I can’t believe people are still doing this. I knew guy 20 years ago in collage that did this stuff but they were limited in range. These guys seem to be running full out stations here. Thank God the FCC is on top of this. Busy poking their nose in everything else, but easy cases like this get a slap on the wrist.
In some ways the idea of pirate radio is charming, the idea of someone throwing themselves on the air and doing offbeat music, etc. Sometimes you can actually do this legally (that is, a low powered station but LEGAL)—a flea-powered station, provided you are within power limits.
(Example: Old age facilities that run ‘Companion Radio’—programming sent via satellite or online that they rebroadcast within the facility. Oh, and there are even some drive in theatres—not that many are left—where you are told to tune to a certain frequency to hear the audio.)
And there are traveler’s info stations; or Low Power FMs
(licensed by the FCC) If someone does it legally, on an LPFM or, say, “expanded band AM” (1600-1700, again, legally), then fine.
The pirate stations also can make it tough for those who want to rebroadcast (legally) satellite radio or an mp3 player in their car. Try finding a spot where you can,
say, listen to the XM you subscribe to, etc. when the dial
is full of signals.