Today [Feb 10] the FCC released an order upholding a $10,000 fine against Dan Roberts, former manager of Pirate Cat Radio, for unlicensed broadcasting. The fine was originally issued in 2011.
Pirate Cat Radio began as an audacious and prominent unlicensed station operating out of a San Francisco cafe, headed up by charismatic leader Dan Roberts who went by the monikers “Monkey” or “Monkey Man.” As the heat from the FCC turned up, Pirate Cat ended actual FM transmission from its cafe studio, becoming an online-only station. However, a third party picked up the Pirate Cat stream and rebroadcast it on the station’s old FM frequency. It was this disassociation between Pirate Cat and the unlicensed FM broadcast that formed the basis for Roberts’ petition for reconsideration of the fine to the FCC.
In upholding the fine, the Commission rejected Roberts’ argument, along with his argument that there was no proof linking him to these broadcasts. The FCC’s reasoning for rejecting them, however, brings forward a novel argument that could threaten a common pirate broadcast strategy.
To read full article go to: http://www.radiosurvivor.com/2014/02/10/fcc-upholds-fine-for-pirate-cat-founder-as-station-re-emerges-in-berlin/
I guess the FCC has decided they don't really need to prove anything anymore-- just issue their papers asking for money.
ReplyDeleteIt's similar to the stack of papers they sent me after my bust, pages and pages explaining how the Bill of Rights does not apply to pirate broadcasters.
(One of these days I'll get around to publishing them.)
~John Poet