FCC agents repeatedly traced an unlicensed FM broadcast on 90.1 MHz to the Austin TX home of Jerry and Deborah Stevens, beginning on 8/27/09 and several times thereafter. The couple admitted that they were operating the station without a license, but claimed they were not liable for the $10K Notice of Apparent Liability tossed their way because their signal was completely contained within the state of Texas.
The FCC assured them that its authority is indeed extant whether or not the signal travels across state lines, and have upped the $10K finding from an NAL to a full-fledged Forfeiture Order.
RBR-TVBR observation: Strangely enough, another Austin pirate was operating on the same frequency back in 2007, and the individual then charged, Raymond Frank, also claimed he was beyond the FCC’s reach, since he was a citizen of the Republic of Texas. Read about it here: http://www.rbr.com/radio/18410.html
