Pirate Radio/Microbroadcasting?
I'm working on a background for a character and have run into a bit of a stumbling block. Then I remembered little_details!
I've been trying to figure this out with Wikipedia, some websites dedicated to pirate radio, and the FCC site, but it's not giving me a whole lot to go on, so I thought I might ask here:
1) The FCC site says that operators of unlicensed radio stations can be punished either by fines or by criminal charges being pressed. What kind of criminal charges would be pressed and what would a likely punishment be? What is the factor for whether the FCC pursues fines or criminal charges? How much would these fines be? If somehow the operator was not caught, but the FCC had an open case on them, how long would they continue pursuing this person, or would they stop if the radio operations did? Would any of this change if the person operating the station was a minor?
2) About how long could someone operate a pirate radio station under the radar if they regularly switched frequencies, but sometimes operated in some of the more noticeable frequencies on the dial?
3) It seems that the FCC mostly does things in response to complaints from the community. Are there some areas of the country more prone to filing complaints about unlicensed radio operations with the FCC than others? Where would they be? Does the FCC ever go after these people on their own?
Hopefully I'm not being a total moron and missing the obvious, here.
I've been trying to figure this out with Wikipedia, some websites dedicated to pirate radio, and the FCC site, but it's not giving me a whole lot to go on, so I thought I might ask here:
1) The FCC site says that operators of unlicensed radio stations can be punished either by fines or by criminal charges being pressed. What kind of criminal charges would be pressed and what would a likely punishment be? What is the factor for whether the FCC pursues fines or criminal charges? How much would these fines be? If somehow the operator was not caught, but the FCC had an open case on them, how long would they continue pursuing this person, or would they stop if the radio operations did? Would any of this change if the person operating the station was a minor?
2) About how long could someone operate a pirate radio station under the radar if they regularly switched frequencies, but sometimes operated in some of the more noticeable frequencies on the dial?
3) It seems that the FCC mostly does things in response to complaints from the community. Are there some areas of the country more prone to filing complaints about unlicensed radio operations with the FCC than others? Where would they be? Does the FCC ever go after these people on their own?
Hopefully I'm not being a total moron and missing the obvious, here.