FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION ENFORCEMENT BUREAU REGION THREE Los Angeles Regional Office 11331 183rd Street, PMB #365 Cerritos, CA 90703 Field@FCC.gov (562) 860-7474 October 1, 2018 BY UPS AND FIRST CLASS MAIL James Brunelle Canyon Country, California NOTICE OF UNLICENSED OPERATION Case Number: EB-FIELDWR-18-00027634 After receiving an interference complaint, the Los Angeles Office of the Federal Communications Commission’s (Commission’s) Enforcement Bureau investigated an unlicensed FM station operating on frequency 99.9 MHz. On September 5, 2018, Agents from the Los Angeles Office confirmed by direction finding techniques that FM broadcast radio signals on frequency 99.9 MHz were emanating from a residence on Lillyglen Drive in Canyon Country, California. California property records indicate that you are the owner of this property. Agents observed that the station identified itself as “Radio Free Pinetree” and advertised its operation on an associated website “radiofreepinetree.org”. The Commission’s records show that no license was issued for operation of a radio station at this location on 99.9 MHz in Canyon Country, California. Radio stations operating on a range of frequencies, 47 CFR § 73.201. including 99.9 MHz, must be licensed by the Commission pursuant to Section 301 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (Act). 47 U.S.C. § 301. The only exception to this licensing requirement is for certain transmitters using or operating at a power level that complies with the standards established in Part 15 of the Commission’s rules. 47 CFR §§ 15.1 et seq. The Agents found that the station at your property was operating at a power level that exceeds the level permitted by Part 15. The field strength of the signal on frequency 99.9 MHz was measured at levels exceeding the maximum permitted level of 250 microvolts per meter at 3 meters for non-licensed devices. Thus, this station is operating in violation of Section 301 of the Act. 47 U.S.C. § 301. You are hereby warned that operation of radio transmitting equipment without a valid radio station authorization constitutes a violation of the Federal laws cited above and could subject the operator to severe penalties, including, but not limited to, substantial monetary fines, in rem seizure of the offending radio equipment, and criminal sanctions including imprisonment. See 47 U.S.C. §§ 401, 501, 503 and 510. UNLICENSED OPERATION OF THIS RADIO STATION MUST BE DISCONTINUED IMMEDIATELY AND MUST NOT RESUME. You have ten (10) days from the date of this notice to respond with any evidence that you have authority to operate granted by the Commission. Your response should be sent to the address in the letterhead and reference the listed case number. Under the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. § 552a(e)(3). we are informing you that the Commission’s staff will use all relevant material information before it to determine what, if any, enforcement action is required to ensure your compliance with the Commission’s rules. This will include any information that you disclose in your reply. You may contact this office if you have any questions. Lark Hadley Regional Director Region Three Enforcement Bureau Attachments: Excerpts from the Communications Act of 1934, As Amended Enforcement Bureau, "Inspection Fact Sheet"