FCC Escalates ‘La Tropica’ Pirate Radio Fight In Connecticut

 

By Cameron Coats -April 27, 20252

The FCC is stepping up its enforcement efforts against alleged pirate broadcaster Wilfredo Ayala, issuing a new warning aimed at the landlord of a Hartford property tied to unauthorized radio transmissions of “La Tropica Radio.”

On Friday, Enforcement Bureau Region One Regional Director David Dombrowski sent a Notice of Illegal Pirate Radio Broadcasting to the owner of a commercial building at 30 Arbor Street in Hartford, where unlicensed broadcasts on 94.5 MHz have been traced. Although the notice does not name Ayala directly, the signal is believed to be associated with “La Tropica Radio,” a station linked to him under FCC action earlier this year.

Additional story at: 

https://radioink.com/2025/04/27/fcc-escalates-la-tropica-pirate-radio-fight-in-connecticut/?vgo_ee=EXDVmEZFRFEIcXgPnSwhdO8mXexZ6uKmpaJnWc1nUnGs%3AU0ErDY2D8uciOjO4P52n6K25X7dRRpEb

Tiny URL https://tinyurl.com/yr4eapt5

WQVR(AM) Is granted CP to use HEBA antenna at night

 

The developer believes the antenna’s smaller footprint can help reduce the property needed for AM operators

BY NICK LANGAN 

PUBLISHED: APRIL 15, 2024

The FCC in March granted an application for a construction permit filed by WQVR(AM) 940 in Webster, Mass., requesting licensed nighttime operation.

This is noteworthy because WQVR has been licensed to operate during daytime hours with a High-Efficiency Broadband Antenna or HEBA, developed by Worldwide Antenna Systems.

The HEBA is a dual-feed antenna designed to have a much smaller footprint than a standard guyed tower with a quarter-wavelength ground system for a medium-wave antenna. WorldWide Antenna Systems partnered with WQVR, previously WGFP, to prototype different designs of the HEBA under experimental daytime operation. The station began full-time broadcasting with the HEBA during the day in December 2016 at 1 kW, and after its RF proof was accepted by the FCC, it was granted a license to operate with it during daytime hours in July 2018.

Additional story at Radio World: 

https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/headlines/wqvram-is-granted-cp-to-use-heba-antenna-at-night?utm_term=A8208372-8B15-4B60-A12B-B5B02339D50A&lrh=5fe29bca13dc3e17fdcf1cf80df5f0574faf550d6593cce4d12e8d4836f3656a&utm_campaign=0028F35E-226C-4B60-AC88-AB2831C8A639&utm_medium=email&utm_content=C1CC9E28-FEDF-4CD2-976B-8AB860EBD4CB&utm_source=SmartBrief

Tiny URL: https://tinyurl.com/jfvmsr6b 

Photo/Radio World

FCC continues its clampdown on pirate radio

 

More N.Y. State Property Owners Get the Pirate Letter

FCC agents traced signals in Poughkeepsie and Mount Vernon

BY RW STAFF

PUBLISHED: APRIL 1, 2024

The FCC Enforcement Bureau’s New York office has sent the “pirate letter” to two property owners in Mount Vernon, an inner suburb of New York City, and another in Poughkeepsie.

In both cases the letters advised the property owners that unlicensed FM broadcast signals had been found emanating from their properties and that they faced potential financial penalties of up to $2.39 million.

In the first case, the FCC said it received a complaint of illegal broadcasts on 104.5 MHz and that in May of last year, it traced them to a property on South 3rd Avenue in Mount Vernon, which is just north of the Bronx. The letter was sent to Jeromio B. Edwards, owner of the property.

In the second case, the FCC got a complaint about broadcasts on 87.9 MHz in Poughkeepsie. In September its agents traced them to a property on Albert Road owned by Keiwan F. Morrison and Shadae S. Bailey.

(Radio World)

FCC Finds Collecting Pirate Radio Fines a Challenge

Unclear if collection of fines under the PIRATE Act will be easier

Story at: https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/headlines/fcc-finds-collecting-pirate-radio-fines-a-challenge

FCC Plans Pirate Fine Against “Super Dany”

 

It says he has been running “La Bakana” in Hazleton, Pa.

BY PAUL MCLANE 

PUBLISHED: FEBRUARY 14, 2024

The Federal Communications Commission plans to fine a man $40,000 for alleged pirate radio broadcasts in the eastern Pennsylvania city of Hazleton.

It has issued a notice of apparent liability against Brigido Danerys Gonzalez for radio signals on 90.1 MHz. It said it first became aware of the station, known as “La Bakana,” thanks to a consumer complaint, and that Gonzalez, aka “Super Dany,” has been directly involved in the operation of the station since at least May 2022.

The commission first traced the signals to the address of a grocery store. “Agents spoke with the owner of a supermarket located at the first transmission site who stated that he paid an individual who went by the name ‘Super Dany’ approximately $50 per month to advertise on La Bakana,” according to the FCC summary.

Full story at: http://tinyurl.com/3vm9e434

FCC Will Add Vehicles for Pirate Radio Enforcement

 

The commission also will hire more field agents for the project

BY PAUL MCLANE 

PUBLISHED: JANUARY 24, 2024

To help fight pirate radio, the Federal Communications Commission hired four full-time people in fiscal 2023 and is in the process of hiring more.

That’s according to the FCC Enforcement Bureau’s annual report to Congress about its enforcement efforts to fight illegal radio. 

The FCC has also ordered six vehicles to support the hires with mobile direction-finding equipment. “These six vehicles will be outfitted in the 2024 and 2025 calendar years … and will include specialized hardware and software for the detection for pirate radio operators,” it wrote.

“We also purchased additional equipment that will help us identify and locate pirate radio operators.”

The FCC must submit the report under the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement (PIRATE) Act, which became law in 2020.

Additional story at: https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/headlines/fcc-will-add-vehicles-for-pirate-radio-enforcement

Plus more stories on pirate enforcement: https://www.radioworld.com/tag/pirate-radio

FCC Draft Would Bring a Disaster Reporting Mandate Closer

 

NPRM to be considered this month would prompt another round of industry comment

BY RANDY J. STINE

PUBLISHED: JANUARY 8, 2024'

This story serves as a follow-up to our Jan. 5 story “FCC Seeks to Enhance DIRS Reporting.”

The FCC is considering imposing new reporting mandates on broadcasters so it can better determine the condition of communication systems following natural disasters. It has been talking about the idea of such a requirement for a while and appears to be getting serious about it. But it is asking for more information before doing so.

If eventually adopted, new rules would require radio and TV broadcasters to file operational status updates with the FCC following disasters like hurricanes and wildfires. 

For now, the FCC is preparing to vote at its monthly meeting on Jan. 24 on whether to require other types of companies, including cable TV, wireless service providers, and interconnected VoIP providers, to report outages following disasters. The draft order does not include broadcasters.

Additional story at: 

https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/business-and-law/new-fcc-proposal-considers-required-disaster-reporting-by-broadcasters

FCC opens public comments on shortwave modernization coalition

 

The FCC has opened for public comment the Petition for Rulemaking of the Shortwave Modernization Coalition.

The proposal would bring new private, non-broadcast digital stations to the high-frequency spectrum.

The Coalition members have performed HF experiments over the last several years. Favorable FCC action on the proposal would open the field to regular commercial operations.

The FCC has assigned the petition number RM-11953. Comments are due in 30 days.

FCC Public Notice:

https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-394830A1.pdf

Petition:

https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/1042840187330/1

Media Bureau Announces LPFM New Station Application Filing Window

 

Announces LPFM New Station Application Filing Window

DA/FCC #: DA-23-531

June 22, 2023

Media Bureau Announces LPFM New Station Application Filing Window

Window Open from November 1, 2023 to November 8, 2023

The Media Bureau (Bureau) announces a filing window for applications for low-power FM (LPFM) new station construction permits.  The filing window will open at 12:01 am EDT on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, and close at 6:00 pm EST on November 8, 2023.  The window is available for LPFM proposals in the entire FM band (channels 201-300).   

This will be the first LPFM filing window since 2013, and we encourage potential applicants to begin familiarizing themselves with the application process.  New applications must be filed electronically on FCC Form 2100, Schedule 318 in the Bureau’s Licensing Management System (LMS).  Schedule 318 is currently being updated, and the new version will be released in the near future, well in advance of the opening of the filing window.  In 2019, the Commission amended its rules and procedures for filing LPFM applications and selecting and licensing competing LPFM applications.   The Bureau will provide detailed information about filing procedures and requirements by public notice in advance of the filing window.  Interested applicants also may monitor the Audio Division Web Page for information and developments:  http://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/lpfm/.

For additional information on the filing window, contact James Bradshaw, James.Bradshaw@fcc.gov; Alexander Sanjenis, Alexander.Sanjenis@fcc.gov; Lisa Scanlan, Lisa.Scanlan@fcc.gov; or Amy Van de Kerckhove, Amy.Vandekerckhove@fcc.gov; of the Media Bureau, Audio Division, (202) 418-2700.  Direct press inquiries to Janice Wise, Janice.Wise@fcc.gov, (202) 418-8165.  

- FCC -

FCC Commissioner Advocates for Preservation of AM Radio

 

At the NAFB Convention, Simington said AM radio is an "indispensable resource"

BY ELLE KEHRES 

Published November 18, 2022 

FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington met with members of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting during their 79th annual convention on Nov. 16. In his remarks, Simington emphasized the importance of AM radio and outlined the steps needed to ensure its future in a changing market.

Simington began his remarks with a more personal anecdote. He said he grew up on a farm in Saskatchewan, Canada, where “besides the trade papers, there was no media institution more trusted to inform us about all we needed to know than AM radio.”

“AM radio was for us then, and is for the more than three million farmers across the U.S. now, an indispensable resource,” he said.

Simington said AM radio is the “essential spine” of the Emergency Alert System and “lets you know what’s happening not just globally, but locally — from school closures and traffic delays to city council and county management meetings and high school sports games.”

Additional story at:

https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/fcc-commissioner-advocates-for-preservation-of-am-radio?

The FCC Will Vote This Month on All-Digital AM

 

Pai signals pending action to allow a voluntary migration

BY PAUL MCLANE

PUBLISHED: OCTOBER 5, 2020

The Federal Communications Commission will vote this month on whether to allow AM stations in the United States to convert to all-digital HD Radio if they wish to do so.

Commission watchers have expected some action this year. Commissioner Ajit Pai announced the planned vote on his blog, calling AM revitalization “a passion of mine.”

Based on anecdotal evidence, the commission will likely approve it.

The details of the proposed report and order are expected to be public shortly.

Additional story at: https://tinyurl.com/y4tqpkxx

Four Radio Stations Knocked Silent by Midwest Derecho Storm

Iowa's Derecho Weather Map (WTHR.com)

The Midwest derecho storm that swept across Iowa this week with winds that topped 100mph has left at least four radio stations off the air according to an update from the Federal Communications Commission.

It activated its Disaster Information Reporting System or DIRS to get a fix on how bad things were. The response shows that as of Today three FM and one AM were still off the air. The list included Alpha Media’s hot AC “Energy 106.7” KRTI and soft AC KGRN (1410) in Grinnell, IA; Kirkwood Community College’s jazz KCCK-FM Cedar Rapids (88.3), and the low-power KRQC-LP (107.9) in the Quad Cites market. No television stations were off the air, according to the FCC.

Meantime, iHeartMedia “News Radio 600” WMT Cedar Rapids also lost one of its three towers in the storm but it is now operating with low power. In a filing with the FCC it said the loss of the tower means did not impact is daytime nondirectional signal, but it won’t be able to use its regular nighttime signal pattern.

The station asked the FCC to allow it to run with the daytime pattern at a 25% power cut after dark until it is able to make the repairs. WMT is the go-to news source in central Iowa and iHeart understated that telling the FCC that “the interests of the public will be served” by allowing the station to stay on the air during its repairs.

Radio is especially important right now in the region. The FCC reported on Thursday that 12.4% of the cell phone towers in central Iowa are not operational.
(Radio Insight 14 Aug 2020)

Additional story at USA Today - Iowans grapple with aftermath Monday's deadline derecho, 'a disaster we have never seen':
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/08/14/iowa-derecho-deadly-storm-power-outages-national-guard/5581492002/

Synchronous AM’s Long and Tortuous History

AM boosters repeatedly have been proven effective, but the FCC consistently has declined to allow their wide use

John Schneider, Jan 27, 2020


With AM improvement on the radars of broadcasters and the FCC, there has been renewed talk in recent years about the subject of AM “boosters,” the carrier frequency synchronization of multiple transmitters. The commission opened a comment period on AM boosters in 2017.

t wasn’t the first time the FCC has explored this topic and failed to act on it. In fact, AM boosters have been proposed and tested dozens of times since the early days of radio.

Additional story at Radio World https://tinyurl.com/uj77b8s

FCC Officially Proposes to Allow All-Digital on U.S. AM Band

Switchover would be optional by station; analog-only receivers would not hear those stations

PAUL MCLANE

The Federal Communications Commission likes the idea of giving U.S. stations on the AM band an option to turn off their analog transmissions and instead use only HD Radio. It recently said it would consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking recommending that change. Now the commission has officially done so.

The vote was unanimous, though at least one commissioner expressed concerns over the details of technical standards.

Additional story at: https://tinyurl.com/rowqx36

FCC Seeks Workable Solution on Protecting Big AM Signals

Commission puts forth several revised interference regimes

Paul McLane
09 Oct 2018

Next move in the AM revitalization effort:

The FCC has proposed revised interference protections for Class A AM stations in the United States. One proposal is for daytime hours, two are for protection during the “critical hours” periods and two are for protection of Class A AM stations at night.

The question of what to do about interference rules concerning big Class A signals has been a notable one. Class A stations operate on clear channels with 10 to 50 kW.

“These alternative proposals are designed to preserve some of Class A stations’ wide area coverage, while relieving more local stations of their current obligation to protect Class A stations from interference,” the commission wrote in adopting its Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. “Our proposals should enable local stations to provide greater and improved local service to their communities, especially at night.”

Additional story at Radio World: https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/fcc-seeks-workable-solution-on-protecting-big-am-signals

Confessions of a Retired Field Inspector

“I’m the first man they look for and the last they want to meet. It’s a chancy job, and it makes a man watchful … and a little lonely.”

A teenaged John Reiser stands outside his first place of radio employment, station WATT in Cadillac, Mich. Those words were part of Marshal Matt Dillon’s opening soliloquy in the radio version of “Gunsmoke” but could well apply to any of the hundreds of individuals who’ve served as FCC field inspectors.

No matter how “clean” your station might be, you have a panic response when that federal official unexpectedly shows up for a “visit.” It’s akin to seeing a blue light flashing in your rearview mirror even though you’ve done nothing wrong and the officer just wants you to get out of the way so he can pursue someone else.

John Reiser was among those who reviewed station logs and public files, counted spare tubes and tower lights, measured operating frequencies and percentages of modulation, and even carefully scrutinized transmitter meters for signs of a sticky movement.

- See more at: http://www.radioworld.com/article/confessions-of-a-retired-field-inspector/223354#sthash.XblvYC06.dp

FCC grants license for DRM testing in Alaska

The Digital Radio Mondiale Consortium (DRM) says it’s pleased to learn that the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) of the USA has granted a licence to Digital Aurora Radio Technologies (DART) that will conduct a 2 year experiment for coverage of the state of Alaska with DRM signals in three of the lower shortwave bands around 5, 7 & 9 MHz.
The Consortium says that if the tests show excellent results for digital broadcasts to cover the entire state, the next step would be to obtain approval to use the DRM system and the transmission station for a regular broadcasting service.
Alaska has a surface area of approximately 1,300,000 square kilometres. With one DRM transmission, either 10 or 20 kHz in bandwidth, the entire state would be covered with approximately “FM-like” quality for up to 4 simultaneous programmes, such as four different languages of newscasts.
Because of the severe ionospheric propagation conditions at the high latitudes for the state, these experiments will yield valuable information on what is needed to get excellent audio coverage at realistic powers for this concept – that is, for “regional coverage” on the order of hundreds of thousands to perhaps 2 million square kilometres from one shortwave transmitter located “in the middle” of the coverage area.
The full test plan will include several variations of DRM system variables in order to determine which combination works best under the different ionospheric propagation conditions to be encountered. For the latter, this includes sunspot number, season and time of day.
For the former, it involves different levels of audio quality for example with or without stereo and different levels of error correction. Finally, there is the choice of the 3 shortwave broadcasting bands at around 5, 7 & 9 MHz.
(Source: DRM Consortium/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

What Broadcasters don't want the public to know about July 15th

Between now and next Tuesday, July 15th, you have the opportunity to make your voice heard, regarding the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) plan to expand the FM dial (worry about expanded receivers and such later). It's not just a question of if the FCC should allow expansion, but how expansion is delegated.

Here is the FCC file number for your comments: FCC: MB Docket 07-294 ....., and the FCC website.

Consider this amazing fact: you will not hear about this proposal over the existing airwaves; existing broadcasters have conveniently left this potentially ground-breaking action alone; no public service announcements here!

This is what is happening: The FCC is pondering a 20 channel expansion once TV channels 5 and 6 convert to digital broadcasting and vacate the channels 5 and 6 FM frequencies (68 to 88 FM). An expansion of the FM band could(with appropriate and plentiful public input) enable more community groups to start radio stations across the country.

Along Colorado's Front Range, expansion could have a direct positive bearing on an existing problem for public radio listeners. Even a slight expansion of the dial -- say down to 87.7 FM (where most current FM receivers are currently able to pick-up Channel 6 audio) will enable KVOD at 88.1 to move down to 87.9 or 87.7, enabling Colorado Public Radio to file for a substantial power gain.

Currently KVOD is limited to a power increase of only a few hundred watts, which will not enable it to reach much beyond listeners residing in the "303" area code. The 88.1 signal from Denver is also blocked in Fort Collins-Loveland-Greeley by KLHV, Fort Collins at 88.3 FM. Re-locating down the dial, just slightly, will make everyone happy. This is a classic example to site in your comments to the FCC.

Please make your voice heard BEFORE July 15, 2008! As for expanding FM tuners, in order to pick up new frequencies from the proposed expansion, one solution would be for Congress to require FM radio manufacturers to include the new FM frequencies on new FM tuners; much the way Congress passed a requirement in the 1960's, requiring TV manufacturers to include UHF channels on new TV tuners. Whatever it takes!

The important item right now requires your participation, and you comments regarding what you would like to see happen. Don't let this opportunity slip away! The airwaves are public -- we own them!
(Source: http://coloradopublicradio.blogspot.com/ )

FCC approves Clear Channel buy out

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the buyout of US radio operator Clear Channel Communications by two private equity firms. The FCC, made up of three Republicans and two Democrats, voted to permit the acquisition of San Antonio, Texas-based Clear Channel by private equity firms Bain Capital Partners and Thomas H. Lee Partners for about $20 billion.

Commissioner Michael Copps said Clear Channel would divest 42 radio stations in the top 100 US markets under the agreement approved by the FCC.

But even though they voted for approval, Copps and his fellow Democrat on the FCC, Jonathan Adelstein, also expressed concerns about the deal. Copps said the agency should scrutinize the ownership of media outlets by private equity firms and how it could affect “our ability to ensure that broadcast licensees protect, serve and sustain the public interest.”

“If I had the ability to launch an FCC inquiry by dissenting to this transaction, I would,” Copps said.

Clear Channel said in December the pending buyout would close later than expected - in the first quarter of 2008, rather than before the end of 2007 as previously targeted - as it awaited regulatory clearance.

A spokeswoman for Clear Channel said on January 14 that the company had made a pre-merger notification filing with US antitrust authorities. Such filings are required by law to allow US antitrust enforcers to determine if deals violate anti-monopoly laws.
(Source: Reuters)