PIRATE Act Reintroduced In Congress

Trying Again

A pair of Congressmen are taking another run at a bill to combat pirate radio broadcasters, reintroducing the PIRATE Act -- Pirate Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act -- that passed the House last year but died in the Senate.

The bill, H.R. 583, was reintroduced WEDNESDAY (1/16) by Reps. PAUL TONKO (D-NY) and GUS BILIRAKIS (R-FL), both co-sponsors of last year's bill.  The PIRATE Act would increase fines for AM and FM pirate radio operators to a maximum of $2 million ($100,000 per day of violation). It would also require "enforcement sweeps" every five years in the top-five markets with pirate activity.

“Protecting our public airwaves is critical for preserving community safety, whether for first responders or for working parents who don’t want to expose their children to uncontrolled hate and obscenity,” said TONKO. “Whether a frequency is being used in emergencies to coordinate community response and save lives or by parents who just want to tune their car radios with their kids in the car, our communities are better served when broadcasting is governed by the rule of law. I am hopeful that my new House colleagues will join in support of the PIRATE Act and we can pass this commonsense legislation without delay.”

“We need to make sure that these illegal operators do not interfere with public safety communications,” added BILIRAKIS. “These illegal actors not only hurt our economy, but they can prevent people from receiving important emergency information during a crisis. This bill will give teeth to enforcement of illegal radio operators by hitting them in their pocketbook and better stop these illegal actors for good.”

“NAB thanks Reps. TONKO and BILIRAKIS for today’s introduction of the PIRATE Act, which strengthens the FCC’s enforcement tools to combat illegal pirate radio operations,” said NAB EVP of Communications DENNIS WHARTON. “Unlicensed radio stations are not merely a nuisance to legitimate radio broadcasters who play by the rules. They also pose a threat to public safety by disrupting communications between air traffic controllers and airline pilots. We strongly urge bipartisan support of the PIRATE Act and we look forward to its swift passage.”

“The NEW YORK STATE BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION applauds Congressman PAUL TONKO and Congressman GUS BILIRAKIS for introducing the bipartisan PIRATE Act,” said NYSBA President DAVID DONOVAN. “Today, illegal radio stations interfere with this nation’s Emergency Alert Service, cause interference with air to ground communication systems  at airports, ignore all FCC rules and disregard all federal and state consumer protection laws.  The PIRATE Act will give the FCC additional tool to address this harmful and dangerous situation.”

“The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK OWNED BROADCASTERS is pleased to see that Congressman PAUL TONKO and Congressman GUS BILIRAKIS are introducing the bipartisan PIRATE Act,” said NABOB President JAMES WINSTON. “Illegal pirate radio stations have for many years exploited African American and other minority communities across the country.  They interfere with legal broadcast operations and do not comply with any laws designed to protect consumers. The PIRATE Act provides the FCC additional resources for combating these illegal operators. We look forward to working with the Congressmen to get this bill passed.”

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