The FCC proposed a $20,000 fine against Luis Angel Ayora for operating a pirate station in the Queens borough of New York.
The action occurred on the same day that Enforcement Bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc told attendees at NAB 2015 he hopes to “get to a world where there are no pirates on the airwaves.”
The Enforcement Bureau said that in its decision, the high penalty was warranted because the commission repeatedly warned Ayora that pirate radio operations are illegal. The fact that he continued to operate the unauthorized station demonstrates a deliberate disregard for the commission’s authority and its rules, according to the bureau.
Ayora received three Notices of Unlicensed Operation on 91.9 MHz Queens in 2013. He admitted he owned and installed the equipment and operated the unlicensed station, according to the bureau.
He has 30 days to appeal or pay the fine.
