The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has affirmed a $20,000 fine against a New York pirate radio operator while proposing two additional $20,000 penalties against operators of unlicensed FM stations in the Bronx.
This week, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau finalized a financial forfeiture order against broadcaster Jean Boncoeur, whom investigators identified as the alleged operator of “Radio Gold Stars,” an unlicensed station broadcasting on 90.5 FM from Spring Valley in Rockland County.
FCC field agents first investigated the station during a November 2024 inspection and returned to the property in January 2025, where they again detected unauthorized transmissions. According to the agency, property tax records identified Boncoeur as a co-owner of the Columbus Avenue property where the station operated, while social media research uncovered additional links between him and the operation.
The Enforcement Bureau issued a Notice of Apparent Liability in January proposing a $20,000 forfeiture, but Boncoeur did not respond. As a result, the FCC has now affirmed the penalty, requiring him to cease unauthorized broadcasting and pay the fine.
The commission also announced two new enforcement actions targeting pirate radio operators in the Bronx.
One Notice of Apparent Liability proposes a $20,000 forfeiture against Albercio Mercado, who the FCC alleges operated an unauthorized FM station on 94.9 MHz.
A separate proposed $20,000 penalty was issued jointly against Neville Morgan, Lilleth Morgan and The Sweet Hour of Prayer Inc. for allegedly operating an unlicensed station on 105.3 MHz.
According to the FCC, both stations caused first-adjacent channel interference to licensed broadcasters serving the New York market. The unauthorized 94.9 FM operation interfered with Audacy-owned WXBK (94.7 FM), while the 105.3 FM pirate station created interference for iHeartMedia-owned WWPR-FM (105.1 FM).
The Notices of Apparent Liability are not final forfeitures. The recipients have an opportunity to respond before the FCC determines whether to impose the proposed penalties, the agency said.
The enforcement actions are part of the FCC’s continuing efforts to combat pirate radio under the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement (PIRATE) Act, which strengthened the commission’s authority to impose substantial financial penalties against unauthorized broadcasters and property owners who knowingly allow illegal radio operations on their premises.
