New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are unsatisfied with the proposed FCC Enforcement Bureau field office closings, and told Chairman Tom Wheeler so in a letter dated July 1.
They cited concerns over pirate broadcasters continuing their activities unabated, noting that New York City already has at least 34 such illegal “stations” in Brooklyn and the Bronx. They categorized the issue as one of public safety because RF interference may prevent listeners from hearing EAS notices. Schumer and Gillibrand’s letter explained that this concern is not merely theoretical but that public radio station WNYC(FM) has experienced enough interference that they have asked to change its EAS monitoring assignment.
Schumer and Gillibrand wrote: “We urge you to continue to use all possible enforcement tools to address this issue, and to devote what resources you can to help prevent these types of disruptions in New York.”
You can read the full letter online here. It was shared with broadcasters by the NAB.
Related:
Radio Works the Hill in Anti-Pirate Effort
O’Rielly: Radio Pirates Are Like Poison Ivy
