Always more to the story ---
update from Yahoo News:
>> The Department of Justice filed suit against Walter and Rae Olenick, accusing them of operating an unlicensed radio station out of their Austin apartment complex since at least 2013.
The Olenicks responded that the agency lacked jurisdiction and to “kindly never bother us with your harassment … again.”
The FCC imposed a $15,000 fine on the Olenicks in 2014 for their willful and repeated violations, which they refused to pay. <<
--- this has been going on at least four years, with multiple NOUOs (Notice of Unauthorized Operation) sent to the offending station. An NOUO is generally the one-time notice FCC gives to shut down and avoid prosecution, which if it comes to that involves five-figure fines. Apparently this fine was levied
four years ago and they're in arrears. FCC can and will raid the premises and confiscate equipment, which is what they presumably did recently.
Continuing the same article:
>> The pirate station, whose programming lineup includes The Alex Jones Show, has been described as the commentator’s flagship outlet. That characterization that raised the ire of one of the station’s hosts, Danny Seesom, who said TXLR merely rebroadcasts Jones’ show. Calling it anything else amounted to “fake news.”
Jones’ Free Speech Systems wrote Deadline to say it has no involvement in the ownership, operation or conduct by the radio station, and it is not his “flagship” station.
However, the 90.1 FM frequency has long been associated with Jones, notes NPR. When the FCC first penalized its operators in 2014, the Austin Chronicle noted Liberty Radio had earned the nickname ‘Alex Jones Radio’ for airing New World Order warnings for more than a decade. <<
That's interesting since the 90.1 channel in Austin is already licensed to K111FZ, a translator station for a parent religious station in Idaho. In other words "Liberty Radio" is
stepping on somebody else's signal. And that's a BIG BIG No-no. Not only that but Austin also has a station licensed to 89.9, the Lower Adjacent channel, and that's way too close to allow broadcasting without an accompanying big neon sign proclaiming HEY LOOKA HERE WE'RE PIRATES.
The first thing any pirate anywhere establishes if they're doing due diligence is to find a spot on the dial that
won't conflict with an existing signal. That means finding at least three quiet channels in a row. Not just because it attracts immediate attention from FCC but because that established professional station is going to squash your signal like a bug.
And that's just stupid.
And here's the tower "Liberty Radio" was transmitting from:
Real inconspicuous innit? That's a lightning rod right there among other things.
