The FCC is bringing a pair of spectrum bandits to justice, such as they can, converting notices of apparent liability to forfeiture orders. Both were operating in the pirate infested airwaves of southern Florida.
John E. Criteser Jr. was one of them. He was alleged to be operating on 95.1 MHz out of Lake Park FL. He did not file a response to the FCC’s NAL for a total of $15K – half again the usual fine of $10K for unauthorized operation of an FM station. Lake Park is squarely in the West Palm Beach market, where it would be second-adjacent to Clear Channels Wild 95.5 WLDI.
The other buccaneer is Neal Davis of Fort Lauderdale FL, part of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood market, to the south of West Palm. Davis was charged with operating on 96.1 MHz out of Fort Lauderdale. Like Criteser, he did not challenge the NAL, which was for $10K. 96.1 is sandwiched in between second adjacent stations WPOW, Beasley’s local CHR outlet on 96.5, and Tropical WXDJ-FM, owned by Spanish Broadcasting System.
