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Pirate Radio Gear Seized in Boston

FCC, U.S. Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts involved following interference complaints from broadcaster

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts has seized transmission equipment from a pirate station operating in the Boston area.

That’s after the FCC received interference complaints from a licensed broadcaster and tracked the unauthorized transmissions to Roslindale, Mass., in January, according to a warrant recently unsealed in U.S. District Court.

Agents from the commission’s Enforcement Bureau went to the building and posted Notices of Unlicensed Operation on the station door, warning the operator to stop transmitting without a license, according to several accounts. When the agents returned, the notices were gone, and the station was still transmitting on 88.5 MHz.

The FCC escalated the case into a forfeiture action and that’s when the office of the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts became involved. Federal officials seized the transmission equipment “at the station’s last known address” May 21, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts.

U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Carmen Ortiz stated: “It is a potential hazard to public safety for pirate radio stations to broadcast illegally and interfere with critical radio communications. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will work in conjunction with the FCC to identify and seize equipment from these pirate broadcasters.”

The FCC too, remains committed to shutting down pirate broadcasters whose operations potentially endanger public safety and interfere with the legitimate broadcasts of its licensees,” according to Michele Ellison, in one of her last actions as chief of the agency’s Enforcement Bureau. She’s now chief of staff for Acting FCC Chair Mignon Clyburn. “We will continue to use all available enforcement tools, including equipment seizures, to protect the airwaves,” Ellison said.

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