Congressmen Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) introduced the PIRATE (Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act) into the 116th Congress late last week.
The bill would give the FCC additional enforcement options to combat the prevalence of illegally operating radio stations across the country. This is of particular need in areas of the country where pirate operators run rampant like Boston, New York, New Jersey and Florida.
The 50 state broadcaster associations of NASBA sent a letter to House and Senate leadership following the introduction of the PIRATE Act urging swift passage of the bill.
