FCC Reports Pirate Enforcement Activity to Congress

Under the PIRATE Act, the FCC is required to report its enforcement activity to Congress on an annual basis.  The FCC highlighted the following actions in the report.

In FY2025, the Commission issued six forfeiture orders and ten notices of apparent liability for forfeiture for pirate radio broadcasting.  It also entered into three consent decree agreements with pirate radio operators—each with twenty-year compliance plans.

For example, in New York, the report noted:

On September 10, 2025, the Commission issued forfeiture orders that affirmed fines—proposed in September 2024—against Masner Beauplan for $920,000 and against Wilner Baptiste for $40,000—for pirate radio broadcasting in the New York City area.

In addition to fines assessed against the pirate radio operators themselves, the FCC has continued to take action against property owners who allow illegal pirate stations to operate on their property.

In FY2025, the Bureau issued 28 such notices, including 17 related to pirate sweeps.  Because pirate radio stations often cease operating for a period of time but then return, the Bureau will continue to monitor the properties for which notices were provided and will initiate enforcement action where appropriate.

We applaud the FCC’s efforts in this regard.  We especially want to thank the New York office of the Enforcement Bureau for its dedication.

You can access the FCC’s 2025 PIRATE Report here.

You can access the FCC’s pirate radio database here.