FCC Goes After Broadcast Pirates in California and New York

The FCC has shut down two alleged unlicensed FM broadcast stations, but has taken very different approaches in the two cases. The ARRL Letter  reports that ham Daryl Thomas, KE6MWS, of Carmichael, California, was issued a "Notice of Unlicensed Operation" and told to immediately discontinue transmissions on 95.7 MHz or face possible fines and/or equipment confiscation.

A similar situation played out very differently in New York, where Richard Dominguez of Croton-on-Hudson (apparently not a ham) was arrested for allegedly operating a pirate station on 98.5 MHz. According to RadioWorld magazine, the arrest came about as a result of cooperation between FCC field agents and the High Technology Crimes Bureau of the Westchester County District Attorney's office.   

There is no indication from either report as to why one alleged pirate broadcaster was merely warned while the other was arrested and is facing criminal charges.