Unlicensed broadcast bust in Wyoming

An unlicensed broadcaster in Cheyenne, Wyoming, is off the air. This after the FCC issues an order for it to cease and desist operation or face prosecution that could put its operator behind prison bars.

Jim Davis, W2JKD, has more:

Michael Stugelmayer said agents from the Denver FCC Enforcement Bureau ordered him to turn off his 95.5 MHz FM signal because it was in violation of the agencies rules.

Federal agents, acting on an anonymous tip, issued Stugelmayer a "Notice of Violation" for broadcasting without a license. It also said that it took the action because Stugelmayer's transmitter was emitting spurious signals that could present a safety hazard to the operation of aircraft in the area.

Stugelmayer told a local newspaper that he started broadcasting in 2003 after growing tired of listening to commercial radio while cruising downtown Cheyenne. He still could face a fine up to $100,000 and spend a year in jail for the violation. The FCC might also place a set-aside on his ham radio license when it comes time to renew in a few weeks on May 26th.

Stugelmayer told the newspaper that the buildings owner gave him permission to erect a waterproof antenna on the rooftop and set up his gear inside an unfinished attic space. If this proves true, then that owner could also face charges for aiding an unlicensed station to operate from his premises.

As previously reported, assessing fines from property owners who make space available for unlicensed transmitters is another enforcement tool in the FCC's growing arsenal. This, to take unlicensed broadcasters off the air and make it harder for them ever to return.

Source: ARNewsline, Billings Gazette, FCC