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Jun 7, 2006 8:20 pm US/Eastern
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Pirate Radio Station Busted In North Miami-Dade
by Ileana Varela
NORTH MIAMI-DADE (CBS4 News) ―
Law enforcement officers made their latest pirate radio bust Wednesday in a rented backroom owned by a corrections officer in North Miami-Dade, where Radio Energy 90.7 FM was transmitting from.
Bertral Pierre was arrested by the Florida Department Enforcement after receiving a complaint from the FCC on Radio Energy 90.7FM, an unlicensed radio station transmitting Creole and Caribbean music. After tracking down where the signal came from, they say they found the makeshift radio station transmitting out of a room rented by Pierre in the back of a house.
"They used some investigative tools and equipment to zero in on the area they believe is involved in the pirate radio station operation," said Paige Patterson Hughes, a spokeswoman for the FDLE.
Ironically the house located along Northeast 152nd Street is owned by a corrections officer, who rented that room out to Pierre. However, the officer thought the room was being used for storage and not to run an illegal radio station. The officer is cooperating with police on the investigation.
Earlier this year,
CBS4's Gary Nelson brought to light the dangers of interference caused by South Florida's pirate stations. The frequencies used by many of these illegal operators interfere with the frequencies used by our airport traffic controllers and pilots to communicate. Instead of airport communications, many pilots trying to get through to the tower might be hearing Caribbean music on their headsets.
Pierre had no comments for our television cameras when confronted about the issue.
Officials pointed out that Pierre's radio station was not one of the ones interfering with aviation communications.
Pierre is charged with Operating a Radio Station without a License.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)