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General Radio Discussion / Pirate Fines Are Often Tough to Collect
« on: November 27, 2011, 2342 UTC »
WASHINGTON — While the FCC Enforcement Bureau tally of fines against “pirate” operators has grown steadily this year, it is hard to know how many of those fines will ever be collected.
In fact, broadcast industry people familiar with commission practices believe the FCC likely fails to collect a majority of pirate fines.
Once the commission starts to go after an alleged illegal operator, things get complicated. It’s not easy to collect money from what often turn out to be fly-by-night operations. And in tight economic times, when federal agencies face budget constraints, authorities must decide how far to go to collect a relative pittance.
One problem lies in the fact that the FCC needs an outside agency help to get an enforcement action to stick, observers said. The commission can assess fines on an unlicensed broadcaster, but it must engage the services of the United States Department of Justice to file a civil claim for the judgment rendered, according to the Communications Act of 1934...
Full article:
http://radioworld.com/article/pirate-fines-are-often-tough-to-collect/24837
In fact, broadcast industry people familiar with commission practices believe the FCC likely fails to collect a majority of pirate fines.
Once the commission starts to go after an alleged illegal operator, things get complicated. It’s not easy to collect money from what often turn out to be fly-by-night operations. And in tight economic times, when federal agencies face budget constraints, authorities must decide how far to go to collect a relative pittance.
One problem lies in the fact that the FCC needs an outside agency help to get an enforcement action to stick, observers said. The commission can assess fines on an unlicensed broadcaster, but it must engage the services of the United States Department of Justice to file a civil claim for the judgment rendered, according to the Communications Act of 1934...
Full article:
http://radioworld.com/article/pirate-fines-are-often-tough-to-collect/24837