’s case, the notice was also sent to 55 Washington Holdings LLC.

In the notice of unlicensed operation, agents allegedly discovered that the stations were operating at a strength that exceeded the maximum permitted level of 100 microvolts per meter (μV/m) at 3 meters for nonlicensed devices.

Each were warned that operating radio transmitting equipment without a valid radio station authorization is a violation of Federal law, and that an operator may be subject to monetary fines and criminal sanctions. Each individual has 10 days to respond with evidence they have FCC authority to operate.

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