New York Piracy

[BJSteigner]

OK Folks:

Here we go again.

89.3, 89.7, 90.9 and 91.7 are interfering with other legit stations..<WHERE IS THE FCC?!?!?!

Do these people wait until the FCC closes its doors for the weekend?? It shouldn't.

 

[luperm]

File a complaint

 

[Ai4i]

I have no issue with undocumented stations at least two channels off local stations, but stay off first adjacents.
Listeners to the legits are less likely to complain and the undocumenteds will get out better and this.

 

[kenglish]

Somebody has to file a complaint before the FCC can take action.
They just need one (or more).

 

[Towerclimber31]

Somebody has to file a complaint before the FCC can take action.
They just need one (or more).

Correct. A "listener" or regular citizen if you will needs to file a complaint to the FCC before they will take action. There is no staffing at the FCC to drive around looking for pirate radio stations.

All actions by the FCC are generated by complaints.

 

[Ike]

I've filed complaints to the FCC about certain first-adjacent pirates and no action has been taken as far as I can tell. In another thread, someone mentioned that they are understaffed. Others have said that they're afraid to go into certain neighborhoods or that it takes a long time to coordinate with local police. Nonetheless we should all submit complaints and maybe it will make a difference. My one single complaint about any particular first-adjacent pirate causing interference is probably not going to make a huge impact, but several complaints might get their attention.

 

[diymedia]

A few years ago, the FCC set up an "Unlicensed Broadcast Station Reporting Form" here:

http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/PIRIX/

Don't know if it gets much use, nor if the data collected by the form does, but there you go.

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

I suspect that when complaints come into the FCC from mere civilians, there tends to result a somewhat annoying pile of gripes on a distant back burner.

And it was Kings County gendarmes, not FCC agents or New York Stateys, who Elliot-Ness'ed that 104.7 pirate in Brooklyn a month or so ago. What I read indicated that there was 'co-operation' involved, between the FCC and whomever.
Getting local county officials rather than the Feds to pull the plug would take a certain, uh, pull, no ?

Well, the feeling here is : If Joe Schmoe or Steve Green complains, little happens. If it's J.P. Bulgebottom from Clear Channel or CBS or Cumulus clearing his throat, that's another jurisdiction altogether. Goodbye pirate.

 

[TheBigA]

Well, the feeling here is : If Joe Schmoe or Steve Green complains, little happens. If it's J.P. Bulgebottom from Clear Channel or CBS or Cumulus clearing his throat, that's another jurisdiction altogether. Goodbye pirate.

The issue with the FCC isn't WHO complains, but HOW they complain. The FCC, being a government agency, has a procedure they like followed. And typically non-broadcasters aren't familiar with the paperwork. But I've noticed there are a lot of non-broadcaster whistle-blowers who DO know the procedure who file a lot of complaints.

 

[TheBigA]

By the way, New York is one of the few states where pirate radio is also against STATE law.

http://radiosurvivor.com/2011/08/10/new-york-state-makes-pirate-broadcasting-a-midemeanor/

 

[MickeyD]

Yeah having a bunch of State or local cops running around looking for unlicensed operators not knowing what they are doing wil do so well in court. It is an FCC operation. I would dance all over them in court.

 

[diymedia]

That's why the FCC assists with the finding part, and from there the local cops take over. In the context of unlicensed broadcasting, the FCC apparently isn't all that particular about jurisdiction.

NJ and FL also have anti-pirate laws, and MA is about to pass one as well. MA is going an interesting route, making it a civil liability, which means licensed broadcasters could sue pirates for damages.