Shortly after President Donald Trump signed the Pirate Act into law, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai issued a statement thanking everyone in Washington that supported the new law.
Pai said pirate radio is unlawful, period. “These transmissions can interfere with licensed radio signals — including broadcasters’ sharing of vital public safety information with their communities. To enforce the law and protect American radio listeners and lawful businesses, the FCC has made a concerted effort in recent years to step up our enforcement efforts against pirate radio stations. I’m very proud of this work, led by our Enforcement Bureau and its outstanding field staff.”
The Pirate Act increases fines for illegal pirate operations from $10,000 per violation to $100,000 per day per violation, up to a maximum of $2,000,000, and streamlines the FCC’s enforcement.
Pai then thanked the President and other lawmakers. “I thank President Trump for signing it into law. I also applaud Congress for working in a bipartisan manner to fight back against illegal broadcasting. Specifically, thank you to Senator Daines and Congressman Tonko for their leadership in seeing this important piece of legislation through. The FCC will continue to be an aggressive cop on the beat, cracking down on illegal broadcasting.”